My regular fare at the Ale Works is the Pedro's Pasta. I order with it the gluten free brown rice penne and local grilled chicken. The dish is accompanied with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, local chevre and pine nuts. The tomatoes gleamed scarlet, the basil a striking pop of green among the taupe pasta, the chevre melted in my mouth, silky and nutty, the pine nuts a welcome crunch between the al dente pasta and tender peppered chicken.
If this picture doesn't make you salivate and cause your taste buds to do cartwheels then...you haven't experienced the true beauty of food prepared with care and shared with the ones you love.
Sunshine peeking through the trees outside the restaurant.
This dinner was truly special though, and reminded me of the importance of family and how food is such a connective medium. Some of my best memories from childhood stem from the kitchen: baking cookies with my grandma, learning how to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey and dressing from my mom; sitting around the dinner table after a holiday meal while laughing hysterically with my sister about absolutely nothing. And now I have the memory of dining with my own parents, the man I love, and his parents, whom I consider my own family as well, at one of the most delicious restaurants ever. We all laughed about my dad making friends with the waiter (his name was Jeff and is from Wisconsin) and we shared stories with my parents about our trip to Yellowstone. Everyone was so pleased and full after we dined together and once again, I am so thankful to Bozeman for recognizing the community of people who have intolerance and allergies. For nothing can compare to sharing a meal with those you love, especially when you don't have to cook it!
