date night

Tim and I never go out alone as we have not found a hired babysitter we could trust and the only willing family members live far, far away. So, when our parish recently held a silent auction and one of the services was 3 hours of babysitting by a reliable teen with 4 younger siblings, I put in a bid and won!

Last night Mary W. came over to play, watch Star Wars, and put the little ones to bed while Tim and I went to my favorite elegant restaurant. We have been going there intermittently for 12 years, since our 2nd date, but hadn't returned in several years. It is one of those places where the waitstaff has memorized the 8 additions to the menu and describes them in an elegant and cultured voice, "Tonight we also offer a tomato gin bisque with an she-crab base, trout almondine sauted with garlic herb butter, and a Portuguese fishermen's stew with shrimp, scallops, littleneck clams, and salmon infused with saffron and garlic."

Listening to the waiter reminded me of my last dinner in Italy with the Catholic Women of the Chapel. Even getting to the restaurant was an adventure. We whizzed through crowded and chaotic Pozzuoli on narrow, twisting roads, keeping right on the bumper of the driver in front to avoid getting lost. Finally we turned onto a dirt road and parked in a dark field overlooking an enormous extinct volcanic crater. Luckily we didn't go right off the edge, as there was not even a curb bumper to protect us from the 100 foot dropoff. Turning on flashlights that were recommended, we hiked about 1/4 mile through gardens and vineyards and trooped down a set of stairs to a cheery and brightly lit basement room. The set meal included 8 courses, and the feasting commenced until finally an elaborate dessert was set before us at 1am. The descriptions of the courses were so elaborate that we read them aloud to each other and laughed, "the salad greens are an artfully arranged blend of organics grown on our farm, topped with wild arugula plucked from 2000 year old tufa stone walls." To their credit, they grew all the fruits and vegetables served, produced all their own wine, and raised some of the meat they offered as well.

We returned home last night to find peace and calm, except for little Timmy who wanted some more Mommy milk before he would settle down comfortably for the night. If we were staying here I would think that date night would be a more frequent occurrence, but my guess is that we will likely go out for our next romantic date in another 3 years.