Catering Customer Conundrum

Hiring a caterer (or at least considering hiring a caterer) is weird.

You spend a bunch of time doing research and asking for possible menus and trying to figure out what they supply (do they bring silverware? do I have to rent napkins?). 

Then, when you decide you're ready, you have to send in a request for a proposal. Because, apparently, they may or may not want to do a proposal for you.

Then, you wait for a reply. Lots of times, they seem to reply (at least with an automated notice saying they've gotten your request) pretty quickly. And you move forward.

But if they don't respond within a few days, you have to decide whether or not to follow up with them. If you do have to follow up, you get one of two responses: "Sorry, it's on its way," or "I've been busy, but I'll get it to you in a while."

Unfortunately, neither of those responses guarantees you'll get a response any time soon. 

Okay. I get it. This is all customer service. I've been in customer service jobs for most of my life. Retail. Box Office. Editing. It's all Customer Service. 

I know that some times you get busy and you drop a ball or two. And that you have to push through and get things done. So I'm prone to giving a lot of leeway to most people in that kind of position.

And, with this in mind, on October 3rd I sent off for a proposal from a company whose food we really like. We've toured one of their venues and met some of their staff and thought they could be a good, fun fit for us. Having not heard from them for a few days, I followed up the next week, and received a kind of snippy email saying, in essence, "I've been busy, I'll get back to you."

Today, however - after waiting a month for that proposal - I tried calling the company's main number, instead of emailing the person I had been going back and forth with. The woman on the phone offered to have me talk to the same person who has ignored me for the past 4 weeks. I re-explained my situation, and flat-out told her that if that was my only choice at this point, then I would go to a different caterer. The person on the phone didn't sound happy when she said she'd have someone else get in touch with me. No apology. No "not sure why it's taken so long." Nothing. 

I'm trying my best to not completely write them off right now (after all, their food is good - and the pricing that we've seen so far was also good), but at this point... wow... that proposal better be stellar - and fast.

   
UPDATE: Barely an hour after my phonecall, I received a very polite follow-up call from someone else in the office. No apology, technically, but a guarantee that if I send him my info today (not sure why he can't get it from the other person...) he'll get me a proposal by the end of the day tomorrow. It's a start.

Bac'n and Birthday Bargains

bac'n /bayk-n/ - the junkmail you get in your email inbox that you sort of asked for, but that isn't really personal, such as notices from stores you shop at, or coupons from restaurants.

I'm coming up on my birthday this week, and so my inbox is pretty much flooded with bargain-filled bac'n. This happens every year, and so it's not a surprise. In fact, I've kind of come to count on it.

This year I even plan to plan part of my birthday around some of that bac'n, because if people want to give me free stuff on my birthday, who am I to complain?

I've got emails offering me money off at some stores, and free food at a couple of restaurants (honestly, I'm considering hitting up one restaurant with a coupon that has to be used for "dine-in" and another for take-out - both for lunch).

Yes, I'm also hoping for cake that day, and probably some actual food, but - at least in a case like this - things really can be better with bac'n.

Dining Out For Life - 2014

If you haven't heard of it, "Dining Out For Life" is a program which goes on in a number of cities around the country. It's typically a one-day event, where restaurants give a percentage of their profits to charities which benefit people living with HIV and AIDS. So... You dine out, and it helps people live - "dining out for life." Get it?

The past few years, Christopher and I have made sure to get reservations early and go out to eat. We've typically invited other people to go with us, and we usually have a really good time. The restaurants that participate in the Cities are typically packed for dinner, and there's a really cool atmosphere to it all

There are volunteers on hand who greet the diners and talk to them about what the sponsor charity does (in the Twin Cities, the sponsor is The Aliveness Project), and so you get this feeling that you're all sort of attending the same party. Except that it's a party where you have to wait for a table (we waited a good 45 minutes for our table, tonight, even with a reservation) - and where there's a bill at the end.

If you're paying attention, you go into this event knowing what the basics are. And a lot of people book their reservations based on how much money the location is donating. And you just kind of do what you're doing. And you feel good about it. And you think "I dined out for life, tonight."

But Christopher and I really don't go out to eat on weeknights very much. We're usually pretty pooped during the week, so it takes a lot to get us to leave home. And this event is metro-wide, so although we're choosing places we want to eat - and with good donation levels - we're also trying to find places we think people will want to drive to. (We chose Cafe Ena, by the way - we've eaten there a few times, and the food and service have never failed to impress us - slow seating tonight notwithstanding.)

So when we invited a bunch of friends to join us tonight - who didn't all know each other - and chose a restaurant that was fairly close to us but a bit of a drive for the other four... well... we figured it had the potential to be a good night, but you never know.

