Even though my (and Fresh Tart's!) birthday was last week, the celebrating goes on.
And on.
Thursday night John & I enjoyed an epic meal, at the kitchen table at Corner Table Restaurant, with Ana Scofield & Rudy Maxa and Debbie & Stu The Wine Genius Williams.
When you reserve the kitchen table, you actually reserve local food advocate, Tour de Farm founder, and chef/proprietor Scott Pampuch, all to yourself.
From a station right next to the table, Chef Scott gets a feel for what everyone likes, then starts riffing course after course of gorgeous food, perfectly paired with wine. Even our rambunctiously verbal, wine drinking group grew (occasionally) quiet, marveling at the delicious talent it takes to seriously pair food with wine.
Seriously.
Show up early and eat as many courses as you can hold - I believe that Scott said the record is 24. Hey, by my (admittedly blurry as the night drew to a close) count, we put back a cool 16 courses, not bad.
We covered my four major food groups: pork (warm lardo, coppa, crispy belly), rabbit (poached in butter), eggs (softly scrambled in browned butter), and mushrooms (an ethereal, chicken-of-the-woods wild mushroom broth with pickled and fresh vegetables, I can't stop thinking about it), as well as duck, beef, foie gras, hummus with smoked trout (yes!), chocolate, and a dreamy sweet polenta pudding topped with sweet corn ice cream.
Our conversation covered pig skulls, Larry Flynt, Napa Valley, lap dances, lipstick, cheese rinds, gluttony, scrambled egg technique, Vegas, writing on deadline, surgery vs. butchery...
I laughed so hard that I lost my voice.
Thank goodness for chef-client privilege.
Thank goodness for great friends, lovely restaurants, talented chefs, delicious wine, sublime food, and loving husbands.
Thank goodness for bitterly cold Minnesota winters that make a warm, cozy kitchen seem more perfect than a white-sand beach.
Thank goodness for an utterly unforgettable birthday celebration.
My huge thanks to Corner Table, Chef Scott, and his fantastic staff, as well as Debbie, Stu, Ana, and Rudy, for sharing the evening with us.
Do you have a special celebration approaching? Are you needing a mid-winter's escape? Are you hungry?
I have a recommendation for you...
See you tonight!
