The house “artichoke and spinach dip” was served with toasted pita points, and was the perfect accompaniment to my Mirassou Pinot Noir. I was able to peruse the menu with a purr. I considered the Chicken Santa Fe, a boneless chicken breast wrapped around a filling of green chile cream

cheese, wrapped in bacon, and then baked and served with Mornay sauce, but decided against it. Then I dabbled with ordering the Crab Cakes with smoked tomato mayonaise and grilled jalapeños. No, not that either. Being a HUGE fan of shrimp I toyed with the idea of indulging in large crab-stuffed

shrimp or shrimp scampi, but decided in the end to go with the Tuesday Special, which was, lobster!

 

I haven’t had lobster for awhile. Before my career here at The Current, I used to go with my dad’s restaurant credo which is, “order the food of the land,” or get whatever is locally grown, harvested, fished, you know what I mean. One should order fish at the seashore, vegetables and wine (fish and beef) in California, and beef in Kansas and Texas. I think Oklahoma’s good for chicken, pork, beef and catfish!!! But with everyone getting so savvy about dining these days, and cold refrigeration being at its peak of perfection, you can get almost anything fresh, anywhere. You just have to pay for it. So, I went with the lobster. I asked what kind of lobster they were serving and our waitress replied that it was cold water lobster. I had to look it up on the web. It seems that the cold water variety is known for its denser, whiter, flesh, and slightlysweet rich flavor. They can come from lots of different places, like Maine, Brazil or Australia. Wherever mine came from, it was delicious, firm and lusciously rich. The steamed, fresh asparagus, which I requested as a side, was tender-perfect and I was really impressed with my “Syrian” salad, which consisted of tomatoes and cucumbers in a lemon and mint vinaigrette tossed with ultra-fresh lettuce greens. I’ve been hungry for more of it ever since.

 

It may sound like I was dining alone, but no; Tom and little Bridget were each equally enthralled with their orders. Each of them ordered a whole artichoke and ate them so fast I barely got a leaf. They were big and fresh, and came with melted lemon butter. Tom decided to order everything

with vegetables that he could find. He started with a large bowl, like a Fiesta-ware mixing bowl, of Plaza III soup. Kansas City is the birth place of both this soup and my husband, Tom. He was interested to see how close this version would be to its namesake. With a thick and savory base, lots of

meat and vegetables, the Artichoke’s steak soup was every bit as good as the Plaza III’s. As an entrée, Tom ordered sautéed fresh squash with onions and peppers, crowned with sautéed mushrooms and a whole, skinned, deep fried potato. The squash and peppers were tenderly cooked together and

the mushrooms, sautéed separately were layered on top. On its own little dish, the white potato, sprinkled with parsley, was crisp on the outside and steamy hot and fluffy inside. Tom loved his veggies, and there was so much, he couldn’t eat it all!!

 

Little Bridget ordered the sautéed jumbo shrimp which were heavenly!  Juicy, sumptuous seafood morsels bursting with flavor, a little butter, a little garlic… I managed to steal one or two from my little daughter. A large dish of fettuccini with freshly prepared Alfredo sauce was a perfect accompaniment.

 

By the end of the meal I was purring like a fat house cat. We were all pleased with our selections, saving the Steak Oscar with crab and béarnaise sauce, and the Filet Mignon until another time! But before we could struggle out of our comfortable chairs, our lovely waitress served us a deep bowl of their “hot chocolate cake” with vanilla ice cream. It was very rich and chocolaty and screamed for a cup of Columbian coffee, which came in a cup, was the size of a coffee can! Our meal was finished deliciously!

 

Our waitress had been very cordial, answering our questions and telling us all about the summer garden the owners grow for their fresh vegetables. When they say fresh ingredients, they really mean it. We talked about the art, and how they sell quite a bit of it right off the walls.  Tom took pictures of everybody’s dishes, even the tables next to and across from us, because it all looked so good! Our evening was pleasantly spent, enjoying the ambience and culinary excellence. Cocktails, beer and wine are available for your dining pleasure. The wine selection is extensive and you can order by the glass or by the bottle. They have a lobster special on Tuesday, salmon on Wednesday and apple wood smoked

prime rib on Thursday. I recommend the Artichoke with enthusiasm. The food is excellent and so is the service.  It’s the right atmosphere for romance, good friends, old friends, and everybody else!