** Runner-up was Ed O., and you can read his post here!
She Said:
My husband, Todd and I don't have much in common. He's an engineer that loves math and science. I mean, the man brought Advanced Trig books on our honeymoon. He built a robot... For fun.
I love decorating. And reality shows in poor taste. So what's the glue that keeps us together? Our love of food. And we're not talking hamburger helper and stove top. (Although Todd loves both and I've been known to crave a can of SpaghettiOs.) We're talking sweetbreads and foie gras. Which until recently, we didn't have a clue about. I think we both were under the impression that Sweetbreads were a delicious french bakery good. We soon found out that Sweetbreads were neither sweet nor bread....
So for our two year anniversary we celebrated not only our love for each other, but our love for all things culinary, by going to Cafe Juanita in Kirkland. We certainly were not disappointed.
Cafe Juanita has a lot of things going for it. Their exterior is not one of them. However, they have done what they can with the 1970's rambler. The inside is much more charming and it's whats on the inside that counts, right?
We began with two starters. Don't judge. We were celebrating, remember?
And nothing says celebratory like Seared Foie Gras with Nectarine, Huckleberries, Candied Ginger and Cocoa nibs AND Veal Sweetbreads with Fried Capers and Parsley, in a Ligurian Olive Oil.
I'm pretty sure I had an out of body experience with the former. The Foie was seared perfectly and the sweetness of the nectarines was perfection. Seriously. I wanted to bathe in it. Gross? Kinda . But only if you think about it. Which I don't. I just eat it! :)
The sweetbreads were equally good but it was the fried capers that had me. I was seriously considering about replacing my theatre popcorn with fried capers during my next visit to the movies. I'm sure that will catch on.
On to the main dishes. Without fail, I always want what Todd orders. I always end up eating most of what's on HIS plate. Not so this time. And I wasn't about to share. I ordered the rabbit--a dish they are well known for. To be specific--Rabbit Braised in Arneis with Ligurian Chickpea Crepe, Pancetta and Porcini. Ummmm, delightful to say the least. In fact, in the deserted island game that Todd and I like to play, (okay, the game I like to play) if I had to chose one dish to eat on a deserted island...for the rest of my life...this would be it.
[images via Cafe Juanita's website]
The pancetta, the Porcini--it was all a giant YES. Todd ordered the Sweet Grass Farms Wagyu Beef Bolognese with Tagliatelle and while it too was quite good, it paled in comparison. I love it when I pick the winning dish of the night. When he begs me for scraps. :) And although we had planned on getting dessert--we skipped it as we were so full we were about to pop. And with the hefty price tag that was attached to the entire evening, we felt like we got our money's worth.
And there you have it. A memorable meal with a memorable man. :)
My husband, Todd and I don't have much in common. He's an engineer that loves math and science. I mean, the man brought Advanced Trig books on our honeymoon. He built a robot... For fun.
I love decorating. And reality shows in poor taste. So what's the glue that keeps us together? Our love of food. And we're not talking hamburger helper and stove top. (Although Todd loves both and I've been known to crave a can of SpaghettiOs.) We're talking sweetbreads and foie gras. Which until recently, we didn't have a clue about. I think we both were under the impression that Sweetbreads were a delicious french bakery good. We soon found out that Sweetbreads were neither sweet nor bread....
So for our two year anniversary we celebrated not only our love for each other, but our love for all things culinary, by going to Cafe Juanita in Kirkland. We certainly were not disappointed.
Cafe Juanita has a lot of things going for it. Their exterior is not one of them. However, they have done what they can with the 1970's rambler. The inside is much more charming and it's whats on the inside that counts, right?We began with two starters. Don't judge. We were celebrating, remember?
And nothing says celebratory like Seared Foie Gras with Nectarine, Huckleberries, Candied Ginger and Cocoa nibs AND Veal Sweetbreads with Fried Capers and Parsley, in a Ligurian Olive Oil.
I'm pretty sure I had an out of body experience with the former. The Foie was seared perfectly and the sweetness of the nectarines was perfection. Seriously. I wanted to bathe in it. Gross? Kinda . But only if you think about it. Which I don't. I just eat it! :)
The sweetbreads were equally good but it was the fried capers that had me. I was seriously considering about replacing my theatre popcorn with fried capers during my next visit to the movies. I'm sure that will catch on.
On to the main dishes. Without fail, I always want what Todd orders. I always end up eating most of what's on HIS plate. Not so this time. And I wasn't about to share. I ordered the rabbit--a dish they are well known for. To be specific--Rabbit Braised in Arneis with Ligurian Chickpea Crepe, Pancetta and Porcini. Ummmm, delightful to say the least. In fact, in the deserted island game that Todd and I like to play, (okay, the game I like to play) if I had to chose one dish to eat on a deserted island...for the rest of my life...this would be it.
[images via Cafe Juanita's website]
The pancetta, the Porcini--it was all a giant YES. Todd ordered the Sweet Grass Farms Wagyu Beef Bolognese with Tagliatelle and while it too was quite good, it paled in comparison. I love it when I pick the winning dish of the night. When he begs me for scraps. :) And although we had planned on getting dessert--we skipped it as we were so full we were about to pop. And with the hefty price tag that was attached to the entire evening, we felt like we got our money's worth.
And there you have it. A memorable meal with a memorable man. :)
Todd and Susan met under the most romantic of circumstances--at a bar. The kind of bar where the floor is perpetually sticky and it's in your best interest to hover over the toilet seat.
None the less, it was love at first sight. Or perhaps after the first shot.
Anyway, they have been enjoying marital bliss for 2 years now in Bothell.
(They are slowly learning to claim their new city with pride. And resist calling it the Brothel.)
They live with their two cats, Copper and Lilly and have recently added Dr. Newton, a three pound chihuahua, into the family dynamic.
