Making A Meal Of It

Hello, dear reader!

And welcome to the turning point!

The year, if we’re honest, has many hinges hidden away in the turning of the seasons.

There’s the universal ones such as new year, midsummer, the winter solstice and then there’s the more personal ones; birthdays and anniversaries.

One of which occurred yesterday.

Crime & Punishment
This was, as anyone with a calendar should be able to tell you, one of the latter occasions, the fourteenth anniversary of my wedding to Tina (feel free to insert your own ‘you don't get that for major crime of your choice joke here).

Obviously, we felt it was an occasion worthy of being marked, so out we went for an anniversary meal.

We chose an Italian restaurant that, conveniently, is situated a five-minute walk away from our house. This cut out the need to think about transport links or taxis and completely avoided the need for the designated driver (me) to remain sober. I mean, you can get nicked for being drunk in charge of a wheelchair, but the chance of that happening so close to home seemed disappearingly small

And so, freshly showered, donned up to the nines in swanky shirt and posh pants and with the far more glamorous half of the marriage beside me, the journey began.

BOGOF
Our destination was one of a chain of Italian restaurants called ‘Capri’. It’s a place we have been to before, although that was a while ago. It’s also a place that, during the Covid lockdown, we leaned on quite heavily to provide us with delicious treat nights. At the risk of sounding like a thundering philistine, their chunky chips were a particular delight.

But that was then and this was a much more recent ‘then’.

We arrived suitably early, were seated by a lady Tina seemed to recognise from a former workplace and perused the menu.

We’d already decided that ‘holiday rules’ applied (that is, you have whatever you want and count the cost later) and were intent on going the full three courses. As it was, we were told by our hostess that Tuesdays meant two for the price of one on all pasta and pizza dishes, and this being an Italian restaurant that included a large part of the menu.

See Food & Eat It
And so, with a bottle of wine beside the table, we ordered. I had scallops followed by a monkfish and prawn linguine, Tina started with a prawn cocktail compressed into a discrete patty which included bits of mango followed by lobster and cream cheese ravioli. We also, classy folk that we are, ordered a portion of chips, although, sadly, these were not of the ‘chunky’ variety.

That was the only hint of disappointment, however.

The food was delicious and, as we swapped bites of each other’s dishes, I can safely say that for the entire meal. The monkfish, something that was new to me, was a particular highlight—firm, meaty and delicious.

And then came the question of dessert.

Afters Thoughts
With the occasion in mind and a half bottle of the house white sloshing around inside us, we said we’d have a look at the menu, knowing full well we’d order but disguising this eagerness behind a civilised nonchalance. As two types of cheesecake were among the eight or so choices, it became an amazingly easy decision. Tina had the lemon pavlova variety. I went for the (much better) Biscoff.

And that was that. A short, slightly unsteady walk home and a reasonably early night. We might have indulged a little further, especially on the wine front, but Tina had work this morning and I had chauffeuring duty, so any alcoholic excess will just have to wait (for tonight).

Next year, though? Well ,next year is a different story. Fifteen years deserves the full treatment. Stops will be pulled out. Limits will be well and truly tested.


Until next time!

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Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think. My debut novel, The Heart That Died, is available now as both paperback, E-book, and on Kindle Unlimited, so I’m adding the link to that, too.

Oh, and if you like what you look-see, a nice, positive review would also be most welcome.

The Heart That Died


New Tales Of Old


Death Ship


Pestilence: Drabbles 1


Reaperman: Drabbles 3


The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu


Eldritch Investigations