A Year Later, and Life & Food Is Still Filled with Sweetness!

Hello, Loves...Remember me?  I know it's been QUITE a while since I last posted an entry, and for that I do apologize. I think life as a novice blogger took me by surprise, as I felt the pressure to constantly produce something fun, exciting, and nom-nom-nom-able, in addition to the fact that I was trying to balance the other hats I wear daily which also needed my attention. (Thanks for the pep talk, Cousin Lels!). So I think I kinda freaked out, and took a bit of a hiatus to regroup, regain my inspiration, manage my time more efficiently, get pregnant (I'm just about 2-1/2 weeks 'til go-time as I type ;) but still have continued to log in hours at fun foodie & delectable places and try my hand at recipes here and there. As such, I am again motivated and ready to bring you a taste of my food adventures. And quite fittingly, it comes on the 1 year anniversary of the unveailing of this blog, so what better timing than to restart now!  I hope you continue to follow me as I journey through my adventures as Nom Nom Nom Mom!


Ok, so it happened to be Sweetest Day (or as I like to call it, Shmeetest Day) yesterday, and this past week also marked the 15th year where the Dude & I started going out as young NU students (awwww or gag, whichever you choose) and it was a free weekend to do something fun---just the 2 of us before we add to our craziness with Baby Girl #3's arrival in early November.  And instead of observing some confectioners'-type holiday as Sweetest Day initially was meant to observe, we made romantic (haha!) dining reservations at Paul Virant's acclaimed Vie Restaurant. I was quite excited to head out to this suburban foodie spot because of the fantastic reviews I've found here and there. And it was truly a sweet, though not cavitiy-inducing, dinner experience. You know you're in for a real treat when your awesomely attentive server (Stephanie) knows why you're dining there (i.e., Shmeetest Day but more importantly to celebrate the silly anniversary of dating), is aware that you can't enjoy a 7&7 or glass of vino due to the preggo status but offers up the option of a house concocted mocktail (think fresh cranberried gingerale with a lemon twist), and the 1st offering for the night is bread that you normally despise (in my case sourdough), but you end up having multiple servings every time the "bread guy" comes around because it's so fresh, chewy, and with a touch of butter ever so sweet and not sour!


So onto perusing the menu for more lovely choices for the evening...

Alex, the Dude, seemed drawn to 1st course, salad, entree, & dessert options that included the addition of some sort of apple variety...tis the season afterall, so his evening of food delights sounded something like this: 1st-seared diver sea scallops, roasted delicata squashes, klug farm apples, wood-grilled leeks, parsley; this followed by a salad of city farm bibb lettuce, shaved honey crisp apples, dried italian plums, spiced hazelnuts, burnt sugar and hard cider vinaigrette; an entree highlighted by pan-roasted alaskan halibut, braised spaghetti squash, roasted klug farm apples, shaved white turnips, werp farm frisee, amaretti; and dessert graced by the combo of sweet & spiced apples and roasted rhubarb in tart form, finished with a lovely vanilla creme fraiche. How you like them apples?! Take a peek:

Melt in your mouth diver sea scallops...Super sexy, really!

Holy Halibut, Batman!

And my evening plates were just as grand & but eclectic and meaty! First, came love, then came mar-...Oh, I mean, 1st came summer beet agnolotti: roasted beet and preserved lemon filled pasta, red beet and sesame puree,crispy confit pork (Filipinos & the like: think crispy lechon shavings), brown butter, lemon and oregano; then came the Vie Salad comprised of local greens, fresh and marinated hawaiian hearts of palm, garlic and herb vinaigrette, parmigiano-reggiano (Darren, it was a mound of it, and a delish one at that!), then came the wood-grilled dry-aged dietzler farm beef loin with braised beef (prime beef, 2 ways!!---yes I was indulgent, yes I am using the whole "I'm eating for two" rationale here) and potato gratin, stout braised onions, wilted local greens, wood-grilled brussel sprouts, crème fraiche beef jus; and finally Vie's famously sweet red kuri squash gooey butter cake pear squash chutney, pear ginger sorbet, whipped cream.  Gorgeous!

Beautiful Beet Agnolotti & Crispy Pork Confit!

The Vie Salad.  Can I have some parm-reg with that?!

Beef-2 ways with wilted greens & roasted & dressed brussel sprouts

Our sweet night ended with our respective desserts and a surprise chocolate number that helped top off our celebrating the start of the Sweet Life of Nom Nom Nom Mom & the Dude those 15 years ago up north on NU's campus...

Sweet finish courtesy of Vie!

Life certainly has been sweet...Not always guaranteed sweet, but with lots of hard work, compromise, and sugar added, we've made it work and what it is today :)  Thanks to the Dude for entertaining the Girlies to give this Mom a bit of time to reconnect with the blogosphere and remember how fun, delightful, and sweet food truly can be to me and to you!  Cheers & enjoy!