Alinea

While hubby and I are pretty good about getting ourselves out for a neighborhood burger and beer pretty frequently, we also like to treat ourselves to something spectacular every now and again.

Alinea has been on the list for some time, but between difficulty to get reservations, being pregnant for what seems like three straight years, and the need to find four free hours in order to do dinner, it has taken awhile to come to fruition. But, without further ado, we ate there last night...

20 courses, plus the wine pairing. It was amazing.

A few highlights included here, though my explanation of what they are will pale in comparison to our servers.

As Asian dish...the item on the left was a cracker of sorts, with a shrimp and some pickled vegetable wrapped around it. The sauce in the bowl was outstanding. On the right was a piece of sugar cane, beautifully adorned with flowers and herbs. To be chewed, sucked and then spilt out.

The white course I will butcher horribly so I'm reluctant to say anything at all other than that there were countless flavors and textures mixed beautifully here.

The Christmas trees arrived covered in what looked like snow. They sat at our table through numerous courses. Then, when all the snow had melted, the tree was removed and we were presented with a peppermint tasting shot. Adorable.

Finally, the dessert. Which was actually the final of three dessert courses, required it's own table cloth, approximately eight side dishes, a blow torch, a pitcher full of some sort of cream, and many other things I'm forgetting.

It was all dropped off and then we waited. And waited. And the table next to us was doing the same, attempted to touch something on their table and were scolded. Finally, with a smoking, freeze dried brick that was chopped table side with what looked like a mallet was some sort of blueberry cake. We were given spoons and dove right in.

Another dish I wish I had taken a picture of was a venison, tempura battered with oatmeal on a stick. Delicious. And they also had a version of one of my favorite dishes ever - the quail egg ravioli at Schwa - this was slightly different but coined "explosion in your mouth" was very similar in taste and experience.

Oh, and how could I forget the white truffle risotto? You can't even imagine...

It was an amazing experience and so very delicious. @GAchatz is as amazing as the critics say...get there!

Updates (or lack there of)

It is amazing, and admittedly a bit pathetic, how busy a person can be in spite of not working and having part time child care (and doing nothing notable to save the world).

Posts have been too infrequent. My apologies. I have a lot in store though, so stay tuned.

(And I know most of you just want more kid pics, but you're going to have to suffer through a few other misc posts as well)

We got the gang back together this weekend while celebrating KJ's birthday Saturday night.

We all (my girlfriends and I) had boys, beginning a little over two years ago...from left to right (youngest to oldest) it's Ryan, Ben, Daniel and Gage.

They are all pretty hilarious little guys in their own ways. And under the title of 'misery loves company' I can't tell you how reassuring it is to hear their stories of tantrums, being hit in the face, screaming for no reason.

At least temporarily, it makes me less concerned that Ben is possessed. OK, maybe not possessed but he certainly has had his fair share of less than steller performances lately - always in public of course. And it's nice to know it happens to others and that there isn't an easy answer I'm missing to resolve things, though that would make it so much easier!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Brrr...

How can you complain? It is winter afterall. But the walls are already closing in and it's just the first week of December.

This weekend we made a ginger bread house. Something my mom, sis and I used to do years ago. Ben was actually surprisingly into it - that is it captured his attention for 5 whole minutes.

Take a look at our masterpiece!

We're starting a class tomorrow at MyGym. Me and the little guy. I'm looking forward to the time together and a little burning of his endless energy :)

Smiles

A few smiles captured by Baba while she was here this week...enjoy :)

First Snow!

We woke up to white everywhere this morning, our first real snow fall of the season.

Thanks to one of Chris' colleagues, who lives in MN and has a boy about two years older than Ben, we're geared up for the blizzard of the century (and/or ice fishing).

We piled on layer after layer and plopped the little guy in the backyard. He really wasn't sure what to make of it all. Stella was pouncing, Hubby making snow balls, I was trying to get him to taste it. And he mostly just looked at us all like we were idiots.

Hopefully he'll warm up to the idea b/c he looks really cute in his snow suit. And it really just boils down to wardrobe, doesn't it?

Sniffles, Smiles and Sleeps

Poor Juliet had bout of sniffles this week, likely from her big brother. It's pretty sad to see her all stuffed up and not sure why she can't breathe. And it made for two very long nights of crying...that was sad for everyone.

But in spite of not feeling great, she pulled off a day full of her first smiles yesterday which is priceless.

Amazing how far a little smile goes after six weeks of not much more than crying and sleeping.

She looks even more beautiful :)

And then last night she slept 6 hours. Probably b/c she was so tired from a couple tough days but it's proof she can do it, and hopefully just a glimpse of what's ahead for us.

I was given clean bill of health at my 6 week appointment today and am heading to the gym this afternoon.

Pretty unbeatable Friday and it's only noon!

Have a great weekend (smile pictures coming soon)