A quick Thursday supper. Yawn.

From top: Trio of caviar blinis (the middle one was the best); Salad of hearts of palm, Bairdi crab, mango, and vanilla bean—lime vinaigrette (my date had to crack one of my crab legs open because it poked me in the hand and hurt me, and also it was messy and I had to go wash my hands. Eric M was equally pansyish); Romesco-crusted haddock over smoked mashed potatoes (yes, Virginia, there is a Jesus), and saffron butter sauce; Seared duck breast with braised greens, fried grits cake, Laughing Bird shrimp, and truffled cream (I am dedicating my life to the pursuit of fried grit cakes); Tres leches cake with mexican chocolate meringue and pineapple; His Royal Hotness, Chef Kyle.

This was an Oceanaire wine dinner, featuring J Wines. The food and wine pairings were great, but just let me say, J Wines, you got lucky. Your wines would have been nothing beyond above average without these plates elevating them. The food seriously outclassed the drink.

Also, isn't it amazing that I can eat like this on a weeknight and still maintain my 29-inch waist and gymnast form?

One downer: it was unfortunate that this dinner came the same day that we talked about marine ecosystems and fish sustainability in conservation biology class. Farmed, local, organic, not endangered, it doesn't really matter: bad, bad humans.