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Auriga baby, oh yeah. Yeah! John and I had our first date there, way back at the end of 1999. Blind date, no less, set up by Stacey, who was living with me, and John and Stacey’s mutual friends Shane and Kathleen Coen. He was there before me, sitting in the bar, with a glass of red wine, a newspaper, and his cell phone. I don’t know why I remember that, but I do. I remember he looked kind of surprised when I walked in and I thought, he’s blown away by how tall I am (with heels, easily 6’2″, his height, ha). I had a shrimp appetizer, which he ate part of, and I remember thinking how bold and odd it was that he was eating my food when he didn’t even know me. Ate half of my salmon too. He had to rush off to a poker game (which I didn’t know), so our date ended on time, which was good, I was more than a bit freaked out. He was my first post-marriage date and I had all these plans for spending time alone and not getting tangled up in a relationship right away. Ha. He announced to his friends that he’d met “the one” – a lovely compliment to me, and prescient as it turns out. Here we are, in our seventh year together, still having dates at Auriga…

…tonight, in fact, and oh, what a meal. I should back up – first, a movie, John’s fav Friday night endeavor (I’m not always with him, sometimes Friday nights are meant for a glass of wine on the deck, with my book). The Devil Wears Prada this eve, quite fun. Meryl Streep is gorgeous in it, and the clothes are of course to die for. Anne Hathaway bugs the hell out of me – hey, what can I say. Still fun. Quick swing through the ‘hood for my weekly CSA veggie pick up. Fabulous assortment – kohlrabi, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries, scallions, beets, baby turnips, sugar snap peas, and dill. Sent my brain a-firing, I am so enjoying this weekly surprise. Then off to…

…Auriga. Opened with a melon-y, peachy Viognier, which I didn’t write down (sorry), loved it. Had two glasses in fact. I opted for a three-dollar amuse, nice option, I chose a bite of smoked potato topped with a smattering of tender garden peas. John had the most fucking incredible corn soup – smooth, silky, earthy, my god it was good, topped with some sort of foam and a small pile of peeky toe crab. Extraordinary, really. Then we each had a salad, he the tart, appropriately garlicky Caesar-ish romaine, with naughty fried cubes of bread; I the butter lettuce with pancetta, sweet-sour apple cider vinaigrette, and salty shaved parm. For a main course I had what they billed as “a plate of summer,” and indeed it was – perfect, juicy scallops topped with minced preserved lemon, on a plate dotted with sliced purple figs, two fried squash blossoms, and sauteed pea shoots. Pretty, clever, and light. Prrrr…loved it. John had salmon with some incredibly creamy mashed potatoes topped with bits of fried artichoke. A lovely meal in every way. A romantic, dusky drive around Lake of the Isles on the way home and now, must go to bed. Must. Pleasantly full, but not stuffed, I should sleep like a baby…hope you do too. OK, John’s yelling, I gotta go… Rarrrr…