Brian Bottge

The Pretzel Parfait at LoLa 41 is the ultimate study in contrasts: sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy. “These flavors and textures hit every note you could ask for in a dessert,” says Brian Bottge, executive chef of the global bistro that features cuisines of countries and regions that lie across Earth’s 41st parallel. “The dish has been an instant classic since it first hit our menus.”

”The Pretzel Parfait features three ingredients layered in a rocks glass. The base is a sweet mascarpone cream, made with imported mascarpone cheese, vanilla purée and confectioner’s sugar. This is followed by a layer of dulce de leche, a sugary caramel sauce made by poaching condensed milk. The top tier is a pretzel crumble of gluten-free chocolate brownies and pretzels. “This layer provides the salt component, along with a great crunchy texture,” says Bottge. To dial up the indulgence and drive home the contrast, the parfait is crowned with whipped cream and mini pretzels. It remains one of the top-selling desserts at the restaurant.