Birthday Party #2

Oh yessss…number TWO!  :)  I’m spoiled and I know it.

Saturday night we took the opportunity to dress up a bit more and try out one of the popular cocktail lounges in town.  Since I have already been to Veneto we decided to try Clive’s Classic Lounge for a few birthday beverages.

Shockingly I was the first to arrive.  Instead of taking a big table by myself I decided to just sit up at the bar until my friends showed up.  The bartender (who we later realized was Shawn, the manager, and our fabulously knowledgeable and sarcastic server) promptly asked me if I needed a table and got a really fun and comfy booth ready for us.

I may have growled at him under my breath when he kept calling me ma’am.  I may be 35 now but I don’t respond to ma’am!  Ma’am is a school marm or president’s wife dammit. ;)

My co-partiers arrived right away and we got to ordering tasty and interesting cocktails.  I apologize for not getting more photos, but don’t worry…we have big plans to go back…and next time I’ll tell Shawn I’m the food paparazzi.  :)  The best cocktail I tried was Buffalo’s Roam 9 (Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka, Giffard Pink Grapefruit Liqueur, Fee’s Peach Bitters with muddled cucumber)…so delicious I ordered it twice and my friend Laura ordered it too! 

Nicole ordered us up a bottle of bubbly.  We enjoyed it so much Tiffaney ordered another bottle.

Along with all of our libations we did order up some food to share.  After eating the heavier German dinner on Friday night I was craving veggies like crazy.  I can rarely resist a tomato & mozzarella salad…

Nicole chose the spinach & arugula dip with fresh naan…it’s soooo amazingly creamy!

Tiff’s choice was the chicken and bacon mac & cheese (how could we NOT order this?!).  It was actually kind of funny because she specifically asked if it was a creamy mac & cheese…and Shawn confirmed that it was indeed very creamy (I’ll save the innuendo for off-blog recounting of this story)…but when he brought it out he immediately knew that his kitchen had proved him wrong so he insisted on bringing us extra cheese sauce…and it was amazing.

Rose made sure mention it was my birthday and wouldn’t you know it scored me some ooooey gooey delicious molten chocolate cake.

It was like melting cake batter.  Baked fresh just for me! :)

Keith got the last bite.  I think he liked it.

Shawn also convinced Laura to try this really interesting ice cream made with bitters.  The bitters on their own taste like cough syrup or pine needles but somehow when turned into ice cream it takes on a flavour of vanilla, mint, and other delicious aromatics.  Coffee was poured over it to make a creamy dessert pick me up.

After cocktails and eats a few of us opted to head down the street to go dancing.  Not sure what possessed me to want to do that as it was insanely busy, crowded beyond belief, slightly obnoxious and hot.  LOL.  I suppose maybe I am getting old! 

We fought the after bar crowd for cabs in the rain and made our ways home in time to go to bed “early”…you know, 3am cuz that’s before 5am!