Mmmmm...salty...

The salty-sweet dessert combination is always a good choice. It is the reason that chocolate-covered pretzels work so well, and also why I can eat 15 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in a single sitting. But what is more beautiful than either of the above is salted caramel. The first time I had salted caramel was at Miette Pâtisserie in San Francisco's fabulous Ferry Building. It was at that moment that I decided that caramel is really worthless unless the letters "S-A-L-T" precede it.

So when I heard about Bi-Rite Creamery (here and here) and their SALTED CARAMEL ice-cream flavor, it was all I could do not to quit my job and start my own business consisting of eating ice cream all day long.

On Saturday night, Grant and I ate like we were 8-year-olds at a birthday party. We started with cheeseburgers and fries and ended with ice-cream sundaes. However, the sundaes were nothing like you would have ever seen at a child's party. Of course, I went with the salted caramel ice cream which was A-MAZING, topped with burnt caramel sauce, chopped marcona almonds and whipped cream. Every bite felt as though there were tiny wood sprites dancing gracefully on my tongue. I teetered between continuing to eat it like a lady and shoving my face into my bowl.

Had it not been for my unbearable heroin-like craving for the salted caramel ice-cream that had been distracting me all day, I would have gone with Grant's choice. Equally delicious but a lot more daring. He tried "Sam's Sundae," which consisted of chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and...wait for it...olive oil and sea salt. Fruity, rich olive oil, chocolate and of course, salt. It's a beautiful thing.

Somewhere between the food sweats and the food coma, Grant suggested we move into the apartment directly above the creamery. And you know, after that ice cream, it might be worth getting really, really fat.