But, let's recap the weekend. It was good - chocked full of sports for the kids. We started with soccer on Saturday morning. Now, I'm still not quite convinced that my kids have the aggressive nature needed for soccer. Don't get me wrong - they like to get in there and kick the ball and score a goal or make a good defensive play, but they're not into heavy contact and I still think Grayson is more interested in the Gatorade and donuts post-practice.
Ready to rock!
Doing their thing!
Saturday afternoon brought more sports...baseball this time. We'll be heading to Singapore in November (Thanksgiving) for a tournament. Right now, it looks like we'll be flying out Wednesday evening as the 12U tournament starts on Thursday due to the large number of teams entered. We're not sure how much playing time Caleb will be getting as it is a 12U tournament (and he's playing up), but we're hoping he'll get a few innings in. He looked really good at practice this weekend (And, yes, I'm his mom and I'm biased, but his coaches told us the same thing. We can thank the Trojans for some good ball playing last season and the additional weight he's gained as he's just getting the bat around quicker and his throwing is getting stronger.) Grayson, while not as driven when it comes to baseball, is doing great. I forget that he's 7 sometimes when I watch him at practice and his attention span seems to be that of a gnat, but, then I remind myself..."Seven, he's seven. That's what all 7 year olds are like."
Practice at MKIS
Sunday had Caleb off to an ice skating birthday party...first time on skates. He had a BLAST! (So much that he thinks he wants a skating party for his birthday...I'm still trying to convince him otherwise.) And, for Grayson, that meant bowling to entertain him while big brother was at the party.
Skating...not exactly ready for the NHL, but he had fun!
My little bowler...who beat his dad by 1 pin!!!
Okay...so there's the recap on the kids. Now, let's talk about date night! Woot! Woot! So excited to leave my kids Saturday night and head out for dinner without them...it wouldn't have mattered if we were heading to Subway. (Okay...it may have mattered a little!) But, we were not heading to Subway...we were heading downtown to Marini's on 57.
Marini's is know for it's view of downtown, so I was sure to make our reservations towards sunset. We got there about 45 minutes before our reservation and headed for the bar.
Views from the bar
Enjoying the bar
Blaine and I ordered an Italiano to start with...BLECH!!! So bitter...could not drink it. (And you know it must be bad because I like my bubbles/champagne/prosecco/cava.) So, after that we just ordered a bottle of champagne and a couple of shots of Chambord to enjoy with it. Just nice to chat about the week and enjoy the view. The nice thing was that we never felt rushed. Even when it was time for our reservation in the dining room, they told us to sit and enjoy the bar a bit longer if we wanted to - which we did.
About 7:20 we went into the dining room. I'll fess up that I had checked out the menu beforehand and knew exactly what I wanted...it was just too funny that Blaine wanted the exact same thing. El was our waiter this evening and said (with a laugh) that we were "quite boring" since we ordered the same soup and entree, but we told him we were expecting it to be the very best. Then, El continued to pick on Blaine and his name. For some reason, he found Blaine Blackburn to be rather amusing - he said it should be the name of a cocktail.
An amuse-bouche was brought out first...which was waldorf salad on a crostini. It was good...a little heavily dressed, but tasty. Fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar was brought around - along with some crispy flatbread, also.
We both ordered French onion soup. I loved the soup...the onions were much sweeter than what I'm used to in the States...which was pleasant. Now, I love cheese and would have appreciated a bit more, but the soup was light due to the small amount of cheese and lack of bread...and very enjoyable.
For entrees, we both ordered the filet...boring, I know. But, it was being served with bone marrow, which I have never had and was curious to try. And damn, it was delicious! I will say that my steak was cooked to a perfect rare - which is how I ordered it. And, while it was small...it was more than sufficient.
Next, we were surprised with a bit of whimsy...which you really didn't expect at this restaurant. A plate of fresh spun cotton candy was brought to the table. Super sweet, but who can resist a little piece of childhood! (And they brought you wet naps to clean your hands when you were finished.)
And then there was dessert. We ordered this chocolate bon bon which was amazing on presentation and flavor. It was a large sphere filled with a hazelnut mousse surrounded by fresh berries, chocolate bits, a homemade marshmallow and a chocolate lollipop. When it is brought to the table your waiter then pours hot chocolate sauce on the sphere, melting the chocolate and exposing the hazelenut filling. Fabulous!
Before and after
We also ordered a small cheese tray - as we both love cheese and couldn't resist. Three very different cheeses, served with a reduced balsamic vinegar and marmalade and grilled brioche. I would've like one of the cheeses to be a little stronger in flavor or perhaps a goat's milk cheese, but it was tasty nonetheless.
Blaine and I have had the pleasure of dining in some great restaurants in L.A. and San Francisco (we're foodie geeks - always seeking out great chefs as we travel) and we really enjoyed our night here. It was pricey...no doubt about it...and not something we'll do all the time, but the view, the food and the company made for a fabulous evening.
Oh...and local friends...I see that KL is launching it's very first restaurant week starting October 4th. We're not as versed on the great local restaurants we should try, but if anyone wants to check the list and make some recommendations to us or set up a lunch date - please let me know: Restaurant Week KL
They are taking reservations now until September 29th. You can click on each restaurant and see what they are offering for a prix fixe menu that week - for either lunch or dinner. We had the pleasure of attending restaurant week in L.A. a few years back and it was fabulous!!!
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