Day One: Gennie is surprised.
Oct. 18th, 2003 03:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gfrancieThursday:
After a nice morning of doing the work thing and wearing my fabulous new bright orange tights I came home, did nothing and waited for Mr. Jenner to return home from work.
I gave him a present. (the second present he had received) and He was quite touched (or if you are southern you say, tetched)
He then took me somewhere. He would not say where, but if I guessed he would tell me. Though he wouldn't play twenty questions. What a twit.
We drove into the hills and I briefly thought, "is he taking me camping in this damp unpleasant weather?" But he isn't that insane.
We arrived right by Snoqualmie Falls and went to the Salish Lodge/Spa. Very posh, very pretty and oh I was quite pleased. Mr. Jenner is the nicest person ever. Not only has he won a gold medal (according to some of my faithful livejournal readers) he can make toad-in-the-hole and takes me to exciting places.
(this is the part where everyone cheers)
So we went to our lovely room (very wood and lodge-like) which looked out right by the falls. I took notice of a piece of paper which had a pillow menu. I blanched a bit and laughed. This was too over the top. A pillow menu *laughs for awhile* We pranced about the room for awhile since our dinner reservation was at a quarter to eight.
It was windy, dark, rainy and the falls were moving fast and a lot of water was about. Made me think of a perfect setting for a murder mystery novel.
We being the decadent celebrating sorts of people decided we were going to go over the top. Okay we didn't set out to do that, but we got carried away.
We started off with champagne (Domaine Des Aubuisieres) nothing terribly fancy, but something sparkly to make us giddy (which isn't difficult to do)
We knew this place was a bit silly when there were different servers for bread, for sparkling/still water service, wine, cheeses, massaging your feet. (okay so I might have made one of those up)
So...starters. Andrew began with the Hudson Valley Farm Foie Gras "Duet".
I will merely give you the exact explanation of this particular creation.
mousse with Sauternes on blood orange gelée and seared medallion on brioche "perdue" with crème fraîche
The mousse was sublime. Strange groaning noises were made and the blood orange gelée made me weak in the knees.
I had the Poached Maine Lobster and Pommes Anna Which had a fava bean purée, braised greens, sauce à l'orange
It was vertical, and normally I am suspicious of vertical food, because often the chefs are trying to hide the lack of taste involved.
Distracting a person with height is poor form.
Yet these people also had exquisite flavor in their cuisine.
One could have stopped there, but this was the Boston marathon of dining.
We then had a foraged mushroom bisque with lobster since they were out of the Maine Lobster bisque.
Andrew isn't a big fan of cream soups, bisques. He told me is more of a fan of soups with things in them. He is quite fond of my matza ball soup, because of that alone.
I quite liked it, but I am very fond of mushroom soups. This had a lot of flavor and while our server described it as earthy, I didn't entirely agree. Earthy is a description I use to describe food that taste like dirt. (you know...those vegetarian restaurants where the bread is cut too thickly...that is earthy food)
So far I had lobster and then some more lobster. The portions are European sized, but you will end up stuffed like a chicken.
Infact this whole weekend gave me an idea of what is like to be a stuffed chicken. (I will explain later)
At this point, with champagne, fois gras, bisque, some really lovely bread and some lobster in us, we were feeling a little hazy. We weren't too giggly.
Then, the main course.
I am wildly predictable at times. I had the (surprise surprise) Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon. with vegetable ragoût, Champagne and carrot reductions. The vegetables were hidden discreetly under the salmon and the champagne carrot reduction was quite sweet. The whole meal was quite sweet.
Andrew decided to depart from his usual choice of duck and went for the Seared Saddle of Fallow Venison with Braised Oxtail with the caramelized Granny Smith apple, Thumbelina carrots, Sambuca glacé
I remember Andrew looking at the carrots (which of course are quite small...and stubby) and said, "what are these?" I don't believe he had ever encountered such cute looking food before. The Venison was tender and lacked that usual tough texture I have experienced with venison.
The food was so perfect. I also like the fact that it was seasonal and local. Which I know is trendy, but it worked. They didn't have to sacrifice any style.
We were a little incoherent after dinner. We couldn't blame the champagne. It had more to do with the food. Oh my lord.
The food...
Our server (who is a dangerous man) talked us into dessert.
"Flavors of the Falls"
dessert tasting for two
Which involved
Bananas and Rum
layered in white chocolate with frozen quenelle of poached banana
Lemon "Pas de Deux"
mousse in tuile with blood orange gelée lemon Verbena sorbet
and
Scharffenberger bittersweet profiterole with Earl Grey syrup.
We could only handle a few bites and had the rest sent up to our room.
We giggled all the way back to our room, had dessert delivered, ate it in bed while watching the 11 o'clock news and finding ourselves falling asleep before Letterman's Top Ten.
I felt so filled.
Happy happy us.
Tomorrow: pork loins, lubed up people, and cheeses.
