Trout and Bossa Nova

Every restaurant visit should begin with a hug and kiss from both the bartender and chef, don't you think? It sets such an inviting mood for guests. Kudos to Bouchon for already adopting this custom. Now if I can just get them to take bar reservations.

I had suggested Bouchon to a girlfriend who wanted to meet for dinner because the last couple of times she'd suggested going there had been within days of me being there solo, so I'd nixed it.

Since she doesn't go out alone, she hadn't been there in months. She loves the place for both the array of sides (she's a carb fiend) and the always-interesting conversational partners we inevitably meet; tonight was no different.

Additional praise goes to their bar menu, priced at $6 and $14 and only available to bar sitters. The entree choices, all priced at $14, are a steal of a deal. I had the rainbow trout and lemon butter mashed potatoes and she had the chicken stuffed with crab meat and mushrooms and truffled mac and cheese.

My trout was perched atop the potatoes and the lemon butter flavor that permeated both was both subtle and rich. Any virtue I felt about having fish was nullified by the sheer amount of butter on the plate (not complaining), making Karen a very happy camper...for fourteen bones.

Her chicken, prepared in the sous vide method (Olivier: "You know about that?"), was delectable, with its crispy skin and succulent filling. She upped the ante by also ordering pommes frites, after foolishly asking, "Will you eat some if I get them?" Duh.

Midway through dinner, bartender Olivier looked at me and asked, "Why aren't you at 27?" I explained that I was headed there afterwards, but had to laugh at his presumption that he knew me well enough to think I'd be there (even if he was correct).

There were green Chartreuse tastings, discussion of the new wine menu soon to be unveiled (some truly amazing choices by the glass coming) and explanation of the criteria for getting a drink named after oneself (I'll never qualify).

I met another blogger (we're a dime a dozen) and a Slip regular whom my friend and I had met before (she still has his number in her phone from 8 months ago when he insisted we take it and call him next time we were there. I threw away the slip of paper he gave me). It's always a crowd of regulars at the bar at Bouchon.

We lingered longer than I had expected to, so the music had already begun by the time I got to 27. Quatro Na Bossa was playing their smooth bossa nova tonight, so it was a bit more low-key than it had been when Mirimar played two weeks ago. Still it's a superb space for listening to music and dancing.

I ended up situated between two interesting couples I know (and it had been too long since my last couple date, so I was pleased to no end), one from J-Ward whom I've chatted up before at various locations and the other a good friend and his main squeeze. It made for some great back and forth, not to mention over-sharing, in between sets.

The dancing got started a bit later and was a tad more sedate than last time, but just as perfectly suited to the music. I'm always impressed when I see people I know acquit themselves so well on the dance floor (Ron, I'm talking to you).

And then it was the bewitching hour and the band was finished and we all began to leave. Having come from downtown, I had uncharacteristically driven to 27, so I couldn't even walk home with my neighbor couple.

Good thing I'd gotten hugged and kissed at the beginning of the evening. Kidding.