last night after work, he's all like "what should we do tonight?" (our 2 year anniversary) and i'm all "i dunno, how about we have a beer on the stoop," (recreating the first time we met) "and decide then." he puts me off the beers, finally saying "maybe we'll have wine later, and beer and wine don't go together" and i furrowed my brow but agreed. he wanted to go to dinner (where? somewhere nice.)

so he suggests just driving around in center city and finding someplace we haven't been to before, that looks nice. i'm game for that, of course. he wants to stop by a liquor store on the way to get a bottle of wine, "in case the place we pick is a byob." i'm against this, because i think that basically anyplace we stop is going to have a liquor license. but he insists.

he says he knows a parking lot at 16th and something, and we could just park there and walk around. this, combined with the insistance on stopping for wine and the fact that it's 8 o'clock and he's driving too fast to just be looking around for a place clues me in to him already having made a reservation.

so we park, and walk to vetri. by the time we get to the door, i know for sure (because i asked) that we've got a reservation for 8. the host leads us to a table set for 2 with red roses on it. yeah, i know, it's ridiculously loveyromantic. i was a bit nervous all through dinner that he was going to propose. what with the roses and the table and all. (see yesterday's entry) but he didn't. (is it bad that i had a bit of a "phew!" reaction?) (don't answer that)

the meal was wonderful. the sommelier recommended a 1998 movia veliko belo to go with our entree selections. karl had duck in juniper jus with butternut squash flan. i had roasted turbot with "crisp potato pancake, black olives, and tomatoes." we started with a huuuuge antipasto platter, and sweet potato dumplings. the antipasto (3 cheeses, 3 meats, baby zucchini, roasted tomatoes and red peppers, lettuces, beets...) was incredible and would've been a great meal on it's own. the sweet potato dumplings were soft and delicious. karl's duck was medium rare, at best, just the way it should be. the flan was fluffy, not custardy, which was good. my turbot was perfect. the tomatoes and olives were a perfect accompaniment to the light fish. for dessert, karl had a chocolate polenta souffle, and i had peaches and cream (cream gelato, that is). mmmmmmmmmmm.... the bill came to $202.20. sometimes it's nice to have a sugar daddy...