Juxtaposition makes the world go round. Literally.

So we know the boy does not like pizza. I belong to the 7% of people in the US who do not swear by pizza or consume it on a monthly (or scarily more frequent) basis.

So when an enchantress of San Francisco lured me into Zero Zero, yours truly was rather apprehensive at their forte of the dough and sauce platter that otherwise made my face swirl into a frown. Something picked up only by a pomegranate bourbon cocktail, which in itself was not as aesthetically pleasing as it was rewarding to the palette.

And indeed, four cheese topped and asparagus slices later, I was neither impressed nor distraught, just indifferent. Why the world loves pizza will remain a mystery to me, for there is nothing texturally enchanting, nor ethereally comforting about crispy dough with gooey cheese and crunchy toppings.

An arugula, shaved mozzarella and pine nut salad with sour dressing was a fresh bite. And I’m always infatuated by the pine nuts – not as mainstream as their peers, and so eloquently shaped and textured, almost like a nutty cookie made only of nuts.

But what did it for me, and where the enchantress with a Hello Kitty fetish can truly be given credit, was the dessert. For what arrived was no ordinary feat. Akin to a scorecard in elementary school or a ballot in voting season was a build-your-own ice cream sundae sheet, complete with non-kitsch flavors.

Obviously, I chose chocolate ice cream with the quirkiest of all toppings: Fiordolio olive oil and sea salt. And what arrived was even grander than expectation. Towering higher than my face, the ice cream was a fairly carnival shaped swirl, but the entire platter was almost overflowing with a glowing golden olive oil. Visible salt granules glistened like jewels on the ice cream’s soft surface, enough to lure any foodie into seduction.

The coconut toffee brittle added a sumptuous gritty crunch, which however never pairs well with a frozen treat. Think dentist trauma. Nonetheless, a minor wrinkle in an otherwise richly textured and flavored dessert. One that almost made me forget my love for pomegranate.

All in all, if it wasn’t for the enchantress, I would recommend everyone to Zero Zero it down only for a juxtaposed dessert.

For why be normal?