Our story, as told through food
Food has always been a central part of celebrations for my family. Growing up among amazing cooks in a tight-knit family has a way of making food a big focus. Most of the food I ate growing up was simple, hearty, homey food: traditional Southern meals, meat and potatoes, decadent desserts. There is nothing so comforting and nostalgic to me as the smell of food cooking in my mom's kitchen. It wasn't until I was in my mid twenties that I branched out from more simple fare to trying different kinds of ethnic cuisines. Little by little, I tried new things that were way outside my comfort zone: sushi, Ethiopian food, Thai food, Pho, cheeses that were previously unheard of. The more I tried, the more I wanted, and that desire for new food experiences continues to expand my eating and cooking horizons.
When Russell and I met, (crazy story for another time) the first place we hung out was my buddy Jason's restaurant, Comfort. Jason is one of the people who introduced me to so many new foods, so many amazing meals, that I've come to say that I'd eat a piece of shoe leather if Jason cooked it. Comfort is a casual dining place, with familiar Southern dishes elevated to a new level. Fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, squash casserole...all staples that have now been transformed in my mind through Jason's take on them. Comfort became my second home; I pretty much had a permanent seat at the bar, and it became an integral part of my relationship with Russell. We have celebrated both of our 30th birthdays there, renewed our wedding vows there, even had Jason come over and be our personal chef to celebrate our anniversary when Roy was a newborn so I wouldn't have to go out but could still have good food. It will always be a big part of our story.
During some rocky parts of our dating life, a new restaurant entered the scene and quickly became a part of our love story. Dogwood was the first fine-dining place that Russell and I frequented together. We were really broke at the time, I was an apprentice and he was living paycheck to paycheck. But we would save up for special nights to go to Dogwood. Some nights we would scrape together $25 between us and go sit at the bar for one drink and a shared appetizer. Regardless of our budget, the owner Roger always made us feel welcome, and those little indulgences were some of my favorite nights with my man. Russell took me there to woo me back into dating him after we had a break up. Smart move. We spent our wedding night there, with our tiny secretive bridal party of 5, and when I walked in wearing a wedding dress Roger was so happy for us that he sent over an amazing bottle of wine on the house to help us celebrate. That place was a game changer for many reasons, not the least of which was the menu that really changed my perspective on food. Grilled Caesar salad (as in, the lettuce itself was grilled), eating foie gras for the first time, complex desserts that were almost too delicate and beautiful to eat...I will always be thankful for Dogwood and the memories we have there. I'm bummed that they closed, but really glad that their chef David Shannon has opened L'Opposum, our new fancy date night spot. AND he still does that Caesar salad!
In our almost 13 years together, Russell and I have made it our mission to explore new food, new restaurants, new recipes. We love the hole in the wall joints as much as the 5 star restaurants. Food memories are strong for us and it is something we are passing on to our kids too. Roy, as selective as he is with food, clearly remembers the first time he had fried calamari, which is now his favorite food (it was at The Betty on Davis and he ate the entire plate himself). Stella's favorite restaurant is Iron Chef Morimotos for sushi. Of course the food is important, but what really matters are the feelings the food evokes and the memories of the experiences we associate with those meals. Our 10th anniversary at Le Bernadin. Traveling to Spain and eating Iberico ham. Russell and Stella rolling dozens of tamales by hand. Roy eating an oyster for the first time. Knowing that NaNa makes the best scrambled eggs on the planet. Planning our Christmas Eve menu. Food memories are our heritage, our history, our legacy and our future.
When Russell and I met, (crazy story for another time) the first place we hung out was my buddy Jason's restaurant, Comfort. Jason is one of the people who introduced me to so many new foods, so many amazing meals, that I've come to say that I'd eat a piece of shoe leather if Jason cooked it. Comfort is a casual dining place, with familiar Southern dishes elevated to a new level. Fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, squash casserole...all staples that have now been transformed in my mind through Jason's take on them. Comfort became my second home; I pretty much had a permanent seat at the bar, and it became an integral part of my relationship with Russell. We have celebrated both of our 30th birthdays there, renewed our wedding vows there, even had Jason come over and be our personal chef to celebrate our anniversary when Roy was a newborn so I wouldn't have to go out but could still have good food. It will always be a big part of our story.
During some rocky parts of our dating life, a new restaurant entered the scene and quickly became a part of our love story. Dogwood was the first fine-dining place that Russell and I frequented together. We were really broke at the time, I was an apprentice and he was living paycheck to paycheck. But we would save up for special nights to go to Dogwood. Some nights we would scrape together $25 between us and go sit at the bar for one drink and a shared appetizer. Regardless of our budget, the owner Roger always made us feel welcome, and those little indulgences were some of my favorite nights with my man. Russell took me there to woo me back into dating him after we had a break up. Smart move. We spent our wedding night there, with our tiny secretive bridal party of 5, and when I walked in wearing a wedding dress Roger was so happy for us that he sent over an amazing bottle of wine on the house to help us celebrate. That place was a game changer for many reasons, not the least of which was the menu that really changed my perspective on food. Grilled Caesar salad (as in, the lettuce itself was grilled), eating foie gras for the first time, complex desserts that were almost too delicate and beautiful to eat...I will always be thankful for Dogwood and the memories we have there. I'm bummed that they closed, but really glad that their chef David Shannon has opened L'Opposum, our new fancy date night spot. AND he still does that Caesar salad!
In our almost 13 years together, Russell and I have made it our mission to explore new food, new restaurants, new recipes. We love the hole in the wall joints as much as the 5 star restaurants. Food memories are strong for us and it is something we are passing on to our kids too. Roy, as selective as he is with food, clearly remembers the first time he had fried calamari, which is now his favorite food (it was at The Betty on Davis and he ate the entire plate himself). Stella's favorite restaurant is Iron Chef Morimotos for sushi. Of course the food is important, but what really matters are the feelings the food evokes and the memories of the experiences we associate with those meals. Our 10th anniversary at Le Bernadin. Traveling to Spain and eating Iberico ham. Russell and Stella rolling dozens of tamales by hand. Roy eating an oyster for the first time. Knowing that NaNa makes the best scrambled eggs on the planet. Planning our Christmas Eve menu. Food memories are our heritage, our history, our legacy and our future.
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