On Saturday evening, J took me to Charleston (the restaurant, not the city) for dinner. For those not in the Baltimore area, Charleston is considered by most to be one of, if not THE, best restaurant in Baltimore. As the name suggests, it's lowcountry/French style cuisine...very high end cuisine! It wasn't a special occasion of any sort; he has wanted to go for a long time, and I am always up for a fancy meal. The one caveat was that I had to be able to eat all of my meal. While I eat a lot of food during the day, I typically don't eat a whole lot in one sitting. I'm notorious for "hitting the wall" food-wise and announcing that I'm not eating anymore. So, J made me promise that I would "practice" eating a lot and be ready for the 6 course meal plus wine pairings. His thought was that we need to "do it up right" and go for the 6 course meal to get the whole experience. I also figured the 7 mile run I completed earlier in the day would help with the hunger factor.
The food was exquisite. At least, compared to anything I've had before. The closest thing I've experienced to this meal in the past is my family's Christmas dinners at Woodlands Resort (the only 5 star restaurant in SC). I started with a butternut squash soup paired with a Chardonnay. Second was cornmeal fried oysters with a French champagne (tasty!). Third I went "light" with a goat cheese salad paired with a Pouilly fume. Fourth, a southern crab cake with black bean salsa (divine!) paired with Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Fifth (at this point I was getting a little full...the portions are larger than tasting portions but about half the size of a regular entree), Pan-roasted salmon with sorrel sauce piared with Anjou, Domaine Jo Pithon “Les Pèpinières”. The last "real" course was Grilled Beef Tenderloin paired with a Malbec. Thankfully, the wine pairings were 1/3 glass portions or I would have been sleeping under the table! By the time we finished the 6th course...I was literally stuffed. The cheese cart came by though, so we had a slice of a soft cheese from the Italian Piedmont. I can't even remember what I had for dessert...I could only eat one bite! I think it was something chocolate with sesame ice cream? J had the creme brulee trio...maple, cappucino, and calvados. On the whole, J had the more adventurous courses...I can't remember everything he had...but snails, sweetbreads, and venison made appearances. He finished off the meal with a armagnac (like cognac). I had a sip. I feel full again just thinking about that meal!
Our friends were celebrating their 1st anniversary at Charleston that night, too. I read on her blog that they would be there, so we brought along a bottle of wine to "send to their table". They in turn sent over a bottle of champagne. We started with the champagne, and finished our cheese course and dessert with the champagne.
Wow. All in all, it was an incredibly special meal...and one I likely will not be able to top anytime soon! J promised me that if we go back, I can get the 4 or the 5 course meal, which will hopefully leave me comfortably full and able to finish dessert!
So, for those of you in the Baltimore area who haven't been to Charleston, I highly recommend that you go. It's a great special occasion type of restaurant, or like us, if you just want to have a special meal!
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