Although The Captain and I are together every day and evening, it sure is exciting to actually plan a date night. It must be something about the anticipation.
In the early part of the week we decided to dine at a restaurant we haven’t been to before. From a choice of three we decided on the one. Alleia. According to our city’s website Alleia is a sister restaurant of St. John's and The Meeting Place. Chef Daniel Lindley's latest venture is a unique interpretation of rustic Italian cuisine utilizing fresh local ingredients to create handmade pasta dishes, neopolitan style pizza, as well as an array of antipasti, insalate and secondi.
Not only was the ambiance lovely, but the food was yummilicous! We started off with the Antipasto for two. There was an array of cheeses, meats/salami, bread, olives, and arugula. We also enjoyed a wood-fired vegetable salad with marinated mozzarella and balsamic vinegar.
The Captain’s main course was conchiglie (pasta shells) with lamb sausage, salsa bianca and ricotta salata, while I chose ravioli stuffed with butternut squash. There was a reduced sauce over the ravioli but I don’t remember what it was. It had a bit of a sweet taste. Both dishes were delicious and leftovers were yummy as well.
They sat us at the front windows facing the sidewalk. We found it interesting as folks were walking by trying to find the front door. The restaurant is not marked very well and the front door is a bit hidden (even we didn’t find it). Not only did we enjoy observing folks milling around, we also had a great time taking pictures with the point/shoot camera. The light from the the setting sun was delightful and then as the sky darkened, the candles and gas lights made unique reflections in the windows. We had fun trying to capture reflections with the point/shoot. Not an easy task.
Looks like the wires are on fire!
Following dinner we jetted off to the movies to see True Grit. Since we arrived early at the movie we took a walk around the block then stood in the lobby watching the Popcorn Guy. I must say, it was rather amazing. He was above the concession area and he made popcorn in that huge vat. He seemed to really enjoy his job nestled high above the crowd. After watching this event we indulged in a Diet Coke, small popcorn and some tasty Reese’s Pieces.
This wonderful movie is nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including acting honors for Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld. After hearing several reviews, I went into this movie expecting it to be different from the original, but found that it followed the John Wayne version pretty darn close. Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin and Matt Damon were amazing, as usual, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld was outstanding. We both, as well as everyone in the theatre, enjoyed this movie immensely! We will certainly purchase the dvd as soon as it is released. We will also purchase the book True Grit by Charles Portis and the movie soundtrack. Awesome music!
I do think John Wayne would be proud of this remake! Well done Coen brothers! Well done! So go see the movie!
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