We got to the restaurant around 6:45. We left at right about 10. We didn't stop talking the entire time - even when the food arrived, the six of us found some way to keep talking as we ate. And it was wonderful. It was one of those meals that makes you glad to be out and about on a school night - even with the knowledge that tomorrow morning is going to come pretty darned early, and that you've blown your meal budget until the 1st of the month.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that tonight we truly did dine out for Life. Not just in the sense of the donation we were making, but in the sense of adding some life to our week. There was tech talk as we waited for our table. There was travel talk over appetizers and pet talk over dinner. There was silliness over churros and cinnamon ice cream. And we were still talking as we walked out the door feeling like alarm clocks are going to ring too early in the morning.

Yes, we dined out for life. And it was good.

Friday Food - Frugal

This actually isn't going to be a post about food. Sorry. Instead, it's going to be a post about fiscal responsibility, of sorts.

I work in an office that has about 25 people (I think we're still under 30 people), and I am amazed on a daily basis how many of them go out to eat for lunch. Sure, they go out to "quick service" places, or the new Whole Foods market down the street, but they're still buying lunch out almost every day.

And, as I watch them come and go, I've been trying to figure out if I've ever done that.

I remember a time when I was working in retail when I would go to a bagel place once each week and get a mixed bag of "day-old" bagels, and then use those to make sandwiches for the week. Even surrounded by mall food, I only bought lunch about 15% of the time.

When I worked in box offices, I probably ate out - or ordered in - a little more, but definitely not every day. And when I was working my really weird hours in a phone queue (5pm to 2am), a lot of places weren't even open when I wanted dinner, so it was either bring it in or go to the 24-hour grocery store down the road.

All of which goes back to say that I really just don't get how the people I work with can afford to eat out so much.

Of course, it might bother me in part because we're near a pizza place, so when people go out, I often have to sit in my office and smell pizza. Kind of a lunch-Grinch jealously thing.

Dining... With Reservations

I was going to start this by saying "Maybe I'm just getting old..." but, frankly, I think I felt the same way in my 20s. Basically, I've never been a "stand in line for an hour because you might like the meal" kind of person.

There are, certainly, things I'll stand in line for an hour for. Many rides in Disney parks fall into this category (although I *do* love a Fastpass).

I'll stand in line for an hour - or multiple hours, actually - to do things like get autographs from John and Carole Barrowman.

And, yes, the amount of time I'm willing to stand in line is directly connected to whom I will be standing with. And where. If I'm with great friends and I know that we can talk about nothing and everything for at least twice the time that we're in line? No problem. If we're in an intricately designed, climate-controlled holding area before, say, Muppets 3-D? No problem.

But if we're going to be shoved into the back of a restaurant where there isn't even an actual bar to belly up to, and we won't be able to hear each speak? Not good. If there's actually nowhere indoors to stand, so we'll be either outside in frigid temps or outside in scorching temps? Not happy.

All of which is my way of saying that I really like going to restaurants where I can make reservations and be treated like a "guest" when I show up. When I walk up to the "host" stand, I kinda like to feel like I'm being hosted, not hoisted.

Twice in the past month, Christopher and I have changed our dining plans because we showed up at restaurants which didn't take reservations, only to be told that it would be at least a 45-minute wait. The first time was at about 5:50 on a Wednesday night. The second was at 5:30 this evening - at a restaurant which actually says on their website that they feel it's more "fun" without reservations.

I dunno. I'm thinking that, unless places like those start adding fireworks or character dining, I'm going to have to say that their idea of fun and my idea of fun are very different.

Friday Food - Aida

No, I'm not being witty and talking about an opera (or a Broadway show) as food. I would never do that. Okay. Maybe I would, but not today.

Aida is the name of a new Mediterranean restaurant that has opened in Richfield (just south of Minneapolis), where Christopher and I went with a couple of friends earlier this week. It took over an old Taco Bell location, and... well... I wasn't happy to have my closest fast food go away, but now that I've tried the replacement, I'm no longer upset.

The place is small (it was an OLD Taco Bell, after all), and they've opened up as much of the space as possible, even allowing customers to watch what's going on in the kitchen, if they want. (We didn't, honestly... we were too busy talking.)

The menu isn't huge, but it covers all of the bases - you can get everything from hummus to falafel to gyros, as well as various kabobs. And here's the great thing: Everything we tried actually had FLAVOR. The hummus wasn't just paste - and it had a dollop of jalapeno in the middle. The falafel weren't just weird clumpy fried balls. Even the (perfectly cooked) french fries were flavorful.

Oh, and Christopher tried the "fiery red" sauce. When he asked the guy behind the counter about it, he was warned that it was "very hot," but we weren't sure if that was Mediterranean hot or Minnesota hot. So Christopher got some, and we all loved it. It's hot. Actually hot. And perfect on the fries, and... well... almost everything else.

It's so great to go into a place that isn't stuffy and isn't expensive and still be treated to a meal made by people who really know the food. In fact, if you read my blog on Wednesday and remember that I mentioned a restaurant having sundown feasts for Ramadan, this is where they are happening. (While you're perusing their regular menu, here, you should also look at their Ramadan menu...)

If you're thinking of going - and you really should be - always check their website, because they seem to have rotating promotions. And they have a "frequent buyer" club, too. (Yes, I plan to be one of those...)

