8 courses for 8 years

Yesterday we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary by going to Artisans for an incredible dinner. Among their many delicious offerings, there was an 8-course chef-selected tasting menu. No pre-set dishes, totally unique and customized. The catch? You have to reserve this special dinner at least a few days in advance for planning purposes. And we didn't know about it until we sat down with our menus. Lucky for us, it was a Tuesday. And we were the only people in the restaurant for the first hour. And the chef was feeling creative. So he accomodated our whim and gave us one of the absolute best dining experiences ever. At one point, the owner dropped by our table and asked if we'd be back for 30 courses for our 30th anniversary, and then it dawned on us: 8 courses for 8 years! How perfect!

We had such a nice time. We were a little early for our reservations, so we stopped in to the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral to thank Jesus for the past 8 years and ask him to continue to bless our marriage and our family. It was Paul's idea, and I thought it was the perfect start to our date. I love being in quiet, empty churches. I feel so safe and peaceful. 

The church gets locked up at 6pm, so it was time to make our way to the restaurant. 

And then our incredible night of eating (and drinking!) followed. We started with a glass of champagne while we watched Chef Russell, pen and paper in hand, brainstorm what he'd cook for us. 

Course 1: Amuse Bouche of cucumber with... I don't even know what on top. Spicy, creamy, cool, all in one bite. The tiny 2-pronged fork was neat too. 

Score: 8/10

Course 2: Lamb Carpaccio with quail egg, blue cheese, apple jelly, baby spinach, and pink peppercorns. Get a bite with a little bit of everything, and it's a party in your mouth. And I don't even like blue cheese. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Burgundy (which is apparently French Pinot Noir)

Course 3: Seared scallop with pea risotto, "copper pennies" (aka carrots), topped with red peppers and a creamy sauce. I'm not a fan of peas... But this was good. The scallop was cooked perfectly, the risotto creamy and delicious. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Chablis (which is apparently French Chardonnay)

The food was so good, but what put the experience over the top was the service, the attention to detail, and just watching the process unfold in the open kitchen. At one point, there were about 5 people staring at our food, wiping the dish, garnishing, making it perfect. 

Course 4: Duck ravioli, foie gras, and cold duck breast in a mushroom reduction. This was my first time eating foie gras. I hope it's not my last. And the ravioli was divine. Freshly made. Just for us. Insane. The whole dish was excellent. Plus we just plain love duck. 

Score: 10/10 

Wine: Sauternes

Course 5: Saffron prawn, fresh tomatoes, hand-cut pasta, basil. This dish seemed simpler and was not as impressive as some of the others; that said, it was still excellent. It apparently hails from the chef's Louisiana roots. We watched as he squeezed shrimp head juice into the bowls. Yum!

Score: 8/10

Wine: Chardonnay

Course 6: Beef filet, purple potato, crispy brussels sprouts, wild mushrooms. Oh. Sweet. Heaven... on my plate! Well worth the wait. We watched the chef try to plate something that just wasn't working out for him, and he frustratedly tossed it. Then he sent us a palate cleanser of champagne with pineapple sorbet to buy some time as he realized he had been working on a cheese course before making us an entree (which made me wonder what the past 2 courses had been!). Then this plate came. Sooo good. So. Freaking. Good. The crispy brussels sprouts, the perfectly seasoned potato, the medium rare steak... Did I mention the crispy brussels sprouts? The picture doesn't look like much because we were losing daylight, but trust me: this was the best.

Score: this one goes to 11/10

Wine: Zinfandel

For an 8-course tasting, the portions were very generous, and we were getting full with still 2 courses to go!

Course 7: Goat cheese puff pastry topped with honey, pear, arugula, and edible flowers. Light, fresh, and just right. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Riesling

Course 8: chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and a bruleed strawberry on the left; panna cotta with mango sorbet on the right. Strawberry kiwi blobs all around. The chocolate was rich. The panna cotta was refreshing. Good yin and yang. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: 20-year Tawny Port with the chocolate cake; Ruby Port with the panna cotta. 

Not even half of our wine glasses:

After we finished eating and drinking, we were offered a tour of the kitchen. Of course we accepted! So very cool. As we walked through, I noticed a tray of bonbons that were half-made, and I thought it was awesome that they make their own chocolate candies. 

We returned to our table, then this box arrived. 

It was our check. They bring it in a box. 

After we paid, our waitress brough us a much more fun box. 

Bonbons to take home! Yay!

This was a truly unique experience and a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary. When we got home, we looked at wedding pictures together and then went to bed. Full bellies, full hearts. Here's to many more courses!