Date Night!

We had such a lovely time on our Belated-Anniversary-Early-Valentine's-Thursday-Night Date! We went to our favorite fancy restaurant, Hudson's On The Bend, and had their characteristically imaginative and delicious food. It's definitely a special occasion place, not the sort of price point we go for often, so it was our entire entertainment for the evening, which doubled as two dates.

There was a fun, tasty little amuse bouche of the chef's selection, a bite size wild boar tostada. I didn't get all the flourishy details and we ate it right up without even a picture. I wanted to take a picture later as the next table got theirs, but James wouldn't let me. I think I was pushing my luck taking pictures of our own food, but I couldn't resist! After all, talk about Garnish!

My appetizer was wild rice crepes stuffed with wild mushrooms and ricotta topped with jumbo lump blue crab, lemon saffron creme and beet coulis. I chose it because I've been on a mushroom kick and it did not disappoint! I don't particularly enjoy rice (I know, I know) but the crepes were very good. I was surprised the beet coulis didn't have a stronger, sweeter taste, but it did all blend together very nicely. James had a salad of ruby red grapefruit and avocado on local Bibb lettuce with Pure Luck feta dressing and fresh pomegranate. He said it was just the taste he was looking for. I forgot to taste it, which was a shame because I was interested in the local goats' milk cheese.

For my entree I had the cilantro pesto stuffed pheasant breast on mole sauce with a pheasant confit tamale topped with white chocolate tomatillo sauce. I don't know that I've had pheasant before but it was mild and the cilantro pesto and the mole really shone. I loved the tamale as well. James had the masa encrusted antelope with green chile gravy. The knife that accompanied his meal looked like something Daniel Boone would use, and considering all the wild ingredients in the food there, appropriately so!

Both of our entrees came with ancho chile Shiner Bock mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables - yellow pepper, a tender halved brussel sprout, fresh green beans and turnips. The potatoes were great, but the veggies were really extraordinary - very sweet and tasty.

We didn't have room for dessert, but they sent us with a boxed "wild turtle", a chocolate dipped caramel pecan pie petit four, which we haven't eaten yet. I'm sure looking forward to it.

Overall, a delicious meal and great company. Happy Ten Year Anniversary to us!!

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p.s. By request, I've added links to some of the foodie terms and local foods and ingredients!