WEDDED BLISS

Four years dating + thirty-seven married = Woooaaah! I musta been a baby when I met John! Seriously. I was only seventeen when we had our first date. To celebrate the 37th anniversary of this matrimonial adventure, we first headed here:

We were there to see Jack Black's new movie Bernie. What a hoot! My favorite line was when one of the real Bernie's (this is a true crime story) actual east Texas neighbors was telling us how Texas was really five separate states. He then proceeded to describe the population of each. We were about ready to wet our pants by the time he got to Central Texas, or "The Republic of Austin, where you've got all yer hairy-leggid women and yer liberal looney tunes."(or thereabouts - I was laughing too hard to catch it all!)

From there we went to kill a little time at Book People and Anthropologie (my inspiration incubator), and then it was off to this place -- the one restaurant I have heard more hubbub about than any other, since moving to the Hill Country.

I called for a reservation a couple of days in advance, but the only time they could give me was 5:00, when they first open. That actually turned out to be a blessing. Uchi is a very high dollar "contemporary Japanese & Sushi" restaurant, and the menu is rather confusing and a bit overwhelming to first timers -- even if you know a lot about sushi, which we don't. It just so happens though, that from 5-6:30 they have a "Sake Social Hour", where you can try a lot of different things, in smaller portions, for just an average high dollar price, instead of the usual ultra high. We tried this...

Our favorite - yellowtail in a spicy orange vinaigrette - which we ordered twice more. I think it was called Hama Chili. 

 and this...

Brussels Sprouts like you have never experienced!

 and this...

An ooey-gooey, crispy crunchy rice, fish and egg concoction that I can't even describe.

and a whole lot more, including three desserts, though that was completely unintentional, I swear.

We were just going to share the cooked milk with browned butter and a ginger sorbet, the one in the lower left corner. But then at the last second John said "Oh, why don't you bring me a cup of that lemon sorbet. He had no idea it was going to come out looking like this!

As if that weren't bad enough, they then plopped a third dish down -- this strawberry concoction, also involving sorbet and some kind of cooked milk. They called it "our gift to you." I'm guessing they must have noticed me opening my anniversary card from John.

When we were finally finished, John asked me if the dinner had lived up to my expectations. "Honey, I was happy as soon as that waiter (a tall blonde adonis with a ponytail and an Aussie accent -- think Thor!) walked up to our table. The rest was just gravy!" Know what I love best about my hubby? He thought that was pretty dang hilarious. He knows he's my one and only. Always has been. Always will be.