.the meal.

like i said earlier, the man-friend and i went out to the garden grille (an all-vegetarian restaurant in town) for our 6 course valentine's dinner. not only was the food delicious, but it was GORGEOUS too!the back of the menu listed all the aphrodisiac foods used and told a bit about their history.

course #1:
roasted red pepper and leek soup - with sambuca "creme fraiche"

course #2:
Salad.

My salad was: Beet infused Soba noodles with edamame, shitake mushrooms, easter egg radish, lotus root and avacado with a star anise soy reduction. i could have had only this for the meal and been full.
the man-friend's salad was:
Blood Orange and Thai Coconut - with sunflower sprouts, baby arugula, macadamia and couscous with tarragaon prickly pear vinaigrette. i kept stealing his coconut.

course #3:
Small plates

the man-friend's small plate was:

Nori Encrusted Oyster Mushroom Calamari - with kumquat and cara cara orange marmalade, daikon carrot hijiki salad with chili oil.

verdict: BEST COURSE OF THE NIGHT. i just wanted to switch plates with him, it was so good! (yes, that flower was edible too)
my small plate:
Smoked Eggplant and Black Trouffle Mousse - with balsamic shallots, red leaf endive on a tomato poppy seed cracker.
it was good, but not as good at that calamari.
course #4:
Intermezzo:
Champagne with Strawberry Passion Fruit Sorbet and Pomegranate Seeds.
this bubbled and fizzled in your mouth. yum!
course #5:
Entrees:
we both got the same entree (the other option was tofu and black rice and i am trying to stay away from so much tofu and soy . . . not so great for a person).
so, we got:
Handmade Palm Ravioli Trio -
1) house dried tomato with arugula fennel pesto
2) trumpet mushroom with rosemary cashew cheese (yum!)
3) braised cannelini with spinach
all served with roasted asparagus, pink vodka sauce and fresh basil.
(and there were rose petals on the plates) course #6:
dessert.
The man-friend's dessert:
Chocolate Ganache and hazelnut Banana Heart Cake - with cinnamon chocolate creme and blackberry chambord sauce (we still have some of this cake in the fridge!)
my dessert:
Coconut Tapioca Pearl Custard - layerd with mango mousee, strawberry papaya and apple mint.

there you have it. our lovely, delicious, vegan, meal. we were so stuffed. but so happy! it was great! At one point during the meal, the man-friend said, "I was worried when you said that it was all vegan that it would taste boring. but this is defnitely NOT boring!"

that's right. our valentine's day was not boring.

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what did you do for your day?