Student chefs at Ellington’s restaurant in the Holmes Student Center prepared meals Nov. 4 that took me to pear-adise.

Chefs at Ellington’s hosted Peared Together, which incorporated pears in everyday meals from soup to dessert.

The pear and prosciutto bruschetta made for an excellent appetizer. It was served on a crostini topped with bleu cheese, fresh thyme and red onion. Although the bruschetta was a bit too hard and salty, the bleu cheese complemented the savory flavors of the appetizer.

The sweet potato pear soup was luscious and thick. The creaminess from the butter and Greek yogurt made the soup one to remember for the taste buds. Garnished with pear chips and fresh mint, each slurp of soup made me want more. It was also hard to miss because of the buttery yellow color.

The Santa Fe turkey-stuffed pepper entrée contained green bell pepper, black beans and quinoa cooked in vegetable broth and shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella cheese melted on top of the black beans and quinoa, which made the pepper look like a mini-pizza. This was pleasing to my eyes and mouth.

Alongside the stuffed pepper was the ground turkey. This was barely noticeable because of the variety of vegetables included in the dish, but it was still tasty. The jalapeños complemented the garlic, apple juice and honey very well, adding a flame of flavor to the main dish.

The apple and pear crisp was divine. It was served with apple and pear filling and topped with rolled oats, spices, pear chips and salted caramel sauce. The Granny Smith apples tied in well with the old-fashioned oats, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon, making the dessert taste just like the inside of an apple pie. The pear chips and salted caramel evened out the dessert, adding a bit of saltiness to a sweet apple and pear crisp.