Thirty one. I guess I’m officially a 30-something now. My birthday was on Saturday & I spent pretty much the entire weekend celebrating. I got completely spoiled by both my friends & family.
To kick things off, I took Odin to daycare on Friday, which meant I got to join my coworkers for lunch. We went to a new spot (Backwards) nearby. It’s a restaurant by day & nightclub once the sun sets. They have a $10 lunch special this month & the food is quite good. We shared a bottle of wine, chatted, & in the end they took care of my bill. I work with such lovely people!
That evening, my family picked me up & we headed down to Inglewood for dinner. My mom, my brother, & I are all summer babies, so dad treated the three of us to a fantastic dinner at the Nash. I’ve come to expect great things from the Nash & the food certainly did not disappoint. We shared a trio of appetizers to start (in hindsight, probably too many fries. How do you choose between poutine & moules though?).
Drinks at the Off Cut Bar
I love Sours. The Nash’s Buckskin Sour is a real treat!
Dad & Brother
Mom & I
Moules & Poutine
Tartare of Alberta Beef
Our mains were equally delicious. We each ordered something different & then shared their feature risotto. I could barely finish my meal, but I certainly wasn’t going to leave any duck behind. After dinner, we headed back to the house, opened a beautiful bottle of wine from Summerhill, & spent some quality time with little O before bed.
My Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Bing Cherry Jus, truffle pain perdu, beetroot, orange & thyme. Incredible!
Hanging with Odin & enjoying some wine with the fam.
Saturday was my actual birthday, & I’d decided to treat myself to a mani pedi. It was the best reward, especially since I’d started my day with a 2 hour training run (I’m running the Seawheeze in August!). I lucked out with some gorgeous sunny weather, so I spent the afternoon hanging outside with Odin & a nice cold glass of rose. No complaints there.
Run & done. !7 km in the books!
Mani pedi & a good read
Hanging with Odin in the sun
I’d made a reservation for me & a few girlfriends at Pigeonhole. N & I had gone for my birthday last year & I was itching to go back with a bigger group so I could try more of the menu. Five of my lovely friends joined me & we picked a wide array of dishes off the menu, ordered some beautiful wines, & had the loveliest of evenings. They totally spoiled me, taking care of the bill. (Thank you so much, friends! You’re too wonderful!!) My friend Jan also got me a couple lovely gifts including my favourite Kelowna wine, local honey, some of her artwork, & wrapped in an adorable Bark YYC bandana, a smirnoff ice. Well played, Jan, well played. A couple of my other girlfriends dropped by as we were finishing dessert & bought me a glass of bubbly too, which was lovely. So spoiled!
Ready for dinner!
We sat right by the kitchen so we could watch the action.
I love their mismatched china & gorgeous cutlery
I really should have gotten one with all of us
Thanks for the photo, Jan!
Just so happy!
Gull Valley Tomatoes with Sunflower, Sesame, Nori
Amazing white salmon special with crispy skin & edamame.
Grilled Duck Leg with Coconut, Peanut, Thai Basil & Charred Cabbage with Mimolette, Jalapeno Salad Cream
Lamb Breast with Mint, Cress, Apricot
Spoons for sharing dessert
As we got into our second bottle of wine, I forgot to take photos of the rest of our meal. We also ordered the zucchini, chicken liver mousse, beef tartare, & clam casino. I loved everything we ordered, but my favourites were the clams, the lamb, & the chicken liver mousse. Definite winners!
Afterward dinner we headed back to my house where a couple other friends joined us. Odin was definitely ready for some company so we had a couple drinks before everyone headed home to bed. It was as close to perfect as a birthday without N could be. Thank you so much, friends!
The next morning, the birthday treats continued with brunch with my sister in law & my brother in law’s girlfriend. We snagged a spot outside at Container Bar. They serve most of the Brasserie brunch menu, which is fantastic.
Lovely ladies at brunch
Jules hiding 😉
All the doggies & a beautiful backyard
Doesn’t get much better than this
I spent the rest of the day outside with my sister in law, checking out a friend’s fantastic new backyard (& letting the pups play together) & then having a few drinks in our yard. It was such a great day!
Leading up to my birthday I wasn’t sure if I even felt like celebrating, but I’m so glad I did & feel so grateful for my great friends & family for giving me a spectacular birthday weekend. You guys are the best!
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