An Amazing Evening in Food and Wine!

Last night was an amazing experience. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a very special dinner at our dear friends, Brittany & Wade’s house. Wade is a self-taught gourmet chef – no kidding – and he prepared a SIX COURSE DINNER (his “Summer Tasting Menu”) for us. To add even more amazement, Wade’s friend, Reid (also a serious expert), paired six different wines for each course.

We cannot even relay how incredible this was! Everything from the presentation to the sophisticated flavors were just top-notch. No detail was left unattended to – Brittany has great taste and she had the table set beautifully with gorgeous placemats made of exotic feathers, pretty ribbons tying up the silverware, and cool chandelier plates. It was truly a collaborative, creative & artistic evening!



Perfect ambiance. They even printed menus!

First course: Mozzarella Caprese
Heirloom Tomatoes with fresh Buffalo Mozzarella & organic Basil.
Paired with Roderer Estate Brut Rose

Unfortunately, we completely spaced and did not get a picture of this course. :(

Second Course: Gazpacho Cucumber Colonnades and Bruschetta

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup topped with Basil Cream.
Paired with 2006 Anselmi Soave “San Vincento”

Check out that presentation!

Third Course: Lil’ Caesar

Baby Romaine, Anchovy Fillet and Aged-Parmesan-Reggiano Crisp
Paired with 2005 Cuvee “La Jouline” Sancerre

Wade’s such a pro that the beautifully crafted Parmesan crisp on top is even handmade!

Fourth Course: Halibut and Crab Turett

Halibut, Snow Crab claw, Roasted Fennel with Red Bell Pepper Sauce over Quinoa.
Paired with 2006 Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire “Les Tuffeaux”

This was INCREDIBLE. Carrie’s favorite dish of the night (although it was difficult to choose!). The Snow Crab claw on top was awesome, and that wonderful handmade Red Pepper sauce was all made by Wade, from scratch!

Fifth Course: Olive Oil Poached Salmon with Citrus

Citrus-marinated Salmon with Confit of Navel Oranges, Caviar and Pea Shoot Coulis.
Paired with 2005 Georges Dubeuf Fleurie Beaujolias

Also phenomenal. Wade gets his sushi-grade fish fresh at the Sunday Farmers Market at the Long Beach Marina. This salmon melted in your mouth. We regret not taking a photo after he personally served his handmade pea shoot coulis around it. The colors in this dish were beautiful – the bold color of the salmon, bright citrus beneath and a green pea sauce made it fantastic to look at.

Sixth Course: Peach Sorbet

Served in halved Orange
Paired with 2003 Royal Tokaji.

Perfect way to end the evening!

We were extremely happy guests!

Our wonderful and talented hosts.
Thank you-Thank you-Thank you, Brittany & Wade!!!

Reid and Hilary – Reid was the genius behind the INCREDIBLE wine pairing. We are inspired and hope to learn much more from him.

This one’s for you, Dad!

We are so embarrassed at our tardiness on posting Father’s Day ’08 with the Facey’s pictures! We took Carrie’s dad down to Laguna Beach for lunch at Las Brisas. It’s a beautiful place with delicious food! So delicious in fact, that we forgot to take a lot of pictures! As you can see, between the scenery and the colorful drinks, it was easy to do …


A margarita for everybody!


Enjoying the view!


A perfect day to be in Laguna Beach!

Afterwards, we had to take them to Sprinkles – they’d never had a Sprinkles cupcake before, and that just needed to change! Mom had the Ginger-Lemon, Carrie had the Cinnamon Sugar, Ed had the Strawberry, and Dad had their famous Red Velvet!

Love ya, Dad! We didn’t forget about you!

EARTHQUAKE!

It’s been awhile since our last significant earthquake here in L.A. It wasn’t so surprising – afterall, we’ve been having what’s been deemed “earthquake weather” for just about a month now. Carrie’s office was approximately 13 miles from the epicenter – and she was definitely rockin’ & rollin’ in the Fullerton/Brea neighborhood. Ed’s office in Tustin is only about 18 miles away – and he was definitely shakin’ too. But all is well, and we’re happy that all of our friends and family are fine – that’s the important part!

While we did okay at work, the real surprise was when we got home – our little place in Long Beach really was a mess! We are sad to report that we lost some of those great wedding gifts we received … wine glasses, beer steins, glass trays and picture frames. Cupboards were jostled, drawers were disheveled, and there were 2 very frightened cats! Nothing major, just a big, inconvenient mess! But that’s about all.


Ricki, “hiding” behind the curtains.


Sophia, underneath the laundry basket.


Our bedroom: The aftermath.


Glass & olive oil – not a fun combo to clean up, just ask Ed!

Mmmm…mmm…Canter’s.

It’s been way too long since we’ve been to Canter’s Deli on Fairfax, but when Carrie’s mom requested lunch there for a post-Mother’s Day celebration, we were all over it. Happy belated Mother’s Day, Mom!



Fun Canter’s facts:

  • Over 4,900 lbs of Pastrami are sold per month.
  • There are 1,500 gallons of Chicken Soup made per week.
  • 4,000 Knishes are baked per week.
  • Seating capacity is 465 people.
  • Canter’s Delicatessen is 14,000 sq ft, making it one of the largest delicatessens in the country.


An homage to Canters, one of our favorite time warps: