Celebration Dinner

Michael and I typically go out to a nice restaurant for our birthdays. I’ve been looking forward to dining at La Quercia for months ever since my girlfriend told me about it. It’s a tiny restaurant (perhaps seats 30) so reservations are crucial. I knew to make reservations well in advance, but was shocked when Michael booked our table in mid-July and the only time available was 8:15 p.m. So then I really got excited to find out what all the fuss is about.

They have a limited menu – which I think is always a good sign. Better to put out a few great plates than a lot of bad or mediocre ones.

We opted to go along with their 7-course tasting menu (they also offer an 11-course tasting menu) which is served family style – I found this to be a nice twist. Another additional interesting twist is the meal is a surprise. It’s whatever the kitchen wants to send out. And here’s what they sent us:

Burrata Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
Parmesan Cheese Soufflé with Aged Balsamic
Roast Quail with beets and hazelnuts
Spaghetti all' Amatriciana

Garganelli with Lamb Ragu
Flat Iron Steak with Fresh Greens and Pine Nuts
Blueberry Steamed Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream

We were reserved with our wine as Michael was driving and I’m sick with a cold. So we went with just a by-the-glass order of Riff 2007 Pinot Grigio to start. As we moved into our pasta courses our waiter suggested moving into a red. Although Michael didn’t partake, I did, and let the waiter choose for me – and then forgot to ask what it was. Instead I just enjoyed it.

We were in absolute agreement that the meal was fabulous. Not only was all the flavour there it was cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. The servers were knowledgeable and attentive. The ambience is friendly although quite loud, which I normally dislike, but seemed to be okay here for some odd reason. I was surprised at how little the bill cost and thought it was one of the few times that we got such great value for our money when dining out. Even the presentation of the bill was served with mini meringues. We’ll certainly be back.