On the Market.

Adam and I went to dinner and the opera this past Saturday. That’s us (above) all dressed up. I must have been out of my mind because I wore a bustier underneath my dress that fit like a freaking corset. (It was one of those body shaping deals from Victoria’s Secret.) It forced me to sit straight as a board throughout dinner. If I’d had a panic attack I probably would have passed out it was so tight. And if you know me, you know that panic attacks aren’t an uncommon occurrence. And then there were the heels. Little stick skinny heels that I am definitely not used to. My feet were so sore by the time we left the opera, Adam had to carry me to the car. Literally.

Anyhoo, the evening started with drinks and dinner at The Shenandoah Club on Franklin Rd. It was a dinner specifically for those who were attending the opera. No one bothered to tell us that the main entrance was in the back so we sort of wandered around at the front door for a while until someone showed up. Then there were maybe only two younger couples there, at least that I saw. We spoke with one couple who was considering moving to Roanoke should the wife receive an internship here at Carilion. Mostly though, there were older couples so we felt a bit out of place. However, we did meet a particularly nice couple who chatted us up throughout dinner so we didn’t feel left out. They even toasted us!

The food sadly wasn’t what we had anticipated. I drank one and a half glasses of wine. Dinner was an appetizer of a jumbo shrimp baked in some sort of sauce on a tee tiny bed of cole slaw, then the main course was duck and veggies. The duck was slightly overcooked and difficult to cut. It was okay, but nothing spectacular. I was sorely disappointed as dinner was $75 a plate. It did include dessert at a reception that followed the opera, but it was not worth the money in my opinion. If we’d known beforehand we certainly would have enjoyed the Chef’s Tasting at 202 Market instead. At $58 a person it would have not only been less expensive, it would have tasted a thousand times better. Their food is always top notch. Lesson learned I guess. We did stop into 202 Market before heading to The Shenandoah Club, however, for a drink a piece. 202 gave them to us on the house. (We were celebrating Valentine’s Day though a few days late.) I thought that was incredibly sweet of them. Though I felt bad as we didn’t bring any cash and were therefore unable to tip the bartender. Adam promised to make up for our dining mistake at The Shenandoah Club, however, by having dinner this coming Saturday at 202 Market. Hooray! (If you’ve never eaten there you really should give it a try!)

As for the opera, it was interesting. The seats were fabulous - center balcony - and the symphony was spectacular. I wasn’t really sure about the singing though. While Adam loved it, I found that not knowing the story made it less enjoyable. Also, as this was a gala with highlights rather than a full opera, there were no fabulous costumes or stage designs. We’ll probably go again though as I know Adam would like to see Fidelio in April. I’ll just have to do some homework first! All in all the night was quite an experience with lots of new things and new people. So while I felt a bit out of place and dinner was not up to my standards, I’m really glad we went.