One If By Land...

...Two If By Sea is the name of the restaurant we ate at Friday night. It was the most romantic place I have ever eaten by far. There were red roses on every small, intimate table and a single candle lit, setting a soft glow on your loved one...I swear it was so romantic that the whole place kind of seemed hazy like you were looking through a lens that had fogged over. It was very nice but not pretentious. We didn't feel uncomfortable or out of place though I did have a small moment of panic when I first sat down and saw 3 different sized forks lined up next to one another by my plate. I felt a little bit like Goldilocks with so many choices and thinking, 'that middle fork looks juuust right!'. Don't worry, I know you just use the silverware from the outside in. Anyway, there was live piano music playing love songs softly and we had a corner table right next to a window that looked out on this little area where there were vines and flowers covering the walls of the building next door. The building itself, The Carriage House at 17 Barrow Street, has history enough for a book. A few of the highlights? In the 1700's this original carriage house is where George Washington housed his horse for a time. Then it was purchased by Aaron Burr (who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel), it has a tunnel underneath it that helped slaves escaping via the underground railway. Later it was turned into a house of 'ill-repute' among other things before becoming a restaurant. The name of the restaurant is 'One if by Land, Two if by Sea' referring to Paul Revere's Ride, if you remember Longfellow's poem:

He said to his friend, "If the British march

By land or sea from the town to-night

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch

Of the North Church tower as a signal light,

One if by land, and two if by sea;

And I on the opposite shore will be,

Ready to ride and spread the alarm

Through every Middlesex village and farm,

For the country folk to be up and to arm...

What a clever and classy name I thought! Anyway, the food was unbelievable. Probably some of the best I have ever had. The kind where you take a bite and there are layers of flavors...so unlike my tuna noodle casserole...it was all amazing. Though the company was by far the best part. It was such a treat to have Nathan all to myself! We had conversations without interruption which is unprecedented at this phase of our lives, and we enjoyed reminiscing over the past 7 years together. One of my top dates with Nathan to be sure...Picture 1-dinner. Picture 2- Our hotel lobby.