third sunday in lent

Friday was my birthday.

After our morning delivering Meals on Wheels (which you can read about here), Suzy gave me my present:

A framed collage of photos of family members holding Happy Birthday signs, posing in food pantries with their donations.

She had planned this for weeks, getting my family and hers to take the money they would have spent on a gift that I didn't really need, and instead to donate food to United Ministries and other food pantries. And not just donate food, but deliver the food, see the facilities, meet the people. Even Suzy's German sister, who's only in the country for a couple of weeks, participated.

I know it sounds overly pious and cheesy to say this, but I did not care one bit that this was my only present. It was all I needed, to know that about 100 people could be given a bag of food, and all because the people that closest to me care enough to care for others.

Fast forward to that night...

Suzy knows that to show how much she cares for me, all she has to do is take me out to eat at a fancy restaurant (I'm easy like that). I've eaten some amazing meals at some really nice restaurants in major cities in the US, but my birthday dinner Friday night topped 'em all.

Suzy and I went to American Grocery, my favorite restaurant in town. It's a farm-to-table restaurant serving American seasonal cuisine, owned by a husband (the chef) and wife (the sommelier). The food is outstanding, and the atmosphere was made for me. The exposed brick walls, unfinished woods, and dish-towel linens, balanced with the industrial-style ceiling and contemporary accents, give the place a modern-rustic feel I love. And when I heard Ray LaMontagne, Coldplay, and Ryan Adams on the playlist, I knew this was my kind of place.

So here's what we had:

Negro Tinto, a Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.  Dark, flavorful, and smooth, it was a great pairing with our meal.

Starter: Flash-fried pork belly and grilled apple slices over creamy grits with a pecan-bourbon maple syrup.  Perfect combo of savory, fatty, tart, nutty, and sweet.

Suzy's entree: Wild striped bass, green garlic (mild) risotto, fiddleheads (taste like asparagus), chanterelle mushrooms, lobster nage (cream sauce). Light but rich flavors.

My entree: Braised beef tongue (don't be grossed out...it's delicious, super tender and juicy), black pepper gnocchi, arugula, smoked tomato cream sauce. Meaty, peppery goodness.

Dessert: seasonal fruit (apple) cobbler. The cobbled part had to be 2 inches thick, the top covered with packed raw sugar. Served hot with two scoops of melting cinnamon-vanilla ice cream.

I'm aware how hypocritical it is for me to advocate giving food for people in poverty and going out to one of Greenville's best (and more expensive) restaurants. Believe me, I know. But it does make me feel a little bit better that the restaurant helps to support local farms and farmers, since almost every ingredient comes from farms and artisan food producers in South Carolina. Even as we enjoyed this delicious, extravagant, and completely unnecessary meal, I was reminded that food justice does not only concern how it is consumed or distributed, but also how it is produced - with care for the environment, the food itself, and the consumer in mind.

Care. Food. Culinary care. This day had it all.