Valentine Day 2012

Valentine's Day 2012 was a special one for me. It was the first Valentine Day that my sweetheart and I spent together. My Valentine sent me a dozen long stem roses and a sprig of daisies in remembrance of our wedding.

We went to dinner at a local bistro called "Painter's Hall". http://www.paintershall.ca/index.htm
It was a rustic place with the outer walls torn back to the brickwork. It gave a great effect. The walls were covered with Spanish theme artwork. There was some great talent there and I guess bull fighting can be said to be romantic, but I don't find it so and I find seeing a bull fighting for its life in a dining room where many were eating beef a bit disconcerting.

The table settings were simple which fit in very well with the rustic look. As it was Valentine's Day, there were more 2 person table settings than usual and that gave it a bit of a crowded effect, but hey, when you are with your Valentine, it doesn't matter that much! ;-)

We ordered our wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon for him, and a Chardonnay for me. We started with a squash salad which was a bed of mixed baby greens with some some diced roasted squash, hazlenuts and some 3 year old white cheddar. A squash vinaigrette was drizzled over the top. A very delicate salad, with some crunch from the nuts, sweetness from the squash and the delicate flavour of the vinaigrette.

This pomegranite and beet stained salmon was a delight. It was served with roasted beets and a confit of purple potatoes. It was very tasty. That sauce you see on the plate was a celeriac emulsion. I am going to that a try. I found myself wanting more!

We came home for dessert. We had a crepe filled with frozen vanilla yogurt, strawberries, fat-free cool whip (I know, it sucks!) and topped with more of that cool whip, strawberries, a chocolate heart, and drizzled with caramel. YUM!

So that was our first Valaentine's Day. A great success!