We got a late start to the weekend. We spent Friday night toasting one of my co-workers who’s moving on to bigger and better things. The farewell party involved lots of people, alcohol and dancing. It was the first time I went dancing in a while. Granted, it was in somebody’s living room and the music was tuned to the greatest hits channel from Digital Cable. Still, it was dancing and I had fun boogieing with co-workers and new people.
We didn’t get home until 4:00 AM. I remember taking Daisy out to do her business and that’s about it. Mark said I passed out and he had to put me to bed.
What a good hubby! I’d do the same for him.
After waking up with a little hangover, we slowly started up our Saturday morning with homemade french toast and bacon.
My honey is brilliant when it comes to breakfast. So he took whipped up the tasty French Toast. He had a batter of eggs, cinnamon and milk…I think. He coated sourdough bread slices with the batter and fried them up over the stove. I took care of the coffee and bacon. The apartment was covered in bacon smoke for a bit. Thankfully, I didn’t burn too many slices.
It was a yummy breakfast and it helped us recover from the heavy night of drinking.
Since I’m still on my graveyard shifts, I’ll be asleep for most of Feb. 14. So we did our official Valentine dinner at Cafe Beautiful in Lawrence. It was the perfect opposite to our last night of partying. At Cafe Beautiful, Chef Sukken was the perfect host. We had a balcony-side room all to ourselves. Fresh fish, artistic plating and an open-invitation to linger hours over our romantic meal. By far, the best sushi I’ve had in Kansas.
Chef Sukken carved out these sashimi pieces into rose shapes. We had albacore, salmon and yellowtail. Each bite tasted succulent and buttery. The meals at Cafe Beautiful come prix fixe, Chef’s choice. So, it was unique dining experience. Our other entrees included a hearty miso soup with mussels, rice balls, tofu, mushrooms and seaweed. Our appetizer was freshwater eel, rice cakes, blueberries and kiwi. I was surprised how the sweet fruit complimented the bbq cream sauce. And to clear our palates between courses, we had a lovely cabbage salad with a tangy sesame vinaigrette.
We started everything off with spicy wasabi peas and a sweet walnut cake. He also topped off our tea cups with a plum tea – a sweet note to tease our appetites.
I had to slow down when it came to our sushi platter. I was filling up after the other courses. Still, more fresh fish was welcome to my tummy. We had salmon, albacore, freshwater eel and yellowtail, accented with avocado and Japanese caviar. As I said before, the best sushi I’ve had in Kansas. Cafe Beautiful probably rivals some sushi spots I’ve tasted in California as well. Now, this place is BYOA: Bring Your Own Alcohol. We brought along a Schmitt Sohne Riesling Spatlese. The sweet white wine was a perfect match with our beautiful Japanese meal. The sweetness complimented the fresh fish and the other savory, tangy and succulent flavors of our meal.
We left a few grateful notes inside the cafe’s red guest book. I read several other guests had similar experiences. This place is quite nice for special occasions; anniversaries, birthdays and more. It was like having a gourmet dinner inside somebody’s quirky cool loft. I stumbled upon Cafe Beautiful after our trip to the Hookah Bar. Most people miss it as they’re going down Mass. Street. You’ll find the door next to the Vermont BBQ and they’re both located on top of the second floor of that block of stores. Cafe Beautiful is open every night, but I’m pretty sure reservations are mandatory. Chef Sukken told us he only serves four tables a night. I think that keeps everyone’s dining experience intimate and special.
It was a lovely way to spend our Valentine weekend.