Spur of the Moment Dinner Plans with Friends at the Mint Leaf Cuisine
“Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.”
—Anthony Bourdain
I had seen Bill Rothenberg in the distance walking his two Labradoodles on the nature trails toward the lake of Rinconada Hills, situated within the perimeters of the gated community where we both live. We were heading home in the opposite direction. I texted him with an invitation to resume brunch plans with him and Sarah that we had to postpone due to a family emergency awhile back. He said they were busy but were free for dinner that same evening. We agreed, they chose the Mint Leaf Cuisine in downtown Saratoga, one of our favorite places to dine. In fact, I have posted it on FB and my blog site: enjoyyourlifenow.net a few times during recent years as a colorful, festive place to go, to enjoy Thai/pan-Asian Fusion Cuisine. Their three-D elephant menu is the bomb and has quite a diverse assortment of Southeast Asian dishes. The decor reminds me of a small Thai temple with a smiling, peaceful Buddha looking down reminding us of our impermanence and to enjoy the present moment. Silk pillows and tapestries are used to soften the chairs and wood benches.
Some people hate being invited to spur of the moment dinner plans. I’m sometimes one of those people. The idea of dragging myself out of my comfort zone on such short notice can sometimes feel like being put on the spot. On the other hand, some people are big planners—booked up weeks in advance—and hate spontaneity. Empty nesters like us and the Rothenberg's tend to be more flexible and Bill and I are always making last-minute biking plans, so it’s all good.
Mint Leaf does not have a liquor license and invites its patrons to BYOB. The good news for those who enjoy a glass of wine with their meal, they don’t tack on an expensive corkage fee. Cecile and I brought a bottle of St. Francis (my middle name-the Francis part that is), Old Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma County) to share. The management also allows patrons to bring their own beer.
For starters, we shared Modern Pot Stickers and Roti appetizers, and between us, we had Drunken noodles with steak; Yellow Curry with cubes of steak, Scallops and usual favorite, Yellow Curry with Salmon with a side of brown rice.
The young friendly waiter that served us was from Vietnam, who also works part-time at the Golden Triangle, operated by the same owners in downtown Los Gatos.
We ended the evening with tea and babka (dense chocolate fudge layer cake of Eastern European Jewish origin) at our home. All in all, a multicultural evening.
