Date night

Last night was date night.  It is really hard for us to get this kind of time, and frankly, it is hard for me sometimes to get into the groove once I do have the time.  But, last night was breezy and easy.

It almost didn't happen because Sag suddenly wasn't feeling it when the transition involved a dog (being cared for while friends are overseas) that had gotten out of Donna's yard and was missing.  This is a dog we all know and feel affection for, so it was worrisome all around.  Sag is definitely going through a phase of some sort and his sensitivity is running high.

(The dog was found and Sag was able to let us go.  When I checked in with him after we were finished with dinner he said he was "fine, fine, fine" so we ended up having a leisurely time.)

There is a new Indian restaurant in town and Cap and I were both excited to try it out.  We both love Indian food and our go to Indian place in town folded a couple of years ago.  There is great Indian in

Jersey City, but that's a schlep.

We got to Brick Lane around 5:30 and were the first ones there.  I opted for a two-top by the front windows, which were actually doors with glass panels.  The light fixtures in the cozy space were very cute (made using colanders), but I like natural light.

By 6:00 the place was hopping and, at times, really loud (two families eating together with young children were the culprits...it wasn't so much the kids, but the moms).  But, by then, we were diving into our food so I didn't mind so much.

I had a tandoori fish salad appetizer and for my main, saag paneer.  I also had a salt lassi.  Cap had vegetable samosas and chana masala.  We forgot about byo so he had to go without a beer.

The salmon on my salad was outstanding.  It outshone everything else I ate.  It was so flavorful, had a great mix of textures, and the salmon was cooked to perfection.  It was seriously sublime.  The small bite of chana masala I took was also fantastic.  I was shocked with pleasure at how many tastes I experienced as that morsel hit my tongue.  The saag paneer was really good.  Fresh, was the operative word.  I wished a little bit for more complexity and heat.  The paneer seemed homemade and held up well to the spinach sauce.  The lassi was intense.  I can't say I enjoyed it, but that was through no fault of the lassi.  I'll go back to a mango lassi some sugary day.

After dinner and checking in with Sag, we went home.  It was pretty delicious just hanging out and talking, completely relaxed, on our own time, in our own space.  We listened to the cicadas out the window, we watched the light change in the darkening room as the sun began it's final set...sigh.  It was lovely.