Thursday, March 31, 2011

I have a sweet husband...

I had an incredibly rough day. One of the few bright spots was lunch with my mom and finding Shafer's (our 12 week old Golden Cava-doodle) "spot." My sweet husband came home and found me with a glass of wine at 5:05...I did at least wait until 5 to pour the glass. After spending about 2 hours discussing my day, he suggested an evening out, I hesitated for a moment, and then quickly situated the sweet puppies and we headed out the door to one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Nicola's. As it was a lovely evening, we decided to walk and enjoyed the setting sun and brisk spring air. Nicola's (on Preston in Dallas) is one of those unique restaurants in which you walk in off the street, with all of the problems of the world upon your shoulders, but as soon as you enter the doors and are greeted by the hostess, I honestly feel as though I am a million miles away in some swanky hotel. We were seated at the same small table in which we have sat many times before, with our same kind and warm Italian waiter. He actually is from Florence, and we had a wonderful discussion on Italian art this evening, really, in the middle of Dallas with our wonderful and thoughtful waiter. We started with our favorite dish, Focaccia Siciliana, a deliciously light and fresh dish to share and chat over with large glasses of chilled wine. A fresh flatbread is covered with tomato, pine nuts, sun-dried tomato, basil and olive oil. This combination is perfectly cooked in a wood fired oven, leading to a crispy and warm combination of textures and flavors. There is just something so special about sharing a meal and a bottle of wine with someone that allows you to share more than just food, but also thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams.

Anyways, I am going to a birthday party tomorrow evening, and I am planning on recreating this delicious appetizer...stay tuned for the results! In the mean time...here is a picture of the real thing. I highly recommend this intimate and unique dining experience.

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