That's MISTER Fancy-Pants

Having a wife who is great at her job definitely brings perks. Yesterday Amelia and I were treated to the most expensive meal I've ever eaten as a bonus for her excellent work on a recent project. I've been trying to lose some weight, and I didn't go crazy, but good golly that food was amazing.

We ate at Colt and Alison, an exclusive restaurant at the Sea Island resort. It's maybe the second restaurant I've ever been to that was jacket and tie required. The staff treated us amazingly, seating us in large wing chairs which everyone called the "king and queen" seats. The multi-course dinner that came next was also amazing. We started with a crab maison on toast tips. It was basically giant pieces of crab (and I mean giant) in a crab salad. So good. We then split orders of vidalia onion soup and arugala pear salad. After the salad course they brought us a shot glass of mango sorbet, I guess as a palate cleanser. It was really sweet and smooth and perfect for a quick rest before digging into the main course.

Amelia ordered filet mignon au poire, which they prepare table side. They wheeled out a little cart and finished the steak while making a pepper cream sauce. I got a dry-aged steak that our waiter recommended. I got it medium, and I wish I had gotten it medium rare at a place that good at cooking steaks, but it was still delicious--just slightly tougher than I wanted. Still, I'm not complaining really. It was one of the best steaks I've ever eaten (oh, and huge. I felt pretty gauche, but you better believe we took home doggy bags!). We had mashed potatoes, creamed corn (like nothing I've ever tasted), and fried green tomatoes as sides. To top it off, Amelia ordered a chocolate souffle, and I ordered a peanut butter one. I couldn't finish it, though. The whole meal took over two hours and by the end we were both so very satisfied.

We estimated that the dinner cost around $185 before tax, service fees, and tip--and we don't even drink! We left a $20 on the table for our waiters (which we hear is the thing to do for comped meals), but it was worth it. I still think we got a pretty good deal. My first experience with valet parking, fine dining, and basically five-star service. It's a good life, but I can't imagine eating someplace like that with any frequency. Once a year is enough for me.