Purple Cafe

What a perfect night to go to Purple. Warm and sunny, and there was a place at the bar just for us -- our favorite place to sit: we can see the hub bub of the busy restaurant, listen in while Mike the Wine Guy talks to other customers about wine choices, look in on the kitchen through the pass through window "did you see that fig pizza just go by?", and see what everyone else is ordering as the servers bring things out from the kitchen -- passing us as they go by.

The menu had changed a bit since the last time we were in. We decided to start with the grilled asparagus. After grilling the asparagus, it is served with some slightly warm truffle aioli, crisp pancetta and a little lemon zest. In my eagerness to dig in, I cut the asparagus before remembering I needed to take a photo:

It was delicious (yum -- what was in that aioli?), but I think my favorite preparation was on last time's menu --- roasted asparagus served with truffle ham and hard boiled egg -- a "deconstructed hollandaise" B called it. It was so tasty, and we've looked all over for truffle ham, but Mike the Wine Guy said the chef in Purple's Seattle restaurant had made his own truffle ham.

Next B ordered the Strawberry and Prosciutto Salad, and I forgot to take a photo of that dish. It was yummy, with baby spinach, sliced strawberries, sliced almonds, crispy prosciutto, sheep's feta and a champagne vinaigrette.

Moving on, B ordered the grilled beef tenderloin skewers. Served with crimini mushrooms and red wine-mushroom glaze, they were tender and tasty.

(Disclaimer: my cell phone didn't take good photos and didn't do these dishes justice at all!)

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma. What should I order??? I wanted the Chicken Marsala -- my absolute fave dish, but B was razzing me about "always ordering the same thing." "I know, I know -- but I love that marsala sauce with mashed potatoes. It is SOOOO good." In fact, last time we were at Purple, I ordered a salad and a side of mashed potatoes with just the marsala sauce on it.

OK -- I'll branch out just this time! I ordered the Paella-Style Fettucini, with black pepper fettucine, clams, spanish chorizo, sweet peas, roasted red peppers, sweet onions, saffron and oven roated tomato sauce. This is not something I would normally order, but I did enjoy it. It was very tasty (I need a new food adjective -- delicious, yummy, tasty...)

(Note to self: next time don't wear a white sweater! Now I have little red spots from the tomato sauce to try to wash out...)

Do we have room for dessert? Well, it is ALWAYS worth looking at the menu. Maybe there is a tiny bit of room for Chocolate Peanut S'More, with Bruleed Marshmallow Cream and Key Lime Creme Brulee. After all, they are just tiny bites.

See you next time, Mike the Wine Guy!




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