Absinthe-Minded Friday

Every Friday, San Diegans, tourists, and guests of the Sofia Hotel head downstairs, or to the corner of 1st & Broadway, to participate in a ritual unlike any other.

Last week, I enjoyed Absinthe-Minded Friday at Currant, with Mr. Right. Our perfect evening began with an amazing meal and top-notch service that impressed me from the minute we sat down.

Our waitress greeted us and poured bottled water into our glasses as soon as we were seated. Not once through the entire meal did they let our water glasses empty. This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves when I go out, having to hunt down or flag down our waiter for more water. They took such good care of us through the entire evening, that the two of us were able to focus on our meal (and each other) without having to worry about a thing.

 

 

The large water that was brought over to us was a little intimidating…but the waitress assured us that she’d take care of the entire process and we just only needed to sit back and watch. She then brought small sugar cubes to rest above the glass and just below the water drip on each side of the table (one for each of us). She lit the sugar cubes on fire and when they melted, we poured a small amount of water on top to dissolve the remaining sugar into the glass.

 

Then she came and poured the absinthe into the glass and removed the large water basin so I could see my partner’s face (and look into his gorgeous eyes) once again. The absinthe was strong. Much stronger than I was expecting and the black licorice flavor lingered in my mouth well beyond the wonderful meal that we had.

We shared the sea scallops, which were described to accompany “sweet corn risotto croquettes, lemon beurre blanc, avocado relish.” Yum. They melted in my mouth and left me both satisfied and looking forward to the entree.

 

Mr. Right ordered the Roasted Beer Can Chicken, which I sampled and which I was very impressed with. It sat upon porcini and baby leeks, gravy and mashed potatoes. It was delicious. I ordered the Lamb Bolognese with hand-cut pappardelle pasta and shaved grana padano cheese. It too was amazing, although the long noodles (and lots of them) was a little too much for me to deal with. I ate quite a bit but when she took my plate away it looked as though I had barely touched my food.

 

 

We did leave feeling completely satisfied and wishing we had saved room for dessert. The entire staff treat us well, stopping by our table often but without rushing us or making it feel like an interruption to our dinner.

 

The General Manager, Chris Cooke, came out to introduce himself and let us know to ask for him if we needed anything. Our experience there was a positive one, one that I won’t forget for a long time to come. Of course, having a wonderful person to have spent it with doesn’t hurt.

Take a video tour of Currant or make a reservation for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

 

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Second First Date

After a successful and fun meet ‘n greet, my new male friend picked me up last night for our first official date. Let me step back a few days though to share with you how the week went.

Our meet ‘n greet was last Sunday and I had a really good time. I thought he had a good time as well. In fact, he had mentioned a “next time,” so I assumed that we’d communicate afterward about seeing each other again. Three days went by without hearing from him and I was a bit concerned. I was confused. I was disappointed. It’s not easy to get back into the dating scene, especially when it involves searching through numerous online profiles, trying to determine how to reach out to those who peak my curiosity.

On Wednesday afternoon, he finally called but, because I was at work, I wasn’t able to take the call. He did leave a message and I found myself laughing out loud when I listened to it. He joked about how he had read a Guy’s Rule Book on Dating and noted that it had officially been 72 hours since our first meeting so it was now the opportune time to follow up. Then he simply asked if he could take me to dinner on Saturday and left it at that.

I had to arrange for a babysitter in order to confirm that I could go out but that only took a few minutes of text messaging to schedule. One of my son’s former teachers who lives in our neighborhood agreed to come by to hang out with him so I could go on this date. She’s married with no children of her own (yet) and is someone my son feels completely comfortable with. What would I do without teachers like her?

Saturday arrives and it’s amazingly hot out. I’m sweating already because I’m a little nervous and I’m not quite sure what to wear. I change my outfit a record number of times before finally deciding on a black top and jean skirt. Casual for a first date, I realize, but since I was overdressed for our meet ‘n greet, I figured I could get away with it.

I had no idea where he would be taking me but this is what has always intrigued me about dates. Normally, I would be a bit concerned about getting inside someone’s car without knowing where our final destination would be, but I eagerly climbed inside when he finally came to pick me up.

He was a few minutes late and didn’t mention it when he pulled into the parking lot but since I’m notoriously late for just about everything, I really can’t hold that against him.

Once again, he impressed me. We drove up the coast and went to a restaurant overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful night so we sat outside, enjoyed a few glasses of wine with our meal and laughed, a lot.

We played the back and forth questions game and got to know each other a bit more. Not once was there an awkward moment in the conversation – that is until I asked about why he signed up with eharmony. There was a moment of silence before he revealed that he was looking for a partner; someone he could go home to at the end of the day and share his life with.

He asked the same question of me, and since it was only fair, I admitted that I wasn’t quite sure what my goal was or is with eharmony. So far, I met a nice man who truly knows how to treat a woman and plans great date nights and I’m enjoying it. I’m not sure where this will lead or if I will meet more men to spend time with but I’m having fun, I’m making up for lost time and feeling good about myself and the man I’m getting to know. I don’t really know if there’s reason to think beyond that as far as the future is concerned. I’ve always been the type of person who lives in the moment, enjoys just being where I am and who I am with.

And I did enjoy where I was last night and who I was with. We went to a concert afterwards (I love live music) and he treated me the entire night, something I was not used to at all. We danced, laughed, touched each other innocently, but often, and when I cut the night short (I was expected home by midnight), I truly did regret having to end the date.

When he dropped me off at home, he got out of the car to walk me to the door. I embraced and thanked him for the fabulous night. I kissed him softly on the lips before saying goodnight and moments later, I fell asleep, smiling.

I thought about him as soon as I woke up, still smiling.

That was the first date that I’ve been on in a really, long time. In fact, he even asked me during dinner about the last date I had. Sadly, I couldn’t even recall when that might have been, or with who. But what I do know is that I will remember last night’s date for a long time to come and I look forward to our next.

More Dating Tips:
Dating Tips and Advice

About.com: Dating

Your Romance Guide

Relationship Advice

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Chick Flicks that Guys Will Enjoy

I have a hard time believing that most guys would enjoy a chick flick but I do know that there are those who will sit through them in order to placate their date.

Here, then, are the top ten chick flicks for guys:

1. When Harry Met Sally
   
2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
   
3. Once
   
4. Amelie
   
5. Say Anything
   
6. The Break-Up
   
7. Legends of the Fall
   
8. The Notebook
   
9. Thelma & Louise
   
10. There’s Something About Mary
    

Now, I don’t know about you, but there are a few on this list that I have to argue wouldn’t be considered chick flicks in my book. There are even more that I feel some men would not be willing to sit through – even with a promise of hot sex afterward.

What’s your opinion?

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home