Food--maybe my favorite subject

Tonight, Betty and I started out for Aventino's, an Italian restaurant that has recently re-invented itself, but it was dark. So we went across the street to Cafe Aspen, which has also re-invented itself under new management. And we had a wonderful evening. The partitions that previously separated the dining space into booths of six tables each have disappeared, and it's one big dining room, with warm tomato-soup colored tablecloths.And the meu is completely new--sorry, Jeannie, but the chicken-fried lobster is gone. Lots of good things though, with a heavy but gentle use of peppers. Betty had jalopeno soup, which I declared I wouldn't even try, but the owner's wife came by, persuaded me to try a bite, and she was right--the ground almonds and something else in it softened the jalopeno taste, and it was good--I probably wouldn't eat a whole bowl, but a couple of tastes were great.
I wish I had gotten her name--Betty kept saying, "You don't have your hearing aids in, do you?" but I did. Just kept missing things. Anyway, Betty missed her name too, but she stopped by frequently and explained a couple of terms on the menu we didn't know. Betty hadn't heard of quinoa, which I knew was a grain, but this woman explained it much more fully and pronounced it far differently than I had. She also explained a term I cannot spell, pronounce or find in my Food Lover's dictionary, but it amounted to blue corn polenta which is crisped in the oven just before serving. We chatted with her for a long time--I even (must have been the glass of wine) got to telling her how my children had worked at the restaurant and David was a good friend.
Betty had drunken oysters, and I had antelope medallions with that polenta thing I can't pronounce and pear chutney. Delicious. Plus talking to the woman made the evening so interesting. They use fresh local produce, and they want to educate their guests to new tastes and food. She says the chef is having fun teaching the cooks new things--like ground almonds to soften the chili hotness.
For dessert we had a chocolate mousse cake--okay, chocolate is not on my diet, but it was free because I'd seen an ad and I just couldn't resist. We split. The cake had a definite ancho chile bite, but it was absolutely wonderful.
I told Betty we must go back again soon, so she doesn't forget us. I have the feeling they will change the menu often.
Other than that , it was a ho-hum day, although I had a good lunch--wonderful tomato basil soup--and a nice visit with an old friend. Added up some tax stuff (I borrowed an adding machine no one in the office was using), did some acquisitions work, and read. It's not cold in Texas, but it's damp so it makes you feel like you want to be warm and cozy.