A Winter Evening Out for Dinner in the South Bay

A Saturday night out in February 2011. We ended up at a restaurant called Roessler's. I remember the Tudor-style building, which stood out against the deep blue dusk sky and the silhouettes of palm trees. The warm light from the big front window made it look really cozy from the outside.

The interior had some memorable features, too. Before we were seated, we were in a lounge area with a unique fire pit that also incorporated a water feature below it. It was an interesting design choice, with water bubbling away under the flames. My companion sat for a quick photo next to it.

Soon we were at our table in the main dining room. The atmosphere was pretty standard for a nice restaurant—wood paneling, shelves of wine bottles, and the quiet hum of other diners. We settled in with glasses of white wine. It was just a simple, pleasant meal out on a local winter evening.