A night of pure, lusty food was had at TWO, a relatively new SOMA restaurant. You've already gotten a preview of the bone marrow from this restaurant, which was so delightful it required its very own posting.
My lovely friends Cat (book publishing editor) and Stacy (web channels manager) met me for an evening of total debauchery (food-wise), and I think we can all agree that it was absolutely worth every calorie and fat gram. I'll save the long descriptions for your imagination and leave you with an array of photos plus comments on the food from Nigella Lawson:
"TWO's 'bread basket' consists of warm, luscious, buttery chive biscuits and deliciously hot and naughty cayenne crisps. One might feel utterly sinful devouring these little devilish morsels of pastry but, quite frankly, I can give myself pleasure without feeling guilty, no?"
"This is an example of taking something very simple and turning it into a brilliant work of food art. Shaved asparagus, lemon zest and a sprinkle of nuts serve as a cozy bed for a delicious, fried hunk of sheep's milk cheese. The texture is slightly springy and chewy but in the most appealing way; I quite like to tear into this dish late at night wearing only a pair of my best stilettos and a cashmere scarf. I beg to ask, 'What more do you need?'"
"Some people are frightened by the thought of eating pigeons, but I can honestly say I don't discriminate when it comes to matters of the flesh. Any flesh will do, so long as its plump and exquisitely juicy. This ravioli filled with squab is perfection in my book; each is like a little treasure, wrapped in a golden moist skin and bursting with mounds of scrumptious meat...each bite bursting with savory liquid. It's quite gratifying to eat, really." [*winks*]
"Now I'm not a fan of fussy pizza as pizza is meant to be a delicious, higgledy-piggledy mess of the right flavors. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that we tore into this duck confit and caramelized onion pizza with reckless abandon. The oily, silky duck flesh and the aromatic, sweet onions - the combination was utterly pleasurable to the palate. The best way to eat something this luxurious is to toss your hair to the side, throw down your fork and grab a slice with your bare hands and get down to it. Forget the napkins and use your tongue to simply lick any excess duck fat that may remain on your lips - we wouldn't want to waste now, would we?"
"I'm not a skinny woman and I shall never be, and my love of chocolate far outweighs any desire to fit into a sample-size piece of clothing. So for our last course we ordered the bittersweet chocolate fondue with graham crackers, biscotti and candied fruit. There's something about dipping a strawberry in rich, bittersweet chocolate and watching the shiny, dark liquid drip off the tip of the voluptuous red flesh that is fully mesmerizing. This fondue provides pleasure to literally all of one's senses, so that makes it the perfect dessert in my book."
-Nigella Lawson* *Not really Nigella Lawson, but because the food at TWO was so decadent, I thought it fitting that I get into the spirit of the world's most lusty chef to describe our experience eating there. Needless to say, I am a fan of hers and this is not meant as a slag.
