Matt and I spent the afternoon preparing for our company tomorrow.
Which meant that I cleaned out the attic for the Big Move, got out the Thanksgiving decor, set the table, and cleaned.
And he did beer things 🙂
It was one of those days when I was pretty hungry for a snack but I just didn’t feel like stopping to eat because I had so much to do so a snack never happened.
Which was great because the food at dinner tasted SO GOOD!
Karen took us out to celebrate her boys being together. We went to Fiamma’s, a quaint + cozy Italian restaurant she’s been raving about since she moved to Charlotte two years ago. We had never been!
I wore my stylish boots from Loehmann’s again since Gloria thinks my shoes are lame.
I normally don’t really care for Italian restaurants. I mean, I really love red wine, but that’s about it. The food is always too heavy, often bland and always the same!
But THIS restaurant was everything an Italian should be. The pasta is homemade and the ingredients tasted so fresh and the menu was actually creative!!
We were seated in a cute alcove up some stairs with a fun view outside. Too bad we weren’t in a big city to people watch!
The foccacia and breadsticks totally hit the spot. I had two small pieces of bread and several bread sticks. I am a bread lover at heart and will never, ever support any diet that says "tell your waiter not to bring you the bread basket." The bread basket is why I go to restaurants!!
We ordered a bottle of red for the table. I had about 1.5 glasses through the night.
Cheers!
The boys got salads to start. Both were fantastico!!!!
Andrew ordered the marinated shitake mushroom dish with goat cheese and greens. The mushrooms were so good that I could have closed my eyes and been convinced I was eating a tender piece of beef. So herby and flavorful.
Matt’s endive, fennel and radish salad was incredible too. Again, so herby!!
I had a taste of both –
I love any restaurant that brings me dessert before dinner!! HELLO sorbet!!
The dinner entrees were also so very impressive (Can you tell I really liked this restaurant!?) I had a few bites of each and shared mine as well. Almost every plate was empty by the end!
I ordered the black linguini with shrimp + arugula in a tomato sauce. The linguini is black from squid ink! It was so delicious and yet so fresh. Definitely didn’t leave me feeling to heavy. I had about half and shared the rest. We’re a big fork sticker family (meaning you can stick your fork wherever you please for a taste). Wouldn’t have it any other way!
Matt’s gnocchi. Might have won for best dish??!! I just love how doughy and chewy gnocchi are.
Karen’s crab + saffron tagliolini
Andrew’s butter + truffle ravioli – a special!
When our server – who was excellent – described this dark chocolate melted baked torte with gelato and caramel Andrew and met eyes like Lady + The Tramp. It was ….incredible. I loved how thick and creamy the chocolate was (it wasn’t all thin like typical molten tortes). Mmmm!!! I had about 25% of this guy. ‘Twas the perfect amount.
Our dessert ended up taking a while to come out because the first one accidentally burned, so our server brought us some limoncello on the house!! It was sooo sweet and the perfect ending. I’ll take a delayed dessert with a complimentary drink any day!
Despite the fact that it looks like I ate a lot, two nights in a row I feel good about how my stomach feels. I had bites of everything yet put my fork down in time. Maybe my stomach is just stretched so it can hold more!? Anyways, how I FEEL is the most important factor and I’m so glad to be feelin’ good.
I’m off to bed a little early ’cause tomorrow’s a big day! My parents are arriving around noon, Karen + Andrew around 1PM and Matt’s dad and Cheryl around 2!
Gobble.
Madeline @ Greens and Jeans says
Love those shoes Kath! All of your meals look wonderful and I hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
I love restaurants like that! Free drinks are always the best 😉
I’ve never had black linguine before… does it taste different from the regular?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Kath says
It was thicker and grainier, but I don’t know if that was the color or just the type of homemade pasta. It was great!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
chewy and doughy gnocchi? I think y heart stopped from joy at hearing that
Jenna says
wow kath! the italian restaurant sure does look good!
i am glad you are feeling good 🙂 have a great turkey day 🙂
jenna
Erin says
Fresh Italian food is the best — in America, Italian food is so often heavy with sauces but in Italy, the food tends to be lighter and fresher. It’s hard to find *good* Italian food here! Yours looks amazing though! 🙂
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Oh my GOODNESS! That restaurant looks amazing! I agree, a lot of Italian restaurants seem to have the same menu options, especially Americanized overpriced appetizers — and I’m Italian! lol All of your dishes looked delicious. Wow, magazine-worthy pictures. 🙂
Jenn
candice says
Yesss, who says no to FREE, delicious, warm, freshly-baked bread?! Those breadsticks are really cute. I love me some marinated mushrooms! And I would love to try black squid ink linguine o_o I have yet to try gnocchi, but that ravioli looks amazing. Butter and truffle?! Can’t go wrong with that 😉
Looks like you had a wonderful evening! And cheers to intuitive eating 🙂
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
What a lovely dinner Kath! It’s always fun to go out on a week night and enjoy a elegant dinner with wonderful company. 🙂
maria says
The sorbet looks so tasty. Yum, yum!!!
Thanks again for the budgeting videos and idea. I just put all of our paper budgets into a spreadsheet and I can already tell this is going to be SO much easier!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I also am not a huge fan of Italian food, but occasionally I get a great meal. Glad you did! 🙂
Anne P says
Ooo that brings back memories of my Italian trip!! Squid ink pasta was my FAVORITE… especially when it’s not just the black pasta, but also squid ink black sauce!!! So damn good. And makes your teeth black which is hilarious. 🙂
Annie says
I feel the same way about Italian food, but everything did look so light a fresh. Sharing is the best so you get lots of tastes! I like the boots, too.
