FOOD FOR THOUGHT & CELEBRATION

"To your new house and the next chapter!" Stef toasted.

"To your Masters and success with your PhD!" I chimed in, as we tapped the rims of our Mojitos--a sinful concoction of white rum, lime juice, sugar and crushed mint.

It was our long anticipated, celebratory dinner at Roomba, a much-lauded Cuban restaurant on Chapel Street in New Haven.

The evening was--in a word--phenomenal.

The atmosphere was seductively urban. Stone and brick mixed with soft lighting and tossed chenille pillows. The visual elements elegantly welcoming as the pulse of Latin music set the mood.

Our bronze-tanned waiter, clad in breezy white linen, was attentive and flirty. He led us enthusiastically through three courses of the most ethereal meal we had ever experienced.

A bold chimichurri sauce of cilantro, garlic and olive oil accompanied a light and airy bread to start. As appetizer, we enjoyed a trio of ceviche--seafood marinated in broths of citrus and far-away spices--and a delicate salad of mixed greens tossed in a roasted shallot and pear vinaigrette.

An exotic scent of cologne filled the air as waitstaff recreated place settings and filled glasses in anticipation of the next course.

Cuban pulled pork in a pineapple papaya mojo shared a plate with delicate pillows of fried plantains and savory rice and beans. Mahi-mahi, dressed in pumpkin seeds, sat atop eggplant caviar and root vegetable puree, floating mystically on a luxurious coconut curry and lemon grass broth.

For dessert, two slender vanilla wafers in the shape of butterfly wings perched delicately atop chocolate, banana and caramel semifreddo--a frozen mousse with a texture balancing somewhere between ice cream and heaven.

Each flavor, each spice, each ingredient partnered together as if they were meant to be from the beginning.

Stef and I had come so far since the moment we first talked about this dinner--life changes tossing us about and moving us forward. In the end, we were grandly rewarded for our patience and our long journeys.

"To all good things to come! Cheers!"

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