Romantic dinner -- 'what worked'

gardenguru1950

18 years ago

I took ideas from lots of your posts...

Appetizer: prosciutto with mango (yes, my hand to her mouth and vice versa)

Salad: baby greens with diced apples, chopped dates, tamari cashews and an Asian vinaigrette)

Entree: crab ravioli with shallot-wine-cream sauce

Dessert: strawberry-chocolate-filled crepes with vanilla-ginger-cointreau sauce (yep -- flambÃ©ed) followed by four days and three nights at the Ragged Point Inn north of San Simeon on the coast.

No camera.

Thanks all. I've copied and pasted all the recipes for future dinners.

Joe

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Comments (17)

centralcacyclist
18 years ago
Sounds like a bit of heaven all the way around!

I've been to Ragged Point, to eat, and to hike down to the black sand beach. Lovely place. I love Big Sur. I also love Cambria.
woodie
18 years ago
Oooooh la la! The entire Big Sur area is beautiful and romantic and just filled with romantic places with romantic views and romantic food and romantic people.

Thanks for the romance report, Joe :)
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changeling
18 years ago
Next time try "burgers and fries", Oh, and have the mustard/ketchup/onions(yes)/pickles laid out on the table. If things are still looking good and she has a smile on her face, dude you have a winner, don't throw her back, LOL!!
lpinkmountain
18 years ago
Blame it on the flambe, eh Joe?!
Thanks for sharing, that does sound like a truly wonderful and memorable meal. One for the ages! You would have had me with the ravioli, but somehow I just knew it would be flambe . . .
wizardnm
18 years ago
WTG....Joe. Great menu and sounds like a great few days...

Thanks for the update. What's next???

Nancy
carol_in_california
18 years ago
Sounds wonderful!
My DH took me to Ragged Point Inn for my birthday and it was a spectacular day....in the mid '80s and around 70 at night....and this was in February.
Too bad you didn't have a camera.
triciae
18 years ago
Joe, it all sounds so wonderful!

Big Sur is, IMO, one of the top five most beautiful spots in America. San Simeon is on our short list for a future quick week get-a-way. There's very precious few places in CA that draw at my heart enough to make me homesick but San Simeon is certainly one of them!

The ravioli would have been all I needed...the dessert would have been a tough act to follow. I hope you've got some very creative follow-up meals planned! You've set the bar very high for next time...

Glad it was such a nice few days for you!

/tricia
doucanoe
18 years ago
Wow! I think I'm in love.....

Linda
Lars
18 years ago
I noticed that everything on your menu is sweet (with the exception of the ravioli, although fresh crab often has a bit of a sweet taste), which would work very well for my sister (although not so much for me). I wonder if women have more of a sweet tooth than men. I think you picked an excellent menu for a female guest.

The dessert sounds fantastic, but for me, the location is also a very important part of the mix. I've been to Big Sur/San Simeon many times, and it is one of my all time favorite places. The combination of the food and atmosphere must have been intoxicating.

Did you have good weather? I enjoy the fog when it comes in along the coast - it adds a bit of mystery.

Lars
mtnester
18 years ago
So, Joe, spill the beans! Did you "pop the question"? (Does anybody say that, or do that, any more?)

Sue
User
18 years ago
Joe that is one very sexy and special menu! The topper has to be your stay at Ragged Point. No wonder you were so long reporting back!

We stayed there several years ago, spectacular ! Unortuanetly we had the kids with us so couldn't fully enjoy the amenities.. ; )
vicki_lv_nv
18 years ago
Glad it worked out! And the meal sounds devine! Lucky girl!

Now...care to share the recipe for the dessert?
dixiedog_2007
18 years ago
Very special sounding meal and lovely sounding trip!
gardenguru1950
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks all for the wonderful feedback.

The after dinner trip was totally spontaneous and we ended up at Ragged Point only because closer places were all booked for the weekend. By the wya, The restaurant at the RPI has special meaning for me; the former executive chef there, the one that put the place on the map, was the executive chef who hired me when I worked here at Pelican Point.

changeling: we've done "burgers and fries" and she still loves me.

Nancy: "What's next?" I don't know. But I have lots of recipes now, thanks to so many on this forum.

carol: I didn't have a camera for the dinner, no. But I did bring a camera on the trip. Sorry, nothing that I can post, though.

tricia: the bar is high but she's worth the challenge.

Lars: you're right about the flavors. It was intentional. I could not convince myself that a cosy, romantic dinner could involve garlic, sour, bitter, tangy or the like.

Sue: I didn't pop the question. As some of you in this forum remember, last year I was engaged. To a different woman. That didn't work. I'm taking this one slowly.

vicki: the crepes recipe was something I winged. But I'll see if I can write it up somehow, later, and post it.

Joe
fenworth
18 years ago
Good job on the "no camera." That would have made the meal more about you than her. IMHO, of course.
annie1992
18 years ago
Oh, I absolutely agree about the camera, there'll be lots of times for food pictures later.

I'm glad it all went well, very well it appears!

Annie
Gina_W
18 years ago
Joe, that's one heck of a meal. Good job! Do you have the crab ravioli recipe?

Romantic dinner -- 'what worked'

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centralcacyclist

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