Dinner out with my wife and my Canon M camera

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

I could identify the grapes, but, nothing else.

My palate should travel more.

Or, at least, get out.

Indeed. Please come to Seattle and I'll show your palate around. There's too much good food here to eat; if I were twenty guys I couldn't keep up. And that's not counting what I make in my own kitchen.

Chris, the pictures are very nice, and the food (porn) looks positively delicious. I can see grilled tofu over quinoa with some kind of relish/chutney/pickle with peppers, chives, etc. served with potatoes with lemon (?!). Then braised brussel sprouts finished under the broiler, the cheese plate, an open faced ice cream sandwich garnished with pomegranate seeds and pomegranate sorbet, the e11even (heh) wine, pan seared scallops over rice with topped with some kind of savory foam, and the petit fours for dessert.

Most certainly a feast for the eyes.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by BigV

served with potatoes with lemon (?!)

I thought apricots. But I agree that you have an educated palate. When I come to Seattle you can educate mine a little more. And I'll let you take me to a Roller Derby.

If these were British pics I'd have a stab at identifying the cheese, but we just don't eat American cheese here.
I'd say an Italian semi-soft blue like Dolcelatte (or German Cambozola).
A mature [sharp] Cheddar, possibly Scottish. Although it's pale enough to be a soft white like Cheshire or Caerpilly the cut looks too precise for a crumbly cheese.
And a smoked cheese - Bavarian maybe. It could be an Italian hard, but again the cut suggests otherwise (as someone who hated trying to cut Parmesan and Grana Padano) and it would be an unusual choice for a cheeseboard.
Given the quality of the meal it could also be a sheep's cheese like Manchego; underrated IMO.

Can you tell I miss my job?

[chrisinhouston]

I agree about the cheese plates in general sometimes it's way too much cheese and not much to eat with it. This one had a decent assortment of Artisan style local cheeses. There were very tasty grapes, and out of focus but also a half sliced apple and some really crisp slices of a bread with nuts and cranberries. I ended up eating about half the cheese and the fruit but took the other half back to the hotel along with the leftover bread. It went well with my breakfast the next morning!