Full, but Un-Fulfilled

Christopher and I just got home from dinner out with friends for someone's birthday. It was, overall, a very nice evening. We always have a good time when we go out with these folks, and we constantly say it doesn't happen enough. So, on a Wednesday, we had a chance to do it.

The waiter seemed a bit overwhelmed, though, and it took a while for basics like water and bread to show up. And our drinks took a little while, too.

But we kept moving forward, and everything seemed fine - if a little slow. Until the food came out and only three of our four entrees were correct. Instead of a Potato Pizza, mine came out as a Pork Tenderloin.

Apparently the waiter mis-keyed my order when putting it into the system. Giving the waiter (and the restaurant) credit for what they did right, I was offered the Pork for free, and told that the pizza would be out momentarily.

So three of us (those of us who aren't vegetarians) shared the Pork, and everyone at the table pretty much finished their entrees. And, eventually, the pizza I'd ordered did show up. I ate a couple of slices, but - frankly - had already filled up on the salad that Christopher and I had shared, and the bread, and the bit of Pork. I asked to have the pizza packed up to take home.

It came to me in a small plastic to-go container, with the four remaining slices stacked on top of each other - kind of like a "pizza lasagna." (They have a bunch of pizzas on the menu, so I'm not sure why they don't have pizza take-out boxes.)

But, again, overall the meal was good - and the company was, as usual, outstanding. And our waiter seemed to be just *that* far away from being good. Which is why I'm not naming the restaurant, here.

All told, though, it was still an unfulfilling evening, foodwise.

Kind of like when you've got your mouth all set for chocolate mousse and you find yourself with a mouthful of pate.

Sunday Evening Slowdown

A lot of weekends Sunday evening is the part of the weekend when everything kind of speeds up as you try to get ready for the new workweek. This weekend, though, Christopher and I have been celebrating his birthday, so this evening is kind of the slow-down point, instead.

But it has been a great - food-filled - weekend. Yesterday we spent part of the afternoon at a work-related event at a bar/restaurant I'd never been to. Even though it was an event for Christopher's work, it was actually really fun. We sat and chatted and joked with some of his co-workers and spent a nice hour.

Last evening, we went out to dinner - as part of a group of 10 - to one of our favorite restaurants (Cave Vin in SW Minneapolis). I had talked to them earlier in the week to let them know we were going to bring along a birthday cake (which I offered to cut and serve), and that we'd probably need multiple checks to keep the confusion down. And it worked out great. Everyone seemed to have a great time. People in the restaurant joined in when our table was singing "Happy Birthday" to Christopher. And the restaurant manager actually came around with ice cream to go with the cake. How cool is that?

This morning, since a certain pup got me up around 7am, anyway, I threw on a coat and drove about five minutes away to Patisserie 46 to pick up a few things for a "breakfast with choices." I mulled over my options, and came home with some sweet croissants (chocolate and almond) and some savory "breakfast" croissants (with egg, gruyere, and bechamel sauce). And I was home by around 8am. (Apparently, if you get there at 7:45 on a frigid January morning, there's no line and lots of service. It was great!)

We had planned to go out to dinner tonight at a place that is known for serving huge amounts of meat. But... well... we kind of decided that we weren't hungry enough for it. So we capped off our day going out for pizza at Davanni's (a local chain which - although it has changed names along the way - is one of Christopher's favorite pizza places from back when he was a little kid).

And, thus, we come to tonight. We have a couple of high-end pastries to consider, and we also have leftover cake from last night. (Have I mentioned that it was a Devil's food cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting and a Bavarian cream filling? We got it at Kowalski's, if you want one...)

I suspect dieting will be on the "to-do" list starting tomorrow. But not tonight.

Friday Food - Blackbird Cafe

It's not often when you get to go back to eat at a restaurant that has burned down. But Christopher and I did just that this week. Well, sort of.

The original Blackbird Cafe was a tiny place with antlers all over the walls, and a menu that was both rare and well-done. Vegetarian dishes side-by-side with meats. Sandwiches next to pastas. A little of everything, all done with style.

And then there was a fire that took down the Cafe, another restaurant, and at least one shop. And we thought we had said good-bye to Blackbird. (You thought I was going to say "Bye Bye, Blackbird," didn't you?)

But Blackbird didn't say good-bye to Minneapolis. Instead, after months of hard work, they re-opened, recently, in a new - larger - location. They've got more seating, more windows, a larger bar, and metal chairs which are unsurprisingly chilly in January.

Christopher and I met a couple of friends there on Wednesday night. The same friends we had met on our first visit to the original Blackbird. And, like that first night, we had good food and great conversation. Good wines and beers were had. And our waiter was just the right amount of attentive.

The menu remains eclectic (at various times our table had tomato soup, chicken giblet salad, roasted cauliflower - as a main course, a shredded beef sandwich, and gnocchi), and, yes, there are still antlers on the walls.

There's a slight downturn in the ambiance (the metal chairs may not have been the most Minnesota-friendly choice, and the large open space is a little noisy), but overall Blackbird is definitely back.

