Mama's Birthday Comes Again

My birthday arrived again this year with snow, which is only to be expected for January in New England. At least this year wasn't as much snow as last year. Also, there was no poop in the tub from Maya, so that was also an improvement over last year. ;-)

As usual, our lovely neighbors Ken and Marilyn took us out for a delicious meal to celebrate my birthday. This year we went to Il Casale, which had amazing food and wine. I somehow managed not to take any pictures; I was probably worried about Maya being on good behavior during the meal; it's a pretty fancy restaurant but they were surprisingly kid-friendly.

Ken and Marilyn also took care of Maya on another night so that Hyder and I could go out for a leisurely dinner on our own. We went to Bondir for an amazingly tasty, creative, and cozy meal. This time I remembered to take photos along the way, though they're not high quality since I was taking them with my BlackBerry camera without a flash.

We started with Scituate Scallops and Rhode Island Shellfish with Scarlett Turnip, Celery Baton, Coquillage Vert, Chili Vinaigrette, and Paprika Froth: 

Next was a Summer Herb Spaghetti with Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Pu-Erh Braised Celery Branch, Butternut Squash, and Smoked Scamorza:

Next was an amazing dish of Perigord Black Truffle-Soft Poached Egg, Keener White Corn Grits, Maine Shrimp Bisque, Dahlia Radish, and Truffle Vinaigrette:

Hyder had a Braised Vermont Lamb with Spiced Golden Rutabaga, Puffed Wild Rice, Whole Barley, and Mulled Wine Glaze:

  












And we splurged on two desserts - they just sounded too good! The first one I tried was a lovely Chocolate Panna Cotta with Gyokuro-Bergamot Marmalade, Blood Orange Gel, Cocoa Nibs, and Pistachio: 

Finally we had the Tangerine Dream with Génoise, Vermouth-Infused Tangerine, Thyme-Buttermilk Ice Cream, and Meringue Brulée: 

At the end of our meal, the chef Jason Bond came out to greet us and ask us about our meal - what a cool experience! The ambience in the restaurant is lovely too - like a modern cozy bistro with interesting artwork, French music, mismatched china, and a selection of hand creams in the bathroom. This is now one of my favorite restaurants in this area, along with T.W. Food.