Tails Of The Perfumed Ladies...

Last night was one of the best dining experiences Poppy and I have had yet! Some of you are familiar with Chris Cosentino from the Food Network but also his restaurant, Incanto. Last night was their 8th Annual Head to Tail dinner. Offal-Poppy and I have been dying to do this, so as a very early birthday present, we went.

The evening started out with me wanting to sit somewhere and have a nice glass of wine. We stopped in at Blush on Castro. We had a lovely Cava brut rose; then Poppy had a glass of house red and I had a glass of Pinotage. If you've not tasted a pinotage, I highly recommend you do. It's a NOMMY grape from South Africa.

Happy and relaxed, we headed to Incanto. My other big request was that we eat at the chef's counter. Not exactly a chef's counter, but close enough to the action. My wish was granted. Odoriferous-Poppy and I settled in to our seats at the coveted bar when the next thing Pepe-Le-Pew-Poppy and I smell are these two gals that sat right next to us. Perfume doesn't usually bother me, but it was as if these gals bathed in it. They both looked like something out of the big-hair 80's and smelled even worse. I can't even explain it. It reminded me of when my Mom would spray on a can of Aqua-Net on her hair and you'd walk by and you could taste it.

There's no way that we could stay sitting there with The-Perfumed-Ladies. I was crushed. Perturbed-Poppy went to see the hostess about changing our seats. The hostess totally understood because she smelled them too. So just as we were getting up to change seats, the sommelier tells us that The-Perfumed-Ladies are waiting to be seated at a table. Far out! We get our seats at the bar!!

I was having such a nice conversation with Tatiana sitting to my right and finally figured out she was Chef Chris' wife. It was so cute the way he served her and then would ask her opinion. Plus, we got to talk to him a little so I really enjoyed that.

Then a man came in; he must have been someone important cause they were making a fuss. We asked who he was and turns out it was author, Harold McGee. Not that I know who he is, but I hear he was on Colbert Report a while back. Basically, he's a food author and scientist. I asked Chris "Like Alton Brown?" Chris replies "Alton Brown learned everything he knows from Harold." Well, Harold gets seated right next to Pleased-As-Hawaiian-Punch-Poppy. They get to talking and I look over and he's having her taste his wine.

I tell you, it was magical...and then there was the food:

Our first course was the Venison Liver Crudo:



I had a little texture trouble with it at first, but then it got better. Our next course which I forgot to photo was Snouts & Snails. I told myself I would never eat snails, but I couldn't pass this up. They were good, albeit, chewy. The snout, however, was INFINITY NOM. Smokey porky goodness.

Up next was the Tripe with Wheat Grass and Hay pasta:



This was a winner! He made broth from the wheat grass and hay and then made pasta out of it. The tripe was very mild compared to what I've had in the past.

Then came the Lamb Kidney and Tongue with Asparagus:



The kidney was very tasty...kind of liver like. The tongue had that lamby flavor I've been craving for years. Way gamy and way good!

For the dessert it was called Bones:



Pastry with a bone marrow mascarpone filling and some kind of strawberry blood.

One of the things I like about the restaurant is the art work. This picture is above the bar. Take a look at the little dog. That's so Jax-The-Cheese-Connesewer. That's her exact worried look.

Artsie-Fartsi-Jax:



Real-Jax:



Mmmm hmmm.

Now it was time to go home...by the time we gathered all our stuff, everyone was wishing me happy birthday. So cool!

Bye bye...