We started at Zona Rosa (our old stomping grounds when we lived in Atchison) and bashed around there for a few hours. We had fond conversations about prior anniversaries, hitting a deer with our Elantra on our anniversary on our return trip from Zona Rosa, other anniversary dinners spent at Justus. My mom gave me wonderful advice about writing down what you do to celebrate your anniversary every year to keep forever, so I will be going back for the last 5 years to blog about our adventures in the past. What a great thing to have for future reminiscence!
Anyway, at Zona Rosa we started off grabbing a quick lunch at Panera. I needed something light and delicious so it was the perfect spot. Shaw mostly despises Panera, so it was kind of him to come along :) This was followed by light shopping at Old Navy, then hitting up the local record/Dvd/VHS/Comic book store. Shaw recently purchased a record player (after saving up his Amazon gift cards for almost a year!) and loves the hunt for records. As of now, he has one record to his name, but the hunt is just as fun!
We walked around Zona in 100 degree heat for a bit, stopping in stores for the air conditioning as well as to enjoy little boy clothes in all of the fun stores! We bought one newborn polo romper at Marshalls just because it was SO CUTE!
From there, this pregnant woman needed a break! We went to the hotel - the Drury Inn by the airport (chosen due to the great location to our dinner destination). We have been joking about staying at a Drury ever since our Chicago cousins told us about it. Owned by Catholics and chock full of free amenities! We checked in a bit after 3. From 3-10 PM they have free soda and popcorn in the lobby! Upon check in- you also received drink tickets for that evening. From 5:30-7 you can get 3 free drinks/person from the bar in the lobby, as well as TONS of free hot food. I'm serious about the amount! They had hot dogs, a nacho bar, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, and lots of snack food. FOR FREE. Granted, not the highest quality of food, but SUPER fun. Really, anything free for me is fun. We grabbed 4 drinks (equivalent to about 1.5 shots of bottom shelf burbon) to bring back up to the room for Shaw for later. We had a great two room suite (albeit right next to the elevator and ice machine :) ) and I LOVED setting the AC for about 65 - just like you mom!
Then, we hit the road for our 6:30 reservations at JUSTUS!
Shaw sneakily taking a photo of the cool open kitchen behind me (and me too I suppose).
We had an AMAZING waitress who was really fun and energetic, very knowledgeable but not stuffy. She had the bartender, who is known country wide for his fabulous mixing abilities, make me a delicious mocktini with cucumber and lime! Shaw had two amazing cocktails as well. We started dinner at 6:30, and we weren't finished until 9:15. All incredible dinners should last about 3 hours!
This is the amuse bouche, or "perfect bite". (read: delicious and free). It was a crostini with terrigon chicken sausage, saurkraut, housemade 1000 Island dressing, Shatto goat cheese gouda cream sauce with a pistachio on top. Seriously would have been happy with 12 of these for dinner and gone home VERY happily!
She then brought over THIS dish, which we did not order, and said "we have to have a little chat". The kitchen accidentally made two of these housemade pasta dishes when they only needed one. She told the chef, Jonathan Justus, that she had this "super cute couple" who she would love to give this to! SOO kind!
Pasta Pecan Watercress: house made pasta, spicy pecans, watercress sauce, Maytag blue cheese anglaise, golden beets, spinach
Then, came what we actually ordered! Top: Fried goat cheese with orange marmalade, and spring greens.
Bottom: Pork Fritter: lightly breaded house made headcheese, horseradish dressed romaine, spicy mustard sauce, tart cherry sauce
Smoked Mushroom Rib Eye Steak Peidmontese beef, grilled romaine dumplings, sesame dressed fresh spinach, cauliflower, smoked mushrooms, caramelized shallot blue cheese sauce, pine needle essence
‘Rare Hare Barn’ Stuffed Rabbit, bacon, rabbit mousseline, pistachio, loin, sunchoke/turnip/carrot sauce, sherried potatoes, endive, roasted pickled grapes, celery, grilled onion
Chocolate Hickory Nut Cake
cocoa Chantilly, honeyed chocolate paint,
salted caramel, bacon brittle, popcorn ice cream
Autumn Trio
Pecan tartlet with orange marmalade, paw paw panna cotta with
cherry/sweet vermouth, blue cheese cheese cake/fig filled donut
We we given a TINY glass of sparkling wine as the perfect end of the meal (complimentary of course). Overall, an AMAZING dining experience.
After dinner back at the Drury about 9:30. How great to be back at the hotel so early for a LONG night's sleep!
We woke up in time for the delicious breakfast in the lobby, then back up to the room to pack up. It is AMAZING how fast one can get things done without the little ones around. Much more efficient, but not as cute that's for sure.
We hit up 11:00 Mass at St. Charles Borromeo in KC, MO. A quaint little church with a rock star priest. It has been a VERY long time since going to Mass without the girls. I missed their smiling faces and craziness, and it was strange to actually follow along with the readings and listen attentively to the homily. It was truly one of the best homilies I have heard in a great long time, with a bunch of humor and beauty. It was a beautifully reverent Mass with lots of incense!
We then drove to Baked in Westport for a lunch/brunch (see: the world's largest pancakes)
I found one of Monica's favorite parts of her train in my purse to keep us busy as we waited!
Then to Half Price Books to casually peruse records and books. No purchases.
Then a quick drive through a Westport staple: The Filing Station Coffee.
Then home for a few minutes to unpack, then to dinner with my in-law's, and to pick up the girlies! Thank you Judy and Dan for watching our girls for the weekend! What a blessing!
6 years married to the love of my life - woohoo!
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