Dear Lord-

The other day I prayed in earnest for some good food that would not only make me smile but produce a level of euphoria that every person should feel when dining out; and being the kind and loving God that you are, you led me to one of  the most unexpected places on earth…Macy’s Manhattan, New York at a place called “Stella Trattoria.”

Who knew that once I walked into Macy’s I would be able to not only experience shopping heaven, but the most elegant, yet airy, sleek decor restaurant. Now Lord it is not that I doubted you for a moment that you would come through in this area, but in an effort to always be honest, having just come off of a restaurant ruin, I was a bit dubious and as a result I gazed at the menu and the kind server with reluctance in my eyes. Because I always attempt to live on edge I dived in, but only in the shallow water and started with a something simple…the fried calamari with spicy tomato sauce & pickled peppers..AMAZING…the calamari was perfectly cooked, lightly fried with just enough crisp, and the calamari rings were not remotely chewy and the pickled peppers were fried to perfection as well, initially tasted sweet with a hint of bitterness, but the heat from them almost made me breathe fire, which would have been perfect for me to shoot on the waiter had the dish been a FAIL.

With my enthusiasm high and my trust levels being in the respectable zone I went for it and ordered the pancetta wrapped halibut, sitting atop a sugar snap pea, mint, golden raisin, & agro-dolce salad. With all that being said I was still experiencing a Forrest Gump moment…this salad sounds like a box of chocolates and I don’t know what I am going to get. When the dish arrived and I took my first bite a party ablaze on my palate, but just to make sure I was not delusional I took another bite and my palate experienced absolute jubilee. The salad was like a spring day that had it’s roots in gently crisp snap peas with mint leaves that gave it a refreshing taste on the backdrop, then the raisins added a dash of sweetness just to make me smile, there was also a tad of light and tangy vinaigrette, that was like adding an extra hour of sunlight.

Lord, most of all I want to thank you for introducing me to the star of the show, the perfectly cooked halibut that melted in my mouth with the added bonus of the crispy italian bacon was simply sumptuous. The lightness of the fish with the saltiness of the pancetta was like and odd couple being married, but somehow found the tools to make it work.

When I took a forkful of the salad and the pancetta wrapped halibut together, that euphoria that I prayed for came quickly along with a smile that lasted long after the plate was swept clean.

Lord it was after this meal that once again I was completely convinced that you will indeed perfect that which concerns me up to and including my foodie embarkments…THANK YOU!!!

Signed,

Brioche With Beckham