5/25/12

Year 38: Day One


Mike and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday.  We don't usually give one another gifts, and this year was no different.  We do splurge for a nice dinner out.  Last night, we selected the one elegant restaurant in our little town of Newberg, Oregon, called The Painted Lady.  What a lovely evening we had.
The folks at the restaurant went out of their way to make it special for us.  Interestingly, there was another couple seated at the table next to us who were also celebrating an anniversary.



The Painted Lady began as a loving restoration of an old home.  They also have a guest cottage that can be rented for special events.  They are in the heart of Oregon wine country, after all.  


This is the dining room.  It grew busier as the evening went on, which was surprising because we didn't arrive until 7:00 p.m.


Our waiter kindly offered to take our picture when he spied my camera on the table.


We even dressed up a little.


They brought us this lovely little appetizer of spiced nuts, some sort of little parmesan puff, and a flatbread with hummus.


We had a nice bottle of wine from one of the local wineries, Domaine Drouhin, where we are members.  The vineyards are owned by a French family that we met at an event once.  They were very charming.

Then they brought us this little "amuse".  Of course we had to break out the iPhone and look up the difference between an "amuse" and an "appetizer".  As it turns out, an appetizer is ordered off the menu, while an amuse is served up at the pleasure of the chef.  Who knew?


The Painted Lady features a prix fixe menu, meaning we paid one price and chose between options spread over four courses.  I started with dessert, of course.  Not really.  I decided to order a combination of dishes from the vegetarian and carnivore's menu.  (So, what exactly is it if it's not vegetarian?  Huh?)

Mine started with this Composition of Beets, Tarragon Vinaigrette and Chevre Mousse.  It contained regular beets like you might expect them to be served, but there were also roasted-to-a-crisp beets on top of the frisee and watercress greens, and that is beet powder off to the right.  (Beet powder!  A staple in my kitchen.)


Then we moved on to the "mid-course" which for me was a Seared Diver Scallop over Cauliflower Puree, Capers and Beurre Noisette.  ("Beurre Noisette" which probably means something like "noisy butter".)


Then I moved back to the vegetarian menu for this dish of Cardamom Scented Crepes with Roasted Vegetables, Cous Cous, and Red Wine Soubise.   ("Soubise" . . . no idea.)


Then I had some amaretto in a snifter, which I enjoyed very much.


And then, dessert.  Just to remind you:


What else?  A Trio of Chocolate Decadence.  I love a dessert with the word "decadence" in the name, don't you?  This happens to be a little hot lava cake, a sort of chocolate peanut butterfinger kind of little cake, and at the top a little chevre mousse with chocolate caviar.  (Chocolate caviar from chocolate fish, no doubt.)

And then, because we hadn't had nearly enough to eat, they brought us this little tray of goodies along with some late harvest reisling.



On the top shelf were two chocolate-dipped Oregon strawberries . . . the first Oregon strawberries of the season!  Really!  The actual first two strawberries.  Served to us.  For our anniversary.  (Actually, they are the first Oregon berries we've had this season.  Dee-lish!)


As we left, I noticed this rose growing through the slats of the garden gate.  Perfect.  Really.  It was a perfect evening.

22 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

How lovely - thank you for sharing your special evening - congratulations.

Jodi said...

It SOUNDS perfect! My kind of dinner out! And happy anniversary. What a wonderful miletone. Glad you enjoyed yourselves!

tubilinha tiacarminha said...

Parabéns!Vejo que a elegância predominou o seu jantar.Tudo de bom ao casal,ser feliz é a máxima,beijos.

meg said...

What a lovely celebration! I will have to share your post with ChefSon; he will really appreciate all the dishes! You look lovely~ Happy Anniversary!

('we' also had a Painted Lady~ a lovely Victorian fixed up and made into an elegant tea room. Unfortunately, it went out of business. :( )

Teresa F. said...

Happy Aniversary.I hope you and your DH had a wonderful day. The dinner seemed to be great.
Hugs,
Teresa

Silvinha said...

Hi Barbara, congratulations on 37 years of marriage, much health and happiness in life you two. Look youe email.
HUGS

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Congratulations.....it is rare these days...have fun..Our 39th is this summer. It's the best; isn't it???

laurawilson25 said...

Congrats! What a lovely dinner! We are celebrating our 10th anniversary today.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Happy Anniversary!

Teresa in Music City said...

Sounds like a really lovely evening to celebrate such a wonderful milestone. Congratulations!!!

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

How wonderful is that! Happy Anniversary.

Diane Wild said...

Congratulations on 38 years. I could say that, also, but the 38 years is spread out between 3 husbands. LOL. Looks like the perfect evening. Wow.

WoolenSails said...

What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary, wonderful ambiance and food, wonderful presentation, but I think I would stop for some more goodies to fill me up, lol.

Debbie

Kate said...

Congratulations on 37 years!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a charming old house, and elegant food! Glad you had such a good time.

Janet said...

You're so cute...a noisette is a hazelnut. Happy anniversary!

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I love the house! A wonderful place for your anniversary dinner. I am not a big drinker but I will admit to have a love of amaretto, and anything almond. I usually substitute almost flavoring for vanilla anytime I can. And look at the desserts, delectable.

Dana Gaffney said...

Congratulations! It looks like you had a wonderful celebration, lots of fancy food, love it.

kc said...

Good googly moogly! Starting the year off right, aren't we? Love the idea of chocolate fish...Note to self, go get fishing license, maybe we have 'em in the Gulf too! :)

Oh my, sounds like you had a terrific meal, full of pleasantries & surprises, even an amuse! We got them in our favorite Chinese buffet down in the Rio Grande Valley, but we had no idea what they were called....we just thought it a nice & personal touch from the owner. How fun that they have such a cool name! Amuse :) I like that!!

And did good folks at The Painted Lady provide you a wheelbarrow to roll home ine? Hope you didn't live too far - I know a meal like that would have me sit back & take a long winter snooze! (and that's ONE reason I don't drive!!)

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

Happy Anniversary, Mike and Barb. What a lovely dinner at a precious home-green is one of my fave colors for large buildings and spaces--kind of like our savannah-grasslands we evolved on millennia ago.

Unknown said...

Happy Anniversary, you are so lovely. hugs

PJ said...

Happy Anniversary. That is a lovely dinner celebration and looks like it was fun too!