Cocoa Mascarpone - Trader Joe's

Think fresh chocolate mouse with a richer texture... If you're not familiar with mascarpone cheese, it's a soft cheese used in many desserts. For instance, tiramisu usually calls for mascarpone. The texture is similar to cream cheese, I guess, but the taste is definitely different and it's not quite as thick.
 

 
Every year around the holidays, Trader Joe's comes out with many specialty items and once the inventory sells out, no more shipments come into the store until the following year! So this kind of a secret even to those who frequent their local TJ's. 
  

 
Being a cheese, there's some protein involved. Which is a good thing if you're a chocolate lover and need/want to watch your blood-sugar, or simply like to stay more balanced. There's 1g of carbs and about 1g of protein in each tablespoon. So that's a pretty good ratio for something that resembles chocolate mouse. It goes great with strawbs or just right out of the container! There won't be any left in stores by the end of this month, maybe even before, so better hurry and get yours!

The Marietta Square

First stop: Taqueria Tsunami. It's a Latin-Asian dining experience where you'll find excellent avocado cilantro egg rolls, Asian nachos and shrimp de fuego for starters! I've already been there twice and it was so worth it! But really, how could you not love Latin and Asian all rolled into one? :) Let me tell you about the Asian nachos. First off, the chips aren't just tortilla chips, they're fried wontons. Then topped with all the traditional "nacho" toppings, but with Korean BBQ short ribs! Delicious!

For my entrée, I went with the 'pick two tacos and a side option', which is an outstanding value for $8.50. Yesterday I tried the Pacific Rim taco with grilled Mahi, lettuce, pico, and hoisin lime aioli as well as a Baja taco featuring sriracha mayo. Both were excellent. I also really enjoyed the BBQ short rib taco with cucumber salad. Along with great value for the quality, Taqueria Tsunami also helps support Tsunami victims by donating proceeds from specially marked items on the menu. Check out their other locations and menu here:  http://www.taqueriatsunami.com/

There are many interesting shops and art galleries on the square and after a while, it was time for some dessert. So we stopped in the most lovely restaurant called, Le Café Crepe.

The sweet French couple who own the restaurant have been running it since 1986. It's super quaint and everything is homemade on the spot for you. I ordered an Americano along with Crepe Le Brazilliane. This is a crepe filled with fresh chocolate mouse and topped with just enough tart raspberry drizzle and bing cherries to balance out the sweetness of the chocolate mouse. It was perfect! Beyond desserts, the rest of the menu looks really good as well.
Here's their web address: http://www.lecafecrepe.com/