Grand Cafe - Simple, Good & Tasty Event

I am the recipient of many an email from the hubby linking me to various foodie blogs.  One such email led me to stumble upon an event being held by Simple, Good, and Tasty at the Grand Cafe.  From the Simple, Good, and Tasty (SGT) website, SGT "exists to promote local, sustainable, and organic foods and the people who produce them."  While I support the idea of "eating local," what really drew me to the event was wanting to check out Grand Cafe for dinner.  The event gave Reservations for One (RFO), the hubby, and me an excuse to go out in the middle of the week for dinner.  So, we signed up and went.

We had a fabulous time and the food was amazing.  I could write about the food, but Reservations for One has a great write-up on her blog.  I will add that I did not get the duck cassoulet, but went for the vegetarian option.  No huge hang-up on eating duck, but if there are other options I tend to choose them first.  I did choose well!  Pan-Fried Mandan Bride Polenta Cakes on a bed of Carrot and Golden Raisin Purée, Rapini and Romaine Lettuce Braised with Bleu Cheese.  Yes, it was as good as it sounds!  I was forced to share some of the polenta with the hubby and RFO.  In exchange, I had a few bites of the House-Made Garlic Sausage - excellent!

One of the highlights of the evening was getting a chance to visit with the chef.  Jon Randle visited with each table and let us ask questions and learn more about the meal and his background.  He just seemed very down to earth and proud of his work.  Chefs can have a reputation for being cranky and standoffish, but Jon was very approachable. 

The evening was quite a success and we have already signed up for the March event.  Look for a post in the not too distant future about Sen Yai Sen Lek. 

On a side note, I recently visited Sen Yai Sen Lek for lunch and was amazed at the tasty Taohoo Tod (appetizer of Tofu with a peanut cilantro chili sauce) and the noodle dish I had.  I will save my write-up for the next SGT event.

Happy Eating!