Culinary Flashback - December 29th 1999

Since this is the first flashback, let me explain the concept first since Culinary Flashback will be a regular feature for My Next Meal. Food is one of my favorite things in life. One of the reasons is because it is tied so much to memory - memory of family, friends, good times, places. Dining is often when people get together to talk and have fun with one another, and a great dining experience can only accentuate these meetings.

One of my top memories happened in Napa Valley on December 29, 1999. My wife and I were at my parents’ house getting ready for a big Millennium Party we were throwing. The 29th is my birthday, and I decided that I wanted to go to Tra Vigne in St. Helena for my birthday dinner (This is when Tra Vigne was good. It has unfortunately become a so-so restaurant...sorry).

My dining companions were my wife, my brother, my grandmother, my best friend and a good friend of ours from Los Angeles. Now, this was just a random gathering of people...there was no thought put into this grouping. My brother was in for the party, my grandmother lived nearby and our two friends were in for a surprise visit, but were not staying for New Year's. Somehow, this became the perfect group for this dining experience. We were all in sync...laughing, telling wonderful stories and eating great food. I don't remember what everyone had (we had the standard issue appetizers that one has at Tra Vigne - Rosemary Flatbread with Roasted Garlic, Calamari, etc.). I do remember my main course (our friend from LA had the same)...Angry Sand Dabs. But they were out of Sand Dabs, so they substituted Sole (thus, it became Angry Sole). This was an amazing dish - a chili and oil sauce with deep fried basil leaves on delicate, lightly fried fish. Heaven!

My friend from LA and I often talk about that Angry Sole...but this only leads us to talk about how perfect that night was. Yes, the food was very good, but it was the company along with the food that makes this memory so special. And for me, it gives me a very special memory of my grandmother, who is unfortunately no longer with us, but still lives in our hearts. She made that evening that much more special. This night was part of an amazing week of friends visiting us, waiting for the millennium to come (the other two nights are two whole other flashbacks to be visited later).

December 29, 1999 reminds me of a time when Tra Vigne was a great restaurant, of laughing over good food, of my wife, brother, friends and an amazing woman who fit in perfectly with us "young folks."

-JB


If you must: Tra Vigne - http://www.travignerestaurant.com/