Restaurant Week // Burlesque Brunch

Dress: Marny Tiered Dress by Saylor (size L) via Nuuly 

Tights: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Fluevog, Super Fine: Honour

Earring: Kerala Rose

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Heidi Daus, gift from David

Purse: Vintage

Photography: David & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

What a sparkly dream dress...& those ruffled shoulders...like bitty wings. I felt like a wedding cake, in the best way. Great fit & length. It was not the most flattering dress as it gave a column shape & didn't really accentuate the natural waist with all the tiers...so if you care about that, it may not be the dress for you. 

My only regret was below the hemline...I knew these shoes weren't quite right...also the gold/black glittery stockings were too dark. I fixed all that with my second wearing...I didn't get new outfit photos, but pictured below. Mermaid Docs to the rescue! Perfection. 

These shoes are gorgeous, they just needed another outfit to shine. 

Iridescent peacock jewelry...I believe this was my first wearing of all my jewelry...I *might* have worn the earring previously, but I don't recall. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo, Cyber Punk & Purple Dust eyeshadow by UD, Huda Beauty Amethyst Obsessions eyeshadow palette, Goldilux eyeshadow from Sugarpill Cosmetics, Grape lipliner from MAC, UD lipstick in Flashback, Ultraviolet lipstick by NYX, & OPI nail polish in Leonardo's Model Color & Glitter All The Way. 

I first wore this dress to go to Heritage for dinner with David. It was restaurant week, which usually means mediocre food, however, we were seeing a play next door at the Bartell, so we decided to take the chance. First, photos outside & inside the capitol. 

Right before ordering, I checked my phone (an unusual thing for me to do when I'm out with David) & discovered an email from Stage Q letting me know the performance was cancelled for the next 2 nights due to a death in a cast member's family. David walked next door & rescheduled our show.

Cocktails to begin...David with a Mulled Us Operandi (Tito's vodka, manzanilla sherry, mulled wine syrup, acid-adjusted orange juice, Angostura, & Bolivar bitters)...mine was The Cornerstone (J. Henry 5 year bourbon, Sfumato amaro, apricot liqueur, rosemary syrup, lemon & lime juice). The first courses arrived...David & I usually just share everything...Pork & Shrimp Meatball (lobster tom kha, crispy rice, scallion), along with Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Soup (duck confit, poblano, toasted pepitas, jalapeño crema). 

Second course: Heritage Pork Duo (chili crusted pork loin, sweet Italian sausage, crispy polenta, roasted fennel, arugula, citrus olive tapenade, pine nut gremolata) and Beet Roasted Arctic Char (roasted beets, charred Cara Cara orange, braised chard, roasted garlic sabayon, pickled chard stems). 

And that brings us to dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake (hazelnut mascarpone cream, Door County cherry coulis) and Caramel Profiterole (Wisconsin maple ice cream, toasted pecans, salted caramel). This was by far the best restaurant week meal we'd ever had...we enjoyed it so much that we walked over to Merchant & tried their offerings as well (we eat a lot). 

Merchant has the best craft cocktails around (they are Lucille's sister restaurant). David started with a Paper Plane (Buffalo Trace bourbon, aperol, amaro nonino, lemon juice), while I tried a Gin Sling (Death's Door gin, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, Valencia orange liqueur, Cerasum aperitivo, pineapple & lime juice, seltzer, bitters). Starters: Roasted Beet Salad (crème fraîche, pickled shallot, citrus gel, hazelnuts, tarragon) and Bibb Lettuce Salad (green goddess dressing, fried capers, shaved market vegetables). First course: Crispy Duck Leg Lyonnaise (frisée, bacon lardon, sauce gribiche, brioche croutons) and...

Mushroom Risotto (arborio rice, roasted local mushrooms, crispy sage, SarVecchio). I finally got to try the winning drink of Madison Old Fashioned Week...Crème Brûlée Old-Fashioned (Limousin rye, vanilla, burnt sugar syrup, angostura bitters, cherry bark vanilla bitters, smoked rosemary). And finally, more desserts: Meyer Lemon Tart (mascarpone whipped cream, blueberry) and (winner of best dessert) Flourless Chocolate Brownie (dark cherry-chocolate ice cream, Luxardo cherry, flake salt). 

David's final drink: La Paloma (Altos tequila, ginger-infused Banhez mezcal, chili bitters, grapefruit & lime juice, seltzer)...& Luxardo cherries David asked the bartender for...BEST old-fashioned EVER...however, it needed some cherry. 

My gold & purple sparkling nails...& these mermaid Docs were made for this dress. This is what I had on my feet the second time I wore this outfit...to attend Burlesque Brunch at Bur Oak for my friend Michael's birthday. Ahan shares this space with them...so yummy food was ordered. The chef & owner, Jamie Hoang, is a James Beard Award semifinalist this year in the Emerging Chef category. 

I had my usual: Chèvre Wontons (cream cheese, chèvre, scallion, sweet & sour) and Praram Long Song (fried chicken, delicata squash, broccoli, cauliflower, scarlet turnips, carrots, cremini & shiitake mushrooms, scallion, cilantro, peanuts, fried garlic, with a side of peanut sauce & jasmine rice). I've tried other dishes here, but this is what I come back to again & again. Michael & me! The second photo was taken by my friend, Anna...she & her husband are the photographers for the show. 

Mama No Shits MCs the show...& performs...I took this just before she said no photos, but she's still got all her clothes on...I put my phone away for the rest of the performance. The person I was most blown away by was Belle Folle...she did some amazing floor work. AND I found out she teaches a burlesque class. Group photo!

Back at home...I made dinner...Sheet-Pan Chicken with Artichokes & Herbs, served with Petite Salad Greens with Sweet Potato Croutons & Blue Cheese. 

I talked myself into signing up for Belle's burlesque class, only to discover it was full. I wrote to her to ask to be put on a waiting list, but didn't have much hope of that panning out...so I signed up for bellydancing & burlesque classes at Dance Life instead.