After a nice morning of doing the work thing and wearing my fabulous new bright orange tights I came home, did nothing and waited for Mr. Jenner to return home from work.
I gave him a present. (the second present he had received) and He was quite touched (or if you are southern you say, tetched)
He then took me somewhere. He would not say where, but if I guessed he would tell me. Though he wouldn't play twenty questions. What a twit.
We drove into the hills and I briefly thought, "is he taking me camping in this damp unpleasant weather?" But he isn't that insane.
We arrived right by Snoqualmie Falls and went to the Salish Lodge/Spa. Very posh, very pretty and oh I was quite pleased. Mr. Jenner is the nicest person ever. Not only has he won a gold medal (according to some of my faithful livejournal readers) he can make toad-in-the-hole and takes me to exciting places.
(this is the part where everyone cheers)
So we went to our lovely room (very wood and lodge-like) which looked out right by the falls. I took notice of a piece of paper which had a pillow menu. I blanched a bit and laughed. This was too over the top. A pillow menu *laughs for awhile* We pranced about the room for awhile since our dinner reservation was at a quarter to eight.
It was windy, dark, rainy and the falls were moving fast and a lot of water was about. Made me think of a perfect setting for a murder mystery novel.
We being the decadent celebrating sorts of people decided we were going to go over the top. Okay we didn't set out to do that, but we got carried away.
We started off with champagne (Domaine Des Aubuisieres) nothing terribly fancy, but something sparkly to make us giddy (which isn't difficult to do)
We knew this place was a bit silly when there were different servers for bread, for sparkling/still water service, wine, cheeses, massaging your feet. (okay so I might have made one of those up)
So...starters. Andrew began with the Hudson Valley Farm Foie Gras "Duet".
I will merely give you the exact explanation of this particular creation.
mousse with Sauternes on blood orange gelée and seared medallion on brioche "perdue" with crème fraîche
The mousse was sublime. Strange groaning noises were made and the blood orange gelée made me weak in the knees.
I had the Poached Maine Lobster and Pommes Anna Which had a fava bean purée, braised greens, sauce à l'orange
It was vertical, and normally I am suspicious of vertical food, because often the chefs are trying to hide the lack of taste involved.
Distracting a person with height is poor form.
Yet these people also had exquisite flavor in their cuisine.
One could have stopped there, but this was the Boston marathon of dining.
We then had a foraged mushroom bisque with lobster since they were out of the Maine Lobster bisque.
Andrew isn't a big fan of cream soups, bisques. He told me is more of a fan of soups with things in them. He is quite fond of my matza ball soup, because of that alone.
I quite liked it, but I am very fond of mushroom soups. This had a lot of flavor and while our server described it as earthy, I didn't entirely agree. Earthy is a description I use to describe food that taste like dirt. (you know...those vegetarian restaurants where the bread is cut too thickly...that is earthy food)
So far I had lobster and then some more lobster. The portions are European sized, but you will end up stuffed like a chicken.
Infact this whole weekend gave me an idea of what is like to be a stuffed chicken. (I will explain later)
At this point, with champagne, fois gras, bisque, some really lovely bread and some lobster in us, we were feeling a little hazy. We weren't too giggly.
Then, the main course.
I am wildly predictable at times. I had the (surprise surprise) Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon. with vegetable ragoût, Champagne and carrot reductions. The vegetables were hidden discreetly under the salmon and the champagne carrot reduction was quite sweet. The whole meal was quite sweet.
Andrew decided to depart from his usual choice of duck and went for the Seared Saddle of Fallow Venison with Braised Oxtail with the caramelized Granny Smith apple, Thumbelina carrots, Sambuca glacé
I remember Andrew looking at the carrots (which of course are quite small...and stubby) and said, "what are these?" I don't believe he had ever encountered such cute looking food before. The Venison was tender and lacked that usual tough texture I have experienced with venison.
The food was so perfect. I also like the fact that it was seasonal and local. Which I know is trendy, but it worked. They didn't have to sacrifice any style.
We were a little incoherent after dinner. We couldn't blame the champagne. It had more to do with the food. Oh my lord.
The food...
Our server (who is a dangerous man) talked us into dessert.
"Flavors of the Falls"
dessert tasting for two
Which involved
Bananas and Rum
layered in white chocolate with frozen quenelle of poached banana
Lemon "Pas de Deux"
mousse in tuile with blood orange gelée lemon Verbena sorbet
and
Scharffenberger bittersweet profiterole with Earl Grey syrup.
We could only handle a few bites and had the rest sent up to our room.
We giggled all the way back to our room, had dessert delivered, ate it in bed while watching the 11 o'clock news and finding ourselves falling asleep before Letterman's Top Ten.
I felt so filled.
Happy happy us.
Tomorrow: pork loins, lubed up people, and cheeses.
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Date: 2003-10-18 04:09 pm (UTC)Yes please.
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