Friday, April 1st, 2011: Clyde Commons

To say I needed a drink tonight would be an understatement. I've spent the past 8 days with teenagers and came back to the hell of planning a school wide assembly. Clyde Commons was exactly what I needed.

Via Unknown Source

 One greyhound in and the worries of my world were washed down, as did the fact I'm gluten intolerant. But on this Friday night, the rules went out the window. I will get drunk the night before wine tasting, I will eat gluten after a week of southern buffet bouncing and I will order dessert even though I gave it up for lent :) God understands that tonight is the exception. And whoever says food and alcohol can't solve your problems couldn't be more wrong. Let me tell you, I feel 95% better now.

We had the most delightful waiter who suggested blue cheese on my burger. Oh the burger . . . but why, when I told him it was incredible, did he have to tell me they hand grind the meat themselves daily, adding pork fat to it? Adding fat to fat isn't usually appetizing, but tonight I just smiled, loving the extra fat and feeling my face blow up two sizes. The burger was obviously perfectly cooked medium rare, because this is Clyde Commons and they know what they are doing--smoothly melted blue cheese, a perfect hint of pungent, without overshadowing the beef.

Via unknown source

 I also ordered their $3 happy hour salad of mixed greens with a berry vinaigrette. And they brought us a small plate of their salted foccacio bread, with olive oil and crushed pepper. Melted. In. Our. Mouths. The simplest of things at Clyde are extraordinary for some reason; I can't put my tongue on why.

I think our waiter was amused by our chatter--ranging from law school, how to pronounce the menu, dating men 20 years older, how many fun size candy bars make up a real bar and things of that nature--and so when I asked for the dessert menu and the girls all said no and I exclaimed, I've had the most stressful week of my life, I'm getting dessert, he promptly brought me over a class of champagne to go with my Baked Alaska. God bless his heart.

The champagne-buzz-dessert combination is what really erased the past 24 hours of my life, leaving me worry free and knowing that life's OK. The Baked Alaska: chocolate mouse, along side a chocolate cookie, topped with bruleed merengie. Here's the kicker, which makes Clyde Commons just so spectaculare, inside the merenge is bourbon ice cream!!!! And to the side, in an adorable miniture pot, are toffee crumbles. Ahhh its all too much; I love it so.

So my advice friends and enemies a like: know that life will never be so difficult that you can't eat and drink your way to a better understanding of your challenges.