They Double Down Dared Me

I admit it. The advertising got to me. Or, rather, the anti-advertising got to me. All those people saying that it was the first sign of the Apocalypse.

Honestly, I was perfectly fine with ignoring it, but then everyone was talking about it. Even the folks at the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" blog talked about it. So you know I had no choice but to do it.

Even so, I did it surreptitiously, with no one around. I stayed in my car so no one would see me. And when I got home, I didn't even bring it into the house, but stayed outside until I could destroy the evidence.

The truth? It wasn't as bad as I expected. I didn't even feel that dirty afterward. Unfortunately, as with many clandestine things, it also wasn't as good as I'd hoped.

Maybe it was simply the thrill of doing something so wrong that got me going. Or maybe it was knowing that I would probably end up hating myself in the morning that made me wonder if it was worth it. No matter what, it had to be done. I couldn't just live through hearing about it from other people about it any more.

Yes. That's right. Today, after running a bunch of errands, I went to KFC and ordered a "Double Down Combo Meal."

I'm sure you've seen the stories, or the ads, or the "anti-ads," about the new "sandwich" from KFC. It consists of two slices of bacon and two pieces of Monterey Jack cheese slathered in "the Colonel's Sauce" and squashed between two Original Recipe Fried Chicken Breasts. That's right - there's no bun. Instead, it comes wrapped in this little envelope of paper which I guess you're supposed to use to protect your hands as you pick up the chicken to bite into it.

I couldn't get that paper wrapper to work, though (it kept sticking to the cheese and I came dangerously close to eating some of it), so I took that off and just held the two chicken breasts with the oozy goodness in my hands. And it was oozy. And it was good.

The chicken was chickeny. The cheese was cheesey. The "Colonel's Sauce" (although it sounds kind of R-rated), was appropriately spicy. The bacon was... well... it was there (probably the main weak spot in the meal - bland bacon).

I know (because I looked here before getting one) that the thing has more than 1/4 of my recommended daily calories. I know that it's got something like 32 grams of fat. (Which is why I opted for the cole slaw instead of the fries. Although, c'mon, who am I kidding if I pretend that the slaw is good for me?) People are right to point out those things. But, oddly enough, although I tend to have a squeamish stomach for many things high fat, this hasn't made me sick. (Not sure what that means, really.)

One thing I am surprised by, however, is that no one is really complaining about the sodium in the Double Down (it is listed on the website, though). It was almost inedibly salty. It was so danged salty that I've been drinking water at every chance for the past 2 hours, just to avoid a "dehydration hangover."

Would I order it again? Probably not (but, then, this was my first trip to KFC in about 8 months).

Am I glad I tried it? Heck, yeah. If nothing else, it was a whole lot more fulfilling than "Avatar" - and it cost me a lot less.

Shamrock Shucshess!

One day before the official end of the Shamrock Shake season, I have finally been successful in procuring one of my own.

I have made plans multiple times to go to McDonald's in the last month and, yet, I never quite made it there. Tonight, on my way home from a Happy Hour celebrating a friend's new job, I finally made it to McDonald's.

And, luckily, the one I went to still had them.

(Yeah. There was one year where I had waited too long and I missed out on them because the shop I went to had run out about 2 weeks early. It was not pretty.)

But, tonight, I am happy to say that I got my hands on a medium-sized cup of the extra thick minty green goodness that only comes once each year.

So I'm now cutting this short so I can savor the rest of it in peace.

Only 11 months (give or take) until my next one.

New York Nosh

Since this is Friday, and I typically like to write about food on Friday, I thought I'd talk a bit about the food I got to enjoy last weeked in New York City.

I know we already talked about last Friday night's dinner at Vynl, so we'll jump past that. On Saturday, Christopher was up and about first, and he went to a charming little tea shop called Alice's Tea Cup about a block away, and came back with 2 Pumpkin scones (drizzled in some kind of maple syrupy glaze), and 2 "regular" scones. Yeah. Okay. Even I thought that that was a nice way to start the day!

We spent the first part of Saturday on the trail of a kind of chocolate Mecca. We made our pilgrimage to La Maison du Chocolat near Rockefeller Center. Okay, so it's not quite the same as being in Paris, but it's still wonderful. And the ice rink had just opened, so we got to watch people skate for a little while, too. We bought chocolates and macarons and -- once the staff realized we were shopping and not just browsing -- we even got samples. It's not a cheap place to go, but it's worth it!

That afternoon we got a little "food for thought" by going to Carrie Fisher's one-woman show "Wishful Drinking." I'd guess that we were some of the youngest people in the theater, but we had a great time. I laughed for almost 2 hours straight. If you get the chance -- and are even remotely familiar with who she is and who is in her family tree -- I recommend it.

Of course, it wouldn't be a day of chocolate shopping without a second chocolate store. We stopped at the Jacques Torres Chocolate store on Amsterdam Avenue just a few blocks from Colleen's. It was a totally different feel than La Maison. Much more accessible, complete with an espresso and hot chocolate bar. But... Yeah... Pretty much just as expensive. The hot chocolate I had and the "chocolate chip" cookie Christopher and I shared were amazing. WAY too rich to have on a daily basis. But perfect on a chilly afternoon.

