Thank God it's (ridiculously early on the morning of) Friday! I apologize for my absence... I've been trying to post this for a while but blogger has had other things in mind. Ahem, technical difficulties. Anyway, a few days ago, my wonderfully thoughtful boyfriend met me after work and took me out for dinner at... Cafe D'alsace.
It was amazing. I was so happy to be surrounded by good Alsatian food, wine, and beer again! I felt right at "home." (Thank you again to my boy who found this place and thought to bring me here... you're the best.) I got the same thrill out of this culinary nostalgia as I had at the Chilean restaurant him and I went to in December, Pomaire. 
Before we sat done I found this postcard by the hostess station. It's adorable, titled Tour de France and complete with a guide on the back listing French restaurants in New York City based on the various regions. I know I'd love to take it some day ;). The boy was starving, I was not, but we both began with a brewsky.
He had a dark Belgian lager. It was delicious, rich and creamy and it was called Delirium which is pretty cool in and of its self, ha.
Blonde beers are my favorite though, so I got a Chimay. It was perfect, light with a bit of sweetness and a lovely reminder of my semester in France. Living in Alsace I really developed an appreciation for great beer... kind of like my wine appreciation from Chile ;).
As an appetizer we split a tarte flambée. I was super excited about this one because it is such a staple for college student in Strasbourg. Sadly, I found that although tasty, it was far from authentic. The flour base was too crispy, the bacon pieces were too large, and the crême fraiche was just different. Good effort though, New York :) I greatly appreciate it.
Next came the Soup du Jour, a creamy leek and potato soup topped with garlic croutons and dill. Heavenly, indeed.
Alongside it I had an arugula salad topped with roasted red beets and tomatoes. I'm just loving the soup and salad combo lately, it's filling enough without being too heavy. Plus I can eat tons of veggie veggies! 
Perhaps I should give the boy some tips? ;) He had probably the most typical Alsatian dish on the menu, Choucroute Garnie, a casserole of sauekrat with sausages, pork, and potatoes, alongside spicy Dijon mustard. Bottom line is that he really enjoyed it, (he likes his meat!) and I suppose that's what matters after all. 
Dinner was perfect. And afterwards, on our way back to Grand Central, we enjoyed the summer night air with a stroll. We passed by countless adorable Upper East Side boutiques in doing so, like this one that apparently created many pieces for the Gossip Girl series. Pretty cool :). 
We also walked right past this interesting exhibit, Infinite Light, by Laurent Grasso at Hunter College. The phrase "day for night" is from American filmmaking but it was the purpose that struck me most. "Although we focus on the long term, it is the daily passage of time that cumulatively makes up a lifetime." That's one fantastic reminder if you ask me! Goodnight beautifuls!
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