So where did you go? what did you have? Do tell!!

Thanks for the great pic!!

Looks like a lovely time....hope the food was as good as the company!
Linda C

Hi! Jo, Diane and May!

Nice that you all could meet up...so tell me, was dinner any good?

May, you are lucky with the weather, you didn't have trudge through ton's of snow and fight the cold.

Nancy

What a great picture. You all look like you had a fabulous time. And you're so right - meeting CF friends for the first time IRL is just like meeting friends you've known forever and saw just last week.

And you are lucky with the weather too!

Lee

Looks like everyone had fun :-)

Alexa

Excellent!

Hi MayMay--waving wildly. It's it just the best!!

Hi Diane, swap partner! May, good to see you again, and hello Jo! Yeah, we want food stories!

Hi everybody! Fun to see you all together.

Jo, how nice that you could get together with Diane and May.

Diane, really nice to see you again. I miss your posts.

Ann

How fun! Jo, just a few weeks ago I met Claire de luna (Kathy) and I have to agree that it is just like meeting an old friend. We just talked and talked and so did our DH's.

Hi Diane, May and Jo!!! great to see you. It is strange isn't it, how it seems like we have known each other forever when we meet.

Great picture! Meeting CFers is always such a great time!

Linda

Awesome! I am so glad you got the opportunity. Too bad Booberry couldn't join you also. Great pictures.

It was so wonderful meeting Jo and Diane! As Jo said, and just like all my previous experienced meeting CFers, it was just like being with old friends.

I do have pix of the food which I will post later today. We got home at 1 am this morning and I'm still not fully with it yet.

The restaurant was lovely, great atmosphere and great food. And of course, great company. Thanks again Jo and Diane for the gifts!

May

Well, Hello Everyone! Isn't meeting old friends for the first time in person great?

I'll wait for the rest of the pictures, but I'm sure food was secondary to the company.

Annie

oh wait, this isn't FB is it?

sounds like you had a very nice time! Looking forward to the food pics.

Stacy

Hey Guys! I'm so glad that you were able to GT. I love meeting my imaginary friends (grin).

May and I have met on many occasions (CF and KF get togethers) and always have the best time.

You all look great!

Thanks for sharing your time with us.

I'm finally somewhat awake!

Our first course was a delicious mixed salad with the parmesan crisps. My husband and I split and I neglected to take a picture before I took my share so it's NOT as pretty as it was at first but here it is:

Then we split a Veal Marsala which was quite lucius. This time I did remember to shoot before touching!

And here are a couple more pix of the girls:

Diane and Jo:

Diane, Jo and May:

... and a good time was had by all!

So glad you all had a good visit, and sorry I couldn't make it! Great to see the pics...

Em

It looks like y'all had a great time and good food. I've had the pleasure of meeting May, and it is a pleasure indeed. What fun!

Sally

Oh, I had the best time-- meeting Joanne & May was like seeing old friends-- instant rapport-- we ate & drank wine & gabbed about food & family & bewailed the lack of a Trader Joe's in our areas ;
the state of the grocery stores available-- wines- food ; gossiped about the CF members & how it's like one big extended family with the support, fun & sharing so much. Poor husbands were kind of ignored -- they couldn't get a word in edgewise !!

And true to our calling each brought a little something Foodie for each other--- May gave us a bag of authentic Texas Chili mix & texas Pecan Pralines-- Jo a bottle of Overlay wine ( http://www.anyelasvineyards.com/2006-overlay/ ) from a local vineyard Anyelas (http://www.anyelasvineyards.com/ ) .
I gave them Traditional Honey Mead (http://www.montezumawinery.com/mtz_detail.taf?pr_id=364 ) from another local winery ( http://www.montezumawinery.com/ ) near me. There's a fun history about this wine -- seems years & years ago the tradition was to give this wine( a month's supply) to newlyweds as it was suppose to insure a quick pregnancy-- specifically of a male offspring-- hence the term "Honeymoon". .

We met at Rosalie's-- (http://www.rosaliescucina.com/RC_Menu.htm ) great place to just eat & gab . Food was fabulous-- ( & my camera was at home-- darn) On the table to start was crusty, chewy Italian loaves with small dipping saucers of EVOO & saucers of mixed Italian herbs, crushed red peppers & grated parm. There was a strolling mandoline player( Jo had warned us not to make eye contact ) but turned out Doc knew him from his days of running the sound system for the City of Auburns summer park concerts & he strolled right over-- eye contact or not.
You've seen what May & hubby had-- Doc & I spilt a Insalada di Spinaci then he had pan seared Halibut on a bed of red lentils , topped with deep fried thin sliced fennel strips . I had the Farfalle con Pollo as did Jo. Then Jo ordered her favorite mystery dessert & insisted we try it--Banana Budino & figure out how it was made. May & I tasted coconut, caramel, maybe pinapple, almond for sure but agreed with Jo that it might have a banana pudding mix base. I think Jo has a picture & post about this great dessert-- maybe she'll put in a link.

All too soon it was time to go ( the place was closing up) -- here's their signature "doggie bag" {{gwi:1444794}} & as we were heading out the door with hugs & safe trip wishes to May and Hubby the Rest owner gave us each a loaf of their fabulous ,fresh baked Italian bread.

Diane is right--I do have an old picture of the dessert I ordered. I got one to go for my hubby one time partly in a quest to reproduce it. It is called a "banana budino" and it is yum! One time, after some friends and I had closed the place, our waiter told us it was made with banana pudding mix. Whatever is in it, it is delicious!

Oy! How could I forget the wonderful gifts! I think I'm still not fully awake from the trip! LOL

In addition to the wine from Diane and Jo, I also received a package of local buttermilk pancake mix from Jo. YUM.

Thank you both for meeting up with me and for a memorable evening. Diane, you're so right, the husbands were sort of left in our dust! LOL

And I'm certain there is way more to that banana dessert than just banana pudding... but I can't blame the restaurant for wanting to guard their secret!

I also neglected to say that we enjoyed incredible weather for the few days that we were in the Finger Lakes area (and in NYC as well). The days were in the 60s, even high 60s, with sunshine. The Finger Lakes area is just beautiful and we had a wonderful time visiting a LOT of wineries. Maybe just one or two too many on Friday! We drank more than our fair share of wine that day.

I would highly recommend visiting the area if you are a wine lover. It was a very fun experience.

OK, Diane, if both Jo and May end up pregnant, it's your fault, and you have to babysit!!!

It sounds like the food was as good as the company and funny how two out of three people bring something alcoholic. (grin)

Meeting forum friends is so much fun, isn't it?

Annie

Another meeting I missed....
Looks like you all had a lovely time!! I am bwyond jealous!
Linda C

How cool is this?! Glad to see things worked out so y'all could meet up and have a great evening together. I agree, meeting up with forum friends is great! Thanks for sharing and the pics!

David