10/04/2026
Twenty-two years of marriage deserved a dinner we would remember. Blue Duck Italian Kitchen gave us one—with a little of our own farm on the plate and a saxophone playing in the background.
For us at Restoration Fields Farm, this evening held a particular sweetness. The eggplant, sweet peppers, beets, and Winner basil served throughout the dinner came from our fields. Our Chesnok Red garlic had been transformed into black garlic, and our zinnias, gomphrena, and salvia brought the farm’s color to the table. We know those crops through planting, tending, and harvesting. Sitting down together and experiencing them through someone else’s imagination was a pleasure all its own.
The opening course, Miele and Nero, set a beautiful tone. Fresh mozzarella with black garlic purée was deep, complex, smoky, and creamy, lifted by a touch of acidity. Tasting that depth of flavor from our own garlic was especially rewarding. Alongside it, whipped ricotta and Schaefer honey offered buttery, gooey gorgeousness—the sort of bite that deserves a moment of quiet appreciation. An Aperol Spritz brought light sweetness, a welcome bitter edge, and a refreshing sparkle. Dangerously easy to enjoy.
The tapas trio kept our attention moving around the plate. The olives were buttery, bright, and salty. The all-beef meatball was succulent and herbaceous, with a satisfying meatiness. Caprese on a stick delivered a little surprise: candy sweetness against creamy mozzarella, with our Winner basil bringing everything together. There is something deeply satisfying about tasting an herb you grew in a bite so beautifully composed.
CC Farms’ Petit Verdot from Breckenridge added fig, vanilla, oak, and brown spice—a generous accompaniment to the course.
For the entrée, we experienced both the tagliatelle and the pizza. The pasta was creamy and savory while retaining that lovely resistance to the bite. The ribeye was tender and rich; our eggplant tasted bright and juicy.
The pizza gave us one of the evening’s most memorable bites. Its flavors arrived in a remarkably clear sequence: lemon and herbs first, then milky mozzarella, followed by the sweetness of our peppers, finishing with meaty goodness. Each ingredient had its moment, and the pleasure was in tasting them together.
Skies Over Texas’ Sangiovese from Early brought cinnamon and raspberry to the table, adding another layer to an already expressive course.
With the saxophone accompanying the evening, there was every reason to linger over the Veldhuizen cheese plate. One cheese offered nutty, earthy depth reminiscent of Reggiano, but with a creamy texture. Another recalled a well-aged Irish cheddar. One was strong, direct, and unapologetically beautiful. Izzis Garden lavender jam supplied a delicate sweetness, its floral character subtle and never soapy. CC Farms’ Picpoul Blanc, with our impressions of honey and white peach, accompanied the assortment beautifully.
Dessert brought our beets into territory that made us smile.
The lemon mascarpone gelato with red beet zabaglione was lemony, earthy, and creamy, with the beets in their full shining glory. Their distinctive flavor belonged there. The panna cotta was dense and creamy, yet retained a pleasing firmness, bursting with the vanilla-orange character of Fiori di Sicilia. Beets and balsamic gave it depth and a finish that invited another spoonful.
Skies Over Texas Winery Home Town sweet red was bright, playful, and reminiscent of port. We enjoyed dessert to the final drop—and have the empty dish to prove it.
What stays with us is the care evident in those bites: the way a familiar vegetable could surprise us, the clarity of the flavors, and the pleasure of taking our time over a meal together. Good food, live music, and the person you have shared twenty-two years with make a lovely combination.
Hats off to Chef Vy and Jody. Your creativity and care gave every course something to remember, and seeing our harvest so thoughtfully honored meant a great deal to us.
Thank you, Blue Duck Italian Kitchen, for giving our harvest such thoughtful expression and our 22nd wedding anniversary such a delicious memory.
With full hearts and very happy palates,
Sam & Danny
Restoration Fields Farm
