Kitchen Dreams.

For our anniversary, Josh and I kept with our two traditions from last year: a fabulously fancy dinner and a champagne toast using our wedding toasting flutes.

Last year, we ate a multi-course meal at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena (now the Dining Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel). This year, we decided to make reservations at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel.

Josh is a huge Gordon Ramsay fan. Well before Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, Josh religiously watched Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and The "F" Word, both on the BBC America.


Walking into the hotel and restaurant is like dying and going to modern art deco heaven. The hotel and restaurant were designed by David Collins. When I win the lottery, we are hiring him to help with the design of our Malibu beach house.

We ordered the chef's seven-course menu. They were very accommodating and did a vegetarian version for Josh. The sommelier paired different wines with each course. Such a treat!


Bread basket! (Josh was in love with the goat cheese cracker bread.)


Course #1: Smoked Mushroom and Foie Gras Chawanmushi
Wine #1: 2004 Baumard, Coteaux du Layon, Carte d'Or


Course #2: Pacific Yellow Fin Tuna with Pickled Daikon, Crab Beignets, Sesame Soy Dressing
Wine #2: Eiko Fuji Junmai Ginjo (sake)


Course #3: Burrata Mozzarella with Heirloom Tomatoes, Cape Gooseberries, Basil Pesto
Wine #3: 2007 Kurt Angerer, Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria

(The tomatoes were probably the most delicious tomatoes I have ever had. So fresh and sweet but still firm. Even Josh liked them, and he's not a fan of tomatoes.)


Course #4: Hand-Dived Sea Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, and Sherry Vinegar Wine Reduction
Wine #4: 2006 Saintsburg Chardonnay, Carneros, CA


Course #5: Rack of Sonoma Lamb and Confit Shoulder, Pearl Onions, Pomme Puree
Wine #5: 1999 Rioja, Lopez de Heredia


Course #6: Cara Cara Orange Three Ways, Cinnamon Ice Cream, and Rose Water Sabayon
Wine #6: Scagliola Moscato d'Asti

(This was the "pre-dessert," and Josh's favorite wine pairing. The sparkling wine plus the dessert tasted like like creamsicle. Delish.)


Course #7: Confit Bing Cherries, Valrhona Chocolate Sponge, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Banyuls
Wine #7: Doke Monestralle


Our server brought us out a scoop of plum ice cream to congratulate us on our anniversary. The ice cream tasted like an actual, tart plum.


We talked with our server, Cooper, a bit throughout the night, and after learning Josh was a fan of Gordon Ramsay, he offered to take us on a tour of the kitchen. Of course, we said yes!






Each glass is hand polished. For each course, we got a fresh wine glass and fresh flatware. So, someone hand polished 14 glasses just for us. Pretty crazy.


My favorite stop ... the cellar!

Gordon Ramsay was great. I would definitely go back again for a special occasion. The service was friendly and everyone was extremely attentive. Plus, the food and wine were truly spectacular -- well paired, flavorful, and interesting.


After dinner, we were completely stuffed. We waddled to the car and headed back to our house.

Josh broke out the champagne and our wedding toasting flutes, and we toasted to our two wonderful years together ... and hopefully many more to come!

Two years!

Two years ago today ...


I married my high school sweetheart, one and only love, and best friend.


Awww. Happy Anniversary, Josh!!


Tonight, we are going out to a nice dinner to celebrate! I will try and sneak my camera in so I can do a full-picture post of what will hopefully be a fabulous dinner!

One Year

Today is our first year anniversary! I cannot believe how quickly this year has come and gone. Everyone says the first year is hard, and although there were some growing pains, this year has really been wonderful! I was never one of those little girls who planned her wedding or thought about her "future husband," and so I think the most surprising thing I learned this year is how much of the "marrying type" I actually am. Who knew?! :) I was excited to marry Josh, but I don't think I knew I would love being married to him this much. Even in spite of the rants about beer and music, the guitars peppered throughout my apartment, and the train-like snoring, I still think he's pretty great. :)



Okay, enough mush! Geez, what have I turned into? :)

So, last night we went to dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena to celebrate our anniversary. Our original plan was to go to Santa Barbara, stay at Bacara, and spend the weekend drinking wine, but, alas, work owns me and I ended up having to turn around a project. We may try and do a make-up weekend over Labor Day weekend.

Anyway, dinner was incredible! We sat outside on this pretty veranda that had a gorgeous view of the city lights. We were in our own little corner, so it was very cozy. We ordered a fixed menu prepared by the chef and paired with three different wines. Josh has some special dietary needs, and they were so wonderful and accommodating. The chef even came out to meet us, wish us a Happy Anniversary, and tell us he would "whip up something special." We had seven tiny courses, but I was so stuffed at the end. Everything I tasted was unbelievable. Josh kept saying he felt like we were in the audience of Top Chef. :) It was definitely a fun dinner and perfect for the occasion.

So, this morning I have to turn back to all the declarations I have been writing and crank out a few more. After that, I don't know what we're up to...

Tonight, my dad, grandparents, sister and her guy are supposed to swing by, have some champagne with us, and eat a little defrosted wedding cake. We pulled the top layer out last night to defrost, and surprisingly, it looks really good! I have been a little skeptical. Just in case, we may end up with a small back-up cake...