I'm growing up

A few things you should know about me before I start this tale:

1. I do not eat meat off the bone. I love meat, but I'd rather not know exactly where it comes from. I like Thanksgiving turkey, but honestly the carcass grosses me out. Please just give me a slice of white meat turkey.
2. I like red meat, white meat, fish...but I don't eat "cute" animals. This includes but is not limited to: bunny, baby cows and baby sheep (aka rabbit, veal and lamb)
3. I like cooked meat. I will say I have improved greatly since knowing Lucas, but about the reddest I can do is medium. Eight years ago it would have been medium-well, I'm now to medium. Lucas and most "real" meat eaters will go for medium-rare.

Tonight we went to Le Pigeon (www.lepigeon.com). It has been nominated the best restaurant in Portland, and the chef Gabriel Rucker has been written up in national magazines for best chef. We have been there multiple times and have never been disappointed. Anything Gabe cooks is beyond delicious... you want to like the plate clean. And you eat foods that you never would eat before. I've tasted beef cheeks, beef tongue, pig tail soup, snails and many other odd foods.

Tonight, we took Allie and Matt (Lucas' sister and brother-in-law) here. I had beef tongue salad, and for my main course, I had a rack of lamb with a cucumber, blue cheese salad and lamb tongue radicchio salad. Yes, I had a cute animal, off the bone, and it was medium-rare. I licked the plate clean.

I can either blame this transformation on Lucas or Gabe. Being married to Lucas has definitely broadened my food intake, but Gabe sure can cook a mean tongue.

For anyone in Portland, I highly recommend a trip to Le Pigeon. If you want a better description of dishes, just call Lucas. If you want a dining buddy just give me and Lucas a call!