Garlic's - A Review

(This used to be the third paragraph of a run-on post, so I decided to clip it and separate the 3 parts into 3 different blog posts. So here is part 3 of 3.)

The menu reflects the restaurant name. As we glance over the menu that is prominently displayed on the window, we see that many of the items feature different forms of garlic served in many creative ways. As we go in, we are greeted by one of the nicest servers we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We never got her name, but hopefully the next time we go, we'll get to be seated in her section. Once seated, we get water, and a basket of bread with a side of lemon pecan butter. As we peruse the menu, we dig into the bread, and discover that the lemon pecan butter was very tasty!! What a great way to start a meal. We decided to share an appetizer, so we order something that is similar to a Bruchetta, except instead of diced tomatoes and peppers, we get slices of pillowy soft french bread topped with whole roasted garlic cloves, and an assortment of roasted vegetables and grated cheese. As our entree's, both Miranda and I get a pasta dish. I originally ordered the same thing Miranda did, but being the juvenile that I am, I couldn't order the same thing as her, so I changed it up last minute and got something else. She gets a linguini with a light cream sauce with snap peas, mushrooms, chicken, bacon and of course, garlic. I get a fettuccine with a spicy oil based sauce with spinach, chicken, red peppers, and the all important garlic. What I loved about the dish was that the garlic was whole roasted cloves tossed in with the pasta, instead of being chopped up into tiny little pieces. The earthiness of the roasted garlic really complimented the sauce and the other ingredients. Although I really enjoyed my dish tremendously, I had a taste of Miranda's dish, and realized my plan had backfired because I actually liked hers much more than mine. Oh well, I guess I know what I'm getting next time!! I was planning on calling it quits after the entree, but for curiosity sake, we decide to look at the dessert menu. What I saw took me by surprise. I didn't think they could work garlic into a dessert item, but the menu said otherwise. One of their items was GARLIC ICE CREAM!!!!!!! When I saw this, I said 'That's it, I'm getting one.' As our server comes back and asks if we would like any coffee, tea or ice cream, I interrupt her in mid sentence and say 'Me want garlic ice cream!!' like some crazy barbarian. To add balance to my stupidity, Miranda says in a normal tone 'I'll get a coffee.' When the ice cream and coffee arrive, I take a small spoonful and begin to let the flavors attack my taste buds. At first, the sweetness of the French Vanilla ice cream wash over me, but out of nowhere, the sweet and aromatic goodness of the tiny chunks of garlic emerge, which sends me into this crazy frenzy of flavorful euphoria. I was absolutely stunned that garlic and ice cream could compliment each other, but my doubts were replaced by curiosity. So when our server comes back again, my excitement presents itself as I scream 'HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?!?!' To which our server calmly replies 'we caramelize the garlic in sugar. The caramelization of the garlic unlocks its natural sweetness, but the sugar just kicks it up a notch.' What a way to end a fabulous meal!! To round out a phenomenal day, we head back to Miranda's apartment and watch 'Office Space', and play some guitar. Honestly, I could not have asked for a better day than this. Great food, great conversation and great atmosphere, all the while being shared with a great friend. Thanks Miranda for letting me hang out with you and putting up with my bone headed antics. You're so great!!!!!