Rock me Amadeus.

Quick side note: My collection is complete (well, you know, for now). * sigh * Thank you, Border's gift card and 15% off coupon. I don't know how much practical use I'll get out of this, but I love Julia and I could read her recipes all day.

Slightly less quick note: The new Observer came late last week, and inside there was a very intriguing ad for A&L Wine Castle, which, despite being right by our house, we've only ever ventured into once before. Anyway, what caught my eye was L Mawby Sex, Fizz, and Wet on sale for $12.99. $12.99! That's crazy talk! So yesterday Brad and I popped in and picked up a bottle of Fizz and Wet, as well as some Bass that was also on sale. The place is amazing -- they really have everything. Including a huge selection of Michigan wines (from wineries like North 45 I haven't seen around before). So check it out if you're needing some boozy booze.

Not a side note at all: After years of curiosity, Brad and I finally ventured into Amadeus last night. A Central European cafe, it's got Austrian, Polish, and Hungarian dishes and beers and wines from all over Europe. It's been there forever and the menu is certainly interesting, yet I've never heard of anyone else ever having gone there. Are we really the first of all the people we know?

The inside is eclectic and a little old lady, but comfortable and cute and, honestly, perfect. We started our meals with drinks -- Brad a Polish beer and me a little glass of honey wine (don't tell the steroids! Bad me!). I asked our server about the honey wine and she said "it tastes like honey." Ha! I guess that was enough to sell me on it because I totally ordered it. And it was delicious -- like boozy, liquid honey. Super sweet (Brad made a face) but I liked it a lot and enjoyed it before and after our meals. I even liked the sip I took of Brad's beer; the two seemed to actually go together quite nicely.

Before dinner came, we killed a bowl of small tasty rolls and small garden salads. (They also have potato salad and artichoke salads available -- yum!) Then it was time for the good stuff. Brad had been dreaming of pierogies for days, so that's what he went with, choosing three sweet cheese and two potato for his pierogie plate.

Brad started with the potato pierogies, and they got a rave review. (I had a bite and would have to agree.) He wasn't as thrilled with the sweet cheese ones (Hungarian cheese; made with honey), and I agree they weren't as good as the potato but I would certainly still eat them.

There was no way I was going to pass up the Atlantic ducktrap salmon. Smoked salmon, caviar, and hard-boiled eggs atop dill sauce atop potato pancakes. O. M. G. Yeah, it wasn't even an issue. I was all over it.

Pure heaven. A random combination, one I'd never think of on my own, but everything mixed perfectly and I just loved it. (I could have dealt with a little less dill sauce, but it was fine as-is.)

We wrapped up our meals with a shared apple-caramel cheesecake and a cappuccino (me) and glass of port (Brad).

Both of us agreed that our meals were great, the menu was certainly intriguing enough to garner several return visits, the servings were just perfect (we weren't stuffed to the gills), and items were really quite affordable (and they even have something like a $5 lunch pierogie plate special). Is this really a hidden gem, or are people going and keeping it secret so it remains a special little place? Me, I think it's just too darn good to keep quiet about.