We had dinner in on Saturday night. Or, rather, we co-hosted a party with Colleen. We had a ton of food -- expecting about 15 to 20 people -- and only ended up with about 8 people, total. But it was fun, and everyone enjoyed the food. We had a couple of different baked brie, and baked cheesey puffs, and fresh vegetarian spring rolls, and apple crisp, and "bourbon hot dogs" in the Crock pot, and guacamole and chips. And, in the middle of it all, I broke a corkscrew when I was trying to open a bottle of wine. Luckily, there was a back-up.

Sunday brunch was nice, but nothing incredible. But, again, the conversation was the point, and that was as good as ever. Then Christopher and I were good and aimed for a little more culture, so we went to the Frick Collection (which is housed on the first floor of what used to be someone's mansion. I could have stayed in the library for days...) and the Asian Society Museum (which was odd, but had a couple of amazing things in it).

After a lovely -- if chilly -- walk back across the Park, we decided it was the perfect blustery night to order in. Colleen, Christopher, and I ordered a Buffalo Chicken Salad (and fries), Pork Chops with mashed potatoes and applesauce, and a Chicken Quesadilla with pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, which all showed up at the door -- all from the same neighborhood restaurant, The City Grill. I love New York!

Oh. I do have one other chocolate story as I wrap this up.

On Friday, when Christopher and I braved shopping at Fairway Market (on Broadway at about 74th), we were kind of swept up in all of the chaos. Luckily, we've been there before and knew what to expect! We didn't opt for a cart, but did it all with a hand basket, and we bought a lot of stuff for Saturday night. So, as we were waiting to check out, Christopher had gone of in search of a couple last items, and I set down the basket and waited. An older (possibly elderly, even) woman came up to me, shoved a chocolate bar in my face, and said "What's this say? I can't read it. I'm blind." She was on a quest for a dark chocolate with a filling. We walked the few steps over to the chocolate bars on display and found her a nice 70% cocoa bar with orange infusion from Lindt. And then she disappeared again into the chaos of the store. It makes me happy just thinking about her determination -- at least toward chocolate.

Man. I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly feeling kind of hungry. Sorry 'bout that.

Marking Time(s)

I've been home (or at least on the ground) in Minnesota for about 38 hours. Considering that I was only in New York for about 63 hours, it would seem that I should have readjusted pretty well by now. But...well... that would be wrong.

You see, on Sunday night/Monday morning, I only got about 5 hours of sleep (plus about another hour on the flight), which was followed by a full day of work. Then, Monday night (last night), I couldn't fall asleep. I was up until after midnight. Which would have been fine if not for the serious sleep deficit. My alarm got me up by 7 this morning, so in the past 48 hours, I've slept for about 13 of them. Oddly enough, I'm not totally wiped out. Hopefully I won't be up for another 2 or 3 hours tonight, though.

But enough about all that. What I really want to talk about is the first evening that Christopher and I were in New York.

As you probably already know (if you've been paying attention), we didn't get to New York until Friday afternoon. By the time we had dropped our bags at Colleen's and run out to do some grocery shopping (for a party we were co-hosting on Saturday night), it was almost 5 o'clock. Colleen met up with us at her place, and we told her of the dinner plans we had made (having rescheduled the lunch plans we missed due to our flight change), and about 6 the three of us headed out to go into Hell's Kitchen (it's a neighborhood that's along 9th Avenue where, I believe, the streets are in the mid-40s -- but don't quote me). We met up with another friend -- whom for the sake of this blog we shall refer to as Tiz -- down there, and the four of us headed to a restaurant/diner called Vynl for dinner.

** Timeline Sidenote ** Let me be a little more specific about the friendship timelines: I've known Colleen for about... ummm... 15 or 16 years (we met through her older sister). Tiz and I met when I was working in Baltimore about 8 years ago. Christopher and I have been together for about 4 1/2 years. And the three of them all first met a little less than 2 years ago on our last trip to NYC. ** End Timeline Sidenote **

It took a little while for a table, but we didn't really notice because we were all talking and getting caught up. Our waiter was great -- very friendly and just attentive enough without being annoying -- and the food was pretty darned good. (I definitely recommend the place!) But the focus of the evening was the conversation.

Wait. That's not right. The focus wasn't the conversation. The focus was simply the four of us being together.

We talked about jobs and lives. We talked about food and travel. We talked about the internet and we talked about the weather. But, overall, the conversation was simply a way to be able to look at each other and say "I'm glad you're here."

I am lucky enough to have a lot of really good friends in my life. And it is times like last Friday night, hugging hello on the street, sitting in a diner, talking about the mosaics in the bathrooms, truly feeling like a part of a bigger whole, that make my life worthwhile.

The trip was really short (don't worry -- I'll tell more stories, soon), but spending that time together will forever mark it as one of the best nights I've ever spent in New York.

