Food Sparks Fond Memories

My husband often jokes that my memory is absolutely terrible for normal things, But that I can remember something I ate 25 years ago. He’s totally not wrong.

This morning for some reason I am sitting in my office thinking about the first time I had this one salad at Lake Park Bistro while dining with my father. Just him and I. I was maybe in my early 20’s. I had to go on their website and see if they still had it on their menu. It is still there! I haven’t been to Lake Park Bistro in so many years now, But sitting here reading that description I could see how it looked. I could remember the feeling of amazement I had when I cut through the soft boiled crispy fried egg and the silky yolk running over the bed of frisee lettuce, the earthy blend of wild mushrooms and a truffle Vinaigrette lightly complimenting it all. I can literally taste it all. So simple you think? Not many components to the dish? Well let me tell you I have tried over the years to recreate just that egg and I suck at it. I think I have an idea now possibly how to make it work we will see if I try my hands at it again here in the future. But that dish was so simple yet complex in its own rights. Pure Magic.

I thank my dad for so many dinners while on business trips with him and so thankful that in his line of work he had to wine and dine a lot of doctors. Because of his business I was able to be so exposed to eating at such fine establishments on occasion. My palate definitely got refined because of all those nights dining out listening to him talk about pedorthics, corrective footwear, and the diabetic foot. He never stifled me from ordering anything new and different. He always let me try what I wanted. The tables have turned though over the years, now my father & brothers wine and dine those folks here at the Precinct.

My hope is that I spark some fond culinary memories for people down the road. They wake up one morning thinking about some unforgettable dish they experienced here and crave and want it again. Only problem is that unlike Lake Park Bistro my menu changes so often that 20 years later it most likely will not be on my menu still. Heck it might not be on there next month…

I know people ask all the time for old dishes to come back and make an appearance again. It does happen occasionally but it’s usually a rendition of the original dish.

So Moral of the story here, get in and get it again quick if you like it, cause it may be gone next time…