Girl Scout Cookies Re-imagined

It’s that time of year.  Inconveniently close to the end of the holiday season, unforgivingly just before Spring Break and yet no one seems to be bothered.  You guessed it- Girl Scout Cookie season.  At Trattoria Neapolis, they have taken their love for the cookies to another level.  After buying box upon box from troop 14201, pastry chef Elliot Pardo and chef Bryant Wigger created two unique desserts inspired by and using everyone’s favorite cookies.

The restaurant invited Girl Scout troops from the LA area to make reservations for the event on Saturday between 2 and 4 to try the desserts.  What exactly did they come up with?  A Tagalong Torta, which has a peanut butter filling covered in thick chocolate, and the Samoa Sandwich Plate, which came with three flavors of gelato and an ice cream sandwich made with two Samoas.  And judging by the ice cream covered faces and empty plates, their creations were Girl Scout approved.

After all the girls and parents had their fill, Community Relations Director Gina Baffo introduced two talented members of the crowd and invited them up to the front of the room to preform.  Lauren Wilmore and Diana Leon, members of troops 9631 and 205 respectively and students at Polytechnic School, changed the lyrics of a popular song to make a cookie selling song!  They even created a harmony.

While it was a tough act to follow, the brave chefs behind the desserts took the stage to do a Q&A session with the girls.  They explained their inspiration behind the desserts, talked about why they love their jobs, and answered the scout’s burning questions:

“Do chefs usually come up with the ideas for the food?” “Is it hard being a chef?” And, my personal favorite, “How many sick days do you have?”  Luckily, these men are used to working under pressure.

Based on the girl’s reactions, a few might just go on to be chefs themselves.

Proceeds from the day are being donated to troop 14201, who will in turn, along with their own cookie sales, donate to Families in Transition and the Pasadena Humane Society.  Families in Transition is a non-profit focused on helping homeless students in Pasadena schools.

Come take a taste of Trattoria Neapolis’ menu (or just their desserts- we won’t tell!) at 336 South Lake Avenue.  To see what else they have to offer, please visit their website at: http://www.trattorianeapolis.com/