I've had so many wonderful meals over the last few weeks that it has been difficult for me to sort out how to best post about them. Posting by city simply won't do on this occasion.
At one of those elegant and lovely meals, a long-time and cherished friend pointed out that once upon a time, our favourite meal to share was no sauce/double sausage/triple cheese pizza - from Domino's. Yes, y'all....Domino's Pizza. We followed with a dessert of Matt's chocolate chip cookies and vanilla frosting out of a can purchased at the White Hen Pantry a few blocks from our dorm - and we were in food heaven.
The aforementioned binge was an almost weekly ritual of ours on Sunday mornings during our freshman year of college. Exhausted, usually hungover and a bit giggly from the events of the night before, we would order up....and tuck in for a nice, long girly chat. More than 20 years later, I cannot help but smile at the very thought of it, and would love to have another Sunday morning spent in exactly the same way with my darling friend.
It struck me, as we chatted about those days over a beautiful meal, that food for me is clearly flavoured by the people with whom I am dining....and that if my life is delicious at all, it is far more because of the incredible people with whom I dine - than the nature of the restaurants themselves. Don't get me wrong. I am beyond fortunate to taste life in all of the ways that I do but even if all of the luxury and cream sauce were to drop away, I would remain full and happy being satiated by spectacular souls.
As an example, last night I had plans to attend the theatre with a dear friend in London. He did not wish to have dinner before the play, and I found myself a bit pissy about it as I wanted to have the "full experience" of an evening out. Following the play, we elected to take a leisurely stroll from the theatre back to my hotel....and then spent an hour or 2 chatting and laughing over beer (for him), black lavendar martinis (pour moi), deliciously spiced nuts, and a chorizo appetizer that I foolishly thought might actually cover the vodka. It was a lovely and perfect night, and I was without question every bit as full and happy as I was a couple of days prior, when I dined on a truffle and cream fueled six course degustation at Clos Maggiore, which is one of London's best reviewed restaurants and most difficult tables to secure.
So....having spent the last couple of weeks enjoying Thanksgiving and the official start to the winter holidays, I will - as always - offer a list of new favourites, but wanted to more than anything thank my incredible friends, who make my life so sweet and flavour-full.
And to those of you who may have wrinkled your nose at the Domino's feast outlined above, I say - don't knock it until you try it. It really is quite fabulous.
I love any restaurant that immediately puts beingets on the table! Southern comfort cooking is taking over Chicago, and Big Jones is the newest place for cozy, casual delicious fare. Food is served New Orleans style, and I dined there for brunch in celebration of a friend's 40th birthday. It should be noted that we met as 17 year old girls; each of us playing one of the witches in a summer production of "The Wiz." I'll leave it to you to guess which witch I played!
The food was amazing on all counts, but the service left a bit to be desired. Big Jones makes a proper red velvet cake, baked to order (a rarity these days) and an Omelet Lafourche that was absolutely amazing! We're going to try it for dinner next, so stay tuned.
On my first day in London this round, I took a "day off" and enjoyed the city on my own for a few hours. I began by getting my hair blown out....had a fairy cake at Ella's (see below)....went to the matinee of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" (FABULOUS and very fun!!)....and then ended the day by having dinner with a decadent friend at Clos. I blog often about my "old and dear" friends....but this one is a newer friend, who came into my life quite serendipitously one drunken night at Gordon's Wine Cellar in London. My gay husband and I noted a very handsome and animated man celebrating his friend's engagement and could not resist introducing ourselves. The rest is history, and my trips to London are never quite complete without sharing a meal with him.
The dinner got off to a bit of a rocky start as the reservation name had been mis-spelled. The maitre d would not seat me until I could prove (which I did via email) that I should, in fact, be given the table. While the service never redeemed itself, the food and gorgeous room certainly did! We opted for a 6 course degustation menu. My companion dined on the harvest menu and I chose the vegetarian. Vegetarian is NEVER my thing, but the volume of truffles being offered forced me to make the choice - and it was well worth it! And I do love a degustation that offers both cheese and chocolate.
The dinner got off to a bit of a rocky start as the reservation name had been mis-spelled. The maitre d would not seat me until I could prove (which I did via email) that I should, in fact, be given the table. While the service never redeemed itself, the food and gorgeous room certainly did! We opted for a 6 course degustation menu. My companion dined on the harvest menu and I chose the vegetarian. Vegetarian is NEVER my thing, but the volume of truffles being offered forced me to make the choice - and it was well worth it! And I do love a degustation that offers both cheese and chocolate.
There with my Domino's loving friend from college, we had a lovely evening that started off with an absolutely magnificent onion tarte. It was so good (served warm with a flaky, buttery crust) that we were determined to finish the entire tarte during the course of the meal, and were not above stabbing the hand of our server each time she tried to remove it. I had rack of lamb with a parmesan and white truffle creme brule that was a revelation and my friend had a fish dish that we agreed was trying too hard. Thankfully, 2 out of 3 of the chocolate offerings on the dessert that we chose more than made up for it.
I plan to do a post that celebrates 2 of my favourite treats; cocktails and cupcakes. So.... I will simply say that, for me, Ella's are the best in London with a dense, moist cake and the perfect (and yes, generous) topping of frosting and glitter. If a girl can't have a bit of bling on her cupcakes, then where can she!?
XOXO and until next time......
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