dining out..

 My spouse and I and a couple we are friends with dined at Joseph Decuis in Roanoke this evening.  Notice I didn't say we ate out, or had supper or even had dinner with these friends.  When you eat at Joseph Decuis you DINE!  It was a fine dining experience in every sense of the word.  We started with wine, then we each had the acorn squash soup which was delicious.  My husband and I each had their famous wagyu beef filet with sweet potatoes, so tender, so so good.  Then we finished it all off with pumpkin creme brulee for dessert.  We usually don't have desserts when we eat out but it seemed so appropriate for the season.  But beyond the food, the dining experience was made special by the wait staff.  We had one waitress specifically assigned to our table.  She took our orders, kept our wine and water glasses full (and did it very elegantly).  But when it came time for each course to be brought to our table, there was no one struggling to carry a large tray laden with dishes of food.  Instead four wait persons came to the table and placed each course in front of each of us simultaneously.  Our waitress did ask if everything was to our liking after we had taken a few bites of each course, but not with annoying frequency.  She also waited until everyone was finished with each course before removing the plates and then bringing the next, and we never felt rushed.  All in all, it was a fine fun dining experience; the kind of dining you might want to do about once a year.  The fact that for two of us our tip was $50 will help you understand why.