I had every intention of making a super healthy dinner – a seafood cioppino that was featured in the new weight loss cookbook I just purchase from Amazon (buy here). I bought shrimp and mussels and scallops, tomatoes, peppers – everything needed. The Viking came over, and I just wasn’t feeling it. So, we decided to go out for dinner. On a whim, I checked out (redacted), a place we tried repeatedly to get into but could never find an open reservation. Lo and behold, they had an 8:30pm that night! Generally we don’t like to eat that late because, you know, getting older, heartburn, eating late, etc… But screw it – we made an exception and booked the reservation through Resy.
We walked into the greeting area, and after the host held a boisterous conversation with what appeared to be an exiting inebriated patron, he verified our reservation, and took us to our seats. The place seemed full… but not at the same time. Almost every table was occupied, but the tables were so well spaced with lots of walking room, that it still felt intimate.
Server – super friendly, but not overly so. Attentive without being annoying. Made recommendations when asked.
Cocktail – Really the only bad part of the entire meal – Forefather’s Cracked Coconut Rum, Maggie’s Farm Rum Blend, Banana Hegemony Reduction, Pineapple & Orange Juice, Tiki Bitters, Nutmeg
Way too many competing flavors so it ended up being an overall mess, and the nutmeg was completely unnecessary although in their defense, I am not a big fan of nutmeg.
Appetizer – I am going to try not to oversell this, but these are THE BEST WINGS I’VE EVER HAD. BBQ Spice Rub with an Apricot-Jalapeño Glaze.
Huge. Crispy. Juicy. And the glaze…. ohhh the glaze! I say this with no shame that the Viking and I both ran fingers over the excess glaze to shovel into our mouths. When I told the waitress they were the best wings I’ve ever had, she just smiled and said yeah, we get that a lot.
Main Course – I was really torn between my old standby, the burger, or something somewhat healthy, a salad. I decided to combine the two, and got a salad… with steak in it.
CHOPPED SALAD – Field’s Edge Farm Mixed Greens, Avocado, Bacon, Tomato, Black Bean & Corn Salsa, Queso Fresco, Cilantro-Lime Dressing
It was a salad. Everything tasted fresh. The steak was cooked perfectly rare. The avocado was perfect texture. Once I managed to mix everything, I couldn’t stop eating, and all but finished my generous mixing bowl of salad. As I type this, we have another reservation there tonight with extended family, and I am seriously considering the salad again. It was that good!
My Viking got a usual dish for him, the mussels.
MUSSELS – Chorizo, 225 Lager, Cilantro, Jalapeño, Corn Nuggets, Served with St. Boniface Beer Bread
WOW. I did not try the actual mussels, but the bread was amazing, the broth was…. I need more words for perfection! It was lager based, with a hit of jalapeño. SOOO freakin good! And dipping the bread in…. wow. My Viking demonstrated true love to me by handing me the last piece of bread, soaked in the sauce… before tipping the bowl and drinking the rest himself.
Dessert – Typically we share a dessert. We both have a sweet tooth, and love desserts. The server brought the menu and, oh man, we had to order one each because they ALL looked so good. Personally, I was aggressively torn between the blueberry cobbler and the fried bread pudding. The bread pudding came with stout ice cream, but the cobbler came with honey lavender ice cream, which I adore. Thankfully, our server came to the rescue and told me I could mix and match, sooo….
FRIED BREAD PUDDING – with Salted Caramel & Hegemony Ice Cream Honey Lavender Ice Cream
Holy shit. Bread, the most magical and satisfying food on the planet…. yet I never knew it could be this good. If you take away nothing else from this review, go there and eat this. Right now. It is sweet. Soft. Crisp. Divine. Decadent. I think I need to go back and get it again just so I can lovingly add more adjectives to this blog.
Now, there is an endless list of reasons as to why I love my viking. Tonight provided several more. Not only did he share his bread dipped in mussels broth, he shared his dessert.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL MOUSSE – With a crunchy chocolate peanut butter topping
I happily accepted my bite, and with eyes wide in a surprised yet blissful stare, I dug in for more. It was so good, that if I could eat it every day, I wouldn’t need a boyfriend. It was so good, I considered grabbing the dish and running so I could eat every bite by myself. It was soo good, I almost forgot about the heavenly bread pudding sitting in front of me.
We finished our meal, both delightfully full, satisfied, and happy. Everything we tried tasted like a new and exciting take on an old and beloved classic. It was creative without being pretentious…which never hurt anyone!
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