Can't wait to go back

Photo Courtesy Brittany Weber

On Sunday our new daughter-in-law, Brittany, asked if I'd like to go to lunch with her this week.

I accepted her proposal with all the enthusiasm, positivity, and verve I could muster.

It was a considerable amount.

We settled on Wednesday for a date.

And so it was that yesterday, I met Britt at Momma Rabbit's Nibbles & Sips in Lexington, South Carolina, for a midday meal.

In the few years it's been in operation, this small restaurant has garnered just about every accolade any local dining establishment could desire, short of a Michelin star.

It's owned and operated by a gaggle of industrious and charming siblings -- the Allen family, all boys except for one girl -- who gave it their maternal grandmother's nickname.

They work together every day to maintain excellence in their culinary venture.

The people of Columbia have taken notice and many times one has to wait for a table. Especially for the weekend brunch offerings.

Andrew and Brittany love eating out as much as the rest of us (maybe more), and when they got around to trying Momma Rabbit's they reported that it was a truly splendid place to enjoy a casual meal.

They didn't exaggerate. The food is superb, fresh and plentiful, with impeccable friendly service and a witty but soothing ambience to match. I loved it.

Brittany ordered a classic chicken salad sandwich with kettle chips on the side. It looked luscious.

I had a spectacular salad laden with chunks of succulent peaches, a wealth of candied pecans, crispy bacon, bleu cheese crumbles, and strips of tender grilled chicken, dressed with blackberry vinaigrette and accompanied by buttery points of some delectable hybrid of bread and a cracker.

On the menu, this selection is referred to as the Resting Peach Face. (I'll thank you not to snicker).

I call it Rapture on a Plate. No licking of said dish was involved, but that was only because I was being polite.

Brittany and I gabbed and giggled and nibbled and sipped -- there's a self-serve coffee bar! -- for at least ninety minutes before going on our respective ways.

Toward the end of our meal, a neighboring table was served a slice of cake that may have made my eyes widen to approximately the size of half-dollar pieces. I admit that I stared.

No ruler was handy for measuring but I'm pretty sure this portion of cake could double as an entire cake in many situations.

It was the Empire State Building of desserts: a stunning, architecturally significant confection of house-made white cake enrobed in a thick blanket of scrumptious frosting that looked like delicate blush-pink-tipped ivory roses in full bloom.

True to the restaurant's classic movie theme -- the walls are adorned with framed photos of American icons such as Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne (there's even a salad named The Duke), Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, and Bing Crosby -- they've named the cake An Affair to Remember.

I think if I tasted it, it would be an experience to never forget. Like Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember.

But yesterday, I didn't. Even I, with my sweet tooth roughly the size of Manhattan, would need lots of help hacking away at a boat-motor sized dessert. So I'd better go with a crowd and ask for four forks.

Help paying for it would be welcome too: a single slice of this mouth-watering indulgence will set you back ten bucks. Methinks it's probably worth it. But still.

Lucky for me, everyone in our family loves to chow down. And doesn't mind sharing the expense.

I'm already anxious to go back. I bet you a nickel that I won't have long to wait.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Thursday

Comments

[Mari]

I love the photo of two beautiful ladies!
Glad you had fun together and had such yummy food. I love the name of that place!
Maybe someday we can have lunch there together.

[Jennifer]

@Mari ... thanks my friend! And if/when you ever make it to Columbia again, rest assured you'll be my guest at Momma Rabbit's Nibbles & Sips. I can't wait. xoxo

[Sally]

Oh my goodness, if you two aren't just beautiful! Love that photo.

Okay, I've been trying not to think about such things as THAT cake! Now, I want a slice; can you send it by FedEx? I would love you forever and ever; wait I do even without SAID cake. :)

xoxo

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... the assurance of your love forever even without the cake makes me REALLY want to send you some! I'll look into it. xoxo