March 30, 2009

Happy birthday to me

Posted in Celebrations tagged , , at 4:33 AM by moxiemuse

March 25th had come and gone and I was kind of craving a birthday cake so on the 26th after dinner, Jason surprised me with a delicious gluten-free, flour-free chocolate truffle cake. OH. MY. GRACIOUS. It was scrumptious and dense and had to be eaten over 4 days because its density and richness demanded very small slices.

Picture of my birthday cake 2009

Picture of my birthday cake 2009

Actually, I’m dragging out my birthday week through to the weekend. Jason and I enjoyed a drawn out and delicious repast at El Gaucho in Bellevue. To start, we enjoyed cocktails, El Gaucho’s signature cheesey bread, and Caesar salad dressed tableside.

Picture of Jason and I at El Gaucho Steakhouse for my birthday

Picture of Jason and I at El Gaucho Steakhouse for my birthday

I ordered Dungeness king crab legs and Jason chose the hazelnut-encrusted rack of lamb. El Gaucho serves their side dishes paesano-style and so we shared sauteed spinach and skillet hashbrowns. To whet our whistles with the main course, the sommelier suggested a spicey Betz syrah.

Wine label for Betz 2005 La Cote Rousse Syrah -- Red Mountain

Wine label for Betz 2005 La Cote Rousse Syrah -- Red Mountain

We cleansed our palate with fresh fruit, nuts, and blue cheese on wafers. We weren’t going to have dessert but they convinced us to enjoy, compliments of the restaurant,  the quintessential New Orleans favorite, Bananas Foster.
Our dinner was a true representation of dining alchemy: good food, great conversation, good service, and a lovely ambiance.
We finished our evening enjoying a modern rendition of “Not Now, Darling” by the Microsoft Theatre Troupe. The plot is a farce set around a fur salon in London. The acting was first-rate and we thoroughly enjoyed passing the time in the makeshift theater that is the Building 31 cafeteria.
Poster of the play, Not Now, Darling, by Microsoft Theater Troupe

Poster of the play, Not Now, Darling, by Microsoft Theater Troupe

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.