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| - After a long hard day of Scrabble, we were looking for a restaurant that was close to our hotel that would suitable for a Valentine's Day dinner. Taggia is right next door to our hotel and had decent reviews so it seemed perfect but I am still marveling at the delight it was. We ended bringing a friend who had recently lost her husband so we were a threesome. Amazingly, the dinner started with a rose and ended with a rose.
The setting is gorgeous, a harmonious blend of modern and rustic. As a welcome, our friendly, solicitous server poured us three glasses of rose wine on the house. Then came a delicious amuse bouche of lavender scented honey ricotta. We all ordered the $50 fixed price meal. The red pepper soup with smoked shrimp and asparagus was so flavorful, it just made me smile. My husband and friend ordered the arugula salad/spinach salad which was also good though it didn't have the same explosion of flavor as the soup. Then I ordered the seafood stew which was in a savory tomato base chock full of clams, mussels, shrimp, and white fish and served with slices of toasted, garlicky baguettes. I liked it better than the lobster ravioli my husband ordered but I tend not to be a fan of cream sauces. Finally, my dessert was a perfect circle of dense petite chocolate cake accompanied by sauteed banana, peanut butter, and fresh berries. To die for!
If that wasn't enough, the server brought giant chocolate covered strawberries with the check and if that wasn't enough, we were each given a long stemmed rose to take home as we approached the exit. The service was flawless and both the host and the chef thanked us for coming during the course of the meal. We three were very impressed by the food and the service.
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