Playful Caesar

My Virginia brother and his wife have lived in Paris for five years during two tours of duty during his Navy career. He seems to have concentrated on learning about wines while she attended classes at the Cordon Bleu;
needless to say, when we visit them, I have high expectations. They have a way of finding really, really good restaurants, even in places like Rochester, NY where ziti with red sauce from a can is considered a culinary highlight.

This time, my expectations were exceeded. We dined at a restaurant called FarrahOlivia by Morou in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, where my first course was a delightfully silly deconstructed Caesar salad. All the pieces were there, wonderfully fresh and beautifully presented - left to right at the top, fresh sardines as a riff on the usual anchovies, Caesar dressing in a tangy pool, and crisp, crisp bread crumbs rather than croutons which might have been difficult to eat in this way. The lettuce was sliced lengthwise to present both young and mature leaves, drizzled with dressing and punctuated by a delicate, flavorful parmesan cheese custard.

He has done it again, my Virginia brother. Stay tuned for the rest of the meal...