Food and Fun on a Friday Night

I suppose every town has that one ill fated location that seems to have all the right ingredients, yet a succession of restaurants try their luck and fail.  Tonight we visited the latest incarnation in that location in our town.  It is called Boxwood Bistro.  It had been recommended highly by some of our foodiest friends.   Boxwood Bistro is committed to the European tradition of using fresh local/regional ingredients.  You can taste the difference. 

We began the evening with a complimentary tidbit sent out by the chef.  It was a portabella mushroom with blue cheese and chive sitting on a red currant preserve.  It was delicious.  Next, we indulged in newly arrived Fanny Bay oysters on the half shell.  Yum!!  They were served with a sauce of cherry vinegar, shallots, garlic and basil.  It has been a year since I have had fresh, raw oysters.  Boy, were they good!!  We followed that with a salad of Heirloom tomatoes with fresh grated Parmesan and basil.   Then, I had striped Marlin with a savory, pungent ginger lemon sauce, shitake mushrooms and green beans.  Mike had Salmon with a potato hash and mushrooms.  The salmon was good, but the Marlin was out of this world!!  Wow!  We also had asparagus with lemon, bacon and breadcrumbs.  Perfect compliment.  All was accompanied by an old vine Zinfandel from Kenwood.  Rich, dark, mysterious and wonderful!  A long, leisurely dinner, good conversation, and delicious food is a blessing all by itself.  But, we were not through.  Not nearly.
 

We walked upstairs to visit the piano bar and ran into our friends, Ken and Chris.  We talked about important things.  We laughed.  We took lots of pictures.  Ken is getting ready to do a 20 date reunion tour with Amy Grant.  He has been having a blast connecting with old friends.  It was a great entroit for us to laugh about how he and Chris met in Australia while he was touring with Cher, and how she fell in love with him while he was wearing those horrid leather pants....  We talked about worship and faith and family....all the most important things.  An unexpected, but beautiful blessing.  So, below, our snapshots in all possible combinations...just for kicks....and Ken sitting in with his friend Laura for a little "At Last"...and a couple of outside shots.

Comments

[Jen]

That looks like such a fun and yummy night! I love how happy you look - radiant!

[rhonda kemp]

Shelia,
I'm so glad you liked BB. Our friend and chef, Peter D'Andrea, is the consultant that John Franks recently hired to smooth out the kinks in the restaurant. He will enjoy hearing your favorable comments on his work.