The Anniversary Dinner

Okay, so not content with showering me with tickets to concerts and wonderful champagne glasses, MB treated me tonight to an anniversary dinner at Rivoli in Berkeley on Solano Avenue.

This was our first visit to Rivoli where we admired the small, quiet dining room with a back wall that is completely glass, showcasing the lovely little garden filled with green and flowers.

And the dinner! This is my plate of Mixed Grill of Liberty Duck Leg Confit, Rivoli Chicken Sausage and Fennel Cured Pork Tenderloin with Petite Cassoulet and Watercress Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette.

Killer!

Everything was delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the slightly astringent watercress with vinaigrette made the meats sit up and sing. It was all simply delicious but I made sure my last bite was the Rivoli Chicken Sausage - it was unbelievably good!

The service was wonderful, too, attentive without smothering, prompt without the least hint of hurrying us along, and even the guy who cleared the table did it quietly and gracefully. No clashing of plates here.

And the dessert!

I reserved a piece of the apricot cherry galette with vanilla ice cream and lemon balsamic syrup because our server hinted that they were running low on that dessert. Bless her heart! I raise my glass to her! The crust was buttery, the fruit was perfect and the lemon syrup just tangy enough to complement the rest. I'd have licked the plate if I thought I could do it gracefully!

A wonderful end to our 8th anniversary celebration. Happy Anniversary, again, MB!