The Best Laid Plans of CA guy & Ms.G --Shenandoah
October: peak season is upon us and Drue and I discovered that we should have booked B&B rooms in the Front Royal area two months ago...maybe even earlier. I knew Redskins tickets were hard to come by. It never occurredto me that people are as fanatical about watching the leaves change. Drue and I had visions of staying at a B&B as inviting as Hope & Glory in Northern Neck VA. Instead, after three days of web searches and phone calls, we had to face the inevitable. We would be driving down and driving back the same day. Not bad, but not great for folks that like to travel.
To compensate for our lack of planning, I did score reservations at Restaurant Eve's tasting room on Friday night and we have reservations next weekend at CitiZen. D.C. is finally being recognized as a fine dining destination and it couldn't have happened sooner.
I am not one of those folks that journals everything that I eat. But I kind of wish I had, following Eve's dining experience. Eve spoils you with complimentary dishes from the chef. I love the chef surprises. There was quail egg with caviar and the most tantalizing mousse. And each surprise is more creative, more mouth watering than the last until you're overwhelmed and well, I tend to care only about gratification at this point, savoring each experience; my brain cells then seem too overwhelmed to recollect the many delights that Eve presented.
We each had the five course dinner. I had sashimi that was sliced as thinly as prosucitto. That progressed to butternut squash soup which was fabulous. Third course should have been a game hen but I'm not clear if there was a problem in the kitchen. I was provided instead with puff pastry and mushrooms. It was a decent dish but Drue's venison and tart struedel was superior. Dessert was smashing. A line of delicate chocolates, jellies and a pair of shortbread cookies that were whimsical, prior to goat cheese creme brulee. Goat cheese creme brulee doesn't sound very appetizing, but it was delicately sweet and lightly tart. Makes me salivate all over again!
But the main point of this was that even though Drue and I procrastinated re: planning a getaway weekend, we still had a wonderful time. We woke late (of course) and grabbed breakfast burritos from Anita's. We sat in godawful traffic for 40 minutes while Drue explained his new theory that he invites the traffic jams, his luck. Considering that he's from CA and is used to traffic jams, I'm wondering if I should believe him. And our entrance to Shenandoah park began to look worrisome when it took us 20 minutes to pay admission (I also had to wait 30 minutes for the bathroom at your neighborhood gas station). But after the front gate, we had clear driving.
Even though it was peak week, supposedly, I did feel like I've seen prettier foliage off 384 in Willimantic, CT. But the day was sunny, the air had the smell of firewood and Skyline drive still offered beautiful views. Drue and I enjoyed a mile and a half hike up one of the mountain trails. I do have to bring a pedometer because I want to believe that we went further. The sky was darkening and the temperature was dropping when we returned to the car, so we didn't spend more than half a day in the Shenandoah. But it was a nice little expedition, all the same.
To compensate for our lack of planning, I did score reservations at Restaurant Eve's tasting room on Friday night and we have reservations next weekend at CitiZen. D.C. is finally being recognized as a fine dining destination and it couldn't have happened sooner.
I am not one of those folks that journals everything that I eat. But I kind of wish I had, following Eve's dining experience. Eve spoils you with complimentary dishes from the chef. I love the chef surprises. There was quail egg with caviar and the most tantalizing mousse. And each surprise is more creative, more mouth watering than the last until you're overwhelmed and well, I tend to care only about gratification at this point, savoring each experience; my brain cells then seem too overwhelmed to recollect the many delights that Eve presented.
We each had the five course dinner. I had sashimi that was sliced as thinly as prosucitto. That progressed to butternut squash soup which was fabulous. Third course should have been a game hen but I'm not clear if there was a problem in the kitchen. I was provided instead with puff pastry and mushrooms. It was a decent dish but Drue's venison and tart struedel was superior. Dessert was smashing. A line of delicate chocolates, jellies and a pair of shortbread cookies that were whimsical, prior to goat cheese creme brulee. Goat cheese creme brulee doesn't sound very appetizing, but it was delicately sweet and lightly tart. Makes me salivate all over again!
But the main point of this was that even though Drue and I procrastinated re: planning a getaway weekend, we still had a wonderful time. We woke late (of course) and grabbed breakfast burritos from Anita's. We sat in godawful traffic for 40 minutes while Drue explained his new theory that he invites the traffic jams, his luck. Considering that he's from CA and is used to traffic jams, I'm wondering if I should believe him. And our entrance to Shenandoah park began to look worrisome when it took us 20 minutes to pay admission (I also had to wait 30 minutes for the bathroom at your neighborhood gas station). But after the front gate, we had clear driving.
Even though it was peak week, supposedly, I did feel like I've seen prettier foliage off 384 in Willimantic, CT. But the day was sunny, the air had the smell of firewood and Skyline drive still offered beautiful views. Drue and I enjoyed a mile and a half hike up one of the mountain trails. I do have to bring a pedometer because I want to believe that we went further. The sky was darkening and the temperature was dropping when we returned to the car, so we didn't spend more than half a day in the Shenandoah. But it was a nice little expedition, all the same.
posted by Michelle at 5:55 PM
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