Please, sir, may I have some more. (Mahi-mahi this time.)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

Okay, so it was actually two days ago. Still, two years (and two days) ago, I woke up, brushed my teeth, and managed to shove my slightly bloated self into a too-small Vera Wang (whoever said that brides lose weight before the wedding never met me) to say "I do" to a pretty fantastic guy. Boy that was a great wedding. My only regret - not getting any of the creme brulee. (Rule #1: Eat first, then chat.)

Every year on our anniversary, Matt and I go to the restaurant where we got engaged - L'Ecole, at the French Culinary Institute. The food is great, naturally, and it's fun to get dressed up and have a fancy 4-course meal. (Next year we're aiming for the 5-course. I'm going to start fasting now.) We decided to be adventurous eaters this year so instead of going for the safe and predictable (although probably delicious) mahi-mahi (bathed coconut and lobster broth!), I decided to listen to my server and get the duck.

Hmmm.

There's something about medium rare as a cooking temperature that makes me feel queasy. Seared tuna and tuna tartare? Absolutely! I'll eat that shit raw any day. But almost raw bird? Er -

Matt got the venison. I don't know why I feel bad about eating God's cuter creatures. Still, it's hard to eat deer. (And rabbit. And lamb. And I absolutely draw the line at veal. And fois gras, even though geese aren't really that cute.) Not that that stopped me. I ended up making my husband hand over the deer while he made due with my duck.

For dessert I decided to try the rosemary cake with goat cheese mousse. (Goat cheese mousse!) It was quite delicious but not NEARLY as delicious as Matt's creme brulee! (And if you think I didn't make him hand that over too, you don't know me at all.)

And the cost? Oh yeah, the cost. Between four glasses of $10 wine and the food... well, it cost more than my coat, that's all I'll say about that. (Thank goodness anniversaries only come around once a year.)