My marriage with Mike just turned two years old! Yay! We survived two years together without killing each other! Two years may not seem like a long time compared to those who have been married for 10, 20, 30 years, or more, but it’s still worth celebrating, especially when you’re happily married AND expecting a baby!
As our friend Alessa said: “Make sure these final days before the baby comes will be all about relaxation and memorable dinners and dates (because it will be a while, I tell you!)” We took her advice and decided to go out on a date — a date date — on our anniversary night, which was November 7.
The truth is though, we didn’t make any plans for that night. For one, our ‘real’ celebration was a staycation which was 4 days after our anniversary date. Second, I was feeling so lazy and sleepy that I was just in my PJs the whole day. Third, Mike was busy working. Oh, and he forgot that it was our anniversary!!! Well, technically, he didn’t forget completely. He just got the dates mixed up and thought our anniversary was on the 9th of November (which was actually the date of his proposal in Shibuya. His mind was travelling in Japan!)
Did I get angry? Not really. Frankly, I was really just too sleepy to care! Besides, why spend your anniversary being all upset when you can (and should) just be happy and grateful for your marriage right? I did, however, call him ‘tanga‘ (stupid)! Hahaha! But don’t worry, I was just kidding (about him being tanga, that is. I wasn’t joking about calling him that though).
Anyway, we just made some last-minute plans to have dinner somewhere close to our home so that we wouldn’t be stuck in traffic. The first restaurant that came to mind was Galileo Enoteca. We’ve both never been there before so it was a new experience for both of us. All I knew about it was that it’s an ideal date place, and a popular restaurant for celebrating anniversaries.
THE IDEAL DATE PLACE
When we stepped inside the restaurant, it became clear to us why it’s an obvious choice for lovers on a date. The sophisticated and intimate interiors, with its cozy private dining areas, brick walls, soft lighting, and Renaissance-inspired artworks really spelled romance. Galileo Enoteca literally means ‘library of wines,’ so it was not a surprise that every corner had shelves and shelves of fine wine. It felt like we were having a special dinner in a secluded wine cellar. It was a shame that I couldn’t drink any of the vino since I’m pregnant!
ROMANTIC ANNIVERSARY SETUP
To make the evening even more romantic, the staff set up our table with candles and rose petals! When I called them up to make a reservation, I just requested for a nice table because it was our anniversary. We certainly didn’t expect all this lovely adornment!
It was too bad that the romantic ambiance was ruined by the people in the table next to ours. Everything would have been perfect, if not for these loud cackling women in the next room. There was actually a wall separating us from them, but because there was an open entryway going to their side of the room, we could hear their raucous jibber-jabber. Oh well!
ITALIAN WINES AND GOURMET FOOD
The best day for wine lovers to visit Galileo Enoteca is every Wednesday because they hold Wine Wednesdays, when all wine bottles are sold at half the price, valid with every purchase of their Cheese Buffet or any entreé.
If you’re coming not just for the wine but for gourmet Italian food, then any day is a good day to visit. They’ve got a wide array of cheeses, as well as deli meats and cold cuts, perfect for your next wine and cheese party!
We all know that Italian food is delizioso, and Galileo Enoteca also not only makes their food with choice Italian ingredients, but also sells high-quality and imported pasta noodles, pasta sauces, olive oils, olives, capers, breads, and rice, if ever you need to whip up a good-as-authentic Italian feast!
OUR FOOD
We received a complimentary (and refillable!) bread basket, together with two kinds of dips: mashed chickpeas and balsamic vinegar with olive oil. We were going to be carbo-loading, but at least we had a healthy start with these dips!
Chicken Mushroom (PHP 460) – Chicken quarter with Mushroom Porcini served with Mashed Potato
This was Mike’s order, and according to him, the chicken was nice and filling, but the star of this dish was really the Mashed Potato. I tried it, and he was right! It was so good, creamy, and fluffy! I wish the serving of the Mash was bigger though!
Penne con Funghi Porcini & Tartufo Bianco (PHP 400) – Penne pasta with mushrooms and white truffle oil
I’m a huge fan of mushrooms and truffle oil, and this dish just reinforced my love for them! The mushrooms and sauce were really fresh and flavorful, and somehow, I knew that they used quality ingredients for this one. I especially enjoyed the sauce, which is good for dipping the bread in. This pasta dish does have the tendency to be be a little flat… yes, even for someone like me who’s crazy for ‘shrooms and truffle oil! I think it’s because this dish literally only has mushrooms and truffle oil, and nothing else — no meats or other garnish — so you can only really eat so much of it without getting sick of it. I really liked it though, but maybe next time, I would eat it with something else, perhaps something with more texture, just to have more variety in my meal.
Tartufo (PHP 150)
When I first saw this dessert, I said, “It looks like a Demogorgon!” Haha! I’m obviously still on a Stranger Things high. The Tartufo is an Italian ice cream dessert covered in a chocolate or cocoa shell, and with frozen fruit inside. Galileo Enoteca’s version was dark chocolate ice cream with cherries and syrup inside. It was so rich and sinful! I’m not sure if it had alcohol in it, but if it did, it was probably very little (not enough to harm the baby!). Even though Mike and I were already really full, we finished every last drop of the Tartufo! What better way to end our anniversary dinner than with a tempting and luscious dessert, particularly chocolate, which evokes thoughts of love?
FELICÉ ANNIVERSARIO!
And that’s how our simple and sort-of spontaneous anniversary dinner went down! We were pleased with the food, impressed with the ambiance, and delighted with the service. And best of all, our wallets were happy! For two main courses, one dessert, and one round of iced tea, we only spent a little over PHP 1,000 for the two of us! This is great for lovers who want to go out on a fancy date without breaking the bank. I definitely have to come back here again when I’m finally allowed to have my wine again!
Next, I’ll be blogging about our second celebration at Belmont Hotel Manila! Two celebrations for our two years? Why not?
Galileo Enoteca Deli, Mandaluyong
Address: No.80 Calbayog Street Corner Malinao Mandaluyong City
Phone: +63-2-532-04-82
Website: http://galileoenoteca.ph/
