Saturday, February 27, 2010

Happy Belated Birthday

I've done a fantastic job of neglected my blog. Which is kind of my fault and kind of not... no, I still don't have access to a kitchen at IU, which makes whipping up anything that requires more than a microwave impossible. BUT I did say I was going to tell you about some of the restaurants I've been trying out in a desperate attempt to avoid anything resembling a food court, which I haven't done either. This time around I'm not blogging about anything I made OR a restaurant in Bloomington.

Over winter break I went to a restaurant that was perhaps one of the best I've ever dined at. I know, winter break was forever ago... it's been about two months since I went to Oakley's, but now that I've found time to actually write about it, it's worth the wait! Taylor asked me where I'd like to go out for dinner for my birthday, but being the indecisive person I am told him I'd rather him just pick a place and surprise me. He could not have picked a better restaurant! Oakley's Bistro on 86th Street is a fairly small and gorgeously quaint restaurant with innovative dishes. It is a little bit on the pricey side, but it was absolutely divine and I'd absolutely recommend it.

I failed to take a picture of the soup I started off with, probably because I was distracted by the flavor explosion going on in my mouth. Any place that has butternut squash soup on their menu, which Oakley's did, in automatically on my good side. It was the best butternut squash soup I've ever had. And it only got better from there.

Being indecisive didn't serve me well when scanning the menu. The entire menu was one page, only around 8 options for a main course, but eliminating any of them was nearly impossible! I eventually settled on lamb (yes, I do on occasion eat meat!). This is what the waiter brought me:

Lamb Loin

I still don't know what everything on that plate was! BUT IT WAS SO GOOD! I don't think I stopped blubbering on about how insanely delicious the food was until the waiter took my plate away. Taylor was pretty amused ;) He wasn't quite as excited as I was, but he claimed the short rib he ordered was even better than my lamb loin (a complete lie, but whatever...)

Brisket and Mashed Potatoes

Even though this wasn't my meal, I actually know what some of the foods here were. Yes, one short rib topped with a ball of fried cheese. Yes, that white rectangle is artfully arranged mashed potatoes. Yes, the majority of the vegetables remained even after the meat and potatoes were gone ;)

And of course, what kind of birthday would it be without dessert? A less awesome birthday than it would be with dessert. And why would ever choose to share a dessert with Taylor? I wouldn't! So I order the creme brulee and tiramisu mousse while Taylor decided on lemon crepes.

Creme Brulee and Tiramisu Mousse

I was a little hesitant to order a dessert as common as creme brulee but Oakley's did it so well it was worth it! The tiramisu mousse wasn't as good as I was hoping but it will still pretty tasty.

Lemon Crepes

Taylor's crepes were also really good. The lemon creme on the inside was tangy and had a fresh and bright lemon flavor. The thing in the corner is a homemade marshmallow. You can't really see it under that crispy thing... don't actually remember what that was... Many of the desserts had marshmallows listed as a component, probably because they are a fairly unique option, but the mallow was probably our least favorite of the components. As cool as it was that the marshmallow was made in house, I'd much rather bite into a crepe or creme brulee!

I left Oakley's pretty much in awe. The food was incredible and, of course, I was there with excellent company! I've got my fingers crossed that I'll get to go again sometime, especially since they have a seasonal menu that constantly changes! I'm also hoping that if you're looking for a nice dinner you'll consider Oakley's Bistro, I promise you won't regret it!