"It's like a mouth massage."

Last night I had the great pleasure of going to a lovely meal to wish goodbye to my dear Aram, who will be going to study in Dublin for a tick. Ed, boss and friend extrodiannaire, invited a small group of us to sup in the garden of Le Madeleine, a fabulous Theater District bistro where he happens to work. Now people, if you haven't been there yet you don't know what you're missing. Do yourself the favor of heading on over. The staff are all lovely and the food is amazing. Ed is class personified.

We were spoiled with a champagne toast, with all sorts of luscious appetizers and artfully made cocktails, and I managed to bolt down a rib eye bathed in green peppercorn cream sauce in the blink of an eye. It was the kind of meal that takes a few hours, where everyone chats leisurely and drinks wine to add to the enjoyment of the food rather than to get drunk. Rosanne was ecstatic over the fine meal, and marveled out loud that she never really "ate like this". You forget how fantastic it feels to treat yourself to a meal like that. It reminds you how simplicity is in itself amazing. I love the alchemy of cooking, how the most basic foods can be presented in ways that make them magical. Eating that dinner together was like living Big Night. I came home, crawled into bed, and was blissed out. What a perfect evening.

Aram to Rosanne: This is not Denny's.