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?).
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Drinks at the Off Cut Bar
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I love Sours. The Nash’s Buckskin Sour is a real treat!
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Dad & Brother
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Mom & I
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Moules & Poutine
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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.
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My Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Bing Cherry Jus, truffle pain perdu, beetroot, orange & thyme. Incredible!
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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.
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Run & done. !7 km in the books!
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Mani pedi & a good read
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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!
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Ready for dinner!
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We sat right by the kitchen so we could watch the action.
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I love their mismatched china & gorgeous cutlery
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I really should have gotten one with all of us
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Thanks for the photo, Jan!
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Just so happy!
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Gull Valley Tomatoes with Sunflower, Sesame, Nori
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Amazing white salmon special with crispy skin & edamame.
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Grilled Duck Leg with Coconut, Peanut, Thai Basil & Charred Cabbage with Mimolette, Jalapeno Salad Cream
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Lamb Breast with Mint, Cress, Apricot
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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.
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Lovely ladies at brunch
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Jules hiding 😉
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All the doggies & a beautiful backyard
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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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