Gobbling at MiLa

Through much family fussing and fuming, I have attempted to make Thanksgiving a day where John and I go out to enjoy a quiet Thursday dinner at a great restaurant with some friends. Considering we don't really celebrate anything (anniversaries, Christmas, Easter, Halloween...you name it), I am trying to establish at least one holiday we call our own. I have not always been successful in past years and have given into the familial pressure and celebrated Thanksgiving in over-crowded living rooms at the homes of John's relatives. But not this year...

Last week, my best friend Dani, her husband Saeed, their 2-year-old daughter Posie, John (of course) and I all enjoyed an incredibly delicious Thanksgiving feast at MiLa.

We arrived right on time for our reservations at the elegantly modern restaurant located downtown on Common Street. We were seated at a large round table and we sipped cocktails (Posie indulged in gallons of tomato juice) while perusing the simple menu.

It was easy for all of us to come to a decision and before we knew it, our appetizers arrived. We all ordered the Celery Root Soup, except for John who selected the Smoked Redfish Salad. The soup was creamy, slightly sweet and garnished with a small mound of roasted lobster, diced green apple and a drizzle of truffle oil. We inhaled it easily, swabbing up the leftover smears, inaccessible by spoon, with warm sweet potato rolls slathered with soft butter and sea salt. I got a few bites of John's salad which included smoky, cold hunks of redfish, crispy fingerling potato chips, frisée lettuce and a tangy mustard-dill dressing.

Posie, like most 2-year-olds, was having difficulty concentrating on the food, so while she was absorbed in playing behind the curtains and waving at people walking past the window, her parents devoured her leftover soup. After a short wait, our entrees arrived and we didn't hesitate to dig in. Surprisingly, I went the traditional route and chose the Roasted Turkey Breast that was smothered in a rich, sage gravy and served with cornbread dressing, grilled Brussels sprouts and a tart cranberry sauce. It was a huge plate and I was hard pressed to finish it all, but John saved me from stuffing myself silly and finished it off for me.

John, Dani and Posie ordered a Redfish à la Meunière with baby spinach, currants and quinoa in a white wine sauce. They all loved it, even Posie who gobbled more that half of her fish when she was finally lured away from the window. Saeed chose the Grilled Flat Iron Steak with a buttermilk potato puree, garlic green beans and a red wine sauce. He kindly shared a hunk of steak with me (I shared some turkey breast with him) only to find the steak tender, juicy and delicious. Unfortunately, he made quick work of the beans and potatoes and it disappeared before I could manage a taste.

Though we were all pretty full by this point, we still had one more course...dessert! Everyone ordered the Chocolate Ganache Tart with a satsuma confit and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream except for Dani and I. We opted for the Asian Pear Sorbet sprinkled with graham cracker cookie crumbles and drizzled with caramel. We all got to taste both desserts and declared them divine, especially Posie who devoured her very own Chocolate Tart which preceded that always-entertaining, crazy-kid-sugar-high. I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine!