It was my birthday on Saturday, and my awesome posse made it a great day. From breakfast to after-dinner drinks, we gobbled our way through the day with treats galore. Ah, they know me so well.
That said I’m in dire need of a cleanse.
The day began with breakfast at the Olde Heritage Tavern and a perfect plate of eggs, toast, and sausage. My parents called mid-meal with their traditional birthday call — a duet of Happy Birthday that requires two phone extensions (not to mention a landline) and ends big with two-part harmony. It’s really quite impressive. This year, I put the phone on speaker to share the performance with the restaurant.
After breakfast it was off to a matinee screening of Johnny Depp’s latest homage to Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary; sadly, it’s not the best batch of celluloid to ever make the screen, but Giovanni Ribisi plays a great supporting role and there are a couple of bright spots. There were also fun Muppet posters lining the lobby on the way in, so that paired with a bucket of Diet Coke makes for an enjoyable afternoon.
Post movie, I worked on the video montage I hassled everyone I know to help with with last week, with the help of a little red wine, cheese, and crackers. I also got a surprise gift of a tower of chocolate from Catherine’s in Great Barrington, so a tasting was of course in order. Truffles, chocolate-covered peanuts, a chocolate lollipop, chocolate-covered cherries, and other pant-splitting varieties are encased in cute boxes with Catherine’s even more adorable logo. Quaint and delicious; a nice combo.
Then, I met up with friends at Luau Hale to continue feeding, like Wilbur over a trough. Luau is a Polynesian joint with a penchant for retro-Hawaiian decor. Their crab rangoons are awesome, as is the moonlight view:
Next foodie gift, a killer chip and dip platter paired with two jars of schmancy cheese dips: Smoky Garlic Mozzarella and Goat Cheese Red Pepper by Elki. Apparently they’re new!
Resisting the urge to break into those at the table and smear cheese dip on my dumplings, however, we moved on to Rumpy’s Tavern, i.e. Everyone’s Favorite Watering Hole, where we sipped bellinis by bartender Troy, complete with glowstick swizzle sticks. I was also presented with a European layer cake from The Original Cakerie. I’ve never had one of these cakes before, and they are tasty. Light. Fluffy. Airy.
The next morning, I had a little post-birthday spread on my counter – a nice little display of the spoils of the day. The best part, of course, was the company — but my friends don’t fit on my counter. Not all at once.
