Best of 2009: Restaurant Moment

Another entry in Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

This one is difficult. How would I define “best”?

Was it the wine and crabcakes Kristen and I shared at Hyde Park to celebrate the publication of our book? (With a prelude of margaritas, of course.) A happy celebration of a momentous occasion.

Was it the anniversary dinner with my husband at the same Hyde Park, the one where we had our second date and where we now have “our” waiter? The joy of celebrating having found just the right person to share my life with while enjoying the best steaks on the planet.

Was it the long-delayed ribs and fries on the patio overlooking the river at the Moosehead Hoof & Ladder with my old friend Nancy, one of those rare friends you can pick right up with even though you (sadly, tragically, why-do-we-let-it-go-so-long-ly) may not have seen each other for a year? Casual and comfortable, followed by even more time catching up as we walked around the town center, window shopping and admiring the gardens.

Was it the impromptu visit to L’Albatros with my husband and our friends after viewing the Gaugin exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art, with all that wonderful atmosphere and the mouthwatering chicken confit? An unexpected treat a bit out of character, as it’s rare for me to not have planned such a thing in advance.

Or was it last week’s dinner with my alumni club girls at Players, and that fantastic, complex macaroni and cheese with chicken and bacon? A triumph for all of us, celebrating being shut of a highly dysfunctional situation.

Hard to say. Each was a favorite moment for different reasons, but I notice now that I’ve been thinking about it that on every one of those occasions, the company was just as important as the food. (Although I like me some stellar food to go with my friends; I won’t deny that.)