My birthday dinner was a treat from my other half - I had only specified that it must be somewhere I had never been and a walkable distance from home. Thankfully this remit excluded the local chip shop, of which I am already a patron.
Her choice was The Vanilla Pod in Marlow and a seven course dinner. They threw in a couple of bonus courses to make it nine and at the end of all that I was fatter than Elvis.
Cream of celeriac
Butternut Squash Risotto
Seared Scallops with Purée of White Beans and Bourbon Vanilla Foam
Pink Grapefruit Mouselline
Roasted Sea Bass on Purée of Jerusalem Artichoke infused with Truffle
or
Rump of Lamb on buttered Savoy Cabbage and Woodland Mushrooms
(we had both and shared)
Trois Laits Cheese with Pear Chutney
Apple and Cranberry Compote with Greek Yoghurt
Tahitian Vanilla Panna Cotta with Doughnuts
Petits fours
All the food was delicious and I now have a tough act to follow in August.