Stepping Diagonally: Happy New Year!

Hi everyone and welcome to 2010. Instead of burdening you with resolutions that I think I might keep (which won't really happen) or go on about how 2009 needed to end ASAP (because frankly it was pretty awesome - new kickass job!) I think I want to know how all of your New Year's Eve's went. Tell me in the comments, I love great stories, stories of how you stayed in this year or if you were off in a druken stupor. I love them all.

My NYE went surprisingly great. I'm one of those people who gets so excited about something that I work myself into a frenzy, get anxious and feel sick...usually resulting in not being able to do the one thing I'm so excited about. So the fact that NYE went off pretty much w/o a hitch was a freakin' miracle. I found a restaurant I wanted to go to in Seaside (Yummy Wine Bar & Bistro) and at first we got put on the waiting list for the 9pm 7 course dinner. I was so disappointed (and I think a little hormonal) because that was the one place in Seaside I wanted to go this trip. But luckily enough someone canceled and we were ready to go.

I got all dolled up in the new dress the BF bought me (seen here) and we went to an AMAZING dinner. Everything on the menu was fantastic.

First there was a crab cocktail...
Seasoned Dungeness Crab Cocktail
rosé marinated carrot strings, tarragon crème fraiche, wasabi caviar

Followed by a cheese plate
and a great soup...
Carrot, Honey and Ginger
topped with roasted pumpkin seed oil and barrel aged balsamic redux
(I got all excited and didn't take a pic, just believe me there was a smiley face in the balsamic)

And a salad...
Wild Mushrooms
organic spinach, slow roasted marinated tomatoes, fresh thyme, white truffle and black fig emulsion

Then we got to the seafood..

Halibut Cheeks
warm fingerling potatoes, sweet peas and pearl onion salad, pancetta vinaigrette, avocado beurre blanc sauce
Probably the best fish I've had in years, so buttery smooth.

And while you're stuffed already there's more.

Meatloaf, but not your mom's.
Buffalo Meatloaf
rosemary lentils, butternut squash ragout, vegetable thyme gravy, current balsamic reduction

Somehow I managed a small bite of each of these, I didn't actually eat them until the next day.
Shaved Cocoa Truffles
vanilla, cinnamon, chipotle

I nearly died by the end of it, especially since there was a bunch of wine and complimentary champagne & party favors at midnight. We tore up the makeshift dance floor along with a few other couples before heading home. Chef & owner Corey Albert did an awesome job, even came out to say hello to us (after our emailing/calling back & forth w/him) as well as his staff. If you ever get a chance to head to Seaside, OR make sure you look them up...you won't regret it.**

Other than that, the weather in Seaside was just short of monsoon season. At one point we attempted a walk and had to turn back 3 blocks into it because we were soaked. Yes, even though we were wearing hoods & had umbrellas. But the good news was that since it was the off season there were sales everywhere (I picked up a new North Face jacket & oodles of Xmas ornaments for cheap).