Despite the warm temperatures and bright sun out here in California, the red-colored grapevine leaves and strong breezes suggest Fall is here. And so does this luscious pumpkin cheesecake we indulged in at The Girl & The Fig a couple nights ago.

Since I don’t have the recipe, I’ll try to describe everything happening on this plate.

This dish was so much more than pumpkin and cheese. The graham cracker crust was deep and smoky with faint touches of burnt caramel. The chartreuse swirl on the plate was a delicious curry coulis, not hot but complex with suggestions of coconut and spice. And the toasted pumpkin seeds provided a lovely nutty crunch that complimented the light airy cheese pie.

The only other flavor you don’t see on this plate is the gorgeous Late Harvest Viognier that was sipped between each bite. It was full of honey and apricot, and made me ecstatic about sweet Viognier. On the rest of this trip, I’m scouting out a few to ship home, to serve alongside my own pumpkin cheesecake at Thanksgiving.

Related posts:

1. Grilled Fig & Arugula Salad at The Girl & The Fig
2. Valentine’s Day Bouquet, or Lovely Table Centerpiece, or Baby Girl Bouquet
3. Thanksgiving Menu Ideas, part 1 of a-zillion to come
4. Beef Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
5. Big, Gigantic, Cheesy, Lopsided, Not Perfect Burger