Out to Pasture

If you're one of those people who always leaves town for holiday weekends, you may not know this, but Thanksgiving Eve is a big bar night.

If you're around, there's a good chance you're going to head out to be around others who've stayed.

With that in mind, the new Pasture opened with a party tonight in its beautiful space on Grace Street, knowing the stay-heres would want to come out.

The last time I'd looked in the window was months ago when excavation was still going on, so it was a real treat to walk in to the spacious restaurant with its white walls, bright green accents and wooden accent walls in the back.

The first person I saw was a personable server from Balliceaux and he immediately made me feel welcome.

Next up was a favorite wine rep whom my friend and I invited to join us for the evening.

There were no seats at the bar available, but I knew bartenders so getting a bottle of Bordeaux (Chateau Jacquet de la Grave) was accomplished easily.

The wine list had a nice choice of well-priced New and Old World wines, including Virginia's own.

We set up camp at the end of a nearby table, ceding the other end to a large party who needed overflow seating.

Food was set up at a long table with constantly rotating plates of simple foods prepared in creative ways.

Fried Barcat oysters came with a dollop of celery slaw on them. A Brussels sprouts and winter squash and walnut dish was full of earthy flavors.

Lamb sausage with white beans was a big hit with all of us. Deviled eggs were better than Mom's.

Jason Alley's recent award-winning pimento cheese was served on a Ritz cracker. Fried chicken drummettes were perfectly crispy.

Since there's nothing better than bubbles to go with fried chicken, we had Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Blanc, all of us holding its crisp bubbles with our slightly greasy fingers. Yum.

After a while, a trio vacated three prime stools at the end of the bar, offering us first dibs; we took them over without hesitation.

From there, we had fun greeting people as they arrived and I enjoyed conversations with a host of people I knew.

One of my favorite theater people was there and we discussed what a boon to Center Stage Pasture will be. Imagine being able to park once and party twice down there now.

I met a blogger I'd been told I would like who told me, "I think you're the only person who eats out more than me!"

With him and yet another wine rep, we discussed the recent flap about a local chef doing reviews.

The music, when it could be heard over the ebullient crowd, was stellar.

That may just mean that Jason Alley and I have similar music taste, but it's always great to hear thoughtfully-chosen music rather than mere background-appropriate  music..

When Jason finally sat down, it was with a look of fatigue and satisfaction. The first night of his long-awaited baby had been an unqualified success.

He may not have had time to enjoy it nearly as much as we had, but his sense of accomplishment must have been huge.

We gathered our things and decided to make one last stop at the Belvidere, where things seemed unnaturally calm after the party vibe at Pasture.

But the bartender was willing, so we got a bottle of Micehel-Chiario "Le Orme" Barbera D'Asti, an elegant finish to our evening.

More fun began with the sharing of stories and since we were a first-time trio, we had entire lifetimes to cover amusing each other.

By the time we left, the city felt truly deserted.

As it is, my neighborhood's been cleared out for days, but even on a night known for people being out, by this point in the evening most have gone home to get a good night's sleep before the big day.

It didn't bother me. I don't need to rest up to eat.

And I certainly don't need to rest up before tomorrow night's party. Let the holidays begin.