** Looking-for-sympathy Endnote ** As you may remember, Christopher is still in NYC until the end of the week. I was too tired to truly miss him last night. Tonight... well... Let's just say that the countdown to Saturday night has begun. ** End Looking-for-sympathy Endnote **

Blog Break

Tomorrow after work Christopher and I are taking off for a few days in the non-Minne-Apple, during which I probably won't have a lot of internet access. So... Well... Probably no blogging in the next few days.

On the other hand, I'm hoping to see a couple of the people whose blogs I follow, which should be fun. I'm sure they'll probably end up in my blog sometime next week.

Speaking of people ending up in my blog. Now that I know that Darci is okay with being in my blog, I can mention that Christopher and I just got back from dinner at Broders' Pasta Bar where we celebrated Darci's birthday with another friend of ours (who... you guessed it... I haven't yet asked whether I can put into my blog).

It was a great evening. After a day where I was dealing with sinus issues (and sinus med issues), it was great to finally be feeling better and just go out to dinner with everyone. Broders' is one of those places that doesn't take reservations, but has a "waiting list" which they ask you to call and put your name on an hour before you want to be seated. Luckily, Darci was the one who called, and she happened to mention that it was her birthday. That may not have changed anything, but it certainly didn't hurt.

We started dinner with roasted garlic on some kind of crisp bread, then we each had our own pastas. Mine was fairly simple with tomato and garlic and -- for a seasonal touch -- butternut squash. It was amazing. Darci's had chicken and artichoke. Christopher's was a spicy pork. And the fourth plate of pasta actually had wild boar sausage mixed in. Dessert was a "bestia nera" (flourless chocolate cake) and a couple of very small cannoli which we split. (One of the cannoli actually came out with a candle in it!)

It was a really great evening. Sure, the place is kind of small and won't suddenly be on my "gotta go there" list, but it was a great evening. Perfect start of the long weekend (now if only I didn't have to work tomorrow, first...).

Two Evenings Out = One Morning In

It has been a couple of really great and social evenings, which means that life has gotten in the way of the blog.

Friday night, Christopher and I went to my college French professor's home for cocktails and food and a few hours of really great conversation with friends. We've done this a few times in the past, and it's always a lovely, relaxed, evening. The conversation is always good. The food is usually just the right mix. And there's always good wine.

One of the other guests brought along a "pork terrine" with apricots on top, which she had picked up at a new cheese shop on Grand Avenue in St Paul (which is an offshoot of the France44 cheeseshop in Edina -- I couldn't find a website for them, but I did find a blog). It was really amazing, and went so well with the rest of the food.

After most of the hors d'oeuvres were gone, we also tried out some liqueurs, including a "yellow" Chartreuse. I had tried some "green" Chartreuse back in college and remember it tasting like pine (and feeling like pine needles in my throat). The yellow version was much nicer, and a perfect capper for the evening.

Last night, I was invited by our friend Darci to go to a fundraising event which a friend of hers was on the board for. (Don't worry -- I didn't leave Christopher home alone. He was at the opera with his sister.) It was for the Phillips Eye Institute, and took place at Cafe Lurcat and Bar Lurcat just off of Loring Park (oddly enough, their website has basically no information). When we drove by and saw a large tent outside, we were a little nervous that there'd be a bunch of people crammed into a tent on a chilly October evening.

We walked past the giant puppet greeters (from In the Heart of the Beast puppet theater) and into the tent where, thankfully, they simply checked us in before sending us inside. We were on the early side for arrivals, so we got to pick up wine and champagne from one of the servers as we perused the art and made our way toward the food.

There were nifty little appetizers being passed (the Parmesan crisp with red pepper cream cheese was a favorite), and the actual "buffet" was amazing. We tried a little pot roast, some roast cauliflower and mashed potatoes, some roasted red pepper pizza, a shredded apple salad, and a nifty little lettuce wrap. There were a few clunkers, but overall it was really amazing food. (And did I mention we had gotten in for free thanks to Darci's friend?)

We met up with Darci's ticket-supplying friend, and then wandered back past the quartet singing in the corner to check out the other side of the place. Beyond the jazz quartet where we had come in, the food was more finger-food (chicken wing "lollipops" and mini burgers and fries and onion rings), and, outside beyond the Scotch tasting, was the "s'mores" bar -- which was, quite frankly, the best food of the evening.

This morning, Christopher and I are hanging out and just relaxing. Two social nights in a row mean that this morning is going to be a slow go. And I'm fine with that.

Dinner Out

I answered my phone at about 4:30 this afternoon and found Christopher on the other end of the line. He asked if I might want to go out to dinner, since we haven't done that in a while -- just the two of us.

I picked him up after work, and we went to Sawatdee - a Thai place kind of in downtown Minneapolis with good food and decent prices. It was really nice. We got there around 5:45, so we were the only ones in the restaurant for about 15 minutes or so. We were seated next to a window, so we watched the traffic go by and watched the rain come down.

