weekend perfection : )

corner table at xix : )

 

city hall

as i mentioned last week, craig and i spent this past saturday in philly (our fave city).  we had our engagement photo shoot in the morning and then met up with craig's parents to show them xix restaurant (our reception space).  afterwards we walked around to city to check out potential rehearsal dinner locations and then capped our evening with a romantic dinner at our go-to restaurant, tinto.  it was such a fun day!

the photo shoot was fantastic!  our photographers are completely awesome (a husband and wife team), and we got along with them really, really well.  can't wait to see the picts!  (we should get a preview soon, so i'll definitely share them : )

xix dining room

it was such fun showing craig's parents our reception space and telling them all about our thoughts for the wedding.  they hadn't seen the it yet, so it was great to share it with them.  we then enjoyed lunch at xix's bar before heading out to survey the rehearsal dinner locales.


the continental, picture credit {here}

we visited quite a few, but the ones still in the runnings are the continental midtown, alma de cuba, tinto and sampan.  as of now, though, the continental (with its private rooftop bar/lounge and 1950s/60s retro vibe) is our number one!  plus, craig's parents treated us to drinks at the bar, and they were oh-so-good.  i got the "sourpuss" - st. germain (my fave), vodka (my other fave) and champagne (my other other fave) garnished with nerds (yes, nerds the candy.  not my fave, but definitely fun).  it was expertly mixed, and they served it in a small glass, so the shaker kept the remainder cold while you sipped.  nice touch. 



alma de cuba, picture credit {here}

for dinner, craig and i headed to tinto.  i know, i know, i write about tinto a lot, but it's amazing.  and i'll prove it to you.  we ordered the chef's tasting with wine pairing (as we always do) and the food just kept on coming. 

craig at tinto

 we enjoyed:

-first: cheese course with fresh bread and rosemary crackers, mixed greens salad lightly dressed, marinated (homemade) olives and jumbo lump crab crostini

-second: chicken brochettes with red grapes in a rich (omg) gravy shooter and smokey mussels in a peppery tomato stew served with seasoned fries with lemon aioli (we also used the fries to sop up the end of the chicken gravy...)

-third: marinated green beans with almonds, dates and mandarin orange slices and filet of turbo with a buttery citrus sauce

-fourth: marinated chicken confit with truffle mashed potatoes (i love truffle anything) and buttered brussel sprouts - soooo delicious!

-fifth: and then dessert...fudgy chocolate cake with caramelized bananas and a lemony sponge cake with pastry cream and cherries.  omg...so good!

the aftermath...

are you drooling yet?  oh, and did i forget to mention that each course was paired with a (generous) taste of a wine that perfectly complemented the food?!  we were in heaven.  if you can't believe what you're reading click {here}...it does exist, i swear!  and if you're ever in philadelphia, you need to go.  period.

as you can plainly see, it was an amazingly wonderful dinner/day/date.  i <3 philly (and craig).