Truancy

Katy had a day off school last Thursday and another yesterday because of the extreme cold.  Monday was no school because of teacher planning and grading.  So what did we do today?  Took Katy out of school so we could go to St Paul to watch the Chinese American Association of Minnesota Chinese Dance Theater.  

It was so worth it!  A really great show with lots of colourful costumes, a great story, and lots of Chinese new year traditions and symbolism.  Since we were such a long way from home, we took the opportunity to check out a nearby French restaurant that we had read a lot about.

 

It was certainly very atmospheric, in a beautiful historic building and featuring authentic dust on the walls that looked like Rorschach Diagrams, and wait staff with slightly grubby clothes and frayed black ribbons around their necks.  They even had a lovely French gal as the Maitre D'.  

I had been craving French food as I'm currently reading Julia Child's "My Life In France", which I love, but which makes me very hungry!  And the food we miss from Hong Kong is not the dim sum or Cantonese, or even the wonton mian, but the French restaurants and the Szechuan places.

The baguettes we were served at the beginning were a good start.  Katy asked for more!  It's hard to get good bread here and the good stuff is more Italian than French, so this was a great discovery and we've made a note to check out their supplier, Rustica Bakery in Lake Calhoun.

 And the escargots de Bourgogne were superb.  Great for dipping with the baguette.

 Katy ordered a matzoh ball soup, which was poured table side to her great delight, and half a Croque Madame.

She liked the soup, but was not a huge fan of the matzoh ball for some reason.  It's odd because she loves Julie's dumplings in her chicken dumpling soup!  From my perspective, I thought it was the best matzoh ball I had ever had - super light and fluffly.

 While Dada and Mama finished eating, Katy did a quick Michelle Phan inspired treatment for under-eye bags...

 ...and checked out Dada's new phone.

Yes, after much distress and hand wringing for many years now, Dada has finally accepted the inevitable and bought a non Blackberry phone.  He hates it!  But is determined to tame the beast or, as my Dad says, teach the machine to obey his commands.

Finally came Katy's favourite part of eating out with Mama and Dada...dessert.  While Dada and Mama shared a delicious rosemary olive oil cake with a completely wonderful and fragrant Royal Tokaij 5 Puttonyos glass of dessert wine, Katy savoured her salted caramel pop!

 

We don't really love to eat out and only really do it for very special occasions or as a matter of convenience.  So, I think our standards for a great restaurant are pretty high, possibly impossible.  Just like those Super Models who would not get out of bed for less than $10,000 per day, we are not inclined to go out to dinner unless the pay-off is really great.  Unfortunately, we've been spoilt by some great restaurants in Hong Kong that are amazingly good value and where we know the Sommelier or Maitre D' or Owner or all of them so we always get treated very well.  

So far, we are still trying to find our favourite restaurant in the Twin Cities that would be worth the drive and forfeit of our warm and comfy beds.  We'll keep you posted.