Lunching with Bev.

 A long natter, a few hugs and a nice opportunity to spend some time together.

We do like good food and we certainly ate well at lunch today and it was amazing to see what they had done re-purposing and rebuilding  an old mill.

It was our first, and hopefully not the last, lunch since George's funeral.   Having made the trip in the past with Paul I found the drive easy even with the 2 detours for road construction.  I must however bone up on north, south, east and west.  They neglected to put up signs that said....hey Elizabeth this is the way to Cambridge don't worry what direction you need to turn.   I noted landmarks for the trip home.

Cambridge Mill

Bev with her soup of the day.  Cream of broccoli and potato.

My spring garden salad with Ice wine vinaigrette. Loved the mushrooms.

Chicken, cilantro and white cheese stone baked pizza.  Mine.

Bev.'s was mushroom.

Seeing as I was driving and passed on the wine I felt it necessary to have dessert.  Lavender panna cotta with pistachio biscotti.  The coffee was excellent. I had seconds.

View from out table.  Some rain drops on the window.  The rain lasted all of 3 minutes.

Slightly different angle.

Goodbye George, we will miss you

We met George and Bev. on our holiday in France in 2006.   We bonded over laughs and fabulous food and wine.  We have kept in touch, living under an hour apart, and tried to meet several times a year to catch up and yes, eat a gourmet lunch trying new restaurants each time.

We had to postpone our latest get-together several times due to George's illness but had been hoping  to see them next week to help them celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at a gathering of family and friends.


Instead we attended his funeral/Celebration of Life yesterday and from all the stories told it was a good life indeed.

George would have appreciate the gathering.  There was good food.  There was a crowd of people mingling and talking and we all were remembering how George and his smile could work a room.

July 9, 1934 - June 27, 2012

Laughing and smiling, their trademark.

Always happy to dig into a fine meal.

                                                      photos from our French trip July 2006--click on to enlarge


George leaves many who will  miss him.  It will be hardest for Bev, Tryna and Andrea. 

Nothing could be better....

...then meeting Bev. and George, our favourite lunch partners, at the Troy Cafe for lunch.

The side garden is lush and colourful

the hollyhocks stunning.

The weather has been perfect for growing strawberries so the menu featured a number of special dishes. I started with a chilled strawberry and yogurt soup and followed it with a strawberry and cheese pizza. Even my drink stayed consistent ... strawberry lemonade.

Paul went straight for the main course - chicken, strawberry, orange, walnut salad - saving room for a raspberry cheesecake dessert.

Bev picked the chicken vegetable phyllo pillows and having started with cream of tomato soup was unable to clean her plate. We all found it hard not to nibble on the warm walnut bread.

George likes his beef and ordered his sandwich mushroom free. George hates mushrooms. He started with French onion soup that looked wonderful with long strings of cheese stretching out with each spoonful.

The restaurant is in the countryside halfway between our two cities so we were all treated to a lovely drive on a perfect weather day. After rain and high humidity we had woke to cooler temperatures, a fresh breeze and bright blue skies.

I could do this over and over and over again

We met Bev. and George in 2006 on a tour in France that included a canal trip in Burgundy. We bonded over fabulous meals and more glasses of wine than I care to remember.

Since then we get together as often as possible ( we live in different cities ) to catch up, eat fabulous food and yes, drink wine.

This time it was the Sole Restaurant and Wine Bar in Waterloo Ontario. I started taking food photos on that trip in France so it was only fitting that I drag out my camera before taking my first bite.
I had .... pan seared sea scallops with bacon and wild mushroom cream topped with parmesan shards.

Then I had ...... grilled chicken, pesto, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, dried tomatoes and pecorino cheese pizza.

I finished with .... orange creme brulee ( with brandy )

We talked, we laughed, the others cleaned their plates. I brought home half the pizza.


Sole restaurant link