Dinner at Roy's

As soon as we sat down at Roy's they presented a plate of edamame. Edamame doesn't stand up well to close up photography. The tiny cilia on the fringes make them look like millipedes crawling all over each other on the plate. I feel a kinship with the lowly edamame having reached the age where I'll never again be ready for my close-up either.

It was Richard's birthday. Last year we celebrated the occasion in the Jordanian desert, under the black dome of diamond studded sky in Wadi Rum. This year staying closer to home, it was dinner at Roy's where he loves the butter fish.

I took a huge chance by disclosing to the restaurant that it was his birthday. They asked if it was a special occasion - I usually say no, even it is, to avoid the deadly restaurant sing-along or whatever their particular birthday ritual might be. My husband despises these antics. I hate to confess that I sold out for the promise of a free chocolate souffle. They assured me there would be no singing or fuss.  But when we sat down, I cringed when the server put a curled piece of shiny foil ribbon around our candle, looked at Richard coyly and said in a sing-song, "Somebody has a birthday at this table!" With a flourish she presented Richard with a menu which had a special birthday insert reading "Happy Birthday Richard". He looked at it, looked up at me and said painfully "I can't believe you'd do this to me". Fortunately these small relatively discreet gestures were the end of it. Whew.

Dinner was great. Richard had an exquisite salad of fuji apple, pork belly, white cheddar, brioche croutons and baby bok choy with a lemon foam and a cream dressing (sweet cream and pepper). I had the wild mushroom salad which came with roasted grapes. The grapes go into a hot oven for a couple of minutes - not enough time to shrivel, but just enough to concentrate the flavor.

Butterfish

Fuji salad with pork belly

Birthday dessert

I had macadamia nut encrusted mahi mahi which was served draped over a couple of perfectly cooked red potatoes ( a rarity), asparagus and sauced with a luscious lobster/butter blend. Richard had the misayoki butterfish in a sizzling soy vinaigrette. Both our entrees were perfect. The restaurant brought him a complimentary birthday dessert - not the promised chocolate souffle but instead, a macadamia nut tart. The crust was crumbly, a few berries on top were perfectly ripe (not just good looking) and the macadamia nut flavor was deep and rich.

They have beef cheeks on the menu which calls for another visit soon.