Thank You

Cupcakes from Butter & Scotch, perfect treats for day time drinking.

Hot damn. The older I get, the more I'm mellowing out or maybe because I'm doing my birthday month (thinking about doing birthday year) and that grumpy Don will be back next month.

35, I definitely did not think this far out. Also didn't really plan to be living in NYC for 10 years. 10 YEARS! How did I get here? Surprisingly I made it this far, mostly just living life day-by-day. Though now it's hard to imagine my life not in NY. Hard to imagine the me I would've turned out if I had stayed in LA.

Oh well, no point in thinking about that. I'm feeling pretty great right now and that's rare. Though a lot has to do with how super great my family and friends are. They made turning 35 pretty darn fun. I feel so loved.

Anyhoooooo...here are some snaps of the things I have eaten for my birthday. My friend Scott gave me a pound of brisket from Delaney Barbecue aka Briskettown. A POUND OF BRISKET! It was one of the best brisket I had and their pork ribs were just as good.

Had my birthday drinks at 61 Local on a snowy day. Thank you everyone for swinging by! So good to see many old faces and definitely good to hang out outside of Twitter/Facebook.

Then it was followed by cocktails and chicken pot pie at Van Horn.

My birthday also gave me the excuse to have lunch with Phae at Fiat Cafe. Fiat Cafe has been on my to-eat list for a long time. Glad I went. The spaghetti and meatballs really hit the spot. Also a glass of red wine for lunch does not suck.

Another place on my list is Maison Premiere. I walked in at 5:30p and it was way packed already. People were there to take advantage of the $1 oyster happy hour.

This year's birthday dinner, I went to Sweet Chick. A month old chicken and waffle place. The chicken and waffle, the shrimp and grits, the cocktails, the dessert (warm biscuit bread pudding, oh my!) and the service were all really really good. Thank you Sweet Chick.

After dinner we took a stroll up to Greenpoint to Torst. A brand spanking new Nordic influenced bar. Ah thank you again friends for a wonderful 35.

It's Okay To Drink A Bloody Mary For Dinner

Spaghetti with roasted cabbage, poblano chili and tomato plus a Bloody Mary at Allswell, Williamsburg

I'm not ashamed to admit that this was my first Bloody Mary. I guess I'm just not a big fan of tomatoy spicy cocktails. Though while hanging out with Dax and Anais of Young and Hungry, they sold me on the Bloody Mary, after I took a sip of theirs. It was tomatoy...briney....and full of pickled vegetables, it sure made me feel healthy drinking it. And it went so well with the plate of pasta.

This was all after chowing down Thai food at No Name Bar.

Surf And Turfing At Allswell

Allswell, Brooklyn

You know I love eating at Allswell so I don't have to shower you with romantic words about my recent meal in which I had baked clams, oysters, seared beef tongue with egg salad crostini, fluke carpaccio with preserved lemon, tomamto and creme fraiche, burger and plum and concord grape pie.

Tuesdays Are For Butts, Legs And Sides Y'all

City Grit, SoHo

I'm a big fan of City Grit and Sarah Simmons and I always enjoy whatever foods Sarah pumps out of the kitchen. Last night was no exception and may just be my favorite City Grit dinner so far.

Along with Anh, Molly and her dad we ATTACKED the plates of bo ssam and fried oysters all served with lettuce, rice grits and few different sauces. What a grand pork butt it was. Sarah said it was her take on David Chang's bo ssam dinner but instead of raw oysters, she fried her's (which I prefer).

OH but there was still more food, a plate of fried chicken thighs/legs landed in front of us, along with sauteed spinach with pickled raisins (nice touch!) and southern fried rice.

To finish the dinner off, it was lemon posset with macaroons and macha cream.

GOOD GOD, HOLY MOLY what a fantastic dinner.