"P" is for Paradisiaque (le) Pére Pinard

Newly anointed, Tenny "Give me a beer, son" Pearson, organized a splendid evening of French cuisine. Some nights are all about the food, and other nights are more about the party. le Pére Pinard was a nice balance of both. Let's start with the food. Some dishes shined, and others waned, and even a few whined (Sweeney). The starters were part of the shine family: French Onion soup, caprese salad, goat cheese in puff pastry. The onion soup was quoted as "one of the best i've ever had", "wanted to lie down in a big bowl of it", "a true highlight". There is just something so damn sexy about French Onion soup. How many babies have been made after eating French Onion Soup? Am I wrong here people? The caprese salad had mozzarella with a texture and taste more reminiscent of burrata than it did the usual rubbery, white slaps of store bought mozz ("muzz" as New Jersey would say). We might have selected every possible entree that was being served that night: ribeye skewers w/ peppercorn sauce and asparagus (a special), sole in beurre blanc with orzo and veggies, Shepherd's Pie, hanger steak with roasted potatoes (another special), and pan seared skate with a caper butter sauce. And since I was remiss in not tasting all the dishes for "O" night, my belly and I made a mission to play chinese fire drill around the table and take a little bite of each dish. The sauce on the heavy portioned sole may have been better than the actual fish, but the fish still held it's own with a light, fresh taste. The ribeye was flavorful and tender, served with a peppery, creamy dipping sauce. The food wasn't the most memorable we've had, but judging by the clean plates around the table, it was enjoyable enough.

The other nice thing about (le) Pére Pinard was the seating. We gathered around a big rustic, picnic-like table that allowed us to do a little musical chairs throughout the evening. We had two big surprises that night and #2 was Allison - she's engaged! Apparently after repeatedly watching Beyonce's hit video "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" and realizing that Southern women couldn't cook nearly as well as Allison, he popped the question. We're seriously falling like flies here at Zupper Club.

Our special guest of the night was Candice Matthews, whom you might recognize as the lead singer in the all girl band "Date Nite". Luckily, she sat near Phil & Andrea, and it looks like Candy could be headlining at the Covitz's wedding. Andrea's Mom will be tickled pink! Dan got a little loopy and tried to tell Tenny about the dark web of zupper management but that's just nonsense. For all those who know what I'm talking about, don't worry, I've drugged him and his memory has been erased. We've also received more interest in franchising this puppy out (Zupper West has already begun and a Zupper SF is in potential development). Anyone who has ideas on how to commercialize this thing, let me know. And the #1 most interesting news of the night came from Molly. Apparently she loves magazines like South Jersey Girl Bride, and grew up with an ex-hitman teaching her to play the piano. No? Not that riveting? The guy hung around their house a lot and murdered like a lot of people. Trust us, it really explains a lot about Molly.

Kudos to Tenny for a superb night - she definitely earned her Zupper name. 16 months down, 10 to go!