Good Morning, Darlings!

Saturday night Eric and I were so happy to be invited to Black Tie BBQ’s Secret Supper for Valentine’s Day. I had yet to attend a secret supper and was very excited.

Held at a building in Midtown on the 8th floor, we were escorted (after signing in) to the dining room for the night.  The dining room was a raw space that had been transformed for the evening just for us.  The view of downtown was spectacular and the tables were beautifully set with silver rimmed china, low set candelabras and red rose petals. It was the perfect ambiance for a romantic evening.

Our table had an unobstructed view of downtown and our fellow dinner guests included Joe, Chef Spencer’s best friend from college; Joe’s gorgeous fiance’, Lauren, fellow blog buddy, Tami Reed and publicist Tara Holland.

We could not have asked for more charming dinner companions. Allison Humphrey really knew how to put together a great table.

Wine was set out on each table so we could help ourselves (don’t you wish it was like that in restaurants?) Dawn McClain and her band provided the entertainment – lots of great romantic songs and many couples took to the floor and danced.

I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Holtzclaw when he came up to introduce himself (hi Eric!) Eric reads my blog and was so delightful to visit with.

And then…the food came out…and just kept coming. It was a feast.

First up, a scrumptious tomato and goat cheese tart.

Every course was served family-style, which cleverly helped everyone engage in conversation. Smart moves, chefs.

The guests at our table were just chatting it up when the next course arrived. The salad course. This is the salad I wish someone would fix and serve me everyday. Fresh greens, candied pecans, dried cranberries and a bit more goat cheese, all lightly dressed in the most beautiful lemon buttermilk dressing. I was swooning.

Next up?  Barbecued shrimp served with garlic toast fingers. Yup, we gobbled all of this down.

And just to give you an idea of Chef Spencer and Chef Neil’s passion for entertaining – they served this magnificent repast without a kitchen onsite. It was something to see, but I’m going to keep those photos to myself so as not to mar the magic.

Shrimp devoured…what’s coming up?

I’m glad you asked….it was duck and chicken andouille sausage. Oh.My.Goodness.  Straight from New Orleans, where Chef Neil makes bi-monthly trips. This sausage was one of my favorite dishes of the night.

Then…..braised shorts ribs….chicken diane….roasted broccoli with minced olives and lemon….steamed carrots and potatoes….stop, no more! Wait…did you say cheesecake? Well, maybe just a tiny bite. 🙂

Black Tie BBQ has it down pat.  This evening was so fabulous I cannot wait to see what they do next. And I will be bringing everyone I know with me.

Many thanks to Spencer, Neil, Allison and Latoyin for a very special evening.

xoxo, Patti