Elegant, Classy Sign
When I created this blog, I wanted to use it to share my love of food through cooking AND eating! I think Gusteau in the movie Ratatouille actually states it best when he says:
"Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You need only to be aware to stop and savor it."
As totally over dramatic as this sounds, I completely agree with it! When I taste something truly excellent, my eyes involuntarily close and the flavors just create fireworks on my taste buds that transfer into images in my mind. This incredible firework experience does not happen too often, but when it does, I need to talk about it. So here is me talking about the wonderful experience at The Library in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.:-)
We began our search for a place to celebrate our five year anniversary about a month before our trip (if you recall, I love to pester about restaurant picks for special occasions!). We quickly came upon a restaurant called The Library. Now, I'm a librarian, so we were both immediately intrigued. We clicked on the link, rather expecting the menu to be less than interesting, but we were pleasantly surprised. Immediately we noticed both steak tartare AND beef carpaccio were on the appetizer menu! These are our absolute favorite appetizers! As we continued reading, we noticed they seemed to specialize in a French table side preparation, which we had yet to experience. We searched no longer. The Library was the place to celebrate. We called for reservations and left for Myrtle Beach, eager for the restaurant experience. It did NOT disappoint.
Bookshelves with Beautiful Old Books Lined the Walls
We were seated at a beautifully set table, surrounded by book cases. The atmosphere was pleasantly quiet (not "can we even talk" quiet, but a nice, pleasant conversation kind of quiet). The waiter and the owner came over at different times to explain the various drink and food specials as well as to answer our questions...more on our questions later...but they were extremely helpful and very informative.
Blueberry Martini
After hearing the drink specials, I ordered a blueberry martini that came with champagne marinated blueberries. The drink was absolutely delicious - crisp, fruity and refreshing.
The Menu on the Lovely Table Setting
I loved the menu presentation. The menu is the scroll that is tied and placed on the plate. We perused the menus and noticed they served Sweetbreads in a Cognac Sauce as a table side entree. I remembered watching an Iron Chef America that featured Sweetbreads as the secret ingredient but could not remember what part of the cow they came from. When the owner came around to ask if we had questions, Tim asked him about the Sweetbreads. The man looked at us, smiled, and said, "If I tell you what they are, you won't order them, but they are delicious." Tim said, "Try me." The man proceeded to explain that they can come from either the thyroid gland or the pancreas, but that the thyroid gland is difficult to come by, so they use pancreas. He also said he thought they tasted a lot like veal. Tim decided that was the entree for him and I was excited to try it at as well! But, I get ahead of myself...appetizers first!
Steak Tartare
It was absolutely perfect. It was tangy with just the right amount of seasonings. My mouth is watering remembering that perfect raw ground Filet Mignon spread onto the garlic toasts. Yum. That's all I can say. Yum. If you've never had it, and ever see it on a menu, please try it! It is completely delicious.
Beef Carpaccio
Beef carpaccio is a raw, thinly shaved beef, usually served with extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese on top. That is precisely what this was and exactly what I think of as a great carpaccio. Too often I have had it smothered in a horseradish sauce or covered in overpowering onion. Please leave it simple - the beef speaks for itself! The Library executed this dish perfectly.
We had a lovely salad course after our appetizers that were actually accompanied with chilled forks! That was a first for me! The salads were wonderful as well, but I neglected to take a picture. Unfortunately, we devoured them too quickly for a photo shoot.
Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola and Red Wine Sauce
I ordered a special of the day, which was Filet Mignon with a Gorgonozla crust and topped with mushrooms in a red wine sauce. I ordered it rare and it was cooked perfectly. I was able to slice my steak with a butter knife, which is the sign of a perfect cut of beef. The tangy and tart from the Gorgonzola with the earthy mushrooms and red wine were wonderful on the Filet. It was a beautiful entree.
Sweet Breads in a Cognac Sauce
Tim's Sweetbreads in cognac were prepared table side. Our waiter brought a cart with a burner on it and cooked and flambeed the dish while we watched. It was a fun and dramatic experience and resulted in a delicious dish. The sweetbreads truly did taste like veal and the cognac sauce was the ying to the rich meat's yang. They meat was not scary at all. I am a sweetbreads believer! I will not shy away on that rare occasion when it appears on a menu. In fact, I will be excited to have another opportunity to savor the delicate, rich morsels of meat!
Chocolate Mousse Cake
We shared a rich, chocolate mousse cake for dessert. I think the name and picture say enough. Yes, it was as good as it looks. :-)
Taken by our Fabulous Waiter, Shane
The Library was the kind of restaurant you remember for years to come. We were both so enamored with the entire experience; I know every trip to Myrtle Beach will now include a trip to this wonderful place. It really did make my taste buds dance...not sure if it was a waltz, a jig or the flamenco...but danced they did. And I can't wait til another restaurant makes them dance again. Food is such an adventure that I just love to explore. I hope you are enjoying exploring along with me because I am enjoying sharing this exciting venture with all of you.
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