Last Saturday, the 13th, was my birthday. Dad took me out, as is customary. No gifts, just a really nice dinner out has been the way to go for a while.
 |
Dad
We intended to go to one place that was notorious for their No Reservations policy. All of a sudden, we are told that indeed they do take reservations and they were fully booked for the evening. It was 5 pm. Give me a break. So we went around the corner and to one of my favorite spots in town, the Sandbar. I think I like it better because the actual owner is not around. Anyways, Dad is not a very adventurous eater, but he is easy to please. I ordered 3, yes 3, oysters. I just wanted a taste of their briny succulence. Then we ordered an heirloom tomato salad. Dad's choice, actually. He loves tomatoes. For the price, I assumed it would be delicious. I ordered the ceviche and Dad the crab cake sandwich, my recommendation. After the oysters, our waiter brought out an amuse bouche...one perfectly grilled shrimp over a curried salad of mango and sweet potato, perhaps. |
 |
Amuse Bouche of Grilled Shrimp on Curried Relish
It can't think of what was in the salad, but I remember thinking how the flavors and textures mixed so beautifully. Then after we were served the tomato salad, which was beautiful to look at and pleasant enough to taste, but uh, where were the tomatoes. When I think heirloom, I'm thinking big and juicy. These were more like pear tomatoes. Hmm.
 |
| $14 Heirloom tomato salad...beautiful, but where are the tomatoes? |
Anywho...we didn't really have too much time to ponder the tomato shortage. The waiter then brought out a crab tian. On the bottom was a bright watermelon gazpacho. There was some cilantro oil as well which had a very nice color to it. The bottom layer of the tian was perfectly brunoised cantaloupe and watermelon topped with fresh crab and a creme fraiche icing. It was excellent. Perfect flavors for the heat outside. Paired with a nice Sauvignon Blanc, and I was pretty excited.
 |
| Crab Tian: So Delicate and Delightful! |
Lastly, our dishes we ordered came out along with one final gift. The special sashimi of the night. This brought tears to my eyes. I was so nostalgic for Japan and the fresh sushi there. I've stopped eating sushi because I get so disapointed. I've gotten used to it, though, but I constantly crave the real deal. The sashimi was fresh and nicely sliced. The garnish really took the sashimi to another level. Still reminiscent of Asian flavors, the mix of watermelon and radish was such a unique profile for the white fish. I asked Dad to try and was suprised when he agreed. He does not eat raw fish. He tried a piece and his eyes looked at me widely, that's good, he said. Wow. The use of watermelon was refreshing. Although the fruit appeared in all three dishes, it was a welcome ingredient and I appreciated the fact that the Chef was inspired by the season.
 |
| Sashimi of the Day: Just PERFECT. Love the use of baby herbs and shoots. |
 |
| Fish ceviche, hold the salmon. Maybe ate two bites. Just because everything else was so good! |
Dad enjoyed his ginormous sandwich. It was more like a crab cake mountain with a little boulder of a bun on top. Great stuff! I was so happy that the Chef would treat us in such a generous and kind manner.
 |
| The Colossus of Clout |
We left satisfied and went for gelato. A birthday requires sweet ending after all. I ordered a gelato in a waffle cone: Lavender with chocolate chunks, coffee, and chocolate sorbet. Oh yes. What's funny was that, looking down at my cone, I realized the gelato made out a heart shape. What a great way to celebrate the day! |
 |
| I Scream for Love! |
