Moxie to the rescue

Anyone who knows me knows that I will never be known for my punctuality. Friday night I was not the only one running behind schedule. The plan was to meet Alysa at 6:30 at Moxie to grab a bite to eat and glass of wine before attending Pacific NW Ballet's All Tharp program at 7:30. Alysa is my token cultural-event buddy as she is typically willing (cultural events are a hard sell these days), and Moxie is our favorite pre-ballet spot in lower Queen Anne as it is just blocks from McCaw Hall where PNB performs.

Well, when I was the first to arrive at 6:45, I knew I had to move quickly. I snagged a bar table for 2, and soon the bar tender/server arrived to take my drink order. I explained the situation, and indicated that I was going to order not only drinks for 2, but our food as well to try to make the 7:30 show. A nod indicated he was on board. Not to worry.

First things first: wine-by-the-glass. Expecting to have to debate over which one to order, I was thrilled to see Hedges CMS Red 2005 blend. Not only a know quantity, but a fabulous full (affordable) red! 2 glasses please. Check. Next, food. I was looking for a few things to share, a nice combo of meat, veggie, cheese...mini steak frites? baby greens salad? clams? (Alysa and I usually have similar tastes but you never know). The server must have sensed my deliberation, and boldly recommended the gnocchi, their new vegetarian dish which he really liked and said was easy to split. I typically don't go for vegetarian, but in a rush, I went with it and the greens salad with Gorgonzola & candied walnuts.

The handsome waiter did not disappoint (the handsome part being a bonus). He had the wine at the table within minutes, and Alysa soon arrived, relieved to not have to make any decisions. We barely had time to hug and explain to each other where we'd parked when our food arrived. So far so good. The salad was great - but really, how can you mess up green salad with Gorgonzola and walnuts? Pomegranate seeds added a nice, unexpected touch. The moment of truth: The gnocchi. Awesome. The gnocchis themselves were drier than your typical Italian gnocchi, but it worked well with the dish - an overall sweet flavor of roasted corn and kale, pine nuts and finely-grated sharp, dry cheese (I'm guessing Asiago) lightly mixed with olive oil. The roasted corn kernels made the dish! Bravo.

Alysa and I finished each and every bite, split the wonderfully-affordable bill, and made it into our seats at McCaw as they were flashing the warning lights. Moxie nailed it, and we gave Tharp a Bravo as well.