Thirteen of the loudest people I could find.

I made the reservation for 12 people and for the first 45 minute there were only 10, which made me really nervous. Finally the last three in our party showed up. You see, when I had called to speak to Matt earlier in the day, I told him I was going to have 12 people for dinner to celebrate my birthday and he told me that if I was bringing 12 people to his restaurant, 9 Elm, he was going to have a bottle of wine sitting on the table when I got there.

Sure enough, after we had sat and were looking at the menu, Matt came out from the back with a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. To keep it short, this wine was amazing. It was sweet with hints of berry and just enough Tannin that the sides of my mouth watered just a bit, just enough to really awaken my senses. The wine was not overly dry nor earthy and I would be lying if I said that I did not drink most of the bottle myself (although I TRIED to share...) I knew that Matt was going to be good on his word, but I never expected him to give me a bottle of wine that goes for $125 in most restaurants. Even if you really do not like red wines, you would have enjoyed this one.

The best part of the wine was that it paired perfectly with the Pan Roasted Duck Breast that I got for dinner. Served with Porcini Risotto and green beans, the duck was such an appealing dish that I could not pass it up. Normally I would go for Salmon or Scallops, but I thought i would try something that I can't cook at home and what a great decision that was: Everything was plated nicely, looked elegant and tasted wonderful.

The duck was cooked medium rare but the skin was crunchy and flavorful. It wasn't greasy like I have had in the past and even though it came with a reduction sauce, the sauce was not overbearing and instead of masking the taste of the duck it complimented and brought out some of the flavors. The Risotto was made perfectly which means that the broth was added little by little over time while the Arborio rice absorbs the juices and becomes creamy.

The group at my table was an interesting mix; there were friends and relatives that had traveled from NH as well as some newly found friends from the Boston area. Late in the evening I was able to take a minute and look at all of the people interacting with one another and although it was such a diverse group of people, most of whom had never met each other before, everyone seemed to be having a great time. I even realized that our laughter and conversation was drowning out the soft music that was suppose to be providing a nice embiance for the other patrons, errrr....ooops. I can attribute all of this to the welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant and the very attentive staff that served us throughout the evening.

Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend that everyone try to make it to 9 Elm in Danvers, MA at one point or another.

Thank you to Matt and everyone else who made my Birthday special.

*I was not asked to promote 9 Elm.