Dogs and hogs.

Yesterday was a very full, great day! It started with the Annapolis Striders' Dog Days 8K (4.96-mile) trail race up at AACC in Arnold. I've run on trails a few times before, including one other trail race- the Montgomery County Road Runners' Difficult Cross Country 8K- which happened back in April. That race was entirely on trails, including lots of rocks, tree roots, and downed trees. It also included two climbs up a hill which they (accurately) described as "like climbing a wall." You can see me at the bottom of that hill here:

MCRR wasn't kidding about that race being difficult (though it was fun too). I finished it in an hour and 12 minutes. The Dog Days, on the other hand, was only partially on trails, and the trails themselves were much flatter and free from major obstacles. Even after running 14 miles the day before, I was able to finish the race in 55 minutes. My roommate Katie and running buddy Val ran the race too. Katie's a pro at trail running, but Val had never done a trail race before and she did really well!

After the race, Katie and I headed up to Baltimore, where we helped two good friends move into an amazing new house. Then, we did a quick change and made a long-awaited trip to Frederick to eat at Volt restaurant. Volt has been around for a few years, but I (along with most of the world) only learned about it last fall, when chef/owner Bryan Voltaggio was the runner-up on Top Chef Las Vegas. I've been looking for an excuse to go ever since, and finally got one when Katie accepted a new job in Hawaii. Given the amount of time we've spent running, cooking and eating together, it seemed appropriate to celebrate Katie's moving on with a race and a trip to a great restaurant.   

I had really high expectations for Volt, and I was definitely not dissapointed. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful restored mansion right in downtown Frederick. Inside, there is a bar/lounge, a main dining room (where we ate), a chef's dining room (which serves a prix fixe tasting menu), and the extra-special Table 21 in the kitchen where very lucky (and wealthy) diners eat a unique 21-course tasting menu made by the chef right before their eyes. On the way to the restroom, you can just catch a glimpse of Table 21. Katie and I each walked by a couple of times, hoping to see Bryan himself. I finally got lucky on my last trip. I only saw him from the back, but I was still excited.

Celebrity sightings aside, the food was the real star of the evening. The main dining room serves 4 courses a la carte, which change regularly depending on what's in season. (I had checked the menu when I made the reservation about 10 days ago and several things had changed by Sunday.) Katie and I decided to share the first two courses and then order two main dishes and two desserts. Between courses, the wait staff brought out little extra treats, including a refreshing shrimp ceviche amuse bouche and an amazing selection of fresh-baked breads and rolls.

Our first course was a medley of heirloom tomatoes, surrounded by micro-greens, some kind of encapsulated mozzarella, and "frozen flavors of gazpacho." All of the flavors and textures worked together beautifully. By the end, I wanted to lick the plate and we were both super-excited for the next course: pork belly. For me, this turned out to be the star of the night. I can barely remember what else was on the plate (other than white beans) because the pork belly itself was so delicious. It almost made me regret the 15+ years I spent as a vegetarian. For main courses, we shared plates of beef tenderloin and roasted chicken. I tried the chicken first. It was accompanied by two different sides: delicious Asian-flavored greens with little bits of ham, and a perfectly cooked polenta cake. The chicken was delicious, but it was out-shone by the beef tenderloin, which was served rare over some of the most delicious mashed potatoes I've ever tasted. I had no idea that I was over-cooking my beef until I tasted that tenderloin, but I will not make that mistake again! Finally, we had our two desserts: a deconstructed meyer lemon tart and "textures of chocolate" accompanied by pistachio ice cream. Everything was delicious, but the star of this course was the pistachio ice cream with a sprinking of cocoa powder. I told Katie that I wanted to bathe in it.

When we had finished our last courses (again, resisting the temptation to lick the plates), the server brought our check and we got two pleasant surprises: First, neither of us was going to have to wash dishes because the meal wasn't nearly as expensive as we had anticipated/feared. Second, we were given a little take-home loaf of lemon-poppy seed bread "compliments of the pastry chef." We were both excited about that bread (which I ate for breakfast this morning) because it allowed us to put off the moment when we would have to resume eating regular food just a little longer. 

I drove home thinking that I had just easten the best meal of my life and the day could not get any better. Then, I got a text message telling me that the couple Katie and I helped move earlier in the day had gotten engaged! So, congratulations Nancy and Jessie! An amazing end to an awesome day.