Of This and That and the Road (again)...

Well, the road part first….this afternoon we leave for another road adventure to STL to see FOJTE&Y, take care of some financial stuff (more of that adjusting to retirement thing, yes, a year later). So there will be some road stuff to report on, we’re trying a new restaurant in STL, and a new adventure as FOJTY has moved his digs from our old house in Clayton to a new set of digs, down in Jackson, MO. New horizons all around..

So, road reporting will be at the whim of local internet capabilities….

Culinarily, the extended weekend saw a lunch at Café Des Artistes, a small plate dinner at the Dry Dock, and a full fledged dinner at Kingfishers on the Solomons. Lunch at CDA is what lunch should be, a quiet, reflective, leisurely experience with plenty of time to discuss things, and some food and drink to enhance oneself. The service and food were commensurate with that objective, we were left alone unless we wanted something, glasses kept full of liquids, and so forth. One little note, I had a Veal and Olive stew, which was a little heavy for lunch, but was very tasty. Reliable food as always. Perfect spot for that quiet lunch.

Sitting at “our” stools at the Dry Dock, we enjoyed some of the small plates to defray a little of the cost, with MFO trying some Srirachi Chicken Tenders, and I went way out on the fringes of culinary choices with a Chicken Caesar salad. Both dishes were rewarding, with crisp Romaine greens and a nicely grilled chicken breast, and the other chicken just this side of that line of spiciness. Drinks were well prepared (I went again for the dirty martini). It not crowded hence not loud. Nice evening.

Last night we went with some friends over to the Island again, this time at Kingfishers for an early dinner. I had not been there for a time, but Sunday evening limited some options and we were just for having a nice time before they hit the road. Every time I go into one of the “Stoney” venues around here I am always taken by the bird carvings that adorn their walls. They are lovely indeed. I haven’t pursued purchasing same, but I always think about it.. The menu remains the same with their “famous ~ circa mid ‘90’s” crab cakes, baskets, steamed or fried plates, etc. We got the recorded server message complete with the “taking care of you” option. All the servers are dressed in khaki shorts and black tee’s and the preponderance of the waitstaff are twenty something females. Just an observation. But, aside from the recorded message service was prompt as was the food. We had two baby cakes (you have to do the “choose two sides” thing), MFO had a cold salad plate – chicken, shrimp, potato, and XXXXXXX; and an order of shrimp basket. While I have never climbed very far on the wagon of Stoney’s crab cakes, I think ordering the smaller version pays off since the tennis ball sized cake allows it to be cooked through. We were offered no option but it arrived deep fried. I did like the fact that my unnamed Chardonnay by the glass was served in a larger glass than a typical bar glass. Other diners at other tables were in varying degrees of DFD, but at least the tee shirt was clean. Sunday night, mid priced evening, once in a while, okay. Nice view of the back end of some fishing boats…

Other than that, I spent a lot of the torrid Saturday at Sotterley Plantation, attending a little workshop on garden photography. It was “taught” by Robert Tinari, a fairly largely published photographer in these parts. Turned out to be less of a class than I had hoped and more of a “what do you want to know about” session. I did get some tips on macro things however. Boy, it was hot..

And one little parting shot (we won’t hit sports today although the world cup beckons), I received our latest copy of Architectural Digest the other day (along with Garden and Gun) and the cover of the former featured a picture of Cher. They were covering her “new” home in LA. I was struck by her appearance. The woman is 64 years old, slightly younger than us, but her face is as tight as a banjo head, with no sign of wrinkles or sagginess. Anywhere. Why can’t people age gracefully? We’re supposed to. I don’t want to look like I’m twenty my whole life. There is grandeur in maturity. Don’t be afraid of it…remember the “just right” theory? She isn’t.

Okay into suitcases and on to the journey and we’ll take duds so we can be

DFD