A Happy Anniversary originally published on Food and Fond Memories on April 12, 2010 by sandyaxelrod 1 Comment (Edit)
A Happy Anniversary
Beautifully Seared Scallops
I appologize yet again for the writing recess. Our wedding anniversary, Passover, Easter and my birthday are all clustered together in a two week period. This keeps me very busy with happy fun things but leaves me little time for writing. On March 23 my wonderful husband Steve and I celebrated our 41st Wedding Anniversary. I have no idea how that many years could have passed so quickly! I can remember our wedding as if it was yesterday. The cutest thing is that somehow Steve also remembers one special thing year after year. The night before our wedding we were putting the finishing touches on the apartment that we would be living in together when we returned from our honeymoon. My Mom and Dad and Steve’s parents were there to help us. All that we really had left to do was hang some artwork above our sofa. My mother, may she rest in peace, was always such a perfectionist and I really worried that Steve wouldn’t be able to handle her telling him that a picture needed to be moved a quarter of an inch up, down, right or left. I held my breath every time she asked him to make an adjustment! To my pleasant surprise the entire evening passed without a cross word spoken. I knew that if he got through that test we would be just fine. To this day the night before our anniversary he always asks me to get out a hammer and some nails so we can hang pictures!! Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?
Anyway, our anniversary fell on a Tuesday this year so we both had to work during the day. We decided that we would take a ride in our convertible to Delray Beach and walk the avenue which is filled with charming galleries, boutiques and restaurants. It was a perfect evening and we walked for an hour or so till about 7:30pm. But we really weren’t hungry yet because we usually don’t eat dinner until about 8:30 or 9pm. So instead of having dinner in Delray we took a magnificent drive up A1A along the Intracoastal Waterway which is lined with mansions and condos. We drove through Palm Beach and started naming a bunch of restaurant possibilities but none seemed just right. Then we drove across the bridge to West Palm Beach and somehow our car just seemed to steer itself into the parking lot of one of our all time favorite places The Rhythm Cafe. Rhythm is very small with probably about 60 seats. It has an eclectic menu and everything on it is delicious and house made including the ice cream. We also have a very special connection to Rhythm. The two men who own it were our chefs when we first started in the catering business. Ken and Dennis came to us right after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. They were fabulous then and they are even more fabulous now. The only thing I will never understand is that they left catering because it was “too stressful”! Yes there was a tremendous amount of stress connected with the catering business but I think the pressure in a restaurant has to be much greater. We love to go to Rhythm because the food is always amazing and we get to spend time with Ken and Dennis who are sort of like sons to us. The clever thing about their new menu is that in addition to the appetizers you can get any entree as a small plate. We ordered 4 or 5 of our favorite small dishes and dessert and waddled out full and happy. Ken’s Tuna Tartar is the best we have ever eaten. So here is what we had to celebrate a happy anniversary:
The Best Tuna Tartar Ever
Finely chopped raw tuna tenaciously tossed with a
delightful ginger lime dressing served with crispy crouton
Flatbread
A wonderfully thin crust slathered with basil pesto then scattered with
crumbled feta cheese, ripe black olives, artichoke hearts and fire roasted
red peppers enthusiastically baked and served hot and yummy – well worth the wait
Black and Tan Onion Rings
Unique onion rings flavored with dark stout beer
Wild Mushroom Ravioli
Roasted wild mushroom raviolis laid upon a sauté of spinach and scallions, adorned
with roasted red peppers, chopped fresh basil and a delightful beurre blanc sauce
Scallops
Plump sea scallops seared in a screaming hot pan until golden brown
and delicious, then bathed with an opulent red wine butter sauce
Fresh Apple Crisp
Delectable warm individual apple crisp complimented by
a scoop of homemade cinnamon ice cream
