it's my birthday

Last night for about three and a half hours, it was my birthday all over again.

A friend of mine who works at a swanky Chicago restaurant won a dinner for two at a similarly swanky spot. She chose me as her date, as I am a lover of food and dining and getting dressed up to go out. We went to Tru and told them it was my birthday, which I guess it kind of was.... just a little late. (For a second, it reminded me of the time she told the Karaoke DJ at Friar Tuck's that our names were Rose and Millicent and it was her birthday. Before we knew it, we were on stage and she was taking a Jagermeister shot out of the ass of a giant inflatable sheep ... but we didn't have to wait to sing our Karaoke song.)

Now, I have never eaten at a restaurant like this, and depending on who you're asking, Tru is ranked as the No. 1 (or No. 3) restaurant in Chicago. For the occasion, we went shopping at trusty, cheap, and always classy Forever XXI (yes, I know it's for 15-year-olds, but it's cheap and as long as I can still fit into the stuff, I'm gonna shop there), and got her a dress and me a shrug. Fancy.

We walk in the restaurant and are greeted by three men in suits, one with a thick French accent, there to take our coats and walk us to our table. The interior is decadent: plush blue velvet seats, tall ceilings, white walls spotted with art work - including an original Andy Warhol. I even got a tiny stool for my purse so it wouldn't have to rest on the floor.

We started with a glass of champagne, and I began to feel less and less like a total fraud sitting in a swanky four-star restaurant, knowing I can't pronounce half the stuff on the menu, wouldn't be able to choose the proper wine if my life depended on it and have no business spending any kind of substantial money on a meal. The place was stuffy, and every move was choreographed, down to the two servers simultaneously pouring water in our glasses. It was as quiet as a library, and the stiff-backed servers in their dark suits were constantly scanning the room, their eyes darting attentively. Although the formality of it made me a little uncomfortable at first, we eased into it, deciding it was still OK to laugh and enjoy ourselves, and even chat up the serving team (that's right, team - there must have been five guys waiting on us, and the fact that they treated us like queens helped relax me.)

We decided to do the chef's collection with wine pairing - nine tiny courses, each a surprise and different for the two of us. We started with the amuse-bouche - four bite-size treats, such as a mini-stack of potatoes and a shot of melon water. From there, we had the caviar staircase, which was gorgeously displayed on a glass tiered tray. I can't say I have really done caviar before, and this was perfect.

Now on to a couple fish courses - seared tuna and a crab salad - followed by a foie gras in chocolate sauce and lobster risotto with black truffle. Next up were two soups in capuchin cups, then halibut and hamachi, then lamb and beef rossini..... phew I am exhausted just recounting it all. These courses were followed by the cheese course, where we chose three from a massive cheese table the server wheeled over to us. After a shot of blackberry-passion soup, it was desert time - the course that seemed to never end, from the two desert plates to the table of tiny chocolate truffles and cookies to the silver of specialty chocolates.

None of my retelling do the food justice. It can't. Sure, I called the "Elysian Fields Lamb Loin and Chop, Roasted Cipollini Onions, Couscous, Pine Nuts, Lamb Jus paired with the Rockblock Syrah from Del Rio Vineyard" just "lamb," but if I detailed it how they did, my guess is your eyes would glaze over at the pages and pages of text here. But each course was rich and unique and exciting. There were flavors I have never had before, expertly prepared, each piece of the dish complementing the next. I don't think I could pick a favorite dish - or even a favorite course.

The marathon meal came to a whopping $450, not including the tip. Before dining there, I always said it was stupid to spend that kind of money on food, and I still contend that there are more urgent needs in the world for such funds - if not my rent money then the charity of your choice. That said, having the opportunity to live like someone who could afford such a meal for one night was a treat, and would be worth saving up to celebrate a special occasion. I didn't pay for it, so I am not having to assess if it was "worth it," but it certainly made me want to budget for another meal like that some day in the distant future, and for last night, it was the meal to top all meals. And I got to keep the menu, complete with a "Happy Birthday Sara!" on the top.