nemo grille at alten house, avon ohio

Kevin was called off of his Pizza Hut delivery job last Monday so after a quick phone call to procure babysitting services for the boys, we enjoyed an impromptu date night.

When we were blessed with Macy, Kevin received a bonus gift certificate to restaurants.com when he bought me a bunch of stuff at Motherhood Maternity.  We redeemed it online for Nemo Grille in Avon shortly afterward but just now got the opportunity to use it.

I had the 16oz. rib eye with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The steak was done to perfection.  I paired that with one glass on Pinot Noir and left the potatoes on the plate.  Between the second helping of asparagus I got from Kevin (non veg eater) and the 4 servings of beef on my plate, I didn't want the potatoes.  They did come with a paper thin waffle like fried potato sculpture protruding from them.  That was kind of neat.  Kevin opted for the New York strip and had no complaints about either the steak or the garlic mashed potatoes (though he did refuse mine.)

Nemo Grille is housed in a century old home.  We were in "our" room alone until a young couple and their child came in shortly before we left.  The service was terrific, the atmosphere is great and we would definitely go back.  It is a bit pricey so bring a coupon from restaurants.com if you decide to give it a try.  20% gratuity is added to your check when you use a coupon but if your service is anything like ours, leave a bit more.  Servers work hard for their money.

restaurant week

I met Kevin for lunch downtown today to take part in Downtown Cleveland's 4th Annual Restaurant Week.  I had a blankety-blank of a time finding parking.  Had to circle the entire self-park area twice before finding a spot(later Kevin informed me it was probably due to Obama speaking at the Wolstien Center.) 

After viewing the special restaurant week lunch menus online we selected the Greenhouse Tavern.  It was a short chilly walk from his office.  Even though we didn't have reservations we were slightly ahead of the lunch crowd so we were seated immediately.   The server took a lot of time explaining all the specials to us.  He wasn't quite thorough enough though.  We are the antithesis of foodies so we were left wondering about more than a couple of the items he described.  Cornichons, mignonette sauce, lardo, and fromage blanc were among the items we were ignorant of.

From it's description, I knew I wanted to try the fried Brussels sprout soup but wasn't sure how far to push the envelope.  I was going to opt for the burger but Kevin encouraged me to be brave so I ordered the Pâté Melt Sandwich w/ caramelized onions, two year cheddar & pâté maison.  I'm still not really sure what it was that I ate, and likely don't want to know.  It was quite tasty.  Somehow I already knew the pomme frites it came with were fried potatoes.  They were hair thin potato strands that took too much effort to eat.  Now that I think about it, maybe I was supposed to use my fork.

Kevin was VERY adventurous and went with the special.  House made ravioli stuffed with lardo, goat cheese, and apples.  The server just described the sauce it came in as "sweet and sour."  When his plate arrived I was surprised at the small size of the serving.  And the fact that it looked like it was garnished in tiny cubes of beets.  After a quick taste I confirmed to him that they were in fact beets so he worked his way around them.  He was so generous and let me taste one of the tiny pillows of deliciousness.  The lardo, goat cheese, apple combo was yummy.  The pasta dough was so thin and done to perfection. 
Our meal ended with ONE vegan chocolate chip cookie the size of a quarter.  He got one bite.  I got a bite and a half.  Yum!

This was a very fun lunch.  Once in a blue moon, there is nothing wrong with eating someplace where you have to google the ingredients before you order but I'm not making a habit of it.

I made sure there was a substanial dinner waiting for hubby.  With all the running he does he needs a ton of calories.

date night

Saturday night for the first time in a long time we had no day care, AND no life group.  Kevin and I took advantage of it by sneaking out for our February date.  He probably would have preferred his alternate suggestion of RamonesMania but being the true gentleman that he is, he left the choice up to me so we saw The King's Speech at the Regal Cinema.

This was a fascinating portrayal of King George VI and how he overcame his stammering to lead the people of Great Britain into WWII.  I love well made historical films of all types but especially those from the modern era. 

And it certainly didn't hurt that Colin Firth was the lead.  ;)

date night

Tuesday Kevin and I went to see Ride the Divide. This is a captivating film about an underground race down the continental divide. The race begins in Bnaff, Canada and ends at the Mexican border about 3 weeks later. There is no support provided. You bring or purchase along the route everything you will need. Many nights are spent alone in the wilderness in the sleeping bag that you have carried on your bicycle. The racers encounter many bears along the route. Not my cup of tea but the movie was unforgettable.

On the way to the movie we grabbed a quick bite to eat at The Hot Dog Inn. A very interesting place, if you have never been there I advise you to check it out. I recommend one hot dog with everything and some FRIES!!!

April Date: Cheescake Factory

Kevin and I have "date night" once a month. I know that probably doesn't seem like much to those of you without a large family but this takes a lot of effort and I am very grateful for it.

He had been given a gift card to Cheesecake Factory for appreciation from one of his player's parents. We also had two $25 Frank and Pauly's gift certificates from my sister for a Christmas present yet to spend. After discovering that Frank and Pauly's has closed for good, we went to the Cheesecake Factory.

He chose a steak that came with french fries AND onion rings. The cook was kind enough to sub extra fries for his unwanted rings. I got the Steak Diane and couldn't have been more pleased with it. It came with a big mound of mashed red skin potatoes. I took at least a third home and still had no room for dessert. I couldn't even be tempted by Kevin's Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake dessert. He had every bite all to himself.

I encourage you to try date night with your spouse. It's especially important in large step families where the marriage relationship often takes a real beating.

March Date

Since our previously scheduled March date got canceled due to the snow, Victoria and I went out to dinner last night. We had a nice dinner at Mr. D's at the local Holiday Inn. It was quiet and relaxing as we were the only diners in the place. There were several people at the bar.

I had a sirloin steak and Victoria had rosemary chicken. Mine was good and she said hers was also. Then we shared a piece of chocolate cheesecake.

Best of all was the price, we had a coupon for a free dinner so our bill came to only $22 and change!

On our way home, we stopped at Rack & Roll for a few games of pool, like we did a couple months ago. Much to our surprise, the bartender Heather remembered us from when we stopped in 2 months ago, and even what we were drinking, Smirnoff. Victoria got a Smirnoff Green Apple and I tried the Raspberry. Victoria tried a sip of mine and quickly switched to Raspberry for her 2nd round.

A Date With 12 Angry Men

Victoria and I were fortunate enough last night to be given tickets to the play Twelve Angry Men at the Palace Theater.

On our way we got a quick dinner at Quizno's. Our tickets included a parking pass so we were able to park in the theater garage and take the enclosed walkway to the theater.

The Palace Theater is very nice, and our seats were in the loge section, the 2nd row of the balcony. The view was great and the play was excellent.

For a play with no action, the dialogue was very fast-paced and kept you on the edge of your seat for the entire 90 minute show. (There was no intermission). I highly recommend this play.