Well Worth the Weight

Have you ever felt like all you do on vacation is eat? First you indulge in a big breakfast, then waste away a few hours strolling or sightseeing until lunch. After lunch, you occupy the afternoon with a fun activity, or a trip to the beach. All that hard work naturally requires that you hold yourself over until dinner by sampling a unique, local treat or an ice cream cone. Then dinnertime finally arrives, and it becomes a feast fit for kings. Bottles of wine, several shared appetizers, the main course, and of course, dessert. "Hey, I'm on vacation! I deserve this!" you tell yourself, as you feel your pants tightening with each bite of chocolate cake. You retreat to your hotel bed, pass out in a food coma, wake up the next morning, only to do it all over again.

Well that's pretty much how my family's weekend went in Sandwich, MA. With the on-and-off rain and underwhelming "Sandwichfest" (a fair with local vendors, who didn't actually vend much), the highlight of our weekend was waiting for the next meal. But luckily, the food made up for the lack in Sandwich's excitement.

Last night's dinner at the Dan'l Webster Inn, the hotel where we stayed, being the major highlight. I first had a warm goat cheese and roasted beet salad atop a bed of mixed greens with a maple vinaigrette. Perfection! The combination of soft, tangy goat cheese and hearty beets is one of my favorites. And the maple vinaigrette gave it a very homey feel, as if I were enjoying this salad on a small farm in Vermont.

This salad could have been hard to beat, but my main course was definitely a winner. I had one of the chef's daily specials, which was caramelized sea scallops with a blueberry and mandarin orzo salad, topped with a starfruit crème fraîche and local blueberry honey. I absolutely LOVE seafood and fruit together. It feels so light and fresh--perfect in yesterday's humidity. The starfruit was something new for me, but I enjoyed it. They have a sweet but mild taste. The crème fraîche and blueberry honey added a delicious subtlety to the buttery scallops and orzo. Mmhmm!

But let's be serious, it was ALL about the dessert. Well, it is ALWAYS about the dessert. At least it is for me. I devoured, literally DEVOURED, a white chocolate macadamia nut blondie, topped with vanilla ice cream, toasted coconut, and warm butterscotch sauce. My mouth is salivating just thinking about how unbelievable it was. All the flavors melded together in such a perfect medley of warm, soft, gooey goodness, I was in heaven. I would gladly sit and do nothing all day if I were to be rewarded with last night's dinner. Actually, I would sit and be bored all day just for last night's dessert. It was THAT good.

Back at home, pants feeling a little snug, and facing the sad reality that there actually ARE calories in those last few bites of dessert (no matter what you tell yourself on vacation, all those indulgences DO actually count). Sigh. No more blondies and ice cream for me this week. But it's the waiting for something really special that makes vacation food, or dessert, so darn good!