Sparkling Jasmine Tea and Dry Soda

POP! I’ve always equated that sound with celebration, romance and luxury. So, it was with great anticipation I entered POP Champagne & Dessert Bar. True, I was visiting for lunch, but surely I would be tasting a dessert or two? But of course!

The interior of POP is circa speakeasy with mirrors, dark booths, sumptuous brocade, and exposed brick. Jaunty music plays in the background evoking images of raccoon coats and flappers. The perfect setting for an escape from reality.

Partners Matt Earhart and Kristin Traylor

Co-owner Kristin Traylor says that they’ve made their prices a lot lower and created more specials, like happy hour everyday, not just on the weekends. “I think people in this economy are not going to go on large trips, but they can come here and feel like they are on vacation and feel almost like they went down a rabbit hole and found a whole another world,” she said.

For our lunch I decided against champagne, I did have to work after all, and opted instead for a glass of Sparkling White Jasmine Tea. What a treat, served in a champagne flute, looking at it you would never guess it was tea. It was slightly sweet with delicate bubbles that teased the tongue. My companion tried a bottle of the “dry soda” a definite adult drink, fizzy with just a touch of sweetness.

Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Wild mushrooms topped a thick layer of goat cheese in our starter to lunch, a bruschetta. The base was toasted just right, crunchy but it didn’t shatter when bitten into. The goat cheese was a tangy foil to the musky mushrooms.

Steaming butternut squash soup, topped with cinnamon croutons and crème fraiche was brought to our table. A savory soup, the taste was accented by the cinnamon and tart crème fraiche. This soup is also served as a side to the Chef’s Specials at lunch.

Trio of Sliders

The Tartine of the day (open faced sandwich) was a vegetarian dish. Olive bread was topped with herbed ricotta, roasted red bell pepper, eggplant and portabella mushroom. The over-all impression was not that of a meat-less entrée but was hearty and filling. They did not skimp on the ricotta and the resulting sandwich was not dry, but moist and flavorful.

A trio of sliders, the dish du jour these days, was our next entree. These, however, were not your ordinary sliders. Each contained a generous patty of kobe beef, but that is where the similarity ended. One slider was topped with sundried tomato, parmesan cheese and basil. There was another with bacon and gorgonzola mayonnaise and the third one had a layer of sautéed mushrooms and smoked gouda cheese. Each little burger was a microcosm of taste and aroma. Each was delicious. [continued]