Birthday dinner and breakfast the next morning

My birthday was yesterday and we went for the first time to DaMarco. We had heard good things about it and our foodie daughter had told us that is was listed in Gourmet's America's Top 50 Restaurants (the only other two on the list we have eaten at are Zuni Cafe and Sanford). The food and service were both great. The menu has changed a bit from the one on their website. I had branzino carpaccio with pine nuts and seared foie gras, gnocchi with wild boar sausage and fava beans, the veal chop and a cheese course. Mike had a yellow beefsteak, arugula, goat cheese and salami salad, the papardelle with rabbit, roasted swordfish and panna cotta. I had thought about taking my camera, as Kate had requested pictures, but I decided that I would just enjoy my dinner. (I later regretted not having my camera when we were leaving and outside was parked a humongous Rolls-Royce with a baby carseat in the back...that I would have taken a picture of!) I did find this picture of the fabulous wine we had with dinner, though.


We were so full last night, even with bringing home half of our secondi, that I didn't think I would ever be hungry again. But around 10 this morning we were both ready for breakfast. I remember having seen this recipe in the new Bon Appetit.

Poached Eggs and Parmesan Cheese over Toasted Brioche with Pistou

We had all the ingredients (except the brioche bread, so I substituted some sourdough I had in the freezer), and it was delicious! I was actually going to take my own picture, but had inadvertently left my camera on and the battery was dead as a doornail, so I stole this one from the Bon Appetit website. Mine looked pretty much like this, except greener because I used all of the pistou. We will definitely make this again.


Mike is off to DC for a few days, so I am off to leftovers for dinner...his swordfish as a primi and my veal shank as a secondi.