It was one of those nights when we just wanted to go out for a change of pace.  We haven’t been going out as much as we used to, before the lockdown, but we still try.  Also, we have stockpiles of gift cards, that we should really start using up, in case some of these restaurants join all of the other businesses that are now the way of the Packard Motor Car Company.  I would be a shame to lose that money or to see any more businesses be forced to shut their doors after coming this far.  The gift cards are like found money, and we may as well redeem them, and there is a large amount of them in a box from maybe a half dozen different places. 

We went to one of our usual places, when we usually go see a movie, but we haven’t seen one of those in ages as well.  Though drive-ins were finally allowed to open, I guess they just have to keep the cars six feet apart or something like that, but they were actually closed as well.  Oh well, no movie, but a quick dinner and it is rather sad to see how some restaurants even after removing or closing down tables are still empty.  We put on our masks and walk to the booth and as soon as the water glasses were brought to the table, the masks were off.  My Bride was going to go with a salad, but whenever I can get her to get something else, I am happy, since she makes the best Caesar Salad that I have ever had, I always wonder why she would want a poor imitation.  I found a dish that I thought she would like, as she enjoys that vegetable that people grow in their backyard gardens and then spend a couple of weeks pawning it off on friends, enemies and strangers; yes, I am talking about zucchini.  She had their Shrimp Scampi Zucchini dish.  Zucchini ribbons sautéed with lemon, garlic and white wine, tossed with fresh Italian parsley and then mixed with Shrimp Scampi, though she was asking about the dish, the waiter suggested that perhaps she would like if they made the dish with have Zucchini and half Angel Hair Pasta and my Bride was in Seventh Heaven.  I actually tried some of her dish and it was better than I had expected, as I am not a fan of zucchini, in case you couldn’t have noticed, whereas my Bride likes all vegetables.  I had the Jambalaya Linguini as I enjoy some heat in my dinner.  A dish of blackened chicken and shrimp, Andouille sausage and Tasso ham all tossed in a Cajun Sauce with the linguini.  I seldom see linguini on menus anymore, ever since Neil Simon introduced “The Odd Couple” on the Great White Way.  If you don’t know what I am talking about, you need to watch the original film version to appreciate, why I am smiling as I type this.

Since, we were only having a quick dinner, and this restaurant offers a nine-ounce pour, if chosen, we each had a different wine.  My Bride had the Francis Ford Coppola “Rosso & Bianco” Pinot Grigio California 2018.   The Francis Ford Coppola of the Godfather films fame, among others, bought and resurrected the old Inglenook Estate, and his Rubicon is now back under the original name of Inglenook.  A little side note, is that Francis Ford Coppola was born in Detroit, as his father was a musician with the Detroit Philharmonic Symphony, and Henry Ford of the Ford Motor Company was a major benefactor of the Symphony and he was also instrumental in the creation of the Ford Hospital System of Detroit, where Francis was born, and hence the middle name that sounds rather incongruous, but now makes sense, just in case you ever wondered about it.  The winery was so successful with the several different label series and at several different price points that Coppola moved all of the popular price wines to Sonoma along with his film museum to Sonoma, and even tossed in a bocce court there as well.  This particular wine series “Rosso & Bianco” is his opening price and carries a California designation.  The wine also has some Sauvignon Blanc and is a bulk wine that offers a bang for the buck, and my Bride has been on a Pinot Grigio kick these days.  I had the Clos du Bois Chardonnay California 2018 which is another safe bet.  Clos du Bois is a California wine producer that was originally and still located in Sonoma County.  It was founded by Frank Woods in 1974 and his first wines were a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir.  In 1978 he introduced the first Sonoma “Bordeaux Style” wine.  In 1988, Frank Woods sold the winery and it is now owned by the monster beverage corporation Constellation Brands, Inc., which also owns among the many labels, Robert Mondavi Winery, Kim Crawford and Ruffino.   This was just an easy drinking Chardonnay and it paired well with the heat of the Jambalaya.    Once in a while, it is good just to get out have a quick meal.