Torta di chocolate at Olive Garden makes tastebuds sing 'that's amore!'

By Matt Lenio

November 13, 2006 | Finding the right place to impress a girl on a first date can be strenuous in Cache Valley, though it really does not have to be. Cache Valley has desserts enticing enough to make any sweet tooth go crazy.

In order to see where the most popular locations for dessert in Cache Valley were, a small survey was conducted on the campus of Utah State University. After the results were tallied from more than 50 participating Utah State University students, Hamilton's Steak House, The Olive Garden and Firehouse Pizzaria ranked among the top dessert hot spots in the valley.

My first stop was to The Olive Garden, a restaurant located in the heart of Main Street's commercial businesses. As appetizing and mouthwatering as the other desserts from the two restaurants proved to be, the Torta Di Chocolate from The Olive Garden established itself as Cache Valley's best dessert. The dessert consisted of a piece of warm, rich chocolate cake that arrived at the table after being engulfed by a silky smooth vanilla cream. To help garnish the white ceramic plate, fresh strawberries were sliced and strategically placed around the edges of the plate like troops encircling the enemy. Each bite of the fluffy, light chocolate cake sent chills down my spine. The sleek vanilla and fresh strawberries added just the right mixture of tart and creamy to every bite.

The runner-up for Cache Valley's most satisfying dessert was Hamilton's Steak House's New York Cheesecake. This dessert arrived at the table after being drowned with a rich strawberry syrup and buried with fresh cut strawberries. My fork cut into the cake like a knife cutting into warm butter. The aroma of tart strawberries was abundant in the air as I neared the plate closer to me. The soft slice of cake felt like it almost melted in my mouth with every bite. The New York Cheesecake was truly a divine dessert, yet not as satisfying as it should have been for the amount that came at the bottom of my receipt at the end of the taste testing visit.

With a stomach half full, it was time for the concluding visit to The Firehouse Pizzaria, located at the south entrance of Logan. After some brief investigation, it was made known that their most popular and savory dessert was the Chocolate Chip Pizookie. The pizookie also happens to be the most affordable of the top three desserts in the valley, making it perfect for cookie lovers on a budget. The dessert consists of a large chocolate chip cookie that has been baked in one of the restaurant's open-flame ovens. The cookie is baked until it is firm around the edges, but perfectly gooey in the center. It is then topped with three small scoops of vanilla ice cream. By the time the oven-baked cookie arrived at my table, the ice cream had already begun to melt and soak itself into the chocolate chip dough. The flavor nearly exploded in my mouth after the savory chocolate syrup drenched the dessert. The light drizzle of milk chocolate over the cookie and the ice cream is the perfect end to a nearly perfect treat.

Even though the pizookie did not have the luxurious taste of the cheesecake, the cost difference was more than able to compensate. For the best bang for your buck, head out to The Olive Garden and order the Torta Di Chocolate, where I can guarantee you a 100 percent satisfaction.

Making the long and agonizing trek to Salt Lake City for a delicious dessert is not an essential when living in Cache Valley. A delectable dessert that will make your sweet tooth happy is waiting right around the corner.

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