Andy and I went out for our belated anniversary dinner last night, to Mistral. It was outstanding in every way! Andy started with the
Seared Foie Gras with Confit of Duck in Brioche with Tart Wisconsin Cherries and then had the
Skillet Roasted Prime Sirloin au Poivre with Root Vegetable Hash and
Cognac–Green Peppercorn Sauce. I started with the
French-Style Onion Soup in Gruyère Pastry Crust (the crust was an impressive balloon-shaped tent that deflated as soon as I stabbed it, then fell into the soup—YUM!) and then had the
Half Roasted Duck with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Dried Cranberry
Gastrique. With it all, we had an excellent Ribera del Duero wine, the
2001 Hacienda Monasterio. The portions were huge; I couldn't even finish my entree, which is unheard-of! (But I'm looking forward to putting it in a wrap for lunch today.) Even more unheard-of: Andy and I had to split a dessert because we were so full! We easily settled on the Warm Chocolate Torte with Sauce Anglaise. It was a perfect combination of excellent food and service and a delightful room—well worth the wait for our anniversary celebration!