I bristled -- in the way that a writer who has heard that same directive from too many people who have no business offering that advice would.
"This is what I want to remember from this summer," he continued. "This is what I want you to remember. I will forget, so you have to remember for the both of us."
And I agreed, because I knew he was right. I am the record keeper in our relationship. I keep journals and make photo albums to remember our travels and adventures. If I wanted to remember tonight exactly as it was, I was going to have to be the one to write it down.
Tonight was a surprising experience filled with delicious food and incredible wine that neither one of us was expecting when we strolled into Westhampton's fanciest and most in-demand restaurant without a reservation. We managed to effortlessly find two seats at the outdoor bar, probably because it was 7:30 on a Thursday night (though since its Labor Day, the place was still packed and there was no way to get table). We planned to order a bottle of wine, some appetizers and fresh fish entrees, and possibly (most likely) dessert, then head home to our dog where we'd likely open another bottle of wine and fall asleep drunk, full and happy.
But what ended up happening was a seemingly endless parade of delicious, fresh food and surprising wine pairings that were hand delivered to us by the restaurant's manager for no real reason at all. He took a liking to us. We were just a young couple who love food and wine and appreciated the delicacies and flavors he was offering up. It transported us back to our honeymoon in Europe a year ago, and we vowed that no matter the real timing, we would always remember the night as a celebration of our first anniversary. It was that special and unique.
It all started when Shawn wanted to order a bottle of wine. The bartender who was serving us brought over the manager/sommelier. He introduced himself to us and I think he got excited as Shawn described what he likes in a wine, then started telling him about our recent trip to Sonoma (a favorite anecdote of Shawn's when he's talking to people about wine). He brought us our pinot and decanted it for us, then brought us another glass of red, a Bourdeax style from Mt. Etna in Sicily, as our scallops appetizer and cheese plate arrived.
Later, he brought us an effervescent, crisp white and then an extra course -- house made fettuccine in a butter sauce with truffles grated right there in front of us.
Next, we were treated to fresh caught local black sea bass with a delectable kick of lemon zest, accompanied by a light Italian rose.
Eventually, the entrees we had originally ordered arrived and we found some room to eat them -- a big, meaty piece of baked swordfish for Shawn and cod with lobster sauce and mashed potatoes for me.
We polished off our bottle of pinot and ordered poached peach for dessert. It came on top of pound cake and ice cream, topped with tart raspberry sauce. We ate it all in seconds. Then our manager friend appeared with pieces of dark chocolate and dessert wine. We were drunk and giddy; flush with that special feeling of being pampered and treated to the best for no reason at all.
It was a one of a kind evening that we can never hope to replicate. But we were grateful to experience it and to be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a stranger's gifts and willingness to surprise and delight us. We felt so special and happy, which is exactly what you want from a night out.
This was the first night in Westhampton that we went out for dinner instead of staying home, grilling and drinking wine. I'm not sure another night out can ever top this one, so it's a good thing that we'll probably just stop here.
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