La Caille

Yesterday morning, Mike and I had the blissful opportunity to have brunch at La Caille.  This was a first for us, and we were certainly not disappointed!

Our fabulous friends gave us a gift certificate for our "Ian"niversary and VERY generously included babysitting as well.  You guys are the best!!! 

We started out the morning by dropping off the little one, and then making the beautiful and peaceful drive through the mountains toward La Caille.  We don't have a reason to drive that way very often, and we had forgotten just how beautiful that part of the valley is.  I even told Mike that it may be my new "dream place to live"!

We arrived a little before10:00 and wound ourselves down the little cobblestone drive toward the main building.

We had a few minutes to wait while our table was prepared, so we walked around the beautiful gardens.  It is truly breathtaking in there!

Next, we were seated on the patio, where we were greeted by not one, but two waitresses, and were serenaded by live music.  The sound of the river, the fountains, the roosters, and the peacocks all added to what was a beautiful and romantic atmosphere. This little one walked around our table the entire meal=)

(The following description is stolen, in part, from Mikey's blog, because he had such a delicious way of describing everything!)

Brunch started out with juice and caramelized croissants.  Followed by a delicious amuse bouche - a swan puff pastry filled with banana custard swimming in a river of raspberry sauce.  Delicious!

For the main entree, Mike ordered Eggs Blackstone, a nice twist on an old favorite of Eggs Benedict topped with bacon and sun-dried tomatoes.   I ordered Petite Pain a la Francaise – a wonderful version of French toast Creme Brulee style.  Dessert for breakfast – Mmmm!

When our plates arrived we did a quick sharing swap so we could both enjoy each others meals to get double sampling of the menu. They were both truly delicious!

After some delightful conversation and a bountiful breakfast, there was still one more course.  This time it actually was dessert for breakfast.  It was a light refreshing serving of 3 different sorbets for each of us.   Everything was presented so beautifully, this one on a rectangle plate with mint leaves.  We sampled a super sour lemon-basil scoop, one scoop of watermelon-mint and one jalapeno-green Granny Smith apple.  When you put the first bite of the third scoop in your mouth, we thought it tasted like the way tomatoes smell in the garden, but then afterward it turned into a sweet tasting green apple - strangely delicious.  My favorite was the watermelon-mint.

After brunch, we headed back to the gardens for one last stroll.  It was an enchanting end to a beautiful morning.  Thank you again Matt and Shanae!  It was just what we needed to round out our "Ian"niversary celebration!!

(That last picture is for you Betty=)