Our food came out right away, and our waiter was nice (not really great at paying attention to our orders, but nice). And we sat and talked and ate and enjoyed just being there. No pressure. No deadlines. No rush. Just the two of us sitting and enjoying each other's company.

I think that's one of the things we miss most because of my current financial status (some days I feel like I have less disposable income now than when I was unemployed). We both miss being able to go out to a nice dinner and just sit and enjoy being out. We didn't have to cook and clean up, and we weren't distracted by all of the things we should have been doing around the house. I hadn't forgotten how nice that is.

Things are beginning to turn around, though. Soon we'll be able to do more of that, again. I'm sure of it. Now if only my bank account would agree with me.

** End Note ** Christopher actually paid for our dinner, which was completely unexpected. How sweet was that? ** End End Note **

Celebrating Four Years

Oddly enough, as I was looking back over the past year, I found that what I wrote on August 29th was much like what I'll be writing today.

You see, I missed posting yesterday (as I had on August 28th last year) because it was the four-year anniversary of the first date Christopher and I ever had. And, as we did last year, we celebrated at Erte restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis. No surprise to either of us, he had the top sirloin, I had the faux fried chicken, and we shared the hash browns. Our waitress was someone who knew us from our past visits, and it was an incredibly comfortable -- and delicious -- evening.

We spent our evening talking about where we might want to travel in the near -- and not-so-near -- future. And I was getting a little reflective on where I might be right now had I never met Christopher. You see... When we met, I was still working in the management track at a local Williams-Sonoma. Unfortunately, as much as I liked the company (and some of my coworkers), I knew that my chances for advancement were pretty limited. Christopher is the one who suggested my next job move to The Minnesota Opera.

Which means that, without Christopher, I probably wouldn't ever have seen a full-length opera or met some of the great people I still keep in touch with (Hi, Libby!). Of course, that job only lasted about 16 months (you heard a little bit about the aftermath of my departure from there, here), and ended about 4 months before I started this blog. So, without Christopher, there's a good chance that this blog wouldn't even exist.

More recently, it was Christopher's friend (now my friend, too), Darci, who first came across the Craigslist posting for the job which is where I've been working at for about 4 months, now. And it's through Christopher and his friends that we found out about the Trivia games we've been playing every Monday, too.

Yes. There is also a lot of travel that probably wouldn't have taken place without Christopher. I probably never would have seen Penzance and Stonehenge. And I most likely wouldn't have had that amazing time in Quebec last fall (remember that amazing dinner?). And... well... I could go on for days with this kind of thing. That's obvious, isn't it? After all, in the past year I've written almost 250 posts and we're talking about four years, here.

So... yeah... Lots has happened in the past year. And even more has happened in the past four years. I guess that's not all that surprising, but it's nice to have a reminder from time to time.

Pearson's Edina Restaurant - Go There!

Last night, Christopher and I went out to dinner with my cousins Katie and Kris (the ones who will be doing the Breast Cancer 3-Day later this month) at a place that really blew us away.

We try to get together once every few weeks for dinner, frequently trying places we haven't all eaten at, before. Sure, we break our own rule from time to time (some places are just way too good to ignore), but last night's meal at Pearson's Edina Restaurant was a first for all of us. And by the time we left we were all vowing to be back soon.

Unfortunately, the reason we chose Pearson's was an article in the newspaper Sunday a week ago saying that the restaurant might be closing later this year (to be replaced--in that case--by a Walgreen's, of all things). Since we drive past it all the time in Edina, it seemed like we really needed to go and check it out.

The place has been around for years (full history is on their website), and the interior reflects that. There's a "cafeteria"-style section when you first come in that's got a counter with stools and a bunch of booths. After you pass through that section you come into one of two dining rooms, with tables set throughout. We were seated in the farthest dining room--where we were one of three seated tables in a room with at least a dozen tables.

The menu is fairly extensive, and as we searched past the burgers and salads and Swedish Meatballs and--I kid you not--Casseroles, we found that they even do most of their breakfast menu all day. Christopher took the breakfast-for-dinner route of ham and eggs with pancakes and hash browns. Kris had a simple cheddar cheeseburger and fries. Katie had the "exotic" bruschetta burger (tomatoes and onion and garlic all under melted cheese on a burger). I dove straight in with the Wild Rice Chicken Casserole, with a starter of a house salad (green salad with a mayo-based dressing with peas and bacon and cheese), and sides of pureed squash and a cranberry relish.

Everyone liked what they had, but I have to say that I think I had the best meal of the night. The salad was--if you know what this means--basically a deconstructed 7-Layer salad. The squash had a wonderful depth of flavor--maybe maple, maybe butter. And the Wild Rice Chicken Casserole--dense and filled with mushroom, chicken, bacon and onion, then topped with almonds--was amazing. I wanted to just keep eating, but decided to stop part-way through so that I could bring home a few leftovers.

Believe it or not, we left before dessert. But the dinner itself was so wonderful we didn't need to have that to cap off the evening.

Overall rating: A. The staff was friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. The food was amazing. The ambiance... well... it's perfect for what it is. If you have the chance, I highly recommend the place. But go soon, just in case it does close--missing it would be very very sad.

