Food Club

The first rule of Food Club is that you have to talk about Food Club.

The second rule of Food club is that there is no guilt. You are allowed, and encouraged, to eat anything and everything you want. This includes extra butter on your roll.

The third rule of Food Club is that you have to try something new.

So I met up with my dear friend Laura tonight for dinner in Philadelphia. She recommended we go to this tiny French place in South Philly that has been getting rave reviews called Bibou. It turns out that the chef is La Bec Fin alumni and you can really tell. On Sundays it's a prefixed menu and everything was amazing. So over a bottle of wine and conversation that was mostly not about Pippa, we decided that we needed to get together and try out new restaurants more often. And so, Food Club was born. So for all the foodies reading this (Mary) (Joel) here is what we ordered:

1st Course:

Sweet Corn Soup. I am always a sucker for corn soup.

Appetizers:

Foi Gras with a grilled peach and brandy reduction. It was to die for. I always feel a little guilty eating Foi Gras but luckily there is no guilt in Food Club.

Escargot. In adherence to rule number 3 we were brave and tried the snails. Sto orders them all the time and has never once vomited so we gave it a go. They were good. Not lot of flavor but not slimy or chewy like I expected. From now on I can be all nonchallant and feel superior to everyone else who is grossed out. Excellent.

Entree:

Sword fish on a bed of fennel, fresh peas, capers, and some other yummy stuff. I housed it.

Seared scallops with some yummy stuff. Also very good.

Cheese Plate:

The usual sort of thing with one soft cows milk cheese, one soft goats milk, and astinky blue cheese. I've had better, but then, I also prefer my cheese in the beginning of mymeal.

Desert:

Laura had chocolate cake with creme anglaise sauce and fresh berries and I had the pot de creme. They were both delicious though we were both stuffed by this point. Luckily I save a little space right here (pointing to the side of my belly) had was able to enjoy desert of a cup of French pressed decaf coffee.

I love eating out this way. Sto and I used to do it all the time in Manhattan and I miss that part of city living. Our goal is to have Food Club meet twice a month, though this may seriously debunk my get-in-shape efforts. But there's no guilt in Food Club! That's definitely my favorite rule.