Wow, what a treat. I landed this morning at 5:45 AM. Normally, on a red eye, I beat myself as I get more and more frustrated that I can't sleep. I decided this time I just wouldn't even attempt to sleep.
Luckily, the flight had ESPN so I was able to watch the second half of the Huskies vs. LSU game. After that, I watched Fast and Furious and Adventureland. I make get razzed for this, but I really enjoyed both of them.
So, when I landed, I was pretty exhausted. I hopped on the E, then transferred to the 6 and made my way to Laura's apartment. Once there, I slept about three hours. Then, we went to brunch at The Cardinal Club.
Now, when I say we went the Cardinal Club, it's a bit of a misnomer. There isn't actually a "club"... it's more of a title for a special meal. Huh? Read this for a little background.
I had no idea what to expect when we arrived. What I found was an apartment with a backyard patio and a table set for two. This was literally a private brunch!
We started the meal with spicy Bloody Mary's. Real ones, you know, with horseradish. They had serious kick.
Then the food began. The first course was a brioche topped with ricotta cheese and peaches. This was so good. As you know, I love fresh peaches. Somehow, this heavy bread with cheese and peaches came off as light. Kudos to the chef!
The next course was, well, I don't remember what it was. It was a poached egg, served with a thick chunk of cured bacon, over, um, something vegetabley and stringy. I'm so good at this! Laura, help me out! Again, I'm not much of an egg guy, but I ate all of it.
At that point, Paula, originally from Buenos Aires and possessor of an enchanting accent, picked up our silverware, and I thought we were done. I was actually pretty full. But, it turns out, those were just preludes to an epic dish of pasta. The linguine was hand pulled and amazingly fresh. It was topped with squash, pine nuts and more ricotta cheese. I can't believe I ate the whole thing.
Finally, we finished the meal with an espresso granita. We actually heard the chef, Simon, shaving it from inside their apartment. The granita was topped with a heavy, sweet cream and chocolate shavings. It to was perfect. On a warm, sunny day, it really hit the spot.
I can't recommend the Cardinal Club highly enough. Next time I come, I need to do the dinner. Check out this write up!
Recent Comments