Oh my hell. Food like whoa.

[shadesong]

*ahem*

When we were seated, we were presented with a cheesy poof. Well. A lovely little bite-size (r two-bite-size, in my case) melty cheese pastry thing. That set the tone for the evening: frequent food bombardment!

To drink:
'song: a California pinot noir
Adam: a Belgian beer

Bread, served by individual slice by hovering attentive waiters

Cold soup! In little demitasse cups! Summer squash soup with truffle oil, pepper, and coriander. Yum. I wanted more.

First Course
'song: House-cured charcuterie: tasso, mortadella, pepperoni, capicola, genoa salami, duck (served with a duck mousse thingie and spicy mustard and balsamic vinegar)
Adam: Veal sweetbread and artichoke meuniere

Side conversation:
'song: You're eating brains.
Adam: They're not brains. That's an urban legend. They're the thalamus glands.
'song: Thalamus is in the brain.
Adam: Is not.
'song: Is too. Hypothalamus and thalamus. Brain.
Adam: Hippothalamus.
'song: HYPOthalamus. Hippocampus. HYPOthalamus. Both in the brain.
Adam: Hippothalamus.
'song: Are you seriously trying to tell me that you seriously think it's pronounced HIPPOthalamus? I've been drinking. I can't tell if you seriously think that.
Adam: No. It's just that you're so cute when you get all neuroanatomy on me.
'song: Pfft. Eat your glands.

(Incidentally: They're not the thalamus glands, they're the *thymus* glands. In the neck.

Second (Main) Course
'song: Summer squash ravioli with shaved black truffle
Adam: Duck with lima beans, black beans, and bacon

This is the most truffle I have ever eaten. I've had crumbled truffles. This was sizable truffle slices. Perfect with the ravioli and the butter-plus-whatever-it-was sauce. Ummm. Adam's duck was yummy, too - very rich. (We always share a bite of our food.)

Third Course
'song: Selection of four cheeses (one cow, one goat, two sheep), served with honey, olives, and fig preserves (I want to buy the fig preserves and eat them every day.)
Adam: tomatoes and mozzarella

Compliments of the pastry chef: mint panna cotta with orange sorbet

Fourth Course
Coffee!
'song: cappucino semifreddo with beignets
Adam: strawberry souffle with strawberry ice cream and black pepper ice cream

Waitress, with small candle-adorned cake: Happy birthday!
Us: Oh! It's not... um...
Waitress: Happy anniversary?
Us: Not really...
Waitress: Ah. Well. Happy whatever!
Us: Um! Thank you! Happy whatever to you, too!

One small, perfectly-formed Dulce de leche cake

Compliments of the chef: warm citrus madeleines

With the check: the best mint chocolate truffles that have ever existed, and peach marshmallows

*falls over*

OMG so much food. Such good food. Just... wow. Wow.

More on it tomorrow. Exhausted. Food coma. Wow.