A Special Dinner

About a month ago a couple of sweet friends sent Travis and I a wonderful wedding present. It was some money to spend on a fancy meal. Lately we have been so busy that we haven't had a chance to use it but this past Thursday we went out on the town. I had heard from my bosses about this new place in town called The Republic Steakhouse. Travis called ahead of time to find out about the dress code and to make reservations. We dressed in our Sunday best (not too fancy) and head out at 7:30. From the outside it didn't look too different from any other place. It was on the back end of a shopping center. When you walked inside you were taken back by the remarkable ambiance. I felt like I was at a restaurant in New York.

We had a wonderful waiter who explained everything to us and also suggested we split an entree. We had a 4 course meal! I don't think I've ever done that before. The portions were a good size and we ate slow to enjoy every moment. Travis had a tomato salad--it was only tomatoes, 4 or 5 different types. The tomatoes were home grown by the chef so they were salmonella free. We shared an appetizer of fried calamari which was absolutely delicious. I even ate the parts with the tentacles! We shared a 14 oz. New York strip, some amazing potatoes, and some perfectly cooked asparagus. The waiter brought out 5 different sauces for the meat. We both chose our favorite. We ended with an amazing dessert--fresh made strawberry peach sorbet and a part key lime pie, part cheesecake brulee. It was one of the best desserts I have ever had!

We had such a wonderful time eating and talking that we didn't get home that night until 9:30. We went a little over our present but it was highly worth it. To end the night we played a rousing game of Life. All in all it was a marvelous and memorable evening.