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
love your boots! loehmann’s is the best – i actually got my wedding dress there for $40 – it cost more to alter it and buy the undergarments!
Kath says
Oh how cool!! They always have such good deals 😉
Danielle says
Your food looks simply YUMTASTIC! I so agree with you on the bread – LOVE IT!
Ameena says
All the food looks amazing! I totally agree on the bread, I usually base my restaurant choice on who has the best bread. So far Il Fornaio wins hands down but Maggianos is a close second.
Susan says
I couldn’t agree more, most times I don’t care how much or what I ate so long as I FEEL good after. Even i it’s just a small healthy meal, there’s nothing worse than that gross overstuffed feeling.
Gloria says
your booties are cute!!! thanks for showing them off;)
I just would have worn them with a dress or skinny jeans ’cause that’s the style.
kfbkrb says
haha, gloria you’re just trying to piss her off aren’t you?
Liz says
Happy Thanksgiving Kath. Hope you all have fun.
Alison says
what a nice server to bring you a drink while waiting for dessert. sounds like you had a great night out!
Brittany says
I agree that Italian restaurants aren’t usually my favorite but Fiamma’s looks amazing!!!
Happy early Thanksgiving.
For the record, I think your shoes are just fine 🙂
valerie says
I also go to restaurants for the bread basket!
Chelsea says
Wow Gloria just can’t be pleased!!! 😉 I think your shoes and your outfit are JUST fine 😉
Lola says
Haha Gloria sounds like a fun girl to hang out with, huh??
But anyway, I would have to agree with you about most Italian restaurants. For me, I would pretty much have to go big or go home when it comes to Italian – as in pay more for an excellent meal rather than just settle for an average-priced restaurant because, unless the meal is like the one you had, it’s just not worth it. I find most Italian so….mehhh.
Gahhhh I would KILL to be back home for T-giving!! Spain = no Thanksgiving. no turkey. no stuffing. no pies. but! there are sweet potatoes! definitely going to hit that up! 🙂 Enjoy the holiday!!!!
Faith says
This totally reminded me of my trip to Italy too – looks like you had a fantastic dinner. Jealous!
I also think your boots are totally cute – and I would have worn them EXACTLY the way you did. Happy Thanksgiving!
Jennyh says
Gobble gobble. Happy turkey day. Did your black linguine freak u out cuz it looked serpant like?
Kath says
Nah. I have a pretty strong stomach.
christie @ honoring health says
Wow, what a delicious looking dinner!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
lainb says
ha! Interesting (and random??) comments about your shoes. I never even notice your shoes…and, even if I did, whatever you want to wear is fine with me!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
That looks like a delicious dinner! Have a great Thanksgiving!!
ps- Love the shoes! Boots like that are hard to pull off…they always make me feel like I look funny? Maybe the key is just wearing them with pants…do you ever wear those boots with dresses or skirts?
Kath says
My calves are too big to wear boots with skirts. I’d look like a hobbit! I only wear them with pants.
K
sfnobn says
i agree, this is not a fashion blog, it’s a food blog.. who cares what shoes you’re wearing?? plus, boots were NOT made for dresses/skirts.. boots were made for cold climates in which you usually wear jeans or pants
MMMMegan says
I wouldnt wear those shoes with a paper bag over my head.
Kristina says
That Gnocchi looks amazing, but they made it the lazy/heavy way!! They just chopped the gnocchi with a knife into chunks of dough. My grandma from Italy taught us the way to make it where they are SUPER light and fluffy. You cut the dough into those little chunks and then roll them along a flour dusted surface (with your thumb) so they actually look like little folded shells. We made them last weekend, only we made the douch with equal parts ricotta and flour (no potato). SO much fun for a Sunday afternoon project. 🙂
Kath says
Sounds amazing! Come cook me some?
K
Kristina says
uhm I meant DOUGH not douch….LOL
Gloria says
I am not just trying to piss Kath off. And SFN, open a fashion magazine, will ya?
HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
Katie says
Gloria –
Your comment to Kath speaks volumes about you – you clearly spend your time engaged in frivilous activities such as reading fashion magazines and gain satisfaction from making unkind remarks to others. (Next time you lash out, you should probably check your spelling so as not to cause further shame on yourself.)
HeatherBakes says
I’m cracking up at the shoe comment!! Whatever- I wear flip flops EVERY DAY. Cute shoes are for going out, not dog walking.
I love how all of the pastas at that restaurant are homemade. That’s hard to come by!
Have a great Thanksgiving 🙂
SweetiePotato says
Cute boots!! I’m a sucker for all types of shoes… it’s my shopping weakness 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!
Sammie says
I love those boots. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Diana says
I LOVE this place! Such great food!
Kelly says
I don’t know if I can keep reading your blog after your italian food comment. If that is the way you feel, you haven’t experience good fresh Italian food. This is the area of the world which has fresh veggies, fresh spices, fresh everything!! (By the way, my family is italian)
Sheila | Live Well 360° says
LOL to your comment on the boots. Very cute. Happy Thanksgiving!! Today I am thankful for Kath, who has taught me how to be a better blogger. 😉
Sheila
Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) says
I can’t believe someone commented about your shoes. People are silly sometimes.
Does the pasta taste like squid at all? I am not a squid fan but black pasta does make me curious!
Kath says
Nope. No fishy taste at all.