Dinner with Dixon at The Dogwood

On Friday night, Cooper and I took a risk. A big risk. We took Dixon to dinner at The Dogwood.

It's not that it's such a super fancy restaurant - kids go there occasionally. It's not that we thought he wouldn't like the food - he's been to Clementine a bunch of times and he seems to appreciate local/fresh food at least as much as he likes Kraft mac & cheese. And it's not that we went late - our reservation was for 6 PM. It's just that he's four and, as a result, a little unpredictable. You just never know.

But he was good. And not only that, he loved it.

When he was a baby, it was fun to watch him discover new things - to see the way his face lit up when he saw grass up close or pet a dog. Watching him eat his first meal at The Dogwood was pretty much just like that. He ordered a cheeseburger ("The Natural") that's made with local beef, topped with Amish cheese and served with homemade potato chips. "Cheeseburger" isn't really outside his comfort zone, but apparently this particular cheeseburger delivered an experience unlike what he was used to.

After his first bite, his eyes went all wide and all he said was, "I love it." He said that about five more times, too, and just as he finished up the first half (it's a big burger) he said, very sincerely, "That was the best cheeseburger I've ever had."

I realize that I can't control my kid's taste buds and that his liking good food isn't actually a referendum on my ability as a mom. But still, it was a proud moment for this food blogging mom. A proud moment, indeed.

P.S. I had the daily tart - bleu cheese and caramelized onion with a side salad - and baked oysters topped with crab and Cooper had the short ribs (again). All fantastic, as usual. I'm so happy to be eating oysters again and I can't seem to say no to any sort of savory tart. Plus, it was a Friday, so noble grapes wines were 20% off. We drank a bottle of Adelsheim Pinot Noir - it was something we'd tried with Chef Galen at one of the wine dinners. Perfectly lovely.