Starting today, Chef Marcie Turney will debut Budino Frozen Pops, a summertime twist on her wildly popular budino dessert offered at Barbuzzo Mediterranean kitchen and bar in Philadelphia. Chef Turney’s salted caramel pudding dessert became an instant classic, receiving high acclaim from Bon Appetit, Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine. For a limited time, the Budino Pop will be available for $5 at the Marcie Blaine Chocolate counter in Verde (located at 108 South 13th Street). The pops will be available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 2 p.m. until the end of August. Get there early—sellouts are predicted!
Budino Pops feature the same creamy caramel pudding, frozen around a core of salted caramel and dark chocolate cookie crumbs, then hand-dipped in dark chocolate coating and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt. Each comes on a popsicle stick and makes for a perfect mid-afternoon treat.
“The budino is actually our number one-selling menu item at Barbuzzo, beating out any other dish on the menu—sweet or savory,” says Chef Turney. “From the subtle crunch of sea salt on top to the decadent dark chocolate crust to the impossibly creamy texture of the pudding itself, it is just about the perfect dessert.”
Barbuzzo’s budino was named “Best Dessert” by Philadelphia magazine in their 2011 “Best of Philly” issue, and it has also been featured in Bon Appetit. The Inquirer’s LaBan spotlighted Barbuzzo’s budino in his glowing “Three Bells: Excellent” review, praising the “savory-sweet delight” with its “crunchy salt—at first a disorienting touch that ultimately deepens the allure” of the dish. Philadelphia magazine noted that “practically no one leaves [Barbuzzo] without ordering this budino … [which] packs enough complexity to top off your best dinner party effort—but is comforting (and indulgent) enough to make any weeknight meal something special.”
As two of Philadelphia’s most prominent and ambitious entrepreneurs, Chef Turney and partner Valerie Safran have worked for nearly a decade to transform the once-desolate 13th Street neighborhood into what is now the thriving, trendy “Midtown Village.” Today, the couple’s three restaurants in the neighborhood—Barbuzzo; Jamonera, a Spanish tapas bar (105 South 13th Street); and Lolita, a modern Mexican restaurant (106 South 13th Street)—as well as their gourmet prepared food market, Grocery (101 South 13th Street) and two lifestyle boutiques, Open House (107 South 13th Street) and Verde, continue to receive acclaim and draw visitors and locals alike to the area. In addition to her work as executive chef at each of their three restaurants, Chef Turney has also created her own signature line of chocolates, Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. Later this month, the pair will debut Little Nonna’s (1234 Locust Street), a casual Italian eatery inspired by the “red sauce” family-owned ristorantes of Italian immigrants.
For more information about Budino Pops, call Verde at (215) 546-8700. You can also follow Chef Turney on Twitter.
- Photography: Jason Varney
