An anniversary celebration

Yesterday was our 25th wedding anniversary.My husband is of the “food is fuel’ school of thought. perhaps it is because his mother was such an awful cook. Clearly, I don’t approach food the same way. I suppose that if I did, I would be thin, like my husband. We tend not to eat out a whole lot, and we rarely eat at fancy restaurants. My husband, much to my frustration is sometimes taken to really top notch restaurants by his clients, and as he readily admits, the experience is often wasted on him. he is really gracious about trying to describe what he as been served. Sometimes though it is a bit like hearing a color blind person describe a rainbow.

For several years in a row, my husband would ask me what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I would tell him that I wanted to go to a really fancy restaurant. It took a few years, but he finally figured out that even though it was not something he particularly wanted to do, it would make me very happy.Since then we have had a few culinary adventures in restaurants. Some have been spectacular, and others less so.

We began our restaurant adventures at the Union Square Café. I had heard about it for years. We had the vegetarian tasting menu, and it was underwhelming. We were served course after course of bland little lumps of stuff served in broths infused with one flavor so potato served in celery root broth. by the end of the meal I was both unsatisfied and had a stomach ache. this was not going to sell my husband on the ide of fine dining.

A couple of years later, my sister in law gave us a lunch for two at Lutece.That meal was so good that we were unable to speak during the meal. The food was easy for my husband to understand and enjoy. The chef had figured out exactly how each taste would emerge in one’s mouth The meal felt like a piece of performance art taking place right inside your mouth. it was such a spectacular meal I was afraid to eat there again. How could anything else measure up?
Last year, or perhaps the year before we ate at Gotham Grill. The space is beautiful, the food is good , but it isn’t anything I can’t do myself just as well.

My husband had been taken to 11 Madison Park earlier this year by a client. He thought that I would like it. He suggested it for our anniversary. Before I agreed, I did some research and saw that they were big into molecular gastronomy. Here was the sort of cooking I just can’t do at home. When my husband made the reservation, he mentioned that it was our anniversary. They asked which one.

When we walked in yesterday and said who we were hostess wished us a happy anniversary. A hand calligraphed card was waiting at our table.They had decided to make it a special meal for us. We had the three course tasting menu. While neither of us loved every bit of the meal both the care and thought that wet into each element of the meal as well as how completely lovely the staff was made the lunch a spectacular experience for both of us. yup, even my non foodie husband was delighted with the afternoon.

I made the lace top to wear at the lunch. I bought the fabric at Touva, next door to Paron. it seemed appropriately festive. I wore it with a skirt I had made a while back. I know, it’s a little mother of the bride, but perhaps a bit less so when worn with cowboy boots.

Here’s to the next 25 years!!!