Catching Up Part 1: Happy Birthday George!

Man...days have been speeding by so fast!  It's been quite an eventful past couple of weeks with work picking up longer hours, friends and families dropping by for visits and food feasts (not to mention earthquakes and hurricanes!)...It's all been going by so fast that I almost didn't notice that fall's been slowly creeping in!  The weather's cooler, the leaves are changing to warm shades of yellows, oranges and browns.  Right now it's a gorgeous 80 degree night with a light breeze.  These fall nights beg for slow lazy strolls after dinners, midnight dessert runs, sleeping with your windows open... It's definitely a first for me to observe and appreciate changes in season.

To catch up, two weeks ago was George's 29th birthday!  So we met up after work at a place in D.C that we've been meaning to try out--a turkish, greek and lebanese place called Zaytinya by Jose Andres.

Our view from the 2nd floor

George skeptical that he should be flaunting the flowers I gave him...

Even guys deserve pretty long stem roses on their bdays!

We're light to non-drinkers but it was a long day and I needed a yummy fruity drink!  So I ordered something amazingly called "The Associate": made of lemon verbena-infused vodka, Attiki honey from Greece and Ver Jus. 

 Eating Game Face ON!

Bakaliarou Mavro Skordalia: ouzo battered black cod, orange, potato-garlic puree 

Snail Kibbeh: crispy potato crusted snails, herbed ladolemono, heirloom lettuces

cheesy delicious baked shrimp thing.....

 Definitely one of my favorites!

 The octopus santorini: grilled Mediterranean octopus, marinated onions, capers, yellow split pea puree

Keftedes Kapama: beef and lamb meatballs with feta cheese

Grilled chicken kabobs..mmm charred goodnesss!

 Some sophisticated desserts which I now no longer remember the names of but I do know it was one of the best ways to end the meal.  

This was walnut ice cream drizzled with greek honey...the cracker was filo dough baked with butter and honey--a deconstructed bakklavah

oooh! this was yummy! apricot mouse with pistachio icecream!

Outside the restaurant acting like fools...

 it just gets uglier....

And my present to George!  I surprised him by taking him to forever 21 and told him he could get anyythinnnggg he wanted!!!!

To Be Continued....tomorrow....after I get some sleep...=p