Date Night

This week, on our "day off" Tom and I actually had a date night. Dinner and a movie, what could be more traditional? Less than a five minute drive away, which absolutely suits us just fine, is a multiplex theater with modern, comfortable seats that is well worth the money; so we caught the late matinee showing of "The King's Speech". If you have already seen this film, you know why it has received such high reviews, if you haven't seen it, plan to. It is rich and captivating with no explosions, cars flying through balls of fire; there are no scenes with nudity or immoral behavior. This is the best movie I have seen in years, and I love movies. If you haven't heard of this cinematic tapestry chronicling the years surrounding King George VI of England's rise to the crown, it is worth your time to experience this period piece set in pre-war Britain. It is a movie both Tom and I enjoyed, the great 'date film' of the day and deserving of Academy Award recognition.
After the movie we walked back across the parking lot to a new restaurant where Kaylanne is hoping to find a second job, Elli Bistro. It is the newest jewel in a crown of three fine dining establishments here on the Alabama coast. The first two, well established venues are in Orange Beach at the Wharf. We have not yet visited those two, although we were generously given a coupon for a free appetizer at the Villaggio Grille. I'm definitely planning on a meal there and will report on how it went. Back to our lovely dinner at Elli...Holly, our server, was efficient, friendly, engaging and helpful, besides being about as cute a young woman as one could find hope to find in the pages of any fashion magazine, right down to her platinum, very modern cut hair. The restaurant itself is modern and edgy but warm and inviting, usually qualities that are mutually counteractive. The food was beautifully executed by master chef, Jason with a definite flair for the unusual. Tom opted for one of the night's specials, Angel Hair Pasta with Escargot, his first time indulging in the famous French delicacy, and I went for the rack of lamb. The lamb is offered with a mint puree, similar in recipe to a pesto, which was beautifully balanced and exceptionally light, belying it's richness. I am not a mint and lamb kind of girl, so I asked that the sauce be offered on the side. When Holly checked back with me to see if I was enjoying my dinner, I mentioned that, while the mint and garlic sauce was lovely, I would have preferred something on the sweeter side. She disappeared into the kitchen and reemerged with two ramikins holding a couple of alternatives the chef thought I might like to try. The first was a savory fig sauce, delightful and delicious, the second was the winner. It was rich and complex with an earthy quality well balanced with the sweetness of the dark cherries. I was totally in heaven. The plate had wonderful eye appeal, a generous mound of couscous, seasoned with bits of those same dark sweet cherries and lots of garlic held three perfectly grilled lamb chops with haricots verte framing it all. The green beans were slightly al dente and fresh. All in all, one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. I have a tendency to be quite critical of food when we eat out and the higher the price the more critical I become. This little restaurant certainly hit a home run in every way and the next time you find yourself in the area, you really need to visit this little gem.
Well, I guess I could go on about how Izzy is progressing with her potty training and how excited she is to be wearing her training pants, but I think I've used up more space than I should have. Have a beautiful week and enjoy the warmer days ahead. I know we are all ready for some friendlier Spring weather. I guess that's about it, in a nutshell.