Thursday was my parents’ wedding anniversary! They kindly invited me to join them for dinner, which I happily accepted. Ever since I moved out- er, for the second time- it’s been hard to find time when our schedules are aligned.
I had some time to kill between work and dinner, so I went to Salud- one of my favorite cafés- to study. They have great juices, smoothies, vegetarian and vegan food, and the atmosphere is really charming. I try not to drink coffee after 3, and am not supposed to have more than 1/2 a cup of juice at a time, so I ordered the No Flu For You: lemon, spring water, ginger + elderberry extract (it’s made with honey, but I ordered it without). Refreshing study fuel!
Glued to Hopstop (the ultimate NYC travel app), I managed to find my mom in Carroll Gardens after a couple confusing turns. It was cold, windy, doing that “spitting” rain thing, so we sought shelter in Le Petit Cafe. From the outside, this place looked like your typical Brooklyn restaurant- large windows, wood paneling, good lighting- but on the inside, it was like we’d stepped into an oasis. Hidden in the back was a huge indoor garden, lush with plants, candles and statues. We each ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc, and relaxed.
My dad joined us as we were finishing our wine, and we headed one block down the street to Buttermilk Channel. My dad and I first tried this place two years ago, and it was just as lovely as I remembered. Open space, big windows, friendly servers and a well-stocked bar. And the menu! Still damned delicious. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to as strict of a low-FODMAPS diet as usual, but I did my best.
We were celebrating, so we shared 12 oysters to start. We three all really like oysters, but my mom loves them. They feel festive and special: a small- delicious!- reminder to treat yourself. These were fresh and perfectly briney, and the mignonette- dipping sauce made with vinegar, pepper + onions- was garnished with a slice of grapefruit. Refreshing!
We also shared an order of handmade mozzarella with basil + warm anchovy sauce. It came with croutons, too, but I ate around those. This was my suggestion, because I’ve had a major hankering for cheese lately. It was good, but not as flavorful as I’d hoped. It was also kind of cold and hard by the time it arrived at the table… perhaps a burrata would have stayed nice and gooey?
For my entrée, I ordered the parsley crusted New Englad hake with spring vegetables, cherry peppers, bail + green olives. I requested the chef leave out the garlic, but forgot about the onion part. I also didn’t read the word “crusted” carefully, and should have realized that probably meant “breaded.” But no harm, no foul! This was a delicious dish, and it didn’t cause me any stomach pain later. It’s possible this is also because there were minimal amounts of onion and breadcrumbs. Moderation- something I have trouble with— hello, 2 lbs of pineapple!- might be the key to GI comfort in my case
My mom ordered a full-size portion of this amazing dessert, and I had a few bites. It was decadent, and definitely anniversary-worthy. ’Twas a wonderful evening, and lovely to hear stories of how my parents spent their early years together. I felt very lucky to be included in their celebration.
My parents have been together for 32 years, although they were together for four years before that… how does that number play in? This modern world is so confusing! What do you think “anniversary” should mean?
