Sunday, October 21, 2007

Company For Dinner


Tantalizing. Tasty treats to tempt the palette. Paint and the one in my mouth. We used to go to a really fine restaurant, Louis The Sixteenth in the Quarter. Not in its present location, but in the old Marie Antoinette Hotel. John, our Welsh waiter, all in crispy white, would greet us happily. Dinner there was a conversation. A well tuned interplay. We were his guests. After drinks were served and a fresh baguette brought to table, he would ask what we were "feeling like". We rarely used the menu. Lamb or veal always my first choice. And would we be wanting the Grand Marnier soufflé or chocolate? Or how about half and half? It cooks while we are dining. Well half and half of course. Usually we would ask him to have chef make us what he wanted.To have some fun with it. We would only say fish, or morelles or what is fresh tonight? Never disappointed. Always a good time. And John would always bring us a little treat. A tiny surprise. One time it was gold wasser, or it might be a fresh amuse bouche. No matter, an evening there was a favorite. Soft ambiance, good food, a table set so well. Time for just the two of us. A bit of a reward. We were company for dinner. Happily. Willing to play along. It has changed. Moved. And we are no longer there. But it still lives among the finer things in my memories. Don't we all cherish them? Those good dinners we have dined. At a friend's or Harry's Bar, or pick a place, fill in the blank. Aren't we very lucky? To have so many willing chefs create an experience. It isn't really eating. It is much more than that. Company for dinner, brings friends in for a chat.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oooooooooooooo La La!
And
OH MY GAWD!!!!
Mysterious Admirer(sp)

Merisi said...

If you ever travel to Vienna,
visit the restaurant "Zum Schwarzen Kameel". Pure Jugendstil, great cuisine and atmosphere.
Who makes those pretty morsels for you? I imagine you going out and starting to paint right away, before they disappear. Mysteriosly. ;-)

Janice C. Cartier said...

You too are so kind considering what's outside your doors...these are .... can you believe it from Whole Foods!!!! The big new one here in Dallas . The others come from Main Street Bakery. I am going on a search in town, to snoop for other pastry stars...

Merisi said...

Whole foods can be quite good. :-)
I frequented the first store that "Fresh Fields" (now "Whole Foods") opened in the Washington, DC area and saw them expand and expand, now they have some superstores all over the area.
I loved their Danish pastries. The fuit tarts looked delicious. During summer I could not resist to indulge myself with their Key lime bars, never tasted any better.