Tonight was Figaro's turn to entertain. My friend and I decided to indulge in an evening with Loeb Drama Center's Figaro. The play was fun! It was an evening with the arts. Every time I go to a play I wonder why I don't do more of the same. Living/Commuting/Working close to some of great theaters, I don't go to see too many plays. Why is that? One perhaps is that the tickets are expensive and can be indulged in less frequently, than say going to the movies or watching TV at home, the other is that, I just don't find the time. There is a solution for the both these concerns. I should (and now have) a little budget planned out to indulge in this form of entertainment and have planned 'mandatory-fun' days. The budget should take care of the entertainment expenses and this is not just plays, but also exploring new cuisines. The 'mandatory-fun' days are days/evenings that I really do take off and exploring the new world (whatever the new world means).

Back to the evening of Figaro! My friend and I met up couple of hours before the play. We had dinner reservations at the Craigie Street Bistrot at 5:30pm and it was just 4:45pm. We wandered around Harvard Square, essentially looking for a watering hole. We stopped at Om, both of us completely hankering for their Champagne with Lavender essence. But, we were disappointed as the place does not open till 6:00pm. Next stop, Z-Square! Downstairs is their full bar and restaurant. As soon as we sat at the bar, and were asked what we would like, we were "Prosecco!" (that's Italian bubbly). They served Fantinel Prosecco, that was incredibly bubbly, dry, elegant, floral, and wow!

From there, we headed to the Craigie Street Bistrot. A small, elegant restaurant in the basement, with excellent French cuisine. It was a tad expensive, but it was worth every penny. We shared the Trois Foies which was accompanied with ground mustard, greens, gorgeously toasted bread and assorted chutneys. I followed that up with their Cheese platter with Fromage Montagne (Cow, Alps), Charollais Fervier (Goat, Burgundy), and Pigouille (Sheep, Pyrenees). I had the hostess write down all the names of the cheese's and accompanying these stunning cheeses, was a shared half bottle of 2005 Pouilly-Fumé Hubert Veneau (Loire Valley, France; Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc). Almost perfect pairing for the Pigouille (as it turns out). What I like about French dining is that the food is exception and so well portioned. We were satisfied, but not stuffed. We were hankering for coffee after all that wine and cheese, but we had to run to the play at the Loeb Drama Center. Wallets being a little lighter made the run easier!

All in all a good evening! All the yummy food (definitely going to go back there for the chef's tasting, when we have more leisure time), and fantastic play.

{Edit} As I researched the wine and cheese online, I came across this site which lists about 500 different cheese and their wine type pairings! Dang!