I'm happy when the cows are happy.

Well. It was AMAZING!

I should have taken pictures of every course. But I will do my best to resurrect every little cipollini.

The amuse-bouche:
A little deviled quail egg, a mushroom fritter on housemade mustard, and a slice of venison terrine on a crunchy thing. The quail egg was yum, yummy. So small. It looked a little like something you might find in the backyard and ooh and aah over. Who knew it would be even more delightful on a plate?

The first:
I had the freshwater elver buns with bourbon soy glaze. These are baby eels, raised in brackish water, transported alive to Old Town and then dispatched in the courtyard smoker with a bourbon glaze. Presented on a little brioche bun, with tails peeking out over the edges. Delish! (David went for the foie gras and warm figgy pudding, which they said was a traditional Irish dish. Hmm... Not so sure about that. Anyway, I thought it was like a big lump of fat, but I am not so much for the foie gras. And it's not because of how they make it. I don't care for birds personally.)

The second:
Oh! The sweet butter-poached Maine lobster with heirloom carrots, ginger and micro-cilantro! The heirloom carrot is an entirely different veggie than its poor supermarket cousin. It's a pale orange, sometimes golden root, and it's much more delicate. I like it. (And David had the Nantucket bay scallops with leeks and osetra caviar. Also really good. Why don't we eat caviar more often? Is it because we're part of the disappearing middle-class? Because if we can afford a pee-pee baby doll at Christmas for you-know-who, then we can also get caviar for her mother.)

The third:
(Are you getting bored? Because I am not!) Shaffer Farm loin of venison with foie gras d'oie and parsnip puree. I'd never had venison before. Wait! That's not true! My friend Wendy from fourth grade -- her father hunted deer and her mother made vension stew! Let me tell you, this was a hell of a lot better. Again, I'm not so much for the goose liver, but the parsnip puree! I do love parsnips. I love the way they smell. (David ordered better in this particular course. He got the 'bacon, egg and cheese,' which was like a super-fancy Egg McMuffin -- pork belly, poached egg (from a very happy chicken) and a cheddar potato pancake.)

The fourth:
The cheese course! I had a Gruyere-like cheese from a Wisconsin dairy farm where the cows (I do not lie) eat nothing but wildflowers. It's called Pleasant Ridge Reserve. And it had a lovely apple compote and dried apple "paper" slice. (David had a Brie with dried apricot jam and MORE pate. And he wonders why he still feels sick. He's going to end up with the gout, like that kid from King of the Hill. And I will sit back and say things like, "I wonder why they call it THE gout... hmm?")

Palate-cleanser:
A parfait of creme-fraiche with strawberry preserves, set up this past summer with local berries.

And finally!
The chocolate opera torte for moi! With a lovely little candle. And a coconut cashew baclava for David -- with banana sorbet.

We have never spent so much money on dinner before. Oh! The drinks!! I almost forgot! I got the fancy Lemony Roast thing with the roasted lemons, Galliano and citrus vodka. It was very complicated. And wonderful. I think the ice was actually hand-cracked into appropriate pebbles. Amazing! And David, as he is wont to do, got some fizzy pink thing with a flourish on top. When the mixologist delivered them, he attempted to give me the girlie drink. Ha. And we had some wine, which the sommelier selected (since we know nothing about nothing about wine). David's was from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, but the sommelier assured us that it was not like, you know, a lousy American vintage.

They gave me a copy of the menu, but -- as it turns out -- I have a very strange mental condition that allows me to capture the details of meals past. Still, it's nice to have the assistance.

Ohhhhh! When can we go back???