two four

 My favorite kids don't care about me. Face to face conversation is a thing of the past.
"You're in your mid 20's now." Per last year's convo.
Forequarter might be one of the last fancy places on my list (...just kidding, we still have Graft.)  And I needed every bite in my life.

German ahle wurst sausage charcuterie plate was exactly what you'd expect it to be.  In typical me-fashion, I paid more attention to the mustards and olives, not to say that the paper thin sausage slices weren't just the right salty touch to go with all the sour.  But mustard...
In between briney tart and properly proportioned hearty: fried Brussels sprouts with pickled apples and apple pancetta jam, please and thank you.  Instant decision when I see it on the menu.  And how wrong can you go with fried things?  Especially when the leafy flakes are lightly breaded and spread on top of a buttery sauce ('jam' just didn't seem like quite the right word).  In the dim mood lighting, I could hardly make out what I was eating, but it was fine because every other bite would surprise me with a burst of smokey pancetta or sweet apple.

Then rainbow trout en papillote with besk broth, aromatic root veggies and herbs for the lady.  And roasted lamb with braised chard, sardine, and fennel for the gentleman.
I was missing some extra carbs to sop up the refreshingly light broth.  Perfectly cooked fish paired with disks of radishes and potatoes.  Juxtaposed with the more intense, full-flavored and tender lamb.  It was all too much.  I could definitely eat the fish over and over again.

To finish: apple en croute with kefir ice cream, caramel, and hazelnuts.  The pastry was incredibly fluffy, the ice cream was not as weird I feared it might be, and I will never turn my back on a hazelnut.
Thank you Danny, you spoil me.