The Soderberg Family

I realize that I haven't blogged for six months now. Sigh... Life happens, and truthfully, I'd much rather focus on enjoying it than writing about it. However, now that Matthew is nearing the 7-month mark, I feel like we're finally falling into a routine that allows me to sit down and take a few extra breaths every now and then. This afternoon I am having one of those precious moments, so I decided to pull up the old blog and get back into the swing of things.

For Mother's Day Andy promised to take me on a lunch date. We've gotten busy and the time has flown by since then. He decided that it was time to make good on his gift, so he set up the babysitting (that's half the gift right there!) and took me to The Chef's Table for lunch yesterday. I'm not sure that there's a word that adequately describes this exquisite dining experience. Wow doesn't quite say it... but "WOW!!" If you've never been to The Chef's Table (like I hadn't) I highly recommend saving your pennies (it will take quite a few) and making the trip. From the moment we walked in I felt as though I had been transported to a world more refined and elegant than our own. (What? Baby spit-up and granola bar crumbs stuck in the carpet aren't elegant?) From the soothing piano music to the fresh red roses on each table, it is a haven of sophistication. The walls are covered in beautiful artwork. There was a candelabra burning in the large fireplace near our table. And the exquisite lighting is peaceful yet bright enough to easily read the menu and enjoy the atmosphere as a whole. Perhaps my favorite part of the ambiance was the noise. There wasn't any! Andy and I could talk to each other without having to raise our voices over the din of kitchen clatter or patron conversation.

The server followed proper etiquette to the point of placing my napkin (half-folded) on my lap for me and placing an open menu in my hands instead of slapping it on the table in front of me. He never made us feel rushed by attempting to clear our plates before we were finished. Our water glasses where re-filled each time they approached the half-full mark yet we weren't bombarded with questions about how our food tasted or if there was anything else that could be gotten for us.

And then there was the food..... Ah, yes, it was worth all those extra pennies. The first thing that the server brought for us was a delicious lemon ice/slush. I wish that I knew the appropriate name for this refreshing little concoction. (Does that show my own lack of sophistication? At least I know that it's meant to cleanse the pallate, right?) At any rate, it was superb. Then we were offered multi-grain or white dinner rolls with an herb and butter mixture. We ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer to begin with. I love shrimp but don't often order it due to the "fishy" flavor that it often has. This shrimp wasn't "fishy" in the least. It was served with a raspberry dipping sauce that we almost couldn't get enough of. For our entrees we ordered the prosciutto stuffed chicken and the herb chicken. Though everything was divine (and artfully served, I might add) the thing that impressed me the most was the flavor of the cream sauce and the fresh vegetables. I love vegetables, but again, I usually steer clear of them at restaurants. They usually taste funny. The carrots and zucchini in this meal were divine. I think that if I could make vegetables taste that good at home my kids would clamor to eat them.

So to sum up this rather lengthy post, The Chef's Table is a true fine dining "experience". The few extra dollars that you pay for the food more than cover the fine service and atmosphere that you are priveliged to enjoy while you are there. So for any of you moms out there who need a break from the sticky floors and pudding stained pajamas for a few hours, we'll watch your kids for you. This is a "break" that you definitely deserve!