Girls’ Night Out

Pepper Sprout

The Cúpla Sisters enjoyed a girls’ night out with appetizers and drinks at the charming Pepper Sprout followed by The Hundred Foot Journey at the cinema. Pepper Sprout is a boutique restaurant on Dubuque’s Main Street with a changing seasonal menu and attentive service.

I’m particularly fond of their appetizers and desserts. Eating at Pepper Sprout always turns dinner into an occasion. We chose their Walnut Crusted Bleu Cheese, Cheese Cake with Roasted Beets and Pita Chips as our appetizer. Excellent and very satisfying.

Bleu Cheese, Cheese Cake with Roasted Beets

The Hundred Foot Journey is a sweet escapist film and perfect for foodie-travel enthusiasts. No spoiler alert needed, but think l’omelette, Michelin Stars and dreamy French scenery. Helen Mirren stars in the film which is always a plus. Sometimes it is just nice to see an uncomplicated film with a nice story line that leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

As often happens with beautiful things, the scenery of Saint Antonin Noble Val, featured in The One Hundred Foot Journey, inspired the Cúplas. We decided to recreate the atmosphere for our l’omelette dinner. Saint Antonin’s medieval buildings and courtyards have nine or more centuries of patina. My porch is barely a year old, but starlight and candles mellow any location. Don’t we all look lovelier by candlelight?

Our four egg l’omelette was embellished with red peppers which went straight from my garden to the grill to be blackened. We added flat-leaf parsley and a little grated cheese. The peppers were soft and sweet with just a hint of smokiness. Croissants and white wine completed our simple dinner.

our l’omelette

We concluded our evening by making gluten free Hello Dolly bars which we enjoyed with Door County Chocolate Cherry coffee. I’ve been making Hello Dollies since I started playing about in the kitchen. Their origin is unknown to me.

Hello Dolly!

They became popular about the time Hello Dolly made its stage appearance, so I assume there is a connection. If these bars don’t make you want to burst into song and dance, you just don’t have a sweet tooth. Check back on Sweet Saturday for our gluten free version of the reliable Hello Dolly recipe.