Sunday, July 26, 2009

Date Night & An Interesting Food Choice

Last night hubby and I went out to dinner by ourselves for the first time since the toddler was born - that's almost two years! We had such a good time: talking, walking around, shopping, being silly... The highlight of our date was definitely the leisurely dinner. It was great to actually have time to eat... :o)

We went to a California Bistro that uses local, organic produce as well as organic meats in its dishes. I am usually a bit skeptical about eating out, but I was very comfortable as I felt I knew what I was eating.

As soon as we sat down, we got warm, delicious bread. I only had a bite as I wanted to have room for my entree; hubby LOVED the bread and ate almost all the bread (and almost all the butter!) all by himself...

Between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. the restaurant has a special three course meal on the menu, and that's what hubby ordered. His meal started with a house salad that was lightly dressed in a simple vinaigrette. The salad also had some cherries in it; it tasted very good and fresh. Hubby shared the salad with me... :o)

Hubby's entree was chicken in a rosemary sauce. I love rosemary, but I find that it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Luckily, the rosemary flavor was perfect - very pleasant and not too strong. The chicken came with silky mashed potatoes and very flavorful and perfectly cooked veggies.

And now to my entree. As I was reading the menu, Thai Noodles with veggies and tofu stood out, and I almost ordered them. However, then, all of a sudden, my eyes jumped to the burger. And I REALLY wanted a burger. I didn't know what to make of it. I haven't eaten meat for over a month now, so this sudden urge to eat meat was certainly strange. I felt good about the grass fed, organic, hormone-free meat that the restaurant uses, and so I ordered the burger and decided to see what would happen next. Hubby was pretty shocked when I ordered the burger! Well, hubby, I am full of surprises! ;)

So here it is: my burger. I thought the cherry tomato, olive & pepper on top were very cute! :o)

The burger came with seasoned fries. I haven't eaten fries in a loooong time, and in the past I would have loved them. However, I am eating a lot less processed food and a lot less salt, so these fries were a bit salty for my taste.

I ate half of the burger and actually enjoyed it. I also ate a few fries. I'm not quite sure what I should make of my sudden desire to eat meat? Maybe my body was trying to tell me something? Well, we'll see where I go from here...

Hubby's meal ended with a dessert duo: carrot cake and creme brulee. Unfortunately, we attacked the dessert before I had a chance to take a picture, and the picture I took after we had eaten a good part of the dessert looks disgusting... But the dessert was absolutely fabulous. The carrot cake was really moist and rustic. There were big pieces of carrots and raisins. And the creme brulee had a nice crust and a nice, creamy texture. It was mildly flavored with vanilla, and it was not too sweet. The perfect ending to a perfect date! :o)

Question: When was the last time you enjoyed a special dinner (at home or at a restaurant)? And what did you eat?

Be well,
Andrea