Maxine Turns 50

Maxine turned 50 today and we celebrated by going to what is literally the best restaurant in France ( http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2090.cfm ) -- Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire. It was quite an experience. The food was off the charts! In the lunch menu they served us 25-30 different items including, for example, 4 different preparations of tomato. At the end of the meal, along with coffee (after about 6 other deserts) they served 2 different chocolates. The service was great, the wines impressive, and each of the flavors very unique.

When Mr. Gagnaire came by the table after the meal, I managed to tell him we were celebrating Maxine's 5th birthday (my bad French), but once we cleared up that I meant 50th, he wished her a "Bon anniversaire".

(From Patricia Wells', "Food Lover's Guide to Paris" website): "There is no chef more creative than Pierre Gagnaire is: I love dining in this cozy, grown-up, grey and white dining room, savoring Gagnaire’s thoughtful fare. It’s never the same, but I’ve been wowed by everything from tiny clams fried in polenta and set on a bed of mushroom purée; an unusual serving of grated coconut paired with bits of cauliflower and a celery root purée. Who else could make us collage with pleasure over a single fat raspberry rolled in sugar?"

Happy Birthday Maxine!