Happy 30th Jarrett...and 7th Knight!

By now I'm a week late announcing it, but last week was a fabulous week which was capped off by Jarrett's 30th birthday (and our little guy has turned 7!). (See pics from our photo shoot from their birthday night!)

We started the birthday with some Veuve Clicquot with Rich and Laura and then headed to the infamous La Paloma. This is by far our favorite Mexican restaurant in Quincy. In typical fashion I overate...and we finished the night with the boys <3

Then came the present! I had been keeping Jarrett's present a secret for months and it was killing me. K I L L I N G M E. I had debated what to get him. I wanted to blow it out of the water and really do it up since we don't have children yet and this is a big one. Jarrett and I have a huge love for food and Jarrett loves cooking....so I found a place in Boston called Stir. Stir is owned by Chef Barbara Lynch (think No. 9 Park, Menton, The Butcher Shop, B&G Oyster....). They have all kinds of cooking classes and offer private events... SO, i thought perfect! But even better you can hire BL herself to cook. We made a four course meal and it was TO DIE FOR!

Birthday Weekend

What a wonderful weekend it was. 27 doesn't really feel any different... just one year closer to 30.

Friday night was a low-key dinner with my dad and grandmother and Jarrett in Boston. It was a perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Saturday my trainer kicked my butt given I would be eating in excess at Mistral, it was a good idea as I did. This was my first time there. I had been to Sorellina and Moo, and I'm dying to try their others. Sorellina was excellent, and so I was beyond excited for the opportunity to try Mistral. And what better excuse than my birthday? We started with the beef tenderloin, mashed potato and truffle oil pizza (aka had a piece each and wrapped the rest up) PURE HEAVEN, then the tuna tartare (which was probably the best I'd ever had), and finally Jarrett had the Half "Whole" Roasted Duck with Wild Mushroom Risotto, Dried Cranberry Gastrique while I had the Escalope" of Veal Milanese, Buttered Heirloom Tomatoes & Basil, Soft Corn Polenta. AMAZING.

And then finally, we headed to Gillette Stadium to watch the Pats beat the Bengals and shutdown TO and 85. Here are some pics from Jarrett's droid.

eat, eat, eat, all day long...

If you know Jarrett and I, you know we are foodies. We love fine dining, we love the experience, the wine to pair with dinner, the conversation, ambiance etc. We aren't food snobs, we still visit Chili's... (we just cannot resist their nachos) but when we splurge, it's on food.

Many of you also know, last year instead of Christmas presents, we saved and saved and saved and sent ourselves to NYC and dined at Daniel (3 Star Michelin rated), Le Bernardin, and Per Se. Yes, if you watch Top Chef you'll know all of the chefs! (Daniel, Eric, Thomas) It was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life, and will always look back at it fondly. It may seem rediculous to spend 4 hours eating, or having a cheese course for $35/person...but it's simply magical.

And in just 26 days, Jarrett and I will be jetting off to New Orleans for JazzFest and some amazing food. Notably, we'll be visiting August and Commander's Palace, among others. (And yes Top Chef fan, you know these too) Sometimes I think I'm spoiled, but then again, I'm just lucky.... we both work hard, and play hard, and well, eat hard? No, that doesn't quite make sense-but you get the point.

Here's to yummy food, great wine, and even better company and the hopes you all enjoy food the way we do ;-)

Family Lunch

A lot of Jarrett's family lives out of state. We don't get to see them often, and some of them I've never met. I also have a few relatives traveling to Boston and Jarrett hasn't met them. (In 6 years, it does seem odd, right?) It makes me all the more excited to finally see them all, and in one place!

That being said, we decided to do a family lunch Saturday before the wedding. Nothing fancy, but just an excuse for us to spend time with our families that we probably won't get to do during the wedding.

We picked the Stoneforge Restaurant in Plymouth. It's right on the water and we’ve picked a menu that has a variety of items and seafood to truly experience New England while people are here (lobster roll etc).

The more I think about the wedding, the more I realize we will be doing a LOT of eating ;-)

I'm hungry.

Since we've recently sent out our invitations, we've started to get a handful of responses. (All accepts so far!) and Jarrett and I are keeping a tally of the steak vs. chicken decision.

We think it's about 17-15 in favor of steak... but who knows. However, it got me thinking-our menu is YUMMY and I should share :)

Lobster Ravioli
Pillows of Sweet Lobster Meat, Seasoned Ricotta, and fresh Thyme Topped with a Rich Saffron Lobster Cream Sauce

Classic Caesar Salad
Crisp Romaine Lettuce Tossed with Pecorino Romano Cheese, Seasoned Croutons
And house made Creamy Caesar Dressing

Your Choice of:

Grilled Aged New York Sirloin
Accompanied by caramelized baby pearl onions finished with Creamy Au Poivre Sauce

Or

Herb Crusted Statler Chicken Saltimbocca
Tender Chicken lightly sautéed and topped with Baby Spinach, Fontina Cheese, Prosciutto
And Fire Roasted Yellow and Red Peppers finished with a white wine butter sauce

Wedding Cake
White Cake layered with Chantilly Cream and Fresh FruitServed with a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry


.....and on that note... is it lunch yet?