delicious

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "National Escargot Day."  It seems like it should be international because it's a French delicacy also served in the United States and, I'm sure, in other countries as well.  

My one and only experience with eating escargot (tiny edible land snails) was almost 50 years ago.  At that time the most elegant restaurant in Fort Wayne was Cafe Johnell's.  They specialized in French cuisine and their food was excellent.  Also expensive, which is why it was the place to go for special occasions if you were young married couples on a budget.  

My best friend and I, and our husbands went there, as I said, about fifty years ago, to celebrate our anniversaries.  They were married in August, my first husband and I were married in July.  Close enough to celebrate together.  As I remember the restaurant, there was lots of red velvet and gold accents, all very elegant.  

I think that I was the only one of our party who tried the escargot.  I probably had first learned about the dish in high school French and thought it sounded interesting.  Each tiny snail, smothered in garlic butter and herbs, was served in its own little shell, with snail tongs to hold the shell and a little two tined snail fork to pick out the snail.  It was delicious but I've never had it since.  It isn't on the menu of the restaurants we frequent most often.  Out of curiosity, I just Googled escargot in Fort Wayne and it appears that there are at least two restaurants that serve it.  Maybe my wonder spouse and I will get adventurous one of these evenings.