Valentines is a special day for Kathy and I, not just because it is Cupids Day but because it is the anniversary of the day we met in person.  It is a long and wonderful story, but I make it a policy to only share it when I have you somewhere that you can’t run away – so your safe for now.

As much as I love to cook, there are certain days of the year when it is just nice to not have cook and for Kathy to not have to clean up.  Valentines is one of those days for Kathy and I, just a day where we can have a relaxing day together, then go for a nice dinner and come home and watch ‘The Lake House’ on DVD. 

For this year, I surprised Kathy with a dinner at Hoodoo’s here in Kamloops.  They have a great Valentines special dinner menu, and a good selections of wine and other refreshments to go with.  Now, we have been to Hoodoo’s many times, and the last time we went, fall of 2015, there were some changes going on in the management and kitchen, and we hit on a very busy night.  The result was that it wasn’t as good as we have experienced in the past.  It wasn’t bad, but just not up to its normal high level.  But, taking everything into account, we decided to trust in our past experiences and give it another go.

The menu was very creative, and offered great choices of both appetizers and entrées.  Add a nice dessert offering, and all the parts needed for a memorable meal were in place.  We arrived at our appointed reservation time, and were led to a table by the window.  Hoodoo’s offers a great view of the city and we really like the décor and ambience of the restaurant, so we find a very comforting place. 

Drinks were ordered, and then our meal choices made.  Kathy went with the calamari appetizer, and the duck entrée.  I went with the chowder to start and the steak as my main.  While we waited for the food, we enjoyed talking about the past 9 years together, and many of the great experiences we have had in our time as a partners in life.  It is a wonderful day for us, and we were enjoying it to its most this wonderful evening.

Our appetizers arrived, and we both tucked into them.  To our considerable pleasure, both of them were spot on.  We were both very happy to find that our food was as we had remembered from past visits – if not better.  After enjoying our appy’s, we eagerly awaited the arrival of the mains.  After a bit more romantic reminiscing, they arrived with perfect timing.  Again, the food was perfectly prepared.  Kathy’s duck was very much to her liking, and my steak was perfectly cooked, and tender – just like butter.  As anyone who knows me will tell you, I am very particular about my steak – I actually don’t often order steak in restaurants as all too often it is just not what I am looking for.  This – this was exactly as my heart desired.

The portions at first looked maybe a bit small on the plate, but at the end we both agreed that they were perfect portions for the meal.  This probably says more about the oversized portions that we are accustomed to these days, as we were completely satisfied, but not uncomfortable stuffed which is kind of my trademark.  Dessert followed, it was very nice and a great finish to the meal.  A bit more quiet reminiscing, and it was time to make our way home to our K-9 kids and an evening of The Lake House.

I am very happy to report that Hoodoo’s is still one of our go-to places here in Kamloops.  We would like to thank all the staff for a wonderful evening, and we look forward to coming back regularly. 

We hope that everyone has had an equally wonderful Valentines weekend, and we wish everyone the best for all the love and happiness that anyone could ask for in the year ahead.

All the best

Scott @ SCK