At Tamariya

Us friends got to have one gorgeous meal together, just before I left Nishio to go back to California.

I've been to this restaurant twice before, so I was excited to go again, 

because I remembered how gorgeous it is.

With Yaari, Kahori, and Sayoko's new friend (I'm sorry, I forget your name!!!) Ischin, me and Sayoko, we had such a fantastic night of food, drink, atmosphere and laughter.

We did have the place to ourselves.
The owners, a couple cook back in the kitchen for "parties" such as ours.
   They also have this "warehouse" of sorts in the back. Ahhhh, AND a library, which looks open to the public.

It's a traditional home that's been renovated pretty perfectly. The fire stove here...

And space used for the sale of eco-friendly goods.

One can imagine how many people would love to fill the spaces that we couldn't.

It was one of the best nights out, the food, friends and love put into the space, ADDED to space that surely had been loved before as well.

I gave thanks. Once again- for there!

One day at Izumi's~ Yonezu-cho, 愛知県, Japan

Sayoko-chan and Shiji-kun treated us to a special lunch
 at IZUMI's
MUSHIRUJI house!!!

(I'm so bad, so often, I don't take all the photos to document all I wish I had,

like this time... the outside of this home is so impressive too!)

It's Izumi's home AND workplace. She has a child off at school while she works 

to feed our little party a scrumptious lunch

Izumi has an impressive wine "closet" (usually it's a "wine cellar")

This was the wine she recommended and what we got to have with our lunch. 

She's learned in wines as well.

      Shinji and Ischin looking oh-so-good-and dandy as we waited for Taka's arrival.
                       

Lunch

Homemade bread, along with fish wrapped with green beans in a cabbage?! It almost didn't matter what it was, it was so gorgeously presented!

Sakura leaf under a white fish, with clams~ the sakura leaf I've been used to having it with SAKURA-mochi!!

Home made pasta with LIMA beans!

Finally the desert~

and friends who know me 

know I won't usually eat desert 

but this was an exception!

Ischin even got some cooking lessons from Izumi, not the first nor the last.

Thanks be to Yoshizaki's and Izumi!!! What a wonderful memory~ I'm so happy we were so blessed to get to witness and be a part of this affair!!