Check out Eye Cook finalist at Sequoia
| Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 05:53 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jul 01 2009 05:53 PM
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If you missed the big cookoff sponsored by The Californian last weekend, you can still sample one of the decadent dessert finalists.
Sequoia Sandwich Company's downtown location is selling Tracie Monroe's peanut-butter chocolate cheesecake. If things go well, Sequoia -- which celebrates a decade in business in September -- will keep it on the menu and offer it at its other sandwich locations, said co-owner Jeff Simpson.
"I read the article about the contest in the paper and, knowing she had done this before in previous years and knowing we were going to try to offer an alternative cheesecake, I brought hers in," said Simpson of Monroe, a finalist in the Eye Cook cooking competition the last two years. Eye Cook is an annual recipe contest that celebrates local amateur chefs.
Simpson said Monroe's rich concoction, which sells for $3.50 a slice, is a nice counterpoint to the traditional New York-style cheesecake already on the menu.
As of Tuesday, the downtown store had sold 15 to 20 pieces of the 24 slices Monroe brought in Monday morning -- and that's pretty good, Simpson said, considering that location usually sells about 20 servings a day of its popular chocolate cake. Monroe probably won't have more for the store until next week, Simpson said.
Simpson's own review: "I had half a slice and it about knocked me on my rear."
Simpson, who rides bikes with Monroe's husband, is taking a wait-and-see approach to the stay-at-home mom's dessert.
"Somehow, some way, if (the cheesecake) is what the customers want, I will put it out there," Simpson said.
