Valentine's and Lost

Love was definitely in the air yesterday. Valentine’s Day is just another day for some people, but for me it was a chance to gush over Sean even more than I usually do. I received a beautiful arrangement of violet-colored orchids (it pays to have your mother-in-law be a florist!). As my co-workers passed my cubicle they would stop and ask, “Are those for Valentine’s Day?” Well, Dummy, why else would I have flowers at my desk on February 14^TH? The orchids are so cool…much sassier than red roses, which is probably why there was so much confusion surrounding them. Yes, my husband sends me orchids on Valentine’s because he’s thoughtful, creative, and because he thinks roses are just too boring. I love him.

After work and a quick stop at the gym, I met Sean at the house and we freshened up for dinner. He had reservations for 7:15 at The Yellow Porch which is right down the street from our house. The fact that we were dining in our neighborhood gave me a little sense of pride. Once a house itself, The Yellow Porch is now a notable restaurant tucked away in a small lot off Thompson Lane. Even after dining there on several occasions, I still have trouble spotting it. Oh, and by the way, the porch is not yellow.

The atmosphere at The Yellow Porch is difficult to describe. From the menu to the décor, everything is an eclectic blend coolness. It’s one of those places where you feel comfortable wearing your “going out” jeans and a black turtleneck while sitting next to a man in a suit. Because it’s an old house, the dining room is much smaller than a traditional restaurant so you have to enjoy being a cozy diner….a really cozy diner. The lighting is low, the walls and curtains are velvet red, and original artwork and stained glass give it some flare.

The Valentines Day menu offered some fanciful new dishes, but when it came to the starters we went straight for the classic muscles. There’s no way we could pass on the warm, garlicky, buttery white wine dippin’ sauce. For the entrée I chose Lamb in Chianti au jus with Cranberry Beans. I know what you’re thinking – cranberry beans? I’m right there with you. I was a little hesitant to order the dish based on the beans alone, and I even consulted our server who assured me they were tasty. I was worried they would be too sweet or fruity, and I just didn’t want sweet beans. Who does, really? The beans were basically a jazzed up version of kidney beans (I think) that had some little bits of i-don’t-know-what (cranberries?) floating around in them. But the beans were more savory than they were sweet, which made my belly happy. The lamb was spot-on and the au jus was perfectly thick and rich. Sean decided on the Abodo Marinated Port Porterhouse with Sweet Potato, Sage and Parmesan Hash, Haricot Vert and Whole Grain Mustard Thyme Sauce. (Thank you, Website, for providing such a detailed description.) FYI: Haricot Vert = French Green Beans. I’d be perfectly fine with the menu reading “Green Beans,” but I understand they need to keep up appearances. We wouldn’t want any straggling tasteless diners from Applebee’s wandering over from next door, would we? I’d say the prices and Haricot Vert are enough to keep them at bay.

Sean and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal and each other’s company. It was the perfect dinner date with my Valentine, and there was no need to rush home to watch LOST because Sean set the VCR. (Yes, you heard me…VCR!) There was only one small problem…we set the VCR to start taping at 9:00 p.m. which is exactly when LOST ends!!! We realized our mistake at approximately 8:10 just after the show had started. What to do!? Do we rush home to catch the last half? It was decided that we would order dessert to make up for our devastating error. The Chocolate Espresso Torte was enough to make me forget about the island. Oooey gooey rich and creamy…it was heavenly. The slice we split was like the luscious filling of a chocolate truffle, and it disappeared from the plate in about 30 seconds flat.

So what does a couple of D.I.N.Ks like us do after a lovely Valentine’s dinner? Candles and wine? Not quite. We came home, changed into PJ’s and pulled out the guitar. Sean played a rendition of Rocky Top that sounded much like a Coldplay song. (Give him a break – he’s still learning.) We then busted into a jam session – Sean playing melodramatic chords while I sang along. “Lost, we missed you tonight….we missed you tonight…we missed you tonight. Who will get off the island? We still do not know…we still do not know…we still do not know….” It. Was. AWESOME.