Friday NIghts

Don't you love Friday nights? The end to a week of work; a time to unwind; a time to plan for the weekend; a time to celebrate. We celebrated last night by going to a new restaurant with friends. The Bistro is a struggling downtown restaurant, but it was full last night. It will seat about forty, and almost that many were there. The ambiance is wonderful; had I not known Foster Street was just outside the door, I might have expected 76th Street in NYC. The Bistro was filled with the sounds of people having fun, of wine bottles being opened, of the wait staff patiently describing the menu selections or answering questions. The menu hit of the night for our table was the appetizer called Alabama Truffles--you would never guess! As the plate came to the table, it held three tennis-ball size "truffles"---smoked Gouda flavored grits wrapped around a tablespoon of crab meat, molded into a ball and deep fried. Those three were certainly enough for four people for they were very rich. I'm already figuring out how to replicate that.

I am reminded of one of the quotes from the wine menu at Commander's Palace:

"The wines that one best remembers are not necessarily the finest that one has ever tasted, and the highest quality may fail to delight so much as some far more humble beverage drunk in more favorable surroundings".

The evening was memorable, not because of the wine, not because of the food, not because of the atmosphere; rather, it was memorable because it was a celebration of work well done, of friends enjoyed, and of good things to come. Here's to many more Happy Friday Nights for all of us!