Our anniversary dinner

For our anniversary on Wednesday, my sexy husband and I went to the Trattoria Roma. A friend of ours is an apprentice to the chef there (he always corrects me when I call him the chef), and because of his stories I've wanted to go there for a long time. In June, when my in-law's celebrated their 25th anniversary, we sent them to the Trattoria Roma, and they raved about it. It was, perhaps, the best restaurant experience they'd ever had. I've been waiting to go ever since, and I wasn't disappointed. My sexy husband and I agree that while it may have been the best meal we have ever had, it was far and away, without contest the best Italian meal we'd ever had.

We started off with a really great wine. When my in-laws went to the restaurant, the chef recommended this wine to best complement both of their dinners (and, incidentally, we were going to be ordering the same thing). It was quite full bodied for a white (very necessary to stand up to the appetizer and my meal which were very full in flavor) but it finished with a burst of fruit (wonderful and necessary for my sexy husband's meal which was more mild to accommodate scallops). Fantastic. One of the best wines I've had...and it BETTER have been for the price.:)

After the wine came our appetizer: POLENTA E GORGONZOLA AI FUNGHI, a rich porcini and mixed mushroom gorgonzola sauce over seared (or deep fried?) polenta. Because I didn't want to be rushed, I made our reservation for 7:30. By the time our appetizer came, we were incredibly hungry. I meant to take a picture. I remembered after I had already used the wonderful thinly sliced, subtly garlic bread to mop up the last of the sauce. And the sauce was incredible. I can't even describe it. Incredible.

After the appetizer, my sexy husband and I split the salad special, a spinach salad with crispy pancetta, roasted red peppers, and some other stuff I can't remember in a creamy balsamic dressing.

For dinner, my sexy husband ordered the PAGLIA E FIENO, Spinach and egg fettuccine (hand cut), tiger shrimp, scallops and fresh vegetables in a lemon-smoked salmon cream sauce (complete with pieces of salt-cured salmon). Is your mouth watering already or do I need to describe it further. It didn't disappoint.

As good as my sexy husband's dinner was, I feel that I made the right choice on mine: TORTELLI IN SALSA SALMONE, smoked salmon ravioli with mascarpone in a tomato-caper cream sauce with fresh spinach and [tons of] mushrooms. The ravioli was fantastic. The sauce was out of this world....just bursting with flavor (and yet still pared well with the wine). Perfection.

Unfortunately, my sexy husband and I could only eat a few bites of our dinner before we were full...but that didn't stop us from ordering dessert! I got creme brulee with mixed berries (strawberries and blueberries).

My sexy husband got black cherry gelato. He made the better choice this time.

This wasn't the fanciest restaurant I'd ever been to. And it didn't really have the best presentation (though it wasn't bad). But the flavors.....

The whole evening was fantastic.