Belated Friday. It's been one of those crush weeks, but I did enjoy a lovely dinner with my neighbor Jerrie, at Marche aux Fleurs in Ross, a first time for both of us. I was excited to hear that her new book, Kismet, has just been published and am looking forward to reading it. It was a beautiful evening and the setting couldn't have been better. This s a place where you can actually hear your dinner companion, and enjoy a nice conversation. It was a bit dark to get a good photo of the outside, so I scanned their card in as an introduction.

Jerrie started with roasted carrot soup with chive oil, a nicely balanced soup with depth.

I tried the traditional French onion soup, and was rewarded with a beautiful rich broth well blended with soft onions and bubbling cheese.

Jerrie went on to try the Grilled Cedar River hanger steak, borlotti beans, chanterelle mushrooms, frisée, salsa verde which sounded so interesting. She asked for it rare, and they took her a little more literally than she meant, but she said the flavor was good although a little redder than she would like. The beans had a smoky flavor and the dish was nicely presented, as you can see.

I tried the spinach paperadelle with lamb meatballs in a zucchini and mint sauce with green garlic and a lovely soft cheese (I forgot the name, shame on me!). The pasta was so freshly homemade, and had a perfect bite. It was fresh, inventive and flavorful. This place thoroughly deserves its good reputation.