It’s a pretty interesting thing to undergo a life change so profound that it causes all the memories of your “old” life to wither and fade. I guess that’s an understatement. It’s safe to say, I think, that Leah and I have embraced our new life with Ava (well, relatively new, still, after two years) and don’t really miss the days of old. Too much.
Still, it’s nice to get our by ourselves once in a while. Stop being “mommy” and “daddy” and enjoy some time with each other. Which is what we did last night, with the babysitting assistance of my mother. We had initially talked about going to one of our old haunts, Givanni‘s, for dinner, but at the last minute decided instead to make reservations at Devotay. It was a good choice.
We ended up having selections from the tapas menu rather than picking full-on entrees. Leah ordered the caprice salad and quesadillas with a glass of Malbec, and I had the smoked trout mousse, aceitunas (grilled olives), and albondigas (bison meatballs) with a couple glasses of sangria. Man. Good stuff.
For dessert I chose the poached pear with bleu cheese and walnuts, which I’d had before loved, and Leah got the apple tart. I ordered a glass of the Wallace Winery port with the pear, which I have an unopened bottle of at home. I’ve tried one of Wallace’s reds and was impressed, especially considering the grapes are grown in the middle of corn and soybean country 10 miles outside of Iowa City. The port was lighter-bodied than I’m used to, but not “refreshing” by any means. It was a real treat and a perfect match for the pear. I can’t wait to open my bottle with Kevin and Rachel over some dominoes sometime soon.