A little bit of this, a little bit of that

It was mean to be a restful, low key holiday season, but an upscale dinner sneaked its way in (le sigh). The Drake can be scene-y, but a) who's open for a decent dinner on Boxing Day, and b) the food was quite good. I started with a champagne cocktail featuring strawberry puree that was just what a good strawberry should be, fresh and not too sweet - kudos to the waiter for the perfect recommendation.

The ... let's call it /diversity/ ... of the Drake's menu left me slightly puzzled. They have a raw bar that includes sushi and sashimi, appetizers, small plates and entrees. Unless you focus, it can make for a bit of a jumpy meal, but we didn't care. We began with a charcuterie plate of local meats and cheeses, fruits and breads. And the tuna sashimi. The J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon arrived, and we moved on to steak frites and 4 cheese mac 'n cheese.

And skipped dessert to go dancing.