Celebrating 1 Year & 361 Days In Style
By admin
What a weekend! It’s been super busy, but in fun ways. Yesterday I woke up at the butt crack of dawn, some how managed to roll out of bed and go for a run. And not just any old run, but 13 miles worth of running! A new record for me.
Once I got cleaned up, I hit up the farmer’s market, had lunch with my mom, shopped a bit with my mom, came home, played some frisbee with Dan so he could get some fresh air, cooked dinner, and then FINALLY collapsed on the couch at around 8:30 to watch a movie. With neither of us made it all the way through before we decided it was time for bed!
While yesterday was great, Friday was even better!
Celebrating 1 Year and 361 Days Married!
Remember, I mentioned Dan and I had a hot date planned? Well, we did, and it was A-Ma-Zing! Our 2 year wedding anniversary is on Tuesday and because of boot camps every night and I’m going out of town next weekend, we decided to celebrate a few days early.
Is that bad marriage luck? Dan thinks it might be.
Anyways, Charleston is in the midst of Restaurant Week and we jumped at the opportunity to eat at one of the most amazing places here. We’re blessed to live in a area known for great food. But a lot of times, the food experiences we like can hurt our wallet. With Restaurant week, several of the big name restaurants do special menus for set prices during the week.
For years, yes YEARS we’ve been wanting to try Circa 1886, but we always make excuses for staying away. But this year it was on the restaurant list participating and we hurried to make reservations. The special was a 3 course meal for $ 40/person. Can’t beat that there!
Because we’re old don’t like to fight crowds, Dan made our reservation for 5:30 pm. We got there about 30 minutes early and were blown away by the ambiance.
Circa 1886, is the carriage house of the Wentworth Mansion (which was build in 1886). The decor, antique feel of the place was simply amazing.
Of course we made a beeline to the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.
Gin & tonic for Dan, Prosecco for me!
I was immediately impressed when we took our seats and our waiter quickly introduced himself and congratulated us on our anniversary. When Dan made the reservations, they asked if it was for a special occasion. That little touch made the evening feel even more special.
While we waited for the menu and took in the place, Dan decided to try a local beer… of course I am a lightweight and was still working on my wine.
It’s Westbrook IPA… and Dan was REALLY excited to give it a go. He said he really liked it, I took a quick sip and thought it was pretty good too.
I was worried that because of Charleston Restaurant week would have limited choices on the menu, but there were amazing choices and everything sounded delicious!
Once we put in our orders for the evening, this was delivered to each of us… “a gift” from the chef. This image looks large, but each cup was smaller than an espresso mug. Itty bitty = super cute!
Cheddar Beer Soup Topped With Wasabi Peas: It was delicious! And the first cheese experience I’ve had in months! It wasn’t too rich… and the crunch from the peas really helped with texture. The peas were my favorite!
From there it was time for bread. I loved that they only brought one for each person instead of sticking a basket in front of us! Moderation is key. And the rolls were perfect size, light and fluffy.
Rice Flour Roll served with an orange butter. Dan LOVED the butter. It too was light and very whipped.
It was finally 1st course time!
Local beets and arugula for me, with a walnut wipped topping. Melon sorbet with lamb bacon, cucumbers, balsamic glaze and almonds for Dan
I loved my salad, it was super fresh and the arugula tasted as if it has been harvested up that morning. Dan was a bit surprised/disappointed with his. He didn’t realize it was going to be a sorbet, he thought it was going to be more like a fresh lemon salad. He still liked it but not quite what he was going for.
Main Course:
Remember, I knew I wasn’t going to be eating vegan tonight. It was my night to enjoy the full experience of this place, especially since we’ve wanted to go there for so long. So yes, I am quite aware that my meal isn’t vegan.
My Dinner:
Grilled Salmon With Crab Gumbo Served In A Tempura Onion: Holy yum! It was amazing. Everything was cooked just right, and for someone that hasn’t had seafood in months, it was as if I has tasting it all for the first time. The chucks of crab were HUGE and the portion sizes just right.
Dan’s Dinner:
Antelope With Local Sauteed Mushrooms & Sweet Potato Hash: Definitely a new meal for Dan. Who knew about antelope? He raved about it and said it was tender and full of flavor. Then he let me know he missed meat… lol.
These portions were perfect, and left us with just enough room for dessert!
Dessert Time:
Flourless Chocolate Cake for me! Cheese Plate for Dan! Let’s just say that there was no more cake left at the end. It was everything a woman expects out of chocolate cake.
How cool is that! I loved that my plate had the “Happy Anniversary” written on it! It’s those little touches that made the evening amazing.
Mansion Time
After dinner, we decided to walk over to the mansion and check things out. We were able to walk throughout the building since now a days it’s a hotel. I took some pictures but the lighting was terrible. 
After going up a few flights of stairs we found the way to the rotonda
Seeing this could not have prepared me for what I was about to see…
The best views in Charleston
360-Degree View of Charleston at Sunset! This was breathtaking and the icing on top of a wonderful date.
I love you Dan! Can’t wait to spend many more years together, making a lifetime of memories.
It was an endulgant night, I won’d lie, I surprised by self when I woke up and got my run in! Go me.
- What’s the best date you’ve gone on?
- Does your town have Restaurant week?