By Michele
A few weeks ago, my husband and I had dinner at Max’s Es-Ca with friends Billa and Martin. We planned to dine outside as they have a lovely garden space. Upon our arrival the maître d’ told us that the garden dining was closed for renovations, so they showed us to a table in the area that was previously a parking lot. It wasn’t nearly as lovely as the garden space, but we had no choice. Little did we know, that was a portent to a comedy of events that took place. The waitress was attentive in welcoming us and providing menus, as well as taking our drink orders. Next, the busser delivered water to each of us and one of the glasses spilled over, delivering water and ice over the entire table. The waitress immediately appeared and apologized. The crisp white linen tablecloth was changed quickly and with apology from the busser. Shortly thereafter, a couple of bees made their presence known to us. Of course, we tried to pay no mind to them. But they had a different plan. Our appetizers arrived and so did the bees en masse, circling our food and heads. It was obvious we could not remain outside, so we asked our waitress to move us inside after we quickly devoured our apps. Speaking of appetizers, they were absolutely delicious. I ordered the special appetizer of stuffed zucchini flowers given they were in season and are usually scrumptious. Here they are stuffed with ricotta and fried with a lemon caper sauce. They did not disappoint as they were sweet, salty and yummy!
Now seated indoors, I would say we were at the premier table which was just under the wall that held a beautiful gas fireplace. Settled, the waitress came over to me and said that there was a man at the bar who would like to buy me and my friends our second round of drinks. Well, as you can imagine. I was momentarily perplexed. It’s been decades since “a man at the bar” offered to buy me drinks. I immediately asked the waitress who it was, and she said his name was Paul. Looking over at the bar there he was, Paul, my cousin. Paul walked over to our table, I introduced him to our friends, and he teased us that “the old people” are out for dinner. Yes, I retorted, the old people are out for dinner - lest he forget that I am only nineteen years older than him. After a few laughs, on to ordering our entrees. Our entrees were: ·Breaded Boneless Pork Chops with Hot Cherry Peppers, Sweet Onions, Balsamic Vinegar, Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Spinach. ·Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with Crabmeat and Risotto Primavera ·Pan Roasted Salmon with Shrimp, Spinach and Rice ·Homemade Pappardelle with Shrimp and Mushrooms in a Lemon Garlic Sauce
Three of us loved our entrees, and one of us thought it so-so!
Last, but not least, it was dessert time. I enjoyed a cappuccino with a Blueberry Bread Pudding served with Vanilla Ice Cream and Crème Anglaise. It delivered a warm, yet cool, sweet taste sensation. The perfect ending to a memorable dinner experience.
