To round out the Anniversary celebration, the Hubby and I had a fabulous Date Night out on Friday at the http://www.ciarestaurants.com/. We are fortunate that this fabulous foodie destination is only about an hour away. Now if only we could go there during daylight hours, unlike every other time we have been there at night and in the winter. The above picture is the building that houses all but 3 of the 5 restaurants.

I am sure the campus is as beautiful in the Non Winter months as it is with a light snowfall. This is the earliest in the year we have ever been (I think the other 4 times it was February), it was nice to see the Holiday Lights still lit on the plaza.

This building in yellow is where the Italian Restaurant is, Caterina De’ medici. This was the 2nd restaurant we ate at. We were hoping to eat at the French Restaurant but it has been closed for months in preparation for a remodel and name Change. The Escoffier restaurant, the oldest on campus, which was old school French, is being replaced with The Bocuse Retaurant which is a more modern take on French Cuisine. We are very much looking forward to making a second trip to the CIA this year to eat there.

We decided to revisit the first of the restaurants we ever ate at The American Bounty Restaurant. The Schools website describes the restaurant as follows: The wealth and diversity of foods of the Americas is brought to life by the imaginative cuisine of this award-winning, student-staffed restaurant located in the CIA’s main building, Roth Hall. A recipient of the prestigious Restaurants & Institutions Ivy Award, the Bounty features regional specialties prepared with ingredients selected from the riches of the Hudson River Valley and beyond.

Gratuitous Self pic outside before heading in for our dinner.

We each ordered an appetizer, salad and entree, and as always the food was outstanding. The students were knowledgable and all but a few are ready to graduate in 2 weeks. It’s always nice to get students as the staff that are personable and although they are there to learn and work, they were still able to chat about their lives with the guests.

So without further ado below are pictures which honestly don’t do the food or presentation justice.

I started with a glass of Grüner Veltliner, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes 2010 (which I failed to take a picture of), which was fabulous. I had to try it since it is from the Finger Lakes where we visit every July for a wine tour.

I couldn’t pass up the Special Drink of the night. Prosecco with a Bitters soaked sugar cube and a lemon twist. It was delicious.

 For my appetizer I ordered the Sautéed Shrimp and Chorizo Sausage with
Garlic, Lemon

The Hubby ordered Dry-aged Beef Carpaccio
Frisée, “Waffle” Potatoes, Deviled Egg

The Hubby went with the Mixed Field Greens

I was feeling adventurous and not really knowing what I was getting ordered the Crispy Portabella Salad. It was amazing.

I was torn between 2 dishes for dinner. They had Short Ribs which I love but I went instead with the

American Bounty Special 30th Anniversary Entrée
Dry-aged Strip Loin
Fingerling Potatoes, Arugala, Blue Cheese, Green Beans

I also ordered a side of Roasted Brussels Sprouts for us to share.

The hubby immediately knew what he was having when he read the menu,

Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Breast
Creamy Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Green Peppercorn Sauce

Now on to the final piece of the Culinary Masterpiece Dessert.

The hubby ordered

Ice Cream-filled Profiteroles
House Churned Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Candied Almonds

I ordered the Warm Chocolate Cake
Pistachio Ice Cream, Toffee Sauce

This honestly was the best part of the meal. When I made the reservation I noted that it was our 15th Anniversary. So I was only slightly surprised to find these wishes on our dessert plates. Along with that a few of the students noted this and came by to wish us a Happy Anniversary.

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful week that started out with New Year’s Eve celebrations with all of our friends and ended with a quiet dinner for 2.

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