More about the anniversary dinner.

I swear I'm still thinking about what a delightful evening we had at Tony's in St. Louis celebrating our thirteenth anniversary. So, I'm putting it all into words both for your salivating enjoyment and so I can look back on it to see if all the future anniversaries might live up to it.

I wore the earthy skirt I ordered from Target and a crisp green camp shirt. Not as formal as I would have dressed if we'd be at home and had a closet to choose from, but we were living out of the suitcase, so you go with what you have. Jeff wore his snappy khaki pants and a great blue button down business shirt.

"Ah, Mr. Boschert, we've been expecting you," the Maitre D said. And then... "Would you mind if I loaned you one of our coats while you dine with us?" Ouch. I suppose this is the kind of moment that a young man dreads if he is trying to woo his love, but when you've already been wooed, this just becomes a comedic part of the whole experience. They gave him a 46 R. Hmmm check back through my blog and see if you think that was the right size. Not. He's trim and athletic. Oh well.

We started with an eggplant tampande, complimentary of the chef. We spread it on crusty bread and it was sweet, fresh and delicious.

Jeff was impressed by the beautiful square glass chargers that were set at each place. The eggplant arrived in a tiny ramekin, on top of a fancy china plate and that sat on top of the charger. Of course, all this was whisked away when we were done.

The menu had about seven courses all listed separately. Goodness, where to start? We decided to order just appetizers and salad and decide on the entree later. I ordered Cold Chicken Curry Soup -- topped with a dollop of something that amazingly creamy and rich. Crème frach? Curried Butter? Not sure, no matter... delectable! Oh, and any hesitation I had about the concept of cold soup is completely banished.

Jeff ordered snails on an Artichoke Bottom in a garlic butter sauce. I tasted one slice of the artichoke. Yum.

For salad I ordered spinach with avocado and Roquefort cheese. The waiter prepared the whole salad tableside and it was delightful. I always feel so virtuous eating spinach salad. It's so much better for you than plain Jane lettuce. That Roquefort is pungent. Not for everyday eating.

Jeff ordered tomatoes with gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. He said it was good. It looked lovely.

Are you wondering what we drank? Just water with lemon. I'm not a big wine drinker and again with the feeling of virtuosity whilst drinking the water. Our glasses, of course, were always being filled by one of the many waiters.

Silverware was whisked in and out depending on our orders also.

Then the waiter brought back the menus so we could again peruse the entree options. Jeff chose Three Kinds of Veal. (Not three separate plates, but three small pieces of veal served different ways all on one plate. The waiter said that they had all been on the menu separately and that people had so much trouble choosing that they put them all together. Great idea.) There was Veal Marsala, Veal with Lemon and Capers and Veal with Garlic Sauce and Topped with bits of Artichoke. I ordered Pan Roasted Salmon and Roasted Vegetables. We never cook fish at home, but I like salmon and am always pleased when I order it at a restaurant. It was served with a Dill Cream Sauce.

Several people have commented that the presentation must have been wonderful. Well... yes... but... not in the way of creating some exotic structure with fresh herbs, or squiggling some sauce on the plates, or stenciling some design with dusted chili... in fact, the actual presenting of the meal was the presentation. Not just the salad was prepared tableside, almost everything was. The kitchen sent out all the components of the meal, the waiter brought his little burner cart around and put it all together while heating it up right next to us, then spooned it directly onto our plates.

Now back to my entree. The salmon was great. The roasted vegetables were stunning. I was completely shocked. I am so not a vegetable lover. I ate every bit of the asparagus (white and green) red pepper, potato, and squash. This is so unlike me. I can't say what made them so spectacular. They were dry, meaning they did not seem to be marinated in anything or coated in olive oil (EVOO for my Rachel Ray fans). They were charred in some spots -- which was perfect. Might they have been grilled? Cooked under the broiler? Tossed in a hot pan? I must know. Please give me your advice. I'll be buying vegetables at the next farmers' market. (Sonji, aren't you so proud of me?)

And then of course there was dessert. Jeff ordered crème Brule which he (and everyone else on the face of the earth) loves and I do not. I did try a bite. Still don't love it. I ordered a Cafe Mocha. I didn't get what I expected there, but it was still lovely. I expected more milk and some froth or whipped cream on top. It was darker and naked on the top. And we shared flaming bananas over ice cream. Can you even believe I didn't order chocolate? Not to worry, there was a tiny plate of chocolates and itty bitty cookies compliments of the chef. I ate all of those.

We enjoyed a bit of small talk with the waiter. It was his last night working there. He was off to become the wine director at a country club. There is definitely a whole culture in the restaraunt world.

I also enjoyed our dinner companions, meaning the folks I was eaves dropping on. A family with two little girls, maybe 8 and 11. Arg. I can hardly imagine taking my kids to a fancy place. Another dad with his late teenage daughters. That seems more practical, charming in fact -- and a good way to teach charm. My dad took me to the 21 Club in New York City when I was about 16. I had artichokes that night too. Also two gentlemen who were not too friendly to the bus boy though they were best buds with the waiter. Irritating. Also a couple celebrating their 35th anniversary. He gave her a bracelet that night too... hid it under her napkin while she was in the bathroom.

I'll be 57 when we celebrate our 35th anniversary. I'm feeling so thankful and eager for our future together. Lots more wonderful dinners at fancy places, and at our dining room table, and in front of the TV, and at McDonalds and in the park and...