once again...

stuffed.


this whole weekend has turned into a gastronomic fete for me. tonight, we had reservations at this joint ;) not a very big place...on 17th avenue's restaurant row. the food was divine. we shared five small plates (tapas-like), had a few glasses of wine, and just about inhaled a couple desserts. the only bad thing was the coffee...not the quality...but the price.

excellent coffee

sticker shock though

FOUR AND A HALF FREAKIN' DOLLARS A CUP!

oh well. at least they mis-charged us for the glass of dessert wine, which should have been $12...not $10. so i guess that's like only paying $3.83 for the coffee.

if you'd like to check out the menu...go down the list (watch out for the food stains) and see that we ordered the cucumber carpaccio, heirloom tomato and house pulled mozzarella, provençal platter, cheese platter, and p.e.i. mussels. for dessert, it had to be the vanilla-fig crème brulee and chocolate torte (downright orgasmic).

eh-knee-weigh

we met our good friend, regina, whom we try to meet a few times a year for dinner. you know, three birthdays and another gathering.

tomorrow, regina is heading for guadalajara, mexico. this part of mexico is also called the bajío...it's the triangle just northwest of mexico city. it's known for a few things...agave plants (the main ingredient of tequila and mezcal)...the birthplace of the mexican revolution...and enclaves of ex-pats who have retired in san miguel de allende and ajijic (that's pronounced 'ah-hih-HEEK') for the cheaper living, art cliques, and mild climate.

of course, we're jealous...but always happy to talk about the country we've visited the most. we even talked her into going with us maybe next september (2008) for independence day; the night of september 15th (i know it's the 16th...but the real celebration is the night before...on the 16th there's a parade and everything is closed - oh joy) in mexico city is truly a spectacle that any mexicophile should experience...imagine being shoulder to shoulder with 200,000 people in this plaza, which is the size of FIVE football fields. sheer mayhem...but a very cool one at that ;)