Saturday, January 2, 2010

27 on Arriving at Bistro 27

No, the temperature did not determine my destination tonight, but damn it's cold out there. And they can call it 27, but with that fierce wind, it feels like 18. It's all relative, though, because my friend in North Dakota told me it was 30 below there, so maybe I should just quit my whining.

Bistro 27 had practically a full bar when I arrived, meaning my regular seat was taken, but I snagged a stool and settled in to wait for my friend to arrive. The couple occupying my place of honor were only there because their regular seats on the other side of the bar were occupied when they arrived. We decided that we may have to label these stools to prevent interlopers.

The restaurant had a a lot of groups of happy couples meeting for dinner tonight, so maybe it was a delayed New Year's celebration night for some. And as usual, I was greeted by a name other than my own upon arrival (this time, it was Kathy), continuing the 27 tradition of deliberately calling me anything but my real name.

I had the veal scallopini with asparagus, prosciutto and Swiss cheese in a demi-glace which came with mashed potatoes and sauteed greens; my friend did the Chicken Cordon Bleu. My dish were rich and filling and accompanied by a bottle and glass of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Surprisingly, the regulars next to us asked for a dessert recommendation so I suggested the chocolate mousse for a light finish. They'd had the hazelnut chocolate torte before, but were pretty full after the one-two punch of rock fish and veal. After my enthusiastic pitch for it, my friend felt the need for us to share one too. Okay, twist my arm and I'll get dessert with you.

Our after-dinner conversation centered around male friends who attempt to inappropriately cross the friendship line. It's happened to us both so we solicited the manager to defend his sex for such behavior. He stuttered and stumbled and ultimately couldn't.

Dreading the cold outside, we eventually bundled up and left the warmth for the 25 degree streets. How do girls in dresses and tights manage in North Dakota anyway?

No comments:

Post a Comment