Course list: Melisse . Santa Monica, CA

I was very excited when our friends mentioned they had reservations for four at Melisse the night we flew in to Los Angeles. As a burgeoning little foodie, I wanted to see what a two Michelin star, 4 AAA diamond eatery was all about. We arrived at the Santa Monica restaurant and were promptly seated. For the ladies carrying purses, a foot stool was brought table side so the purse could perch like a little lapdog next to its owner. After one party member asked the hostess for a black napkin, we were told the napkins were 100% Egyptian cotton and would not pill. Okay, so two minutes in and it is understood the place is posh. On to the food - we all perused the menu and decided upon a five-course tasting menu. In this tasting menu you selected your four courses (the cheese course required no pre-selection) and our 4 person party ordered differently from each other in almost everything. By my calculations the kitchen made no fewer than 14 different plates for our table - pretty amazing. Because I can only be responsible to recount what I ate, here it is:

Amuse bouche: Grapes wrapped in goat cheese and pistachios
Loved the amuse bouche. Lawyerchefgirl has threatened to recreate this simple dish, whilst I dismissed the idea as being harder than it looks.

First course: Maine Diver Scallops, Arugula, Endives, Fumet D'Oursin
3 perfectly cooked scallops in two deliciously decadent sauces - an uni (sea urchin) sauce and a sauce I can only guess was made of the leafy greens listed on the description.

Second course: Maine Lobster "Thermidor," Creamy Spinach, Lobster-Mustard Sabayon
Quite honestly, the dinner was so good and rich to this point that I could have stopped here and been completely satisfied. The lobster was cooked and placed back in the shell, which rested upon a bed of creamy spinach.

Third course: Trio of Berkshire Pork, Meyer Lemon Stuffed Dates, Braised Cabbage, Sauce Aigre Doux
I usually don't pick pork for a main course, unless it is a BBQ joint - but, the Meyer lemon stuffed dates really piqued my interest and I decided I had to go for it. The dish was, again, very rich but very good.

Fourth course: Fromage course
We selected lots of scrumptious cheeses. I might note that I love cheese - so this course is not for lactose intolerant or the cheese-hating population. My favorite, by far, is a chalky goat cheese (bucheron, maybe?) that they always seem to have on the cheese cart.

Fifth course: Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate
That is actually what the menu calls it. Just before I slipped into unconsciousness I do remember a chocolate souffle injected with chocolate ganache at the table, but the other components on the plate have totally escaped me.

The biggest regret of the night is not being able to take pictures of the food. But I liked every single thing I ate and did not once wish something wasn't on the plate. I will note that I do prefer the tasting menu that allows no selection and therefore no thought...call me lazy.