September 18, 2009

• Song of the Day
  

  我和你…You and Me…
  時間過得真快…都要兩年了…
  我多想告訴你…
  謝謝你一次又一次的包容我的任性…
  謝謝你給我得來不易的默契…
  謝謝你給我那些傻笑打扮的樣子…
  謝謝你浪費在我身上的時間…使我變得更珍貴…

  Last weekend was our Second Anniversary. We have been co-existing peacefully with each other for almost 24 months, and hopefully, there will be at least twenty-four more celebrations to come. (Is that stretching too far?) I have to use this adage, “Time flies…when you are having fun.” Nevertheless, time really flied by so quickly. So what did we do to commemorate this “milestone”?

  A. Prepare a romantic candlelight dinner at home. And after that, making out until the wee hours in the morning.

  B. Romantic Getaway for a weekend at a Bed and Breakfast place, preferably near a lake or secluded area.

  C. Go to Disneyland and catch their late night fireworks.

  D. Pack a picnic hamper with our favorite foods and head to a spot where waterfall cascades into a tranquil pool, or to a meadow where wildflowers bloom.

  E. Go to a super pricy upscale restaurant and splurge on the most expensive items.

  F. Do nothing.

  Well, the answer is actually a combination of the above choices. Dinner and then some…

  Palate Food + Wine touts itself as a wine-centric, passionate, and down-to-earth place. This place is located at the car dealership neighborhood of Glendale , which is quite a ‘down to earth’ location to start with. But one should not judge a restaurant solely on the basis of location. I found this establishment more fittingly as a wine shop, since they have a HUGE wine library. The restaurant also states,”Cuisine that is simple and sophisticated, robust and nuanced, infused with a Mediterranean sensibility and made with the best local and artisanal ingredients.” Since I did not have a violent allergic reaction after drinking three glasses of wine (unfortunately, I have that Asian gene which is not receptive to alcoholic beverages), I trust that the recommended wine pairing is quite good for my palate.

  

  2007 Valpolicella, Brigaldara (retails for $16 a bottle) is a red variety from Italy, very mild and soft tannins, paired with the cold cuts…
  

  For starters, this is the “Porkfolio” – assorted cold cuts with prosciutto di parma / speck salumi: genoa / sopressata / lomo / salametti…
  

  2008 “Trajarinho,” from Portugal – retails for $9 a bottle, this is a crisp, dry and fizzy ‘vinho verde’ relatively low in alcohol content.
  Very drinkable! Paired with the following two seafood dishes…
  

  Mason Jars – potted Shrimp Ceviche – shrimp marinated in lime juice, with onions, peppers, and spices…
  

  Scallop semi-carpaccio, with tidbits of apple, celery and truffle…
  

  Château Prieuré Marquet 2006, Bordeaux is a mixture of 60% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc,
  retails for $17 per bottle; paired with the salad and steak…
  

  Avocado salad with beets, yogurt and ugli oranges…
  

  Prime Flat Iron Steak, with Bone Marrow and Arugula + Roasted Shallots…
  

  Bone Marrow at close-up…
  

  (A big Thank You to W for numerous of the fabulous photos above)
  The dinner costs approximately $55 per person, including a 15% service charge. I did not find a MUST-TRY dish. But I’d love to come back to try other dishes on the menu, since some of their items are seasonal. Their menu was at least thoughtful and geared towards pleasing your palate, when compare to many other ‘wannabe’ wine bars in Los Angeles.

  We were quite overwhelmed with all the wine and multiple dishes that night. So, dessert was postponed to the next day.

  MILK is a bake shop & ice-cream palor, and they also offer sandwiches on their menu as well. My favourite items are their shakes, bakes and ice-cream.
  My dessert – Mint Chocolate Crunch Shake, cool mint ice cream with chocolate chips and mint crunch malt balls…So good, with tidbits of chocolate crunches…
  

  Mint Chocolate Crunch Shake (left), Root Beer Float (right), Red Velvet Cup Cake…
  

  Red Velvet Cup Cake…love those perfect swirls…
  

  The delicious adventure costs approximately $7 per person, very sweet to the wallet indeed!

  • 2:22 am
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