Blinde Kuh - Dining in the Pitch Darkness

Happy 18th Anniversary to my dear, long-suffering, beloved, faithful husband today!

Last night we went along with the kids to a VERY special restaurant in down-town Zürich: the Blinde Kuh. We put all our light-emitting belongings, valuables, and anything else we didn't want to lose in a locker, tucked the key in a pocket, chose our food off a menu projected onto the wall, and then put our hands on each other's shoulders to shuffle into the darkness through three black-out curtains, led by our partially sighted waitress. The dark marathon began.

Monika, our lovely and capable waitress, led us to our table in our conga-line and placed our hands on the backs of our respective chairs. We sat down in a room full of happily chattering people, unsure as to where in the room we were. Somewhere in the middle. We reached out tentatively, to find we each had a placemat, a fork, a knife, and an empty glass. We found each other's hands to say hello and connect in the absence of visible smiles. Monika came by again and took our drink and meal orders (in German). 

The water tasted great. We all smelled David's wine (which he trusted was red). Monika brought us a surprise appetizer, and told us it was on a plate in the middle of the table, one piece each, to be eaten with our fingers. We surmised it was warm toast with herbed cheese on it. Delicious. None left on the plate. Empty plate. Yep. David purloined Emily's knife. And gave it back. Emily spent the rest of the night trying to steal David's fork.

Our main courses arrived. I knew I was supposed to have salmon in curry sauce, with spinach and basmati rice. You just can't feel much with your fork, so I resorted to feeling around the whole plate with my fingers. Ah, that's better - my salmon is at 6pm, the rice is over at 3pm, the spinach at 9pm. Not too much at noon. Some sauce, maybe. Yum, licking the fingers doesn't offend anyone - they can't see me or my hands or mouth. Once I knew where everything was, I went back to my fork and knife. But then gave up on the knife, since I didn't really need it, and it was easier to just use my more skillful right hand to eat with. I didn't always end up taking bites of what I expected, but since everything was equally tasty, I didn't mind. 

When it makes no difference whether your eyes are open or shut, and you can't see your hand in front of your face, it really is okay to lick your plate. It doesn't gross anyone out. It doesn't lose you any points or respect. Unless maybe you tell people you're doing it...oops. But how else are you going to know if you ate everything? And the sauce was really very good :-)

Emily's main course was different, and she gives this caveat on Facebook: "Just a little word of advice - potato gratin and ratatouille feel EXACTLY THE SAME in the dark."

Her piece of tender meat, however, was easily distinguishable from the other items...but the most challenging thing to eat with a knife and fork...yes, indeed, fingers and teeth work much better...and why not?

David had the easiest meal, since it was all the same: penne with gorgonzola sauce. Not to say he didn't come up with several empty forkloads...but at least he knew what it was going to be, if something DID make it onto the fork and all the way to his mouth.

Dessert was great fun. Emily and I ordered the chocolate truffle torte with whipped cream. Excellent. I think I forgot to lick that plate, though. I did feel it with my fingers to make sure I hadn't missed any "obvious" pieces. I managed to share some with David, diagonally across the table ("Incoming at high 10 o'clock..."). The boys ordered the surprise variation dessert plate, which shone brilliantly, metaphorically speaking, in the darkness. It turned out to contain five different little desserts, which I shouldn't really disclose in fullest detail, in case you should make your way to this restaurant... But I will tell you that there was a wonderful mousse, a fruit-flavored crème brûlee, a nutty cake, some fresh fruit, and a very refreshing sorbet. All different flavors, textures, temperatures, moistness, and presumably colors, but then we'll never know on that last count, will we? Discovering these widely differing elements was a real adventure, even for us girls who were just listening to the boys finding all the great treasure on their plates. I think we all had huge grins on our faces. But I can't be sure. I just know my own smile was broad. And I did get to taste some of everything - we're a sharing kind of family.

To finish things off, just like on a really nice airline, they brought us a warm, moist washcloth, only this time scented with fresh lemon...what a welcome relief from our well-used fingers, and our potentially sticky faces. If only I had noticed before I got all the way home that I had curry sauce dripped on my chest! Oh well, it was so worth it. Highly recommended.

And this is the Blinde Kuh's cow, standing outside the restaurant (Blinde Kuh means "Blind Cow"); a more colorful one has rarely been seen:

My scripture reading pre-scheduled for that day "happened" to include this passage:

"I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

Isaiah 42:6-7

God knows where I'm going to eat dinner any night of the year...

Posted via email from K's Café