Big Jones

It has been such a long time since the last post here on Date Night Diaries. That doesn't mean the Date Nights haven't happened. They have. In the midst of one of the most horrid winters in Chicago, we somehow managed to get out and go places. Many times dinner and a movie. But we kept forgetting the camera, and we kept forgetting to post!

This past Saturday, we remembered the camera, although Peter turned off the flash and claims the photos are better. You be the judge, Reader. Maybe my husband is trying to tell me something.

My Date Night adventure was minimalist, dinner at Big Jones restaurant in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Needless to say, it was a cold, dark night. It took us FOREVER to get there. The journey seemed endless. The restaurant is small but nice. I chose it because the chef serves Louisiana and Low Country offerings with organic ingredients. Despite a rather awkward table in the back, we had a pleasant experience. We liked our waitress, especially when she admitted to having interviewed to teach down in New Orleans. She confessed to needing a shot of courage to actually take the step and go do it! We gave her encouragement. New Orleans must still give off scary vibes even three years after the hurricane.

Peter and I completely finished off our entrees. No food left behind. I had pork shank with the most wonderful beans and a vegetable slaw on top. Peter had the tenderest of duck slices. The only thing I didn't care for were the beets I had as an appetizer. They were sweet which surprised me. I love beets, too. And for dessert, I had a very huge slice of delicious Red Velvet cake which was by contrast not very sweet. I liked it that way. Also, the redness came from beet juice (beets again) and raspberries instead of food coloring.

All in all, a fine meal. We will be going back again, I think. Maybe next time we will meet the chef. But we had to rush home afterwards because we had 20 teenagers at our house who whether they thought so or not needed adult supervision. Next week it's Peter's turn again, and I've already got my next Date Night adventure planned. Stay tuned.