Unknown Diners

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Lorne and Catherine finished their hug, he held her chair for her, and they sat again at the table to read the menus. He paused partway through scanning the same menu he had read on three previous occasions. "The specials — they all sound wonderful." He leaned to kiss her ear and whisper, "Don't look around. The timing of service. We're on camera." He nibbled her earlobe. "Maybe sound. Also, likely a camera at the reception desk the other day."

She nodded and stroked his cheek. "Yeah, I agree. We should decide what to order."

"Want to give them another chance with the Wellington?"

"You?"

"There's a much better chance to get it rare tonight, though the venison chop sounds good."

"Let's be fair. We should give them the opportunity to do the Wellington again."

"What about the entrées?" He tilted his head. "Same ones?"

"Canned escargots are no real challenge. Let's see what Chef can do searing and presenting jumbo scallops. They're a wonderful ingredient, but easy to mess up."

"What about the crab? Isn't that the plate which was so popular with all the judges when Feenie beat Morimoto?"

"Yeah, old history. I've watched that episode so many times. A real classic. When was that? Our final undergrad year, so early 2005. That's what hooked me into reviewing dining."

"Crazy, isn't it? Feenie's the first of only two Canadian Iron Chefs. One of the few from anywhere ever to beat Morimoto, and then a few years later his Lumière fails." Lorne shook his head. "He was at the top with everything. Celebrity dinners, cookbooks, TV cooking series. Then the partnership coup and Lumière, poof."

"Let's have the chef show us the crab. I've had many others attempt their versions of it. So few get it right."

"Okay... Scallops and crab to share, then the Wellington."

They closed their menus and within half a minute, they heard the click of the door opening.

Catherine leaned to kiss Lorne's cheek and nibble his earlobe. "Yeah, way too obvious," she whispered.

"Ready to order?" the waitress asked as she approached.

Lorne ordered for them, mentioning they wished to share the entrées.

"That's automatically shared. The Wellington is prepared for two."

"I'm not talking about the main. We want to share the entrées, the entries to the meal, the appetisers."

"Sorry, Sir." The waitress shook her head and laughed. "We have so many American tourists here. Guess I got waylaid." With an impish grin, she continued, "Ignorant, aren't they?" She quietly mouthed as she wrote, "Share entrées."

She left and was soon replaced by the sommelier who stood at the table checking his notes. "A big Viognier would show both seafood plates to advantage. The 2012 Liquidity is one of the best matches for the crab. It's magical with the scallops."

Catherine nodded. "That sounds wonderful. I love their wines. Their Viognier has moved steadily toward the northern Rhône style over the years."

"It always reminds me of Condrieu now," the sommelier agreed, then left to get the wine.

A waiter brought in a basket with a selection of bread rolls and an iced dish with curls of butter and placed them on the table. After he had left, Lorne leaned to kiss Catherine and whispered, "Notice? The foil-wrapped butter pats didn't make it up the stairs."