It was a group of a lovely four. Steve (above man), Julie, myself, and Tim. We had been trying to get together for months. MONTHS! And our schedules just never worked out. Tonight, a little piece of destiny collided together and we were able to dine together at a decently new restaurant, My Verona, in our town. I hadn't heard too many positive things about it, but definitely love to try new places, seeing as though our town doesn't get many of them.
Steve is our (the other three of us) ALPHA teacher from high school. I don't even really know how to describe the man. More than a dozen high school kids, would get up to participate in his 7am class every day, for the school year, to let him teach us. It was one of the most amazing experiences I will ever have in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I learned so many fascinating tidbits of information, let alone life in general in those classes, but it really extended beyond that. It was the people that you got to live and learn from. I met my best friends in those classes, and to this day, we are pretty much spread across the country, world even in some cases, and I have a bond with those people that can never be replaced, and that bond is Steve McCrea and all he did for us.
But the point of this wasn't to get sappy. So I will leave it at that. Oh, with the final end note being that it was his classes and extra curricular of Hotline that ultimately led me to the career path I am on now. Anyways.
With the snow, Tim and I were a teensy bit late and Julie and Steve were at the bar. We sat down at our table. This menu is something that you would find in a coastal restaurant, and not something typical for the midwest. Lots of seafood. Skeptical. But we ordered three appetizers (love Steve) two of which I had never really had. A super super hot spicy calamari, mussels, and a bacon wrapped shrimp. The shrimp were amazing, but all of it was totally edible.
After a ridiculously long time deciding on what to order, I ended up with steak risotto. (That should show how much I love and wanted risotto, I almost always refuse to eat steak, but damn I wanted that creamy goodness). Tim got lasagna, Julie a pasta, and Steve got scallops that were close to a level that only a coastal place would bring, so we were impressed.
The food took awhile, but I didn't even notice. Steve is one of those guys that you could listen to for hours, days. He has a story about absolutely everything, and every single story is relevant and fascinating. It's either always poinant or humorous. It's a blast to hear him talk, but he also always wants to hear what you have to say as well. Which is so rare to find both in one person. So we ate our meal, with lots of talking, and finished up with a chocolate salami and tiramisu dessert. Not a huge fan of tiramisu, but it was pretty good. Alas, the scary sounding chocolate salami was DELICIOUS. Ill take five, to go. I wish.
By the end of the evening, we had been at the restaurant for almost three hours, eating, talking, and having a grand old time. Steve is such a killer guy that he paid for appetizers, drinks, and desserts. See?! I told you he was awesome. But that really is so beside the point. That man has done more for all of us than we even really know. More than he knows. Love him. And that chocolate salami :)
Sidenote: Did anyone else know that Steve has never been to Europe? I am thinking a GIANT ALPHA trip to Europe in the future....I'm so totally in.
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