Sweet and Savory Blue Cheese Cannoli

Josh Gaulin

Michelin-starred Cyrus takes guests on an immersive journey through its tasting menu, as they physically move from the restaurant’s Bubbles Lounge to the Kitchen Table, then to the Dining Room and finally the Chocolate Room. Josh Gaulin is the fine-dining restaurant’s pastry chef who cleverly bridges the gap between savory and sweet in this progressive experience.

His Rogue River Blue Cheese Cannoli serves as the cheese course, offering an unexpected, refined presentation. “We are always trying to think of ways to make the cheese course more interesting for guests,” says Gaulin. “I think what makes the cannoli a success is the presentation. It mimics a classically sweet dish but with a savory juxtaposition. It serves nicely as an interlude between the main courses and dessert dishes.” The Rogue River Blue is creamy and rich, with notes of vanilla, truffle and fig, which play well against the red wine-poached pear and walnuts. “We try to keep our desserts pretty light and kind of feminine. We like to make everything a balance of textures, pleasing on your palate, without super heavy, aggressive flavors,” he says. “I also like to use ingredients that have a savory connotation, such as mushrooms or blue cheese—and that may not be expected in this context, making them my own.”

Read more Best of Flavor 2024