NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Most bar owners would wince at the mere thought of having bands of underage clients march through their doors in search of a good time.

Cowboy Cafe co-owner Zac Culbertson, on the other hand, welcomes said kiddies with open arms—and a slew of funky new desserts.

Since taking over the longstanding watering hole last November, Zac and brother/fellow co-owner Matt Culbertson have seen their kids’ birthday-party business blossom—thanks in no small part to the creative jiggering of their dessert carte by chef Chris Kenworthy (last seen at Ballston’s Grand Cru).

Case in point: Culbertson said the brothers always knew they wanted to serve some sort of bread pudding on their revamped menu.

“That’s just something Matt and I grew up with,” he said of the familiar post-dinner treat.

But it took one of Kenworthy’s buddies to suggest tossing candy bars into the dining equation. After some initial experimentation, Culbertson now hails the Butterfinger bars for providing “a little stiffer bread pudding” than most people are probably used to.

The puffy sweet actually tastes more like French toast than traditional bread pudding (less syrupy/watery, anyway), showcasing giant triangles of baked brioche bread (another proprietary update) drizzled with caramel sauce and sprinkled with the crispety, crunchety candy bits (toffee-like nuggets rock).

“It’s definitely unique,” Culbertson said.

Meanwhile, their s’mores pie—an homage to campfire dining, sans all the errant pine needles and hard-to-reach bug bites—envelops mushy gobs of baked marshmallow and deep, rich fudge between crumbly graham-cracker layers, all zigzagged with caramel and marshmallow sauces and dusted with powdered sugar.

“It’s kind of warm and gooey in the middle,” Culbertson said of their best-selling dessert, adding, “We get people who come in and order whole pans of the stuff.”

Somewhere nearby, gangs of pediatric dentists are laughing all the way to the bank.