It’s our 40th wedding anniversary and we are looking for somewhere special to dine. We’ve had Spring on our list for a long time, especially since it’s only a half-mile from our house. We can walk up and waddle home.

It’s fancy and pricey, the perfect location for a special occasion. And it’s small.

We figure the dining room seats about 40 or so people. On a busy Saturday, it looks like they can turn the tables at least twice, and maybe a third time for those with an early reservation.

Let’s have some wine to celebrate. It’s a half-bottle and it’s very expensive. Those who know Italian wines know Brunello.

Way back in 2010, we actually rode our tandem through the vineyards where they grow the grapes. The menu at Spring is pretty simple: two “snacks”, three “starts”, three “mains” and three desserts. The menus change seasonally. Pre-pandemic, they were price-fixed, but now you can pick and choose what you want. And from the “snacks”, we want the fried oysters…

They are wrapped in a thin slice of bacon fat and served with a vegetable hollandaise. These were so tender that they almost melted in our mouths. One quibble: a normal order is three oysters and since we shared it, they wanted to know if we wished to “upgrade” it to four. Why not just make four oysters in the order since almost everyone there was on a date?

We skip the “start” course and go right to the “mains” event. And what a event it is, beginning with the spinach pappardelle.

Can you taste the wild mushrooms and parmesan cheese that accompany the house-made spinach pasta? Amazing. My date says that it is the best meal she has had in years. That’s pretty high praise. There is nothing but praise for our next dish, the dry-aged ribeye with short rib.

How’s that for presentation? That’s a fried potato wedge in the front on top of a potato puree. The ribeye is tender and cooked to the perfect medium rare. The short rib is moist and has obviously spent some time in the sous vide bath. Another incredible meal.

Is there room for dessert? On your 40th anniversary, there is!

Spring calls it tarte tatin. We call it apple pie. That’s house-made vanilla ice cream on the side. It’s a wonderful way to end our anniversary celebration.

The bottom line on Spring: it’s not the place you take visiting relatives, unless they are paying! And pay you will: this is probably the most expensive meal we have eaten in a restaurant, but we felt as if it was worth it. The service matches the price level. It was impeccable. They even give you house-made chocolate candies with the bill.

Of course we could have spent less on the wine and lowered the bill significantly, but hey, how many times do you celebrate 40 years of wedded bliss?!