Sorry about being e&t yesterday, but I've come down with a dratted cold, the sort that makes my throat raspy and chest burn. Bleh.
Der B and I had a marvy New Years Eve at our favorite restaurant, Cafe Zeus. Owners Charles and John were hard-pressed, due to the disappearance of some of their staff (one in the kitchen, one on the floor, and their entertainment), but everything came off very very well.
Since it was a special NYE dinner, Charles and
sous Cliff had most everything well in hand, so the kitchen never lagged. And General Manager Robert dragooned his lover, Scott, into helping bus dishes.
First came the appetizer course, with a nice piece of seared fois gras, a chorizo-stuffed mushroom cap, and some roasted brie. For the soup, der B had the lobster bisque, while I tried the potato and shallot, which had a nice kick to it provided by some fresh peppers. This was followed by a bit of roast duck with a raspberry/lemon sauce (der B) or a tasty shrimp and lobster Newberg (moi).
A little palate-clensing lemon sherbet provided a break before the meat course, a choice between prime rib (for me) or venison (for he). A nice mixed-greens salad with apples, Roquefort and almonds was the fifth course, and then came the dessert. I had the chocolate truffle mousse, der B had the roasted pears in pastry, and they were both wonderful.
Now, about that entertainment. Something like around one in the afternoon, the singer (and combo) called to announce that she wouldn't be singing that night. John was on the frantic side, but Charles (in the midst of all his cheffing) told him to go through their cards and check on the Internet to see if anyone was available. As it happened, a woman who had worked with them before was free
and in town. In fact, she had just flown back in from Los Angeles. However,
Viki Dee (for such was and is her name) didn't have her keyboards with her, or any of her music, and she'd broken her foot. No problem, she could sing sitting down and John was able to scrape together a kareoke machine at the last minute. And, as they always do at such times, it all came magically together and she was wonderful and her music was wonderful and...
And the clock hands came together and with glasses of champagne everybody toasted in the new year. John and Charles' two black Labs came bounding in, joyously welcoming everyone and sticking their noses where only dogs can get away with sticking.
They'll be closed for the next couple of months, business being very slow until mid-March. Charles will be testing new recipe ideas on John, Robert is heading to Colorado to attend butler school (which der B and I predict will turn him into a combination of Lurch and Joan Rivers), and we'll just have to find a different hang-out until they open again.
And I should be rid of this cold by then.
