Cafe Atlantico
Although I don't consider myself a "foodie," I do derive great enjoyment from eating good food. Chris and I like to try out new restaurants, if not weekly, then monthly. A lot of our meals are casual, and easy to make primal. Last week, we ate at a grill and I had steak fajitas. I ate the filling with a fork and left the tortillas on the table. But sometimes our meals are indulgent.
We lucked into some reservations for dinner at Cafe Atlantico on Tuesday night. This is restaurant week, and the restaurant had a prix fixe menu that included an appetizer, entree and dessert.
We started with guacamole prepared tag-team tableside. I ate most of my portion with a fork, but did try one overloaded tortilla chip. I never noticed before what a nice nutty saltiness the tortilla chip adds. Such subtleties are overshadowed by the shoveling approach to appetizers.
Appetizer:
Me: Roasted Beet Salad (seasonal organic baby beets, oranges, cotija cheese, sherry vinaigrette)
Chris: Tuna Ceviche (coconut milk, avocado)
Entree:
Me: Grilled Flat Iron Steak (creamy whipped potatoes, green beans, porcini mushrooms, wine reduction)
Chris: Duck Confit (parsnips, dried cherries, fresh herbs, almonds, horseradish yogurt)
Dessert (yes, we ate dessert!):
Me: Mango sorbet
Chris: Molton Chocolate Cake (banana cream, bananas)
Dinner was fantastic, and especially so because our table was on the edge of the 3rd story of the dining room, overlooking the kitchen. I had a nice perch from which to watch the chefs prepare, taste and plate food. Everyone was so relaxed and fluid, carefully navigating narrow passageways between flames, sharps and delicately balanced edible creations. It made me nostalgic for cooking school and cooking.
I've been primal for only three weeks, and had a few cheats already, so I have not developed a highly sensitive insulin response. But three weeks of being 90% sugar free has made me sensitive to sugar. I thrashed around in bed all night, with too much energy to sleep. Those desserts may very well have been worth a sleepless night.