On the 8th Kevin Sanchez, our yard dude, found water bubbling up out of the ground in the back yard. When I turned off the water well pump, we discovered that it was a leak on a line connected to the city water system, so I called Jason Bunt, my plumber, who found the leaking pipe but could not repair it because the 70 year old galvanized pipe was too weak to hold a clamp to gasket the leaking area closed when it was clamped. So we were without water for the evening of the 8th and could not cook.
On the morning of the 9th Kevin returned and dug up the line to an old capped faucet next to the house and Jason returned and capped the line at that point. Voila, we had water again by What a wonderful amenity running water is! I felt lucky and ready for a holiday from the house and since Suzette was working until , I elected to schedule a massage at at her Garden Gate Day Spa in Los Lunas while she swam laps in the Spa’s pool. After the massage and a shower to wash away the ill effects (both psychic and physical) of being without water for a day, I met Suzette in her Greenhouse Bistro and Bakery for dinner. I finally felt civilized and refreshed after a day of being without water!~.
When we sat down, we were served a plate of small diamond shaped focaccia cubes with fresh herbed compound butter. We ordered a glass of Champalou Vouvray sec and shortly after being served the wine, we were each served a complimentary appetizer of a baked mushroom stuffed with flavored bread crumbs and chopped mushroom on a bed of sautéed spinach in a sauce I could not identify but seemed to contain balsamic vinegar made by the new assistant chef, Eric Elliott heaslet. .
After eating small bites of the mushroom with the lovely light Vouvray, we were intrigued to try a bowl of the special soup of the night, “Champagne Chicken Soup”, and decided to keep things simple and light by each trying the soup and splitting one order of grilled vegetables. The soup was served in a brown ceramic bowl of the type used for French Onion soup that was filled with a lovely chicken stock based soup with shredded chicken and sliced fresh vegetables, including carrots, yellow crock necked squash and, most interestingly, fresh plump and chewy shitake mushroom slices that gave the soup an added chewy texture. The chicken stock was flavored with champagne that gave the soup a lightness that allowed the soup to eclipse generic chicken soup and turned it into something quite different; lighter and decidedly unchickeny.
As we finished our appetizer we were informed by our waitress, Kat that the kitchen did not have asparagus and would we accept grilled yellow and red peppers as a substitute for asparagus in the grilled vegetable medley. Neither of us wanted peppers, so we elected instead to split an order of Boeuf Bourguignonne and ordered a glass of Cahor's, a fruity mixture of Grenache and Carignane grapes.
Soon our waitress returned with a salad plate on which a four sided bowl was placed filled with a thick beef bourguignone topped with a large scoop of mashed potatoes garnished with chopped parsley leaves. When the wine was poured I dug in. My initial reaction was that there was too large a portion of potatoes for the beef stew, but as I mixed potatoes with stew, I realized that each accentuated the other. The bland and fluffy mashed potatoes balanced and diminished the heaviness of the carrot, mushroom, onion and beef in wine sauce beef stew and the stew gave the mash potatoes a rich meaty flavor and heft; a lovely combination. The fruity red wine further lightened the heaviness of the beef stew.
We were really full by the time we finished our half portions of Boeuf Bourguinonne, so we selected two pieces of apple almond tart and a brownie to take home. I left the Bistro feeling more satisfied than I would have at any of my favorite bistros in Albuquerque
Good Bless Suzette and Ann and the kitchen staff at the Green House Bistro and Bakery.
When I got home I had a chocolate attack and ate the brownie with cardamom tea and then ate some chocolate truffles with some Mexican brandy as we laughed our way through “Step Brothers”, the Judd Apatow produced comedy with Will Farrell, John Reilly, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins.
I count the day as a wonderfully reassuring example of how quickly one can turn tragedy into gastronomic and comedic ecstasy by the application of a relaxing massage or swim, good food and wine, and pleasant entertainment.
Bon Appètit
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