Cookies from Inforzato’s Italian Café. Photo by Mark Davis
Although the concept switched from Hawaiian to Italian, some things are still the same at Inforzato’s Italian Cafe, formerly Hula Hotties Café. Jill Inforzato knew she couldn’t discontinue the restaurant’s most popular desserts, such as the passion fruit cheesecake and the coconut cake. Now there’s even more to choose from, including the decadent butterscotch cannoli.
“Because I used to bake for 12 restaurants and two hotels, I have hundreds of recipes,” Inforzato says. “I don’t like doing the same thing over and over.”
Her family had an Italian restaurant for about 80 years in Duluth, Minn., and she still uses her grandmother’s marinara recipe. Inforzato spent 38 years living in Hawaii, the inspiration for Hula Hotties, but says it felt natural to get back to her roots.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdhb_rx8pLY[/youtube]
“I said, it’s in the genes. Let’s do Italian.”
Inforzato’s holiday dessert menu features a seemingly endless variety of cakes, pies and cookies: sweet potato pecan pie, red velvet cupcakes with peppermint bark garnish, eggnog cheesecake, pumpkin cannoli and Italian cream cake, just to name a few.
Plus, the $6 spaghetti dinner is now offered every night, not just Thursdays. Inforzato also plans to start selling beer and wine this month. So Cliffites are running out of reasons to pass up this neighborhood bakery.
244 W. Davis
214.943.2233
Price range: $6-$14
Ambiance: Family-run restaurant with about 10 tables
Hours: 5:50-9:30 p.m. Tues-Sat; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun; closed Monday
More dessert spots
Meringue tarts from Rush Patisserie. Photo by Molly Dickson
1 Rush Patisserie
In addition to the classic bakery items, this neighborhood shop rolls out popular holiday treats such as the sweet potato cheesecake. New this year is the red velvet tiramisu with eggnog coffee syrup.
1201 El Dorado
214.749.4040
2 Del Norte Bakery
For sweet breads, tres leches and chocolate tamales, you can’t go wrong with this panaderia.
3210 Falls
214.339.8644
3 Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Katherine Clapner’s handmade creations come in experimental flavors such as blueberry jasmine marshmallow and sake bomb truffle.
408 W. Eighth
214.943.5943
