Wednesday’s dinner was so good I woke up still in a food coma.

Yes, I realize that makes no sense.

The best way to recover from a massive dinner is a run.  The reason I love a morning-after run isn’t due to excess calorie intake.  The purpose of the run is to sweat out the stuff my body hates.

See, I LOVE dining out.  I like rich foods.  I like red meat.  I like wine a lot.  My body can’t stand those things.  I actually woke up in the middle of the night in a full sweat as my body rejected the aforementioned.

Today’s run was to sweat it all out.

Stats:

• Distance – 4 miles
• Time – 32:17 mins
• Pace – 8:04 mins

In today’s heat, sweating was not difficult.

The most important part of the morning-after run is to strike the “I’m a bad ass” pose.

What deliciousness brought on the morning-after run?

My friend Corrine and I attended another of ONE Midtown Kitchen‘s Summer Chef Series.  (Remember the first one with Chef Hugh Acheson?)

This week’s guest was Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina (my favorite Italian place in Atlanta).

The amuse, 1st and 5th courses are done by ONE’s Chef Drew Van Leuvan and courses 2-4 are by the guest chef.  Each course is served with a pairing.

As we waited for all of the guest to arrive, we were treated to crisp glass of sparkling wine that I wish I knew the name of.  It was light and refreshing after coming in from the heat.

Amuse

One of my my favorite dishes of the night – Potato Zeppole wrapped with a charred beef and dusted with rosemary and freshly ground pepper.

1st Course

This was my favorite.  We learned as the dish was being served that Chef Drew used to own a pasta making company.

That was apparent in the perfection on this Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Tortellini.  It was served with a tomato that had been roasting for 3 hours, smoked cream, and lemon verbena.

All of the flavors we good, but the perfection of the pasta made the dish.  It was so light it almost melted in my mouth.

The pairing was great as well.  A glass of Borgo Conventi, Collio Sauvignon 2009.  It was ok on it’s own, but paired with the dish the flavors grew and we discovered this was an incredible multi-layer, complex wine.  Brassy and floral, then a super-juicy melon, followed with a clean ending. Cheers.

2nd Course

This was the only problem of the night.  The planned course was to be a burrata, but it apparently was delayed in it’s arrival from La Pietra.  Therefore, we were served the 3rd couse.

The Cavatelli with green garlic, asparagus, and a white bolognese.  Cavatelli is similar to gnocchi; however it is made from flour, semolina, and water (no potato like gnocchi).

It was quite good – chewy pasta, rich bolognese, crunch scapes.

The pairing was excellent… and is now my favorite Italian beer!  Menaerea Ambe.  The beer was a nutty, surprisingly light amber with a touch of honey

The problem was the order – this rich pasta dish following another intensely-flavored pasta dish was too much.  We needed the lighter course and sparkly beverage originally planned here to rest the palate.

3rd Course

The originally planned 2nd course came out next: Whipped Burrata with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and pesto genovese.

I love burrata, so whipped burrata seemed like a good idea and it would have been at a 2nd course.  Unfortunately, by there time we got to this we were ready to keep going to the meat.  The table agreed that it was like being brought down too soon at this point.

Don’t get me wrong – it was still tasty and the whipped burrata was interesting.  Almost ricotta-like.  The pesto was the highlight of this dish – not too cheese-reliant, allowing the basil to shine.

The pairing was not the best.  It was called a Ruby Slip: Absolut Ruby Red, Prosecco, and Lemon.  The drink itself would have been a great starter, but was wayyyyy to light at this point in the meal.

4th Course

Milk and Fennel Roasted Pork Arista with a warm broccoli salad and truffle chips.

Truffle chips are just as good as they sound like they would be, FYI.

Arista is just a fancy way of saying pork loin cooked in milk.  It is extremely moist and flavorful without being too rich.

The pairing was a Due Torri Pinot Noir.  I was more than ready for a good red and this fit the bill.  It was full of berries on the palate and finished with a hint of spice.

5th Course

We were stuffed at this point.  They brought out dessert and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.  It was a HUGE Blackberry Tart.

Thankfully, there is a whole other part of the stomach for dessert.

It wasn’t actually berry-heavy.  The tart was filled with a couple of blackberries, pecan cream, and… gorgonzola granita.  I finished it like a champ.

The gorgonzola granita stole this show – a salty, cheesy, ice cream topping.

The pairing was weird.  It was a deep glass of Tenuta Lodola Nuova, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004.  I get where they were going, matching it to stand up to the granita.  However, it was way too intense for any bite that didn’t have the granita.  The smoky, leathery taste and chewy tannis overshadowed the tart filling… it was really good with the Pinot I had left for the previous course though!

See why I woke up in a food coma?!

***

One of my favorite parts about these dinners is meeting new people, as seating is communal-style. I promised the people at out table a shout out: Hellooooo! 🙂

What is your “cure” for over-indulgence?

Is your body less of a fan of certain foods than your palate is?