Boo's Birthday

Boo's birthday has come around yet again and, as the birthday boy, he got to choose the restaurant we dined at - with one caveat, it had to be within walking distance. Luckily, The Drive has a more than ample list to choose from. He went with Carthage Café as it's been years since we've dined there. Indeed, I think we went opening weekend and, oops, we might not have been back since.

Boo didn't decide on where we were going until just before we needed to leave; so, we were lucky they still had a table open. Knowing that the cuisine is a blend of Tunisia and France, I grabbed a bottle of Bordeaux that we've been holding on to for a bit of an occasion dinner.

Thank goodness for the fact that BYO wine has finally arrived for BC restaurants.

1637.  2006 Château Gloria (Saint-Julien AOC - France)

We've opened a bottle of the 2004 vintage some years back - like over a thousand bottles ago and close to the start of the blog. The '04 was added to The List at #295 and I talked a bit of general lore on the winery during that post. So, in the interest of a quick post - and rather than simply repeating my earlier post - I'll just include a link to that post and anyone interested in the winery can take a look at there as well.

I have to admit that I wanted to like the wine more than I did. It wasn't a "Gloria, Hallelujah" moment for me but, then, I knew beforehand that the wine would likely be more akin to Boo's palate than mine - and it was his birthday after all.

I think I just would have enjoyed sipping the wine on its own more if it had a little more fruit front and centre. It's funny how Boo's palate leads more to a more austere, Old World wine while I tend to go for that bigger, New World fruit. I will give the wine its due, however, it paired nicely with our main courses - steak au poivre and lamb & chicken kebabs. Of which, there was an awful lot. Good thing we had just the big bellies to pack away all that food.

Naturally, there had to be a flaw in the evening. Otherwise, it would have seemed just a little too good. Luckily, it wasn't the restaurant, the food or even the wine. Rather, it was the fact that I was trying to use my new credit card for the first time since there'd been a changeover in the issuing bank. The card was declined and, as embarrassing as that was in itself, after waiting a good 15 minutes on hold to speak to someone at the bank, I gave up and had to get Boo to pay for his own birthday dinner.

Sorry about that sweetie. Maybe I'd best let you pick the next restaurant as well - and lord it over me that I'll always be the older one in the couple. And, at least you liked the wine. Happy Happy!