Where to go for special birthday dinner!

[MeredithMan]

This past weekend was the 29th anniversary and I wanted to do something special and different. I read through this thread and decided to give Osteria Poggio a try. When I made the reservation I asked about the Cupola room and it was available. I also had the choice of ordering off the menu, or having the chef come up with a custom, 4-course meal, along with their choices for wine pairings. I chose the custom route. It was awesome!

First course was 2 starters...pan-seared scallops, (the big sea scallops), with a plum reduction, and diced up pepperoni on arugula with some sort of demi-glace and some sort of roasted peppers, (you can tell I paid a lot of attention to the descriptions). Excellent.

2nd course was 2 salads....one that was a bit more "tart" with super-thin slices of lemon and garnished with watermelon, and the 2nd was more "savory" with roasted cherry tomatoes and onions

3rd course was 2 pasta dishes....one a risotto that could best be described as "sweet and cheesy", and the other was gnocci, with artichoke and garlic. Both were excellent, but a slight nod to the risotto.

4th, (main), course was 2 surf n turfs...a filet mignon and halibut, with a garnish of green beans and other miscellaneous vegetables. The beef and the fish were cooked perfectly.

Dessert was a piece of white chocolate cheesecake to share, with wild berries on top.

Food and associated wine pairings were excellent, service was excellent, and the pace was perfect. The only Public Service Announcement I would provide is that The Cupola is very tight quarters. We are not large people, (5' 9" and 5' 4"), and there was no room to spare. There is just enough room up there for a table for 2 and that is it. Also, the stairway leading up to it is narrow and steep, so it would be a challenge for people who are tall/big, or have difficulty getting around.

Regardless, we are definitely going back. They recently announced mid-week spaghetti suppers and pizza and beer nights, starting mid-September, and we will definitely be checking it out. Highly recommend this restaurant!!