Last night’s meeting was at Province, 161 N. Jefferson, as selected by Alyssa (see pic-I'm going to start posting pics of the restaurant selector).
She billed it as “American with a Latin flair and ‘green’ with local foods.”
Neha Blossom couldn’t make it because she had to be out in suburbia helping her company, BP, move or unpack or something. Her importance within BP is hindering my social life.
Amy, Meghan and I arrived at the restaurant around 5:15 p.m. and had our usual pre-meal cocktails. Our first impression was that we were in a spa. The music was very serene, and Meghan wondered out loud to the bartender when we would be receiving our massages.
After a taste of the house red wine, I determined that was better drank after at least one glass of a better tasting wine so I ordered a Malbec. Amy heeded her frugal instincts and stuck with the house red, while the Fabulous Megalicioius ordered a champagne cocktail. Alyssa showed up a little later and ordered a beer (probably something unique that nobody’s ever heard of as a nod to her husband).
We got our table and quickly realized we were the youngest people in the restaurant by 20 years. For those of us turning 30 this year—and who already are, Meg—this made us feel good. Not that we didn’t prove our youth by being the loudest table by many decibels (see serene music above).
On first glance, the menu was confusing. It was divided into topics like “bites,” “small,” “big,” and “bigger.” Some of the “big” and “bigger” items had two prices next to them. Was it tapas? Small plates? Full entrees? A tutorial from the waitress proved it was all. You could get small plates, half orders of the larger items, side orders, etc. We ordered another round of drinks (duh) and decided to start with the Beer Cheese Mac & Cheese with house-made sausage and tomatillo salsa.
Before that arrived, a plate of deep-friend codfish balls appeared at the table, compliments of the chef. Delicious. The mac and cheese came next, and it was really good but deceiving to the eye. It looked more like a traditional pasta dish than macaroni and cheese. The cheese was a lighter sauce, and the pasta was bowtie, not macaroni. When you looked at it, you didn’t think it was going to be good. Especially with a mess of salsa on top. But it was an interesting mix of flavors that I really enjoyed. Even the sausage, which I usually hate.
Next came figuring out what to order and how large of an order each item should be. I did a test run with the girls, and my first choices were deemed as “too much food.” I scaled it back and ordered a small plate of the Mushroom and Goat Cheese Catalan Cannelloni with salsa verde and a half order of the Miso-Chili Glazed Rare Hawaiian Tuna. The cannelloni came first, and for some reason I was expecting spiraly noodles in a mushroom and goat cheese sauce. In reality, it looked like two orange burritos stuffed with a mixture of mushroom and goat cheese, surrounded by green salsa. The mixture was very rich, and if you don’t like goat cheese, which I do, you wouldn’t like it because it had a very strong taste of it.
My tuna came next, and it was fabulous. Cooked rare, just as I like it, with a tortilla salad on top and some kind of sauce. I wish I had gotten the full order because it was really fantastic.
As for the other girls: Alyssa ordered Slow Roasted Pork Ropa Vieja with vanilla mashed sweet potatoes; Amy ordered a Caesar salad, and she and Alyssa split some blue cheese fondue; and Meghan ordered Spanish Calasparra Rice with manchego cheese, described as Spain’s version of risotto.
Of course we had to look at the dessert menu, and we were transfixed. I got this apple layered thing that was The. Freakin’. Bomb. It had almond wafers and in between was dulce de leche ice cream atop a bed of cooked apple slices. Alyssa and Meghan were equally impressed with their choices. Alyssa had a chocolate brioche with ice cream, and I thought Meghan was going to have a lady orgasm over her squash cupcake with molasses cream cheese frosting with honey ice cream. I had a taste of the honey ice cream, and it was so rich you only needed like half a scoop to be satisfied.
All in all it was a very successful meeting. And only $40 per person. I’d highly recommend this place, which also has a Phoenix location.
