Greg's 35th

Greg hit 35 this year! He had two celebratory meals with family, the first with his grandparents, and the second with his parents. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to attend the lunch with his grandparents. I was at home, apparently failing for the 3rd or 4th time in my life, making Macarons. Greg's birthday lands on National Pistachio day, plus he loves pistachio flavor, so I THOUGHT it'd be a great idea to make him some pistachio-flavored macarons with pistachio filling, BUT instead, I still couldn't get the precise texture of the egg whites. Although, according to Greg, the flavor was good and he enjoyed them, they were definitely not nice to look at! I'm glad he enjoyed them, though.

The following day, his mom had made reservations for Pier 6, but another strike of bad luck hit me and I unfortunately was stuck an hour after we closed the office and had to postpone his birthday dinner for the following day. It was our first time at this restaurant and we were really impressed on how intensely decorated for Mardi Gras they were. His parents recommended the restaurant because they had a feeling Greg would really enjoy the oysters.

We all shared 'The Prestige" Oysters that were coated in grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh herb shallot butter. Greg absolutely loved them that he ended up ordering himself a plate of jut these oysters, jaja! It was my first time ever trying oysters, thankfully they weren't just raw and bland, so it helped me ease into the flavor better. I'm not that big of a fan, but they were still very tasty. In the mean time, Greg was having the time of his life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREG!!

Greg's parents both ordered the Wood Grilled Chicken Breast. We were all pleasantly surprised that the chicken wasn't dry. It had a good flavor and was juicy. I personