the fun continues

Week 4:

Mr. A suggested we go to the movies this week. I gladly agreed and of course there was chat about where to eat, timing, and how we could fit in a dinner and a movie on a "school night." He decided that we should hedge our bets and try to get two seats at the bar at Zahav (I was ecstatic) for some quick hummus and other pre-movie noshes. There were not two seats available at the bar, but since they knew we would be quick, they gave us a great table. 

To ease stress, Mr. A went across the street to get the movie tickets while I sorted out the seating situation. He asked me to please order him a grey goose martini, shaken, and up with olives. No problem.... this, I am quite good at.

As soon as we sat down, martini for A and Lemonana for moi, A started to inspect the menu and try to figure out how much we could order, be served, and eat within 45 minutes. There was a fleeting moment when he was going to try to do the modified tasting menu until our server said that we really didn't have time. No problem--- we knew that we would do it the next time (we should all live and be healthy...)

First we got a skillet of warm hummus with whole chick peas on the top along with the homemade flat bread that Michael Solomonov makes by hand. At the same time we got the selection of 6 salads--- all delicious and so much fun because, like me, Mr. A likes to eat everything (major points awarded for this). Next we had two small plates; fried cauliflower and striped bass crudo with grapefruit and something else that was fabulous. For our last course we had ground duck kabob over rice. Amazing. 

Top 10 reasons why eating (and drinking) with Mr. A is the real deal:

10. he likes to start early and pack a lot into one day

9. he thinks about it ahead of time and makes a plan

8. he is not shy to ask menu questions 

7. he never just orders one course

6. he never just orders one drink

5. he loves to share everything we get

4. he asks me what I want, then orders it all, and just takes care of it

3. he loves to hop from place to place or to sit and linger 

2. he's quite a pleasure to look at across the table

1. he is award winningly generous and kind and funny

On the walk home we thought maybe there was time for one more drinkie-poo.... so, as we passed Southwark www.southwarkrestaurant.com/‎ we stopped for a nightcap. Again, another example of A's sound ordering and sharing technique: one burbon, one rye, share, and discuss.

Week 4 was not yet over--- as it included one more full day of debauchery...

The morning started with brunch at Beau Monde creperie-beaumonde.com/. Each crepe option sounded better than the other and we hadn't even read the brunch specials yet. After discussing, in detail, our ordering plan, Mr. A took center stage and laid it on the server, item by item... We had aruglua and beet salad (notice a theme?) with goat cheese and honey crostini, a southwestern crepe with poblanos, avocado, eggs, salsa, etc. and an omlette with blue cheese, bacon, and the like. Beau Monde is romantic and pretty inside, and it felt great to sit there with him... and to enjoy such relaxed happiness on a Sunday morning. 

Later that day we headed out, in Media, to two places (god forbid we only visit one place in a day...) At Diego's we had margaritas with the non-happy-hour, non-plastic-bottle tequilla, which was lovely and then went across the street to Azie, and in typical Mr. A and my style, sat at the bar. Mr. A was on fire at Azie because he had a menu of small plates/sushi to choose from. Options were endless.... and of course multiple dishes were required. It was a good thing the bartender had a long piece of paper to record this order. A was on a roll.... and so the order ensued: tuna tartare, beef carpaccio, seaweed salad, 2 or 3 sushi rolls, eggplant maybe?, and I'm sure there was something else. Wine and beer carried us through since they only had warm sake....no dice on that.

Later that night we drank a bottle + of white wine, played backyard football, and sat on the floor drinking, talking, and laughing. Had we been in a wooden bunk, with bunk beds, and pine floors it would have felt like camp (minus the wine).