MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011: A Special Occasion Dinner

Having dinner at a favorite restaurant brightens up a winter’s night like firecrackers in July.

We had the opportunity recently to go to our Number 1 favorite dining spot, café Adam in Western Massachusetts, at the invitation of a dear, life-long friend . She gifted us with dinners in honor of our 37th wedding anniversary! What a splendid present that turned out to be!

(You can read another post done on this fine eating establishment by clicking this:http://writingstraightfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2010/03/cafeadam-in-great-barrington-ma.html)

 

We were not the only diners who braved blustery, icy cold winds and single digit temperatures to drive to the restaurant. The place was nearly filled to capacity. Given the weather, that’s the sign of a top notch dining establishment, wouldn't you say?

As soon as we sat down, the waiter brought us glasses of luscious, bubble-filled champagne. Then, the owner, Adam Zieminski, sent out a basket of tender calamari with zippy red pepper sauce. Luscious!

 Adam, by the way, is a graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary School in Rhode Island. His masterful cooking sure does that Alma Mater proud!

Tables are covered with white cloths and silverware is wrapped in black napkins. It's a very classy, sophisticated look.

Salads came with big chunks of succulent blue cheese. Breads got dipped in rosemary tinged olive oil. You'll see only a portion of a piece of bread in the photo below because, well, you know why.

My husband ordered tenderloin steak with fried potatoes that came interspersed with slender onion sticks.

My scallops were tender and luscious, perched in mounds of parsnip puree. There was spinach on the plate, too, and every morsel was lush. This was the kind of entree you wanted to never disappear from your plate, it was so yummy.

For dessert, my husband had the decadent chocolate tart with a goat cheese topping and blueberries, shown at the top of this post. Apparently, it was the creation of Adam's mother, Christine.  Guiltily, I took some nibbles of it and nearly keeled over with its deliciousness.

It was a memorable meal for a very special occasion. Think we’ll go to café Adam at anniversary time for the next 37 years.

HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARIES?