A Midsummer Night's Dream

I was having a particularly crummy day at work yesterday, when out of nowhere I got some really good news around 4 o'clock.  Celebration was in order, so The Husband and I headed out to do just that!

Le Reve (translation: The Dream) is an adorable little French patisserie and cafe occupying a century old building that was once a bank and serving up traditional bistro fare and a fantastic selection of house made traditional french desserts.

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Since it was absolutely gorgeous outside last night, we chose to dine al fresco.  After being shown to our table, we were left to peruse the menu, cocktail menu, and specials menu (it was Bastille Day after all). The Husband ordered a pint of St. Peter's Cream Stout, a heavy stout beer with hints of chocolate and espresso.  I'm not a fan of dark beer at all, and even I enjoyed the sip I took.

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 I went for a glass of viognier.  It's one of my favorite white wines and Le Reve is one of a handful of restaurants in the area that has it on the menu!

Shortly after our drinks arrived, our appetizer, Escargots de Bourgogne was delivered.  The combination of flaky pastry, savory snails, and crisp mixed greens was delicious.  I also thoroughly enjoyed the mushrooms and artichoke hearts that had been sauteed along with the snails.

 The escargots were very filling, so by the time our main courses arrived, I knew I was going to have to make sure to save room for dessert!

My Entree: Tomato Brie and Pesto Sandwich with Pomme Frites and Garlic Aioli

His Entree: Scallops over Manchego and Rock Shrimp Risotto

 As delicious as our main courses were, the real star of the show at Le Reve is the dessert case.  They don't print a dessert menu as the offerings change daily.  Our server invited us to step inside, peruse the pastries, place our order, and head back to our table, where our selections were delivered.

I'm not much of a dessert person, but at Le Reve, I make an exception!

My choice (in the foreground) was the Dessert du Jour: a key lime tart topped with swiss meringue and seasonal berries.  It was awesome. The rich, buttery shell provided a welcome crunch and the sweet meringue contrasted with the tartness of the key lime filling.  The Husband chose the Chocolate Raspberry Dome: a light pistachio sponge cake base topped with raspberry mousse and fresh raspberries, and then bathed in rich dark chocolate ganache.  Chocolate and raspberry? There's nothing wrong with that! 

All in all, Le Reve is not the kind of place I'd go all the time (my pants wouldn't fit!), but it was a perfect treat for celebrating!