(I had to look that word up!)

This week: Two dining experiences I can share.

On Wednesday, I met C at the East Afrian Restaurant for Ethiopian, and we shared three vegeterian dishes scooped up with injira (sp), the sponge-y bread; and a bottle of wine we brought in. Total cost for wine/dinner for both: $22.

And last night: I met my landlord J, his boyfriend B and three of their other friends for a dinner celebrating J's 36th birthday. We met at John Robert at Pigall's, which is burning up the awards and charts as Cincy's finest restaurant, displacing even La Maisonette. B knew the Maitre'd from their days at La Maisonette, where B used to be a sous-chef. As a result, we also got three complimentary plates "courtesy of Jean Robert". My personal bill came to $140 -- a new record in gluttony.

I tried some appetizer with a Quail's Egg for the sole shallow reason of having heard about How Delicious they are from the twit I had dated earlier this year. Yup -- delicious. Then, I had venison for my main course -- cubed and darkened on the edges, tender, juicy pink in the center. Venison, folks. It finished with a dark chocolate tort of some sort with amaretto flavoring. Add to that three glasses of a California cabernet ($10 a swiggle!), and I was a very happy camper. Surprisingly, I was not too full at the end of the evening -- it went down that easy! $140!

Charge it, please! Thank you, Plastic Fantastic.