“Are you serious?” I said looking down at the plate in front of me.

I blindly ordered the appetizer, not really paying much attention to what I was getting myself into.  It had fancy words like “Fleur de Sel”, and “Cheuvre”, and braced myself for awesomeness.  Even then word “Shishito” had a daredevil feel to it, if you didn’t know how to say it.

But when I plate was dropped in front of me, I was confused.  I had no idea that “Fleur de Sel” was a kind of salt, and “Cheuvre” was just a fancy word for Goat Cheese.

Not only that, but those “Shishito” Peppers looked angry, and that slightly juvenile daredevil that kept mispronouncing the name didn’t find the joke funny more.

I looked at the plate of peppers, looked at Gary and Drew, and thought, “I am going to need more cheese.”

With only a slight hesitation, I picked up a pepper and spread some of the Cheuvre on it.  I took a bite, and I waited for the creaminess of the cheese and the heat to battle each other in my mouth, using the salt as an added weapon.

I was greatly surprised to find that there was very little heat at all.  Just enough to dance wonderfully with the cheeses smooth texture.  It was almost playful.

On my next bite, I decided to take one of the Fried Almonds and add it to the mix.  I was surprised once again to find the added crunchy texture giving the feel and flavor of the pepper another dimension.

I loved everything about it.

One of the great things about a good Food Adventure is that if you are with friends, the urge to pass a plate over saying, “You have *got* to have some of this.” is always strong.  While I could have consumed the entire plate on my own, it was the kind of appetizer that was fun to share, especially with two guys who also had no idea what to expect.

Dinette’s daily menu changes, but I have a feeling this dish might be present frequently.  If you ever get a chance to try it, I suggest you do so.  It’s light, tasty, and as I said before, playful.  It just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge by it’s cover.