Almost 30

We rarely go out for a night on the town.  We go and have dinner and head back home like old fogies.  Things changed last night!  Both Chuck and I have been so busy lately with work and travel we haven’t had any time to ourselves to play, and that is what we decided to do!  I also contribute my night out to a fear of getting old.  Some of your know I am about to turn the big 3-0 (GASP! Cue the Grim Reaper) and old is not in my vocabulary.  Here is how it all went down.

“Does this shirt look ok?”  “What about this outfit?”  “Why isn’t it alright?” “Babe, can I wear these shorts with these heels?” “Do my thighs look fat?” “No, you look beautiful.”  “That’s all I wanted to hear!!” “Sweet, I think we have time for a beer before we go!”

Off we went.  We had dinner reservations at Babylon downtown.  Not even a year into business this place has made a name for itself; trendy, comfortable Moroccan-themed culinary gem.  They have a swanky outdoor patio that is dressed like a Mediterranean oasis – fab!  Due to the 110 degree heat wave we had to eat inside but it did not disappoint.  The dining room was understated and cozy.  Dark wood tables, low ceilings – you felt like you were dining in the wine cellar at the home of Moroccan royalty and their family chef was cooking just for you.  In this case it was a team of cooks directed by Samad Hachby, Creative Director for the restaurant. 

Our waiter was attentive, pleasant and knowledgeable enough to answer all of our dorky foodie questions.  We started with two signature cocktails and enjoyed fresh bread with infused oil and crushed red pepper.  Next came the Chicken Bastillas and Bodega Lamb Meshoui.  Speechless.  Actually, we had a lot to say and it consisted of yum, wow, amazing, unreal….

The chicken dish was a playoff of a lightly fried spring roll with shredded chicken, honey, nuts sugar and cinnamon. A bit sweet to start the meal but once paired with a chili paste from Tunisian dried chili – killer.  This paste packs a lot of heat so start off slow.  I can honestly say I have never had lamb kabobs before and these exceed my expectations.  Lamb was cooked perfectly – tender and juicy bite size pieces seasoned lightly and dipped into a chili sauce similar to the paste served with the CB but with roasted red peppers blended into it. 

With dinner we decided to order a bottle of red.  The wine list was diverse, delicious and delicately priced so it wouldn’t break the bank!  We wanted the Portugal blend but they had just run out.  Our waiter presented a rioja from Spain that was full-bodied yet light.  Perfect for our Salmon Tagine that was on the way. 

I may sound like a Moroccan food connoisseur now but I had no clue what a tagine was until last night. Tagine is a rich stew of meat, chicken, or fish, and most often includes vegetables or fruit.  The salmon was served over a bed of meaty cannellini beans that were part of a tomato based sauce with olives and authentic spices.  The salmon was topped with an olive pesto and cooked to medium rare perfection.  We split the entrée, so we carefully counted each bite so we each had equal portions – this meal would be worth fighting over!  Enjoying the last bit of the wine our waiter so kindly offered us dessert:  Hazelnut gelato and crust-less vanilla cheesecake.  The hazelnut gelato was perfectly creamy, nutty and a light palette cleaner after the highly seasoned meal.  Although nice, they were not up to the caliber of the rest of the meal. (Probably because they are outsourced and not made in-house)  Sadly it was time for the check.  Walking out the door we made a point to tell hostess that we would be back soon!

At 9pm it was still 100 degrees so we needed to continue our evening cool down.  Onto stops 2,3 and 4 - Solas, Havana and C-Grace.  Solas isn’t our typical stomping ground, well none of Glenwood South really is but we were hoping the roof-top of Solas would provide a nice breeze and good people watching…think again.  The tap was pouring warm beer, it was humid and we were two of six people there.  Our stop there was short lived but we did snap a cute pic!

Havana provided us some entertainment with a game of darts and as we were walking to the car we passed a new bar called C-Grace.  Honestly, the small doorway was staffed by a guy in a vest and tie and the entrance was a little seedy but feeling adventurous we went in.  Think Great Gatsby fused with French burlesque blended with modern day jazz.  The cocktail list is outstanding (Sazrac, Dark & Stormy, Infused Bourbons…tasty) and the live jazz was perfect white noise.  Perfect at the bar in enjoyed a Dark & Stormy and a Gin Fizz.  Fab, throw back bar, great ending to the night!  I have 22 more days before turning 30 so maybe we will just have to do it all again soon.