Were You Ready on June 12th?

I hope that all of you were ready for the broadcast TV changeover from analog signals to digital. Not that I have any idea what the change really entailed, except that something is now different in how broadcasts happen. Possibly kinda like the difference between Morse code and a telephone. Or something like that.

(No. Please don't try to explain it to me. Much to Christopher's dismay, I really don't care what most of that tech stuff is, either.)

Since we're a cable-connected household, we didn't have to do anything. We were fine. Some of our channels are incredibly clear, now. We spent three hours last night watching competitions on the Food Channel, and I know I should say that it was as if they were cooking in our living room but... well... it was simply like watching TV a week earlier.

Wait. That's not quite true.

You see, a friend of Christopher's who just happens to be a professional chef was here with us. So watching food competitions was nothing like it normally is. Instead, we were talking through most of the shows, discussing recipes for how each of us might have done them, and voicing our votes for who should win and/or lose. It was, as the DTV folks have promised, more like the competition was taking place in our living room. But that was entirely due to the company, and not the digitization of the broadcast signal. (Sorry, DTV folks.)

I guess that says something about my views on TV, or movies, or life in general: It's almost always more fun when you share it with someone else.

Oh. Wait. There is one the thing I want someone to explain to me: Since the DTV transition a few of our local broadcast channels are now completely fuzzy/snowy. What's up with that?

A Surprise-filled Week

It has, indeed, been a week of surprises. 

Some of them have been good (I got a new assignment at work which will, hopefully, be the start of some decent cash-flow), some have been not so good (one friend lost a job, another friend lost a good friend to a freak auto accident). But last night was a very good surprise.

Let me start by laying out the earlier portions of the day: Christopher (off on a "flex day") and I got a slow start, then headed to Gerten's, the largest garden center in the area. (We're talking acres of shopping for everything from rocks to marigolds to 15-foot maple trees.) We tramped all around the place and came home with a shrub willow, three poppies, a clematis and a star jasmine, as well as some fertilizer, weed killer and potting soil. Since we were expecting rain last evening, I spent the hour after we got home digging around in the yard putting in new things and pulling out old. 

The poppies and clematis were going in to replace some that didn't make it through the winter, while the willow was replacing a mock orange which also took a hit. Everything was proceeding as planned until the first shock of the day: The "dead" mock orange had a little sprout right at the base of the otherwise bone-dry dead stems. And not just one, but two little sprouts. I found the same thing with the clematis and one of last year's poppies. With a little re-thinking, then, each of those living -- if not thriving -- plants went back into the dirt. (Now if only they'll survive tonight's mid-May frost warning...)

While I was working, Christopher announced that once I was done I should come in and rest and get cleaned up because he was going to take me to dinner. We'd had a "Date night" on the books for a week or so. We've taken to scheduling these because otherwise we get a little over-booked and miss out on the chance to see each other, so I didn't think anything of it. I had been expecting that we would order in a pizza or Chinese food and just crash out on the couch -- especially after the yardwork. 

Christopher insisted, though, and so we got a little dressed up (no tennis shoes, even though we were in jeans -- one of my favorite things about this part of the world is the casual levels of getting "dressed up"), and headed out to some mystery destination he wouldn't name. About halfway to St. Paul, I asked (again) where we were going, and this time he pulled an envelope out of the car door pocket and handed it to me. 

Inside was a two-week-early birthday card with an "invitation" to an evening of cabaret and dinner sponsored by Heimie's Haberdashery and Meritage Restaurant in downtown St. Paul. It was a great evening. The cabaret actually took place IN the Haberdashery, amid the tailor-made menswear and accessories, with the stage about halfway into the accompanying barber shop. Okay, so it was a little rough around the edges, but the singers were great, the magician was a riot, and there were hors d'oeuvres beforehand. We even got our palms read while we were waiting. 

After the show was over, we adjourned next door to our restaurant. There was a three-course meal (included in the price of the evening), with a great selection at each course. One of the cabaret singers wandered in and chatted with each of the tables. And outside the sunset was playing light tricks on all of the buildings. It was one of those evenings that you enjoy enough that you don't really know that you want it to end, because even if you go back, it might not be as good the second time. 

We left Meritage around 9:30, and Christopher started driving... well... the wrong way through St. Paul (that was what my tired and slightly-overwhelmed brain was saying, at least). I couldn't figure out where in the world he was going, until he pulled up outside the Crowne Plaza hotel and explained that this was the continuation of the evening: a room on the 17th floor with a gorgeous river view, a king-sized bed and a copy of the incredible movie "Paris, Je T'aime" which we could watch on his laptop. (Yes, he had packed an overnight bag for both of us, as well as his computer and the movie.) We made it through about a third of the movie before we gave up for the night.

This morning we took our time getting ready as we looked out at our amazing view, then tried the buffet breakfast (good, but not amazing) before wandering out into the (surprisingly) cool morning. And it's only Saturday! Who knows what the rest of the weekend might bring?