Talavera

6 Par Farmer is Bon Lemon's Chief Creative Officer. Did you know that? He has a title. Yeppers! He has spent countless hours tagging jewelry, creating spreadsheets, and coming up with creative names and descriptions for Bon Lemon's website. And with the roll out of our new and improved website on the horizon, he will likely be spending many more hours. We are so thankful and lucky!




Bon Lemon wanted to thank our Chief Creative Officer for all of his efforts, so we planned a night out at Talavera at the Four Seasons in North Scottsdale. We arrived at 6 to enjoy a cocktail on the patio and watch the sunset. The setting is gorgeous. You are hugged by the foothills of the McDowell Mountain Range and look down on the valley. I had my new favorite cocktail, the L.A. Thymes. Not too sweet, not too strong. So delicious. It combined Absolut Los Angeles (a special edition vodka combining blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry and pomegranate), thyme, fresh lemon, blueberries, and San Pellegrino. I could have stayed out there all night drinking the delicious concoction. But we decided to venture inside for dinner.




We started with the King Crab & Beef Roulade with wasabi root, ponzu, and tempura. Kind of like sushi wrapped in beef carpaccio instead or rice. Yum! For dinner, 6 Par Farmer had the Duck Breast with quince jam and a cider reduction. I had the 8 oz Prime Filet that was cooked to perfection with a slight crust and a tasty porcini sauce. Mmm. Execution was great, as were the quality of ingredients.

To finish things off, we shared the Malted Waffle with caramel apples, candied bacon, and Jack Daniels sauce. It was interesting, but didn't quite live up to my expectations, but after the delicious meal, there wasn't much room left anyway.

The service was flawless, friendly, and attentive. The setting is gorgeous. The decor is nice, but we both felt something was missing, and there was a stiffness in the dining room we couldn't quite put our finger on. Overall though, an excellent way to celebrate an excellent Chief Creative Officer! Thanks Talavera and 6 Par Farmer.

What a pretty day!

Today it feels like fall. But I don't believe it yet. It keeps "feeling like fall," and I keep putting on my lovely fall boots and my cozy fall sweater and I keep sweating my buns off. (On a recent trip to Seattle with Pump Wearing Probation Officer, I had to buy a shirt, because I was literally sweating to death. Eww. I'm gross.)

So, I will not yet proclaim it is fall quite yet, but it feels very fall-ey this morning. Especially, with the cute little duckies swimming by. (They aren't really swimming are they? Paddling? Floating? Well, you know what I mean.) I tried to get a picture of the Canadian geese, but by the time I grabbed my camera and walked outside in my clog slippers (a gift from Wax Job's last trip to Amsterdam), the geese had honked on by. They are also pretty, but today you get to check out the ducks.

And the lake. How about that reflection? Looks like a painting, I think. I have some profound thoughts going on in my head about character and politics and people's abilities to have rational discussions and relationships and travelling and food and starvation and education, but today, just enjoy the ducks. And think about fall. (Maybe.) It's pretty.