Happy Sunday, Dearies....
Today is the last post in my Valentine Recap series. Thought I'd finish things off with a little weekend post about our Valentine dinner out. This was the third year in a row that we've gone to Lidia's for dinner on Valetine's Day. They serve top-notch Italian food and they have a special fixed menu on Valentine's Day and it's always oh-so-good!
It's such a pretty restaurant, housed in what used to be the old freight house in Kansas City. I absolutely love the exposed brick walls and the gorgeous wood beamed ceiling. Goodness, just check out the amazing light fixtures.....
Pretty, no?
So, there are 3 courses served for their Valentine's Dinner. There are a few different options to choose from and for the appetizer course, I couldn't resist this Scampi alla Felidia-Creamy Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash and Pinenuts. Goodness, is that a mouthful, or what? (Pun intended. Ha!)
This was my first time eating Spaghetti Squash. I loved it! I totally need to find out where/when to buy this veggie and how to prepare it at home. I don't think I even know what the vegetable looks like, to know if I've ever even seen it at the store. And even if I had one, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to prepare it. I wonder if I could steam it? If you have any tips, feel free to share them with us all in the comments section! Anyway, it felt like I was eating pasta except that it's a veggie! Very cool. Oh, and that shrimp......perfection.
Lidia Bastianich (the owner of Lidia's) is a famous chef with her own cooking show, food product line, winery, and restaurants in several cities including four restaurants in New York City. One thing that Lidia's restaurant is known for, is the Pasta Trio entree. I must admit that I can't resist it. The pastas in the Pasta Trio change from time to time.....they're not always the exact same pastas, but they're ALWAYS good. And if you choose the Pasta Trio, you are served all the pasta you can eat. Men carrying skillets with hot and fresh pastas, come around all evening long and serve the pasta with a large spoon and a fork....very fancy. They'll keep offering you more pasta until you beg them to quit, which is what I had to do this time around.
For those of you that might be curious, below is a photo of my Pasta Trio. The pasta on the left is Housemade Pappardelle with Duck Guazzetto, the top pasta is Imported Spaghetti with Herb Pesto, and the pasta on the right is Risotto with Lobster and Tomato. For the record, the risotto was the big winner of the evening......just look at those chunks of lobster! And those weren't even the biggest pieces I was served! I can't begin to tell you how fantastic the flavor of that risotto was. And the herb pesto spaghetti was a close second. It seems like it might be pretty plain, but it was spaghetti perfection. The duck pasta was my least favorite, and even that was pretty tasty.
We really should go to Lidia's more often than our current once-a-year schedule. Oh, the pasta.....
All right, moving on. Wanna see what Bartley ordered?
That's a one pound Veal Rib Chop with Parsnip Mashed Potatoes. Good, certainly, but it couldn't possibly compare to my pastas. :)
For dessert, they brought us "A selection of bite-sized confections to share including Blood Orange-Mascarpone Tartlets, Dark Chocolate-Mint Semi-Freddo, and Hazelnut-Caramel Biscotti." Tiny little bites of a variety of treats.....it's a good thing they weren't bigger because Bartley had to roll me home from the restaurant as it was!
You know, there's just something about a meal that takes an hour and half or two, to eat. Taking your time in between each course, savoring each bite, relaxing, talking, laughing, enjoying time together.....no tv, no distractions. I just love meals like that. It's not just about the food....it's about the quality time spent with a loved one. Of course, it doesn't hurt if the food's so good it makes you want to swipe the pasta man's skillet full of pasta when he isn't looking, and run for the door. :)
Enjoy your Sunday, Friends.
