December 6, 2008
My 22nd birthday was quite possibly my favorite birthday ever, because it was the night my now-husband Tom proposed. We started the evening with dinner at Cypress, followed by a carriage ride, a walk in the park, a diamond ring...blah blah blah. We're talking food here, right? Tom and I still talk about this meal as one of the best we've ever had, so let's get to it!
Appetizer: Almond-Fried Brie
This dish packs a one-two-three punch when it comes to flavor. Pretty self-explanatory, it's a brie round encrusted with almonds. Tom loves brie, but I had never had it before; the flavor is honestly a bit strong for my taste, but the cranberry-walnut chutney they put on top provides the perfect balance. The brie is served on a bed of baby greens, and even the greens are tossed with a champagne vinaigrette. If the entree hadn't been so wonderful, I might've been tempted to just order another one of these.
Entree: Chateaubriand for Two
What can you say about chateaubriand? Even the name implies a certain air of refinement and class. There was a bit of a snag when it came to ordering this, though. See, I like my meat cooked medium well, and Tom is a medium rare kinda man (hehe), but this was one big cut of beef that was meant to be shared, because they actually bring it to your table and carve it in front of you. So, as the first of many compromises, we asked them to cook one end more than the other, and we agreed to just live with it if my half wasn't cooked enough or his was cooked too much. Well, to be perfectly honest...it was incredible. I don't know how they got both sides to be just the way we wanted pretty much all the way through, but they did. Let me tell you, I have never seen Tom eat anything as slowly as he ate that piece of meat. It's so good, you'll want to scarf it down in two bites, but at the same time you'll want to chew it forever to make it last as long as possible. And as if it's not delicious on its own, it's served with a slightly sweet Madeira wine sauce and a rich, creamy bearnaise. This dish also comes with haricot verts (psh, fancy word for green beans), but our server was nice enough to let us switch it out for asparagus...maybe Tom had told her he was proposing that night...! Anyway, in addition to the haricot verts/asparagus, there's also a parmesan potato gratin that looks fancy but tastes so incredibly comforting.
We didn't have dessert at Cypress because we ended up having dessert with our friends later that night; Tom had invited them to meet us his house to celebrate our engagement. It was a perfect evening. Happy Birthday indeed!
