Double Date Night

Date nights are fun,

but you know what's even more fun?

DOUBLE date nights.

Last weekend the husband and I decided to take a break from our kitchen renovation project from hell,

to go out for some dinner/movie action.

Our friends met up with us for some pre-dinner cocktails <reads: a couple of bottles of wine>,

and then we were off to the beatiful land of La Jolla.

Our dinner destination for the evening was Amaya,

the newest addition to the glitzy pavement of Prospect Street.

Little sister to her namesake at the Grand Del Mar,

Amaya Jr. had quite a reputation to live up to.

The theme?

Dressed up American without the dress code.

"Soooo.. what do I wear?", asked the husband.

In reality, the place is very nice -

a type of joint where you don't necessarily want to stumble into after a day of beach lounging at the adjacent La Jolla Cove.

But, to be fair, it's not stuffy..

Picture the scene from the restaurant where Jack Nicholson takes Helen Hunt in As Good as it Gets,

one of my all time favorite movies, right before he gives her the greatest compliment ever.

No, Amaya is not like that at all.

It's classy enough to impress a fancy-pants date, yet there are no table cloths, meaning - no jackets required.
Perfect.

One of the great benefits of doubling your party size, (besides great company, of course),
is the fact that you get to order twice as many dishes, which means you get to try more items from the menu!
Unless your friends don't like to share... in which case you may want to look into new friends.
Luckily, this scenario worked out in our favor,
and after ordering a few bottles of wine and a good range of items from the menu we were all happy and stuffed.
Some standouts?
The sweetbreads were very tender, and the duck with the cornbread puree? Spectacular!
I was a little dissapointed with the fried quail,
which I've heard people raving about on multiple occasions.
It wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't call it groundbreaking either.
Tasted... well.. just like chicken.

Sautéed Skate Wing and Veal Sweetbreads - Braised Romaine, Veal Jus 

My dress and clutch are both from ASOS.

Buttermilk Fried Quail - Smoked Mac and Cheese, Coleslaw

Angus Beef Carpaccio - Pickled Vegetables, Parmesan

Friday Special: Lightly Breaded Market Fish - Hush Puppies, Tartar Sauce 

Cheddar-Herb Biscuits, Jalapeño Cornbread and Deviled Eggs served with every order of the Daily Rustic Southern Specials

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast - Cornbread Purée, Butter Beans

After a well-fulfilled meal, and some excellent conversation,
we proceeded to the Arclight Cinemas in La Jolla.
It was our first time to this theater,
and although it's not as glamorous as Cinepolis Del Mar,
they still had a bar that offered up stiff cocktails and assigned seating which just takes the average movie-going experience to a whole other level.
Our movie of choice?
The Great Gatsby.
Can I just say that I am so sad to hear that it's been getting mixed reviews?
I thought it was amaaazing.
The glitz, the glam.. the hard contrast between the classes.. all there!
And Leo? In 3D?
Case closed.
Best movie of the year!