Besides summer being just on the horizon, the honeymoon is a mere five months away, so working on getting a bikini-ready bod has been on the top of my priority list lately.
I do pretty well with eating healthfully and working out – until the weekend comes along, that is. I figure, though, that if I slip up on the weekends, it's alright as long as I get back on track come Monday.
Then comes a weekend like this one, and my quest for flat abs and smaller thighs is set back not just by a day or two, but by about three weeks.
This weekend has been about food more than anything else – I'm actually mowing down my second Johnsonville brat of the evening as I write this. We did play some Frisbee golf this afternoon before cooking out, but I'm too full and lethargic to even think of recapping it until at least tomorrow.
With all the weekend food still fresh on my mind, I thought I'd post a little review.
Friday night Dave and I went to The Melting Pot for his birthday dinner. We'd never been there before and had heard good things, so we figured it'd be a fun place to go for a celebratory dinner. Not being very big fans of chain restaurants, we were a tiny bit weary, but we went in with an open mind.
The restaurant was dimly lit and our spacious booth had high walls surrounding it so we had some privacy. Dave told me I was crazy when I told him "this is romantic!" – and after a few minutes I realized he was right. The place was pretty loud, and the table between us was so big we could hardly reach each other. I suggested we sit on the same side but he would have none of that, so I gave up on the romance idea and just focused on enjoying the food and his company.
We opted for the Big Night Out, which is a four-course meal for two for $78.00. For the first course we had spinach and artichoke Swiss cheese fondue, which was served with bread and tortilla chips and veggies and apple slices. Very yummy. For the second course, we each had a California salad, which was mixed greens with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese and a raspberry dressing. Again, quite good, though my salad had too much dressing on it.
For the main course, we chose the Seafood Indulgence. The waitress brought out a platter for us filled with lobster, shrimp, blue marlin, chicken and steak. Everything was raw, and we were to cook it in the boiling broth between us. Along with the meat and seafood we got an assortment of vegetables, some potatoes, and a slew of dipping sauces to sample. Cooking the food was really fun and everything tasted great.
At last we got to dessert – we chose a S'mores chocolate fondue which was served with graham crackers, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, a couple pieces of brownie and even a piece of cheesecake. It was way too much food but totally divine – and of course we finished every last bite.
And despite thinking it wouldn't be, our dinner ended up being quite romantic after all. Eating fondue is pretty sexy. (Well, we didn’t feel too sexy after we'd eaten four courses of rich food, but the two hours at the table was pretty saucy anyway.)
We were pleased with the food and the experience at The Melting Pot and we're glad we tried it. As far as going back, though, it'll probably be awhile. With the Big Night Out and two drinks a piece, our bill came to around $115.00 before the tip. We could go to some pretty nice Milwaukee restaurants for that. But it was a good time.
We were supposed to meet some friends out for some drinks after dinner but we stopped home first and ended up falling right to sleep on the couch – all that food will do that to a person!
On Saturday night we went out to eat again, this time at Sake Tumi – one of my current favorite restaurants – to celebrate Dave's sister's return to the U.S. after an entire semester in Spain. We had a nice, leisurely three-course dinner – though we didn't eat nearly as much as we had the night before. We started with some edamame (salted soy beans) and goma-ae (blanched spinach in sesame sauce), then shared some salmon and eel maki.
For the main course, Dave got a Godzilla roll and I got a Sexy Scallop roll and we traded a few pieces of each. These are two of Sake Tumi's best Specialty Maki rolls and they absolutely rock my world. Seriously, I have dreams about the Godzilla roll.
The specialty rolls are cut into about ten pieces and each piece is about two inches in diameter – definitely quite a mouthful. It's pretty much fake sushi, as in even people who hate sushi normally would probably die and go to heaven if they ate these. They're filled with stuff like cream cheese and tempura fried shrimp and cucumber and avocado then have these delectable sauces like wasabi mayo drizzled over the top.
I think I've been to Sake Tumi about four or five times now and I've just loved it every time. It's always packed and yet the service is consistently good, the food is awesome and is presented beautifully on the plate, and the mood of the restaurant is just hip and relaxed and fun. I love it. Did I already say that? On top of our two big meals of the weekend, we also indulged in drinks and dessert at Kennadees, more drinks at Hotel Metro, and Frappacinos at Starbucks. And oh yeah, let's not forget about the brats. The delicious, delicious hot-off-the-grill brats – one of my favorite summertime meals.
It was certainly a gluttonous weekend, but I guess we all deserve that once in awhile. Just so we don't make a habit of it – we'd weigh 350 pounds and probably eventually die of a heart attack! Not to mention we'd be in debt up to our eyeballs – it pains me to think of the money (that we don't have) that we spent on dining out this weekend. I think we'll be staying in for the next few months to make up for it!
Tomorrow I'll be back to post about Frisbee golf. We had a really fun time this afternoon! But for now I'm signing off.
There's a bowl of ice cream in the kitchen that's calling my name.
Bikini-ready bod? You sound very Sixteen Candles... We have seventy dollars and a pair of girls underpants. We're safe as kittens.
Sounds like a good weekend, food-wise. However, my favorite is the King Kong roll. And if I remember correctly, King Kong sh*t-stomped Godzilla when they fought.
Posted by: Andre | May 22, 2006 at 09:12 AM
I STILL haven't been to Sake Tumi. I know, I should be ashamed. Hopefully soon.
Posted by: Derek | May 22, 2006 at 11:00 AM
Just and FYI...I know someone who used to be a server at the Melting Pot and she said it is common for people to only have dessert there. It is fun to do the whole meal thing once, but it is pricey and the chocolate at the end is the most fun anyway.
Posted by: kelly | May 22, 2006 at 04:02 PM
I was going to make a comment about your weekend, but now that I'm at the end and I've read all about your delicious meals, I am too hungry to think about what to write. Must go eat!!
Posted by: Amanda | May 22, 2006 at 04:45 PM