Valentines day 2013

I woke up excited. Today was the day, a night out with the hubster for Valentines Day. Months ago I ensured that I would have the night off work, a week ago we booked our selves in for dinner at the best place in town. Are you  sure we can afford it this week? Probably not...but lets do it anyway. And we excitedly waited. The last time we went out for a nice dinner was "the weekend of possibilities" way back in June last year. BC (before children) we went out for dinner all the time... now we are limited to two times a year!

But valentines day you say is just a cheesy money making scheme by greeting card company's. I didn't care. I wanted to be wined and dined this day. 

So my day panned out a little something like this. 

# Sent the kids off to their learning zones and grabbed a coffee from my favourite cafe and picked  hubster up a mochacinno and two extra flat whites for two of his colleagues. 

Arrived home to find a package on my door step. Hmm. I don't remember ordering anything recently? I rip into it. Its a book I won from a blogger giveaway from Miriam. Yay!

Help out with school swimming transport. Take the camera and take some snaps of gorgeous boy number one. 

Do the usual afternoon stuff, pick up kids, bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies, make dinner for the kids, feed, shower, homework. Get house in order before baby sitter arrives.

Look in the mirror mortified realizing I look tired and dishevelled. Holy smokes I better get cracking and look lovely for my date.Clothes on, make up slapped on. Toddler in bed. Out the door ready to make an 8pm dinner reservation. (I know right! 8pm! Who eats at that time of night?)

We arrive to the swankiest place in the city, A Deco. Chef Brenton Low has been named Cuisine Magazines Chef of the year. Of the whole of NZ! So he's kind of a big deal. We have been here before once for dinner way back in 2011. But we are such a couple of hicks that the fine dinning thing makes us laugh nervously. The poshness of it all just cracks us up. But we were here for the food. Boy do we love our food. I love going out for tea with my man. Like me he virtually eats anything...except offal.

We arrive to find that there is a set Valentines Day menu at $75 each. It would have been nice to be told that over the phone when we booked. What if we only wanted a main only? It didn't worry us because we were already set on trying a degustation type menu again tonight anyway. It all sounded delicious. I decided to take my camera this time. I hate snapping pictures in such a nice place like this...but really it is a complement to the chef. Such works of art should be savored right? We did mention to the couple next door.."its for the blog." 

Peach Bellini and the bottle of water I accidentally ordered for $12!?




Bread and Amuse.
Goat Cheese fritter on tomato sauce.

Summer green pea soup with sauteed local ham and three cheese fritter

Sesame seared NZ caught Tuna with Squid, Soy caviar, curried cauliflower & wasbi avocado

My hot date and his "palate cleanser". Pineapple and citrus sorbet.

Aged fillet of Beef with twice baked cheese souffle, beetroot two ways and winter vegetables

And finally...




Baked rich 70% chocolate tart with huanui peach sorbet, manuka smoked chocolate fondue. 


Yes it all tastes as good as it looked!
Happy Valentines day My love.