We Don't Need no Stinkin' Restaurant

The boy is good (see lovely roses above).

I walked into my apartment, and Wine Guy had just gotten back. As a matter of fact, he was smack dab in the middle of attempting to put the lovely roses above into a really awesome vase.

"How'd you get home so fast?" He asked.

Of course, it was my usual time, but I think I caught him off guard and unprepared. Oh well! The flowers (which I ended up putting in the vase) are still gorgeous.

So, as you know, it became clear to Wine Guy on Sunday that he needed to do something about Valentine's Day, and though he may be perfect in other ways, as a planner, he lacks some skills. He called his restaurant of choice after 10 a.m. on Valentine's Day and found, much to his surprise, that the restaurant was booked. Shocking!

At just after 10:30, he texted me to let me know the restaurant thing was out, and would I mind if he just went ahead and cooked for me. Well, the boy can cook, so, not a problem.

In the end, we worked together in the kitchen. He made Mahi Mahi in a balsamic vinegar and cream sauce and this mushroom risotto that is one of his staples. I made pan-browned brussel sprouts for the second time in three weeks. This time, though, I didn't burn the garlic and pine nuts, so they had scent AND flavor. I've always been the weird kid who begged her mother for brussel sprouts, so finding a yummy recipe is something of a culinary dream come true.

Wine Guy whipped up one of his signature caesar salads and opened a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve (and I finished two glasses! That's saying something!). And we sat down to one of my top five meals ever eaten in my lifetime. The fish was just tangy enough. The salad had just enough pepper. The olive oil came through in the brussel sprouts, and the black truffle oil was obvious in the risotto.
After our fine meal, fine conversation and some time watching Blade (yes, it's a vampire movie, but we talked about it the first time we met, so there, we're a complimentary style of weird), we enjoyed our dessert, a chocolate banana bread made with teeny tiny, itsy bitsy, chocolate chips that melted just enough. Mmmm. All in all, a culinary delight.

But he also made reservations at his restaurant of choice for Friday.