why? oh, why did we wait?

So of course there are many many places to eat in a city that has more than 8 million people in the metropolitan area. And sometimes you can feel like you can never even put a dent in the options but then you figure - Hey, why not at least try? LOL

so tonight we finally got to Ruxbin! And what a great decision that was! We had at first not gone because they wouldn't take reservations and that is a deal breaker for us... then we didn't go because we forgot it was there. But lately we started looking at some new to us options and it came on our radar. Thank God!

This was a fantastic meal and we are so glad we finally got there!

several amuse courses arrived- a sashimi bite - then a wonderful bread with compound herb butter - then a palate cleanser of apple ver jus...

the menu -  with our choices noted in the blackened circles - you must order for the table as shared choices- they recommend two first  two second and a dessert of each persons choice- we actually couldn't make up our minds on the first so we ordered an extra course which can be done for an upcharge---

in order- the venison - the pork belly and then the foie gras (which I think may be the best course of the evening)

then an intermezzo of butternut squash soup -

then the halibut and the duck-

getting into and out of the WC was completely different in a Dr. Who way...

there is a chef's table which seats 6- and has its own dog! (love it!)

then the dessert courses - John had the corn cake and the others of us had the taleggio cheesecake-

the mignardise- meringue, dipped cape gooseberries and a frozen berry of some sort - all delish!

from the menu-

and our lovely dining companions - dear friends John & Barb- we always have a great time together!

this was no exception for the four of us spending time together but it was an exceptionally good meal. They are off to the south in a day or two - we will follow in a month- and we are planning on setting up a regular date night LOL so we don't have our calendars get in the way like they did this summer!

up next in the special meals category the Next: French Laundry meal on Wednesday... the Chicago Eater had this to say about the meal-

Perhaps Achatz's most personal menu to date will debut in the fall, titled "October 28th, 1996." It will celebrate the 20 years since the chef's first day at Thomas Keller's celebrated Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry, and it's been approved by Keller himself. On October 28, Achatz will recreate the meal he and his father shared at The French Laundry on the same date two decades earlier — "Get ready, TFL is coming to Next." This date is also just a year before then restaurant critic at the New York Times Ruth Reichl called The French Laundry "the most exciting place to eat in the United States."

so more photos and more fun! stay tuned!