memorable meal

Dudes, I had the BEST meal at Magpie last night. We took smiller's mom there for her birthday. We often go to Waterboy for special occasions, and I will always love it but I realized that the food at Magpie was even better. We had: the mussels with fennel and thyme (always reliably delicious), grilled bread with olive tapenade, their classic polenta. For our entrees they split the chicken for two which, again, is reliably incredible. I had the ling cod special with a marinade that had a perfect hint of sweetness and a smattering of super earthy-tasting pea shoots. Scott had a hearty, saucy dish of corned pork that feel apart with tenderness. We ended with a quartered carrot ginger ice cream sandwich, with ice cream from Gunther's no less! The service was attentive and the pace was nicely slow, rivaling that of a fine dining place. The server put a candle in the sandwich. It was a special night.  The atmosphere makes it casual but everything else would not have been out of place in a white tablecloth joint. I really need to eat there more and get that chicken for two again soon. They confit the legs separately from the breast, which probably accounts for the juiciness of the breast.