Went to dinner on Friday night at one of chef Bobby Flay's joints.  He's all over the Food Network and is well-known for his flare and a strong sense of personal style.  Marjorie's brother and his girlfriend, Leo and Inessa, flew in to do the tourist thing in the city.  Our good friend (through Marjorie), Matthew Moore, arrived earlier that day.  He'll be spending a week with us before flying cross-country to Los Angeles for a contract with LA Opera.  It was a nice evening with good folks.

Stupid me, I didn't take my camera so I couldn't document any of the food.  I know I know.  Dumb.  I know of at least one good friend of mine (you know who you are) who will shake his head at my elementary blog practices...he himself being one whom I consider fairly well-versed in the ways of the blog.  Whatever.  Flog me with a wet noodle.  Visit Bar Americain's website to view pictures of the dining area as well as a selection of dishes.  

Cocktails and wine began the evening as well as a range of appetizers.  I chose a tasting of the three types of shellfish cocktail offered on the menu.  Very nice!  Coconut n crab with tiny chunks of mango.  Two jumbo shrimps with a tomatillo salsa (that tasted a little too much like what I smell after I've mowed through the weeds and grass in my folks' yard in Hawaii).  And finally, lobster with avocado and what tasted like baby arugula.  It was really great, and all the better with my dirty martini.  Even flavors.  No one thing overpowered the other.  Someone was really thinking when they put the ingredients together.  

Dinner was equally appetizing.  It all looked good on paper.  I hadn't really eaten all day in order to save up.  There was a juicy ribeye and a handful of different sides to share.  Marjorie's cauliflower n goat cheese gratin stood out.

At the end of the meal, dessert was had.  Didn't wanna miss anything.  There was red velvet cake and there was an apple tart.  Marjorie made a bee line for the bourbon praline profiteroles with buttermilk ice cream.

The farther along this blog goes, the more you'll understand (if you don't already know me) that I enjoy good dining.  Being that Marjorie and I spent our first two years together in Chicago, we were able to enjoy a lot of good food in the city and some of the surrounding areas.  We began zeroing in on the restaurants we really enjoyed.  Good food.  Wonderful service.  Fun times.  And that's what we look for when we hunt for new places to eat.  Most of the time, we pay a little more than normal, but usually with a higher prices comes the quality.

More to come.