Bradley’s Dinner Table

“Come over for dinner on Wednesday,” Bradley said.  And he mentioned a few friends who would also be there.  The invitation was casual but even though our host had spent all day in the garden and was still dressed in shorts and a tee shirt, dinner was typical of our across-the-street neighbor: elegant from start to finish.

The table was set when we arrived and drinks were served in the dining room, not the living room.  In Bradley’s house, the dining room is often the hub.  It is situated between kitchen and living room, as in many homes, but unlikd most, it is the largest room in the house.  There is a seating area with comfortable (and elegant chairs and couch) a baby grand piano and a dining table unlike any other.

At a glance, the table might be thought to be marble.  It is dark, almost black, but with irregularities of color in its glassy surface.  However, the uneven ends say “wood,” not marble.  The top is several inches thick and it must be ten feet long.  It sits on metal legs fabricated by Bradley’s friend, Dan.  “It’s ebony or teak or who knows what kind of very hard wood,” Bradley said.  “It weighs six hundred pounds and took five men to get it in here.”

The meal was ‘surf and turf’ – salmon and rib eye steak from Jack’s (who has the best meat in the area we all agreed.)  A potato salad, wonderfully delicious and made with sweet potatoes and bacon grease and not a whiff of mayo, and grilled zucchini were the accompanying side dishes.

Malcolm Enters

Malcolm Exits

Bradley’s dog Malcolm sat expectantly (and mostly politely) on the floor between my chair and Bradley’s.  Nearby was the entrance to his special kennel – built into the wall with an ‘M’ embroidered over the doorway.  (Yes, embroidered.  The wall coverings – as opposed to wallpaper – in the dining room are French army blankets.)

Afterwards

Our rather prosaic contribution to the meal was dessert – French vanilla ice cream with chocolate and/or caramel toppings.  But there was nothing ordinary about the spoons with which we ate it.  They were huge.  We have a number of similar sterling silver spoons at our house but they are, always have been, and were meant to be as far as I know, serving spoons. Never have I seen that sized spoon used for actual eating but, who am I to argue?  Bradley knows these things and he said they are dessert spoons.

It was a lovely evening.  It made me think, though, that the bar for Dinner with the Neighbors has been raised almost impossibly high.  I wonder how we can ever again serve burgers grilled on the Jenn Air with a side dish of chips?