We ate here before.
A long time ago.
How long ago offhand I don't remember now, but it might have been 2019- before Covid, definitely.
We had come here to celebrate The Hedgehog's birthday back then.
We were here for the same purpose now.
It's a blessing to be able to celebrate one's birthday year on year on year. Doesn't matter whether you do it by yourself or if someone does it with you, doesn't matter even whether it's big or small. Just so long as something's being done, something little even, by you and for you, especially- that's all you need.
I'm glad to be able to celebrate The Hedgehog's birthday once again at Ginnette though.
(In light of everything that's been going on this year, actually I'm more than glad)
We might have our own preferences when it comes to food, but there're some things that speak to both of us, and there're some times that genuinely appeal to us.
To be able to share a steak and a mountain of truffle fries together is a wonderful thing.
Especially since Ginette does their steak particularly well.
Over here the meat's as fresh as it can be- a mark of a skillfully grilled steak is when it doesn't come to you with its surface looking burnt, that the texture isn't as tough as nails or that it's drowned in your choice of sauce.
I wouldn't say that the beef was tender- I don't think it was supposed to be- but I'd say that it wasn't hard to chew, nor tough, nor dry.
There was a bit of the burnt, charred charred taste at parts of the meat, those I didn't mind, and there was the fat, which portion I took.
Perhaps the nice thing about their steak is their sauce, which, for tonight's dinner we chose to have Bernaise.
Then of course there was the creamed spinach which is no small portion, and which is one of the best things about their meal.
I know there're those amongst us who will think of creamed spinach as no big deal, but oy, this little bowl of soft, mushy vegetables swimming about in cream is certainly more delicious compared to steamed carrots or steamed broccoli.
Another dish we ordered this evening was the French Onion soup.
It's not exactly the one that we're (still) (secretly) missing- but it's good enough with its dark brown clear broth, its thick chunk of cheese on top, and nicely sliced onions almost one bowl full.
I didn't take a lot of this one- only a bit of cheese.
Instead I spent more time nibbling away on the hot, crispy fries.
It's not always that I call fries moreish, but those at Ginette here really were.
Either I was in a restless state, thinking too much, worrying about stuff that I wish I didn't need to worry about... I don't know what it were, just something, but I kept reaching out for these little tubers of shoestring potatoes, and dipping them in the truffle mayo.
I guess they were meant to aid conversation.
Except that we didn't need any.
We're comfortable enough on our own, with or without dessert, with or without these shoestrings, and we're happy enough to munch through a meal quietly, happily, whatever we and how at that moment we might be.