For eight amazing and remarkable years, my gracious wife has tolerated the vast majority of my more insane moments.  (The ones she didn’t tolerate were just the ones that I’ve inflicted on co-workers and random strangers.)  Given this, the missus and I like to appropriately mark the occasion by indulging our ongoing passion for culinary adventures.  It’s one of those things that probably owes a lot to afternoon after afternoon of watching the Travel Channel together in college and officially started with our honeymoon to New Orleans and a visit to the legendary Antoine’s.

(It was also the first legendary dinner bill for both of us, a fact immortalized in our wedding album somewhere, I’m sure.)

Last night, we ventured to Bluestem based on high recommendations from friends. And while the first choice of 1924 Main was unfortunately closed for the week, I think we hit the right spot.  A full seven courses of decadence later – with dessert and appropriate wine pairings, naturally – and we were convinced it was one of the best restaurants to which either of us had ever been.  While neither the missus nor myself are the most accomplished world travelers nor will either of us ever compete with Anthony Bourdain for gastronomical opportunities, though both of us have had the opportunity to stamp our mental and real passports in some cool places, it was impressive to think that little old Kansas City has incredible culinary talent such as Colby and Megan Garrelts.