Uncle Mongrel and Aunt Robin
Life, or Something Like it in South Canada (New Hampshire)...
Our Anniversary Dinner
Friday January 26th 2018, we celebrated our 4th anniversary. I am no poet and I do not have the words to describe how much I love Robin and how much our life together means to me, so I wont even try. I will just say, Robin, you make me the best me I can be, I love you.
We have been up here in New Hampshire for a while now (almost 4 years for me and almost 2 for Robin). We have concentrated mainly on working and trying to get ahead financially. This has worked and things have gotten better, but it occurred to us that all we do is work, try to rest on Sunday and go back to work. It is beautiful up here and we want to start seeing more of it and doing more...you know, enjoy our life and what this journey up here has to offer.
With that in mind, for our anniversary, I wanted to do something awesome and new for us. So I made reservations for a private single seating dinner at a quaint local inn, The Inn at Pleasant Lake. They have a small restaurant, The Oak and Grain Restaurant, with a Chef that prepares exquisite meals. On Fridays and Saturdays they serve a single seating 5 course meal with cocktails before hand and the Chef comes out and describes the meal. This is the adventure I wanted for our anniversary.
We arrived and were escorted into the lounge to a nice roaring fire. We took a seat and were immediately asked if we would like a cocktail, which of course we did, Champagne for Robin and a Tito's Moscow Mule for me. While we enjoyed our drinks we spent the time talking with one of the other two couples dinning that evening. They were a nice couple with interesting stories...she was a theater and Opera singer and he used to be a front man for a Country cover band. Of course there is more to their stories, but I think that line sums it all up best.
We talked and enjoyed our drinks for about an hour when Chef Brian came out and greeted us all and began to explain the meal, all about the locally sourced ingredients and how he prepared everything to create the flavor profiles for each course. His presentation went on for a little over 20 minutes and we were all in awe of it. For me to attempt to describe it as he did...quite frankly would be impossible.
Since I can not do justice to the description that Chef Brian did in his presentation, I will simply show you the courses with the menu descriptions and tell you how each was to us as best I can. So, here we go...
Before I get into the food, I did plan ahead and ordered a flower arrangement for Robin to be placed on our table to surprise her. I think it worked. She loved them and they were beautiful.
Once seated we found, what we were later told, was a pallet starter...just a little something to wake up the taste buds. It was a wonderful shrimp cocktail salad on brioche bread. It was light, flavorful and delightful. Just the trick to get our taste buds working.
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The First course was the Soup. A Wild Mushroom Herb Potage with North Country Smoke House Bacon Citrus Crème Fraiche. They also had a wine pairing with each of the three main courses so we took full advantage of that as well. The wine pairing for the Soup was Conundrum, White Blend, California 2014. For us, the soup was like nothing we had ever tasted. Earthy and smooth with the bacon flavor tickling the tongue. Followed by the wine and it was a pure delight to the taste buds.
The Second course was the Appetizer. A Spring Ledge Farm Mesclun Greens with Tart Cherry Sherry Vinaigrette, Watermelon Radish, Jurgielewicz Farm Duck Confit, Marinated Cucumbers, Smoke Haus Farm Blue Cheese, Pickled Onion, Toasted Almonds with an Herb French Bread Roll and Sea Salt Butter (did I mention that Chef Brian churns his own butter? YUM). The wine pairing was Brack Mountain Winery, Barrique Pinot Noir, California 2015. Truly a salad that must have come from Heaven.
Next came the Intermezzo. Just a simple intermission to cleans the pallet before the main entrée. It was frozen Prosecco Grapes, Citrus Salad with Herb Sea Salt. A small explosion of citrus that had all three of the dinning tables softly, and almost in unison, going "MMMmmmhhhhh". The server said she has never had such a reaction to an Intermezzo like that before and it was a joy to hear. As much of a joy as it was for her to hear it, I can guarantee you that we all enjoyed it a hundred times more.
The fish sampling was a Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon, Smoked Tomato Black Truffle Vinaigrette, Scallions, Micro Beet Tops and Balsamic Reduction. I am not a lover of Salmon, other than my Mothers Salmon Croquettes growing up, but if I could have it served like this, I would eat it every time.
The final course was our desert. It was a Cinnamon Crepe with Goat Cheese Mousse, Apple Compote, Caramel and Raspberry Coulis. We enjoyed a rich delicious coffee with this final course and our trip through Food Paradise was over.
The Food Paradise journey was over. We were all a little food drunk and we settled up the bill and bid farewell to everyone there. It was a meal and an evening Robin and I will not soon forget. We want to graciously thank The Inn at Pleasant Lake and their Oak and Grain Restaurant for giving us such a beautiful evening and we especially thank Chef Brian for creating a one of a kind meal that we will never find an equal too.
Life is short my friends. Go out and experience things you never thought you would and experience them with someone that means the world to you. For seeing them enjoy the experience can be an even greater satisfaction.
Love, Peace and Chicken Grease. Love Y'all.
- Uncle Mongrel and Aunt Robin
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