Had a good night out in the District with La Raymunda last night. I picked up a new bottle of Scotch, the Caol Ila 12 y.o. that Jim recommended. I think it’s the first bottle of anything (other than the occasional Newcastle) I’ve bought in the last six months. Maybe longer. Afterwards we walked to Zola, she with her face scrunched down into her windblock fleece (it was cold and windy and she was under-warmed), and had a real nice dinner that we really couldn’t afford, but we did it anyway and, as Hemingway would have said, it was good.

My dinner
(I don’t remember what Debra had…if you want to know, write to her and tell her to start her own blog, this one is all about me me me)

• Truffled Sheep Ricotta Tortelloni appetizer with fresh anise crema, truffles, shaved manchego this was like eating a cream and butter bomb encased in perfectly cooked pasta…yummy
• Sautéed Arctic Char with oysters, bacon, spinach, tomatoes, oyster root puree also very tasty…the sauce was, as the tiger would say, grrrrrreat!
• Zola Lobster Mac & Cheese (we split this) “This has nutmeg. I hate nutmeg,” she said. I said, “I know I’m going to hell for saying this, but I’ll say it anyway, I prefer the Kraft mac and cheese with the cheese dust.”
  
• a mojito excellent, but La Raymunda’s are better
• a glass of the Navarro Correas 2005 Malbec from Argentina, where women display their breasts and the men love them for it (described on the wine list - the wine, that is, not the breasts of Argentine women - as “a sumptuously-styled wine, fresh and fruity with a velvety texture and a spicy mature finish. Yummy!” I would agree, it was a tasty wine…but how does one “style” a wine? Hair gel? Curlers? Is mousse involved?
• a glass of the Cerbois XO Armagnac I’ve been looking for a good, reasonably-priced Armagnac and saw this for sale at Central Liquors, where we bought the Caol Ila. I didn’t buy the bottle because I was already buying the Scotch, and I’m glad I didn’t…I thought the Cerbois XO was thin and watery…so did LaRay

For dessert we split a chocolate bundt cake with housemade cherry ice cream and a chocolate crisp.

The whole bill set us back about three Outbacks and we’ll probably be eating rolled flour tortillas stuffed with shredded cheddar cheese for the rest of the week, but we needed the night out and I’m glad we did it.

Is there any way possible to get a Mulligan on 2007?