die happy

While there are a number of foods that I utterly adore – steamed artichokes, unagi, a good Niman Ranch steak, manchego cheese, my mom’s spaghetti, only two can actually transport me to absolute nirvana. I’m talkin’ kill-me-now-and-I’d-die-happy, food-so-good-you’re-afraid-to-eat-because-it-will-then-be-gone kind of sustenance.

Yesterday was my second visit to my friend’s restaurant – Yankee Pier in Lafayette. The first time was for dinner when a friend and I dined on mussels, clam chowder, ahi, and their famous lobster roll. My second time around I was solo, and it was for lunch. I decided to just go balls out.

I had Chef Michael pick out a delectable live Maine lobster, which he also cooked himself. I ordered a glass of the crisp Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2005, a bowl of the soup du jour which was Cream of Butternut Squash, and two sides – mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms.

The soup, as expected, was wonderful as only a soup bowl tipped-to-get-every-last-drop can be. But nothing could have prepared me for the orgasm I was about to experience with the 1-1/2 lb crustacean. My words could not do justice to the heavenliness of that first fork full of the sweet of Maine lobster, dipped in drawn butter but in my blessed state, all I could think of was my life was complete. I couldn’t stop smiling, all during my meal.

So nothing can come close to that tripped out feeling, except for my other ecstasy-inducing incredible edible – Alaskan king crab. Hubba hubba.