Happy Anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary last week. Well I celebrated and he forgot. To make up for it, we went to my favourite restaurant in Wolfville, Tempest. As we are a fair distance from it, we decided to do the early bird dinner. Being a fan of all things foodie, especially books by reviewers, I have always thought the early bird menu would be different and cheaper but here in Canada that doesn't seem to be the case, Regardless of age or appetite we all eat the same and pay the same. So off we went on a beautiful Saturday drive up the valley, giving lots of extra time in case of yard sales. We arrive with five minutes to spare and see the restaurant only opens at 5:30 and we are not the first ones here! It`s packed already and we are guided to a table in a cozy corner with the curtains drawn to both eliminate the terrible view of the torn up road...construction in the summer...and the blazing sun in our faces. It`s sooo warm and we both cuddle up to the plush curtains, stroking them gently on our faces until the waitress comes over and we shamefully drop the velour. We are given three menus, one promoting Canada Food Day, a local menu of lobster and pork, greens, soup and sorbet. I eyeball the husband to let him know that won`t be happening. We will be sharing our meals this evening...he did forget our anniversary remember. The second menu is the big one and I happily peruse it though I had already checked online to see if they had anything vegetarian for me. The third menu was a wine list and was quickly tossed aside as we know nothing about wines except I can get drunk really fast and Donald likes to quiz people on ``what do you taste``. As our waitress toddles off to get water and a basket of bread, we glance around at our surroundings. I can`t help but notice that the floor is filthy, I mean mud covered. Why there wasn`t a clean up between services I am surprised. This is a very well known restaurant with a reputation for being in the top 10 in Nova Scotia. Add to that cleanliness the wispy spider web that dangles above hubby`s head as we look dreamily into each others eyes. Our waitress appears with water and bread and then pulls out the balsamic and oil!!! Yummy! We order a silly girly drink for me, Campari Crush, tastes like I kissed my Dad`s cheek after shaving and Donald ordered some local micro brew from down the road that tastes like Kilkenny. We fight over the squares of what I am sure is homemade batter bread and dip. The olive oil is not the best nor the balsamic but we still manage to polish off three baskets before our appetizers come out. Seated next to us are two women from the Antigonish area down for the Natal Day celebrations taking place this weekend. A different waiter than our helps the ladies through the wine list recommend a white from Australia which she assures them is the an area know for their Shiraz. If this is true I have no idea. They nod excitedly and we lean in closer so Donald can listen to``what they taste``in their wine. I nearly choke when the bottle is presented and the sip is taken...oooh I can taste the chocolate and tobacco notes...Seriously, I know squat about wine but if you are tasting tobacco and chocolate in a white there must be a problem with either you or that wine. Shaking my head I go back to swishing my aftershave and the apps arrive. Though we both wanted the 5 onion french onion soup I convinced my other half to order the wild mushroom risotto...guilt is a wonderful thing...and I might share my soup with him. Both were beautifully presented with crispy bubble cheese and the deep rich smells of caramelized onions and red wine coming from my bowl and the risotto a beautiful loose circle of pale creamy colored rice and hints of brown, tan and red mushrooms peeking out, topped with fresh pea shoots. Fresh cracked pepper was offered and denied then Parmesan proffered and we tried to distract her for as long as possible until a small mountain erupted on the risotto. Both were delicious and we switched plated halfway through to experience each others dish. Mopping up the remaining broth and cream with the last two pieces of bread we push back a little and talk about plans for a bigger garden next year. If seems like only a few minutes have passed and our entrees our laid in front of us. Donald`s Tempura Fish and Chips with Chow Chow Tartar sauce looked light and flaky and was pronounced so on first bite as well as being so fresh it `doesn`t taste like fish at all BooBoo```and didn`t I want to try some. No thank you I said As I tucked into my tomatoes stuffed with eggplant and Israeli couscous. One tomato was centered on a swirl of pesto , the other a red pepper coulis and both were just the right amount of sauce to scoop up the innards with. Accompanying the toms were a baby carrot and fanned piece of zucchini, lovely and light fried gnocchi and a side salad that was hot from the heat of the plate and consisted of bitter radicchio, other greens and a vinaigrette. Topping the tomatoes though was the best part, two polenta french fries. what a great idea...deep frying polenta, I cant wait to try this at home. Because we brought our special anniversary stomachs we eagerly looked at the dessert menu and were excited to see a favourite from last year still there and decided to share. Buenuelos in white chocolate soup with vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmm, the best dessert ever, light dough reminiscent of profiteroles filled with molten chocolate, floating in a thin white chocolate sauce and a small scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream in the middle. There were five buenuelos, I ate three and the soup and half the ice cream.
He did forget our anniversary you know.