Engagement Dinner!

Last night we went out for our first celebratory dinner with friends for our engagement. Evelyn's (the baby I nanny for) parents, Kim and Lance, have become excellent friends and support systems for both me and Bret.  They have planned on taking us out since the day I announced our engagement, and I was psyched that the day had finally arrived. 

They chose a restaurant called The Bicycle Thief, housed in an old car park (kiwi for parking garage).  It was a rainy and cold evening, but the interior of the restaurant was dark and warm. The concrete walls and floors were painted black and there were dark wooden booths in cosy corners, with candles and dim lights.  It was perfect from the start.  We began our evening with peach bellinis to toast (so yummy) and proceeded right into dinner.  The menu was brief with main dishes (only six) and many pizzas comprised the remainder. Bret and I both chose the NZ lamb dish.  I've never eaten lamb before, except in the occasional gyro (is that even lamb?), but I was eager to try it and it came highly recommended.  Kim and Lance attempted to prepare me for the taste, describing it as gamey and rarer than the Omaha steak that I might be used to.  I wasn't worried; I was hungry.  The lamb was fantastic!  Rolled in crushed pistachios, atop a bed of thinly sliced potatoes and a warm salad of greens and mint, it was so delicious, hands down the best meal I've had in NZ so far!  Kim and Lance are winos, and they paired it with a perfect red...I was in heaven.  The dinner and conversation carried late into the night, sharing delicious tiramisu and dessert wines, beers (banana-chocolate flavored, for Bret), and coffees, as we were the last people to duck out of the warm restaurant and into the rainy night.

It was a wonderful way to kick off the engagement celebrations, and I thank Kim and Lance for the warm wishes, advice, and most importantly, support and encouragement in our journey.