Carnivorous Cravings

I had a very pleasant surprise on Friday. Near the end of what was shaping up to be an extra long work day, our friend Vicki called Alanna to let us know she was in town for a meeting. The perfect excuse to leave on time! Neither A or I had the brain capacity to pick somewhere to meet, so on Nico's suggestion, we decided to go to Sidecar.

It was the perfect suggestion, as I was craving steak, and they just happen to have a very good steak frites. (Tip: if you go Sunday to Wednesday, you can get it as part of their regular prix fixe menu.) We ordered a bottle of Malbec, which was absolutely delicious - slightly fruity, full bodied, smooth and low in tannins. Good start. There was also a terrific, still-warm, crusty, chewy, slightly tangy bread to get us going.

For the appetizer, I got the romaine hearts with caesar dressing, pancetta, pareggiano reggiano (I believe) and a ricotta crostini. Thankfully light on the dressing, the fresh crispness of the lettuce was nicely highlighted by the salty pork and cheese.

Of course, the main event was the steak frites. The frites are prepared exactly how I like them. They're cut quite thin, so they're snappy, and perfectly seasoned. I'd ordered the steak medium, but strangely, there was more blood on my plate by the end than on the plates of my companions, who ordered medium rare. Still, it was a damn good steak. Eight ounces of tender, juicy sirloin that was seasoned just enough so that the flavour of the grill char was still the most prominent.

I have to say, it's absolutely true that a good meal is made better by good company, and I had that in spades that night. Despite our tiredness, we three did what we always do for each other, which is make each other laugh almost to hyperventilation. So, thanks Vic, for giving us a reason to get out and enjoy the finer things in life.