Birthday calories don't count

Sunday, August 1, 2010

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." ~James Beard

 Yesterday was my birthday. It was a time of reflection, gratitude, and of course, good food. Although my life is quite different now, I have different blessings and new friends. 


My parents came into town to visit me. The hubs was working so it was the three of us. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Cheesecake Factory, where portions are huge and the menu is long. I was super excited to see more dishes added since my last visit. 


One of my new friends, Orange Blossom, wisely said at her own birthday party, "Birthday calories don't count". I wholeheartedly agree. I had fun looking at the menu both online and in-person. One of my absolute favorite appetizers is Ahi (Tuna) Tartare.






















I'm not sure when I started enjoying this refreshing dish but I've been hooked ever since (pun intended).


I can sum up this great dish in this equation: Ahi + avocado = bliss.


They had some special items that weren't featured in the regular menu. I had this wonderful dish called Chicken Bellagio. It had parmesan crusted chicken, angel hair pasta in a cream and basil (?) sauce, topped with arugla and prosciutto. 


For dessert, I already had chosen my cheesecake: Wild Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake. It was light, smooth, creamy, and wonderful.


After my parents left, I decided to go to Nordstrom for some new makeup. I had just enough time to change into my new dress and heels.


I had invited several friends to an outdoor Mexican restaurant called Hacienda De Vega. I had discovered this restaurant online and decided it would be fun to try someplace new. It is a beautiful, tranquil place. 




















































My friend, Freesia, and I ordered Mango Mojito Margaritas were as fun to say as they were to drink. My other friends, Peony, and Orange Blossom, got a Strawberry Margarita, and a Mojito Clasico. 


After much (inner) debate, I had decided to try the Enchiladas Tlaxcala. I have to admit I was clueless about the pronunciation. Four years of high school Spanish doesn't quite cover foodie terms. The food was good although their tomatillo sauce was not mild in my opinion. I probably will try something else next time.


We had a great time, filled with stories, "me too"s, and laughter. 

All in all, it was a vast improvement over last year's disappointing dinner elsewhere.

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