Factors that ensure it'll be a positive experience:
* There are tables outside.
* There are no expectations.
* The menu looks good.

And sure enough, this was a really pleasant experience.

Here's Craig at the table:

Here's the bread they gave us:

And here's lentil spread, butter and maybe hummus--the presentation, is, I think, unfortunate and reminiscent of dog poo:

Craig and I share a half-bottle of Malbec, an affordable choice that has surprising depth and flavor:

To start, we shared a serviceable salad--only notable for its charred garlic scrapes (hard to make out in the picture):

We were more impressed with the scallop appetizer, lovingly seared, and served on lightly dressed lettuce and, more enjoyably, a yam puree:

I liked how all the components worked together--the zip of the dressing somehow enhanced the richness of the puree all of which complemented the scallop. Bravo!

Now we asked the waiter what he recommended for the entrees, and his response startled us. "Goat," he said.

"Goat?"

"Yes," he said. "Part of it is braised and the other part is roasted and it's amazing."

So Craig ordered that and I ordered the soft-shell crab and we swapped halfway through. Here's the goat:

Sure enough, it was pretty fantastic. I have a theory about braised meat: if you braise meat--especially the fatty parts (shoulder, butt)--it will taste very good. A sophisticated theory? No. But it's a good theory, damnit.

As for the soft-shell crab, I think I decided that I'm not the world's biggest soft-shell crab fan--something about the texture--though this preparation was nice and surprisingly and delightfully paired with rhubarb:

There was also an aioli on the plate which enriched every bite.

At this point, it was dark and it got a little nippy. We realized we were the only people eating outside for a reason--it was cold!

Do I blame this meal for the nasty cold that plagued me all weekend? No, not really. I blame that on CRAIG who got it from MARK who got it from DIANA. BLAME BLAME BLAME.

There were nice touches.

I ordered a decaf coffee and look how they served it:

Isn't that charming? A jug of milk and little cookies on the saucer.

We shared an apple turnover that had a blue cheese topping that worked really well:

All in all, a memorable meal and one that we didn't plan. Was it memorable because we didn't plan it? I think so. And that's my advice to you, reader: don't plan your nice meals out. Just let them happen and you will be happier.