Relationships - Sound-bites

When I told a friend I was going to attend a special dinner offering a "Tasting Menu" and accompanying "Flight of Wines" with seven people, of whom I knew only three, she was horrified on both counts.  Firstly the idea of an imposed menu, regardless of what you do and don't like, appalled her and secondly the thought of spending seven courses making small talk with strangers having no known conversation touchstones.   This friend, I should add has a wide, close knit perfectly formed social circle of friends who feel nurtured by her and who nurture back in turn.

The result however, of an amazing supper at The H-H restaurant near Exeter www.the-hh.co.uk did quite the opposite to realising her fears. 

The tasting menu included scallops, steak, truffle emulsions, terrine, foie gras and artisan cheeses and without the distractions of choice the conversation became a la carte, was free-ranging and eclectic.  Religion, politics, sex, drugs and rock and roll all had their moments along with  the benefits or otherwise of NLP and the Landmark Forum, below the radar tax changes, TB and a badger cull, immersive theatre and cheese-tasting.  We discovered who, if they could, would 'channel' Elizabeth I, Kris Kristofferson, Gina Lollobrigida and Boris Johnson and what the 30 year life plan was of the birthday celebrant. (More of that tomorrow)  It was a discursive version of supper itself - still pondering the Wine Flight!