Date Day

Yesterday Mary Beth and I made use of my last vacation day of the year and went and did some stuff. We got up relatively early for a day off and went and had breakfast/lunch/brunch at The Liquor Store (you know, not like a liquor store, but a bougie restaurant/diner place with a hip name) and the food was really good. We split some empanadas and then I had biscuits with shiitake mushroom gravy and it was tasty. Mary Beth had a sweet potato hash with cuban pork (and it was super duper good tasting). Then we went up to the Brooks for their current exhibit on African American portraiture. There was a lot of really good stuff. They also that day, since it was World AIDS Day, had video shorts showing all day from Visual AIDS made by people around the world with AIDS and about AIDS and stuff. The videos were really good. Then we looked around at other stuff in the museum. Then we hung out for a bit in the park next to the Shell, just enjoying the fine fall-like day and the birds. Then it was time for our reservation at Coastal Fish Company. We'd never been there before, but it had come recommended. It's in Shelby Farms right on the pond and supposedly has a nice view (and real seafood). So Mary Beth set up our reservations early for sunset time. The view was nice. It's on the good side of the pond where you have a nice view of the little island. And yeah, it's pricey, but for what it is it's not a bad price at all. I mean, the food was fucking incredible. We started with mussels and they were just so good. Then for my entree I had scallops. Well, the dish is an insane combination you wouldn't ever think of for scallops but the flavors worked so well. It had butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, lamb bacon. I mean, it's like this genius thing where it's flavors together you wouldn't think of so it's unique and unusual but then they also go together so very well and they're all individually delicious and distinct flavors. And since scallops are so delicate, you think with stronger flavors they'd generally get overpowered, but the way they were seared (and the squash seemed to be seared in the same way), it brought out its flavor and gave it a taste that really went well with the rest. It was one of those rare things where you're eating this food and it's like some drug chemical reaction is going on in your head and you're kinda getting euphoric or high from the food. It was the best thing I've eaten out in a good while, I think. Mary Beth had a tour of oysters and she said those were really good, and they ended with some from California that tasted unlike any oysters she'd had before (though her favorites were the ones from Prince Edward Island, which happened to be where her favorites came from the last time she had really good oysters in Rhode Island). We ended with dessert and I had some coconut creme brulee and she had passion fruit sorbet and they were both delicious. Anyway yeah, really good meal and the view and atmosphere were great to boot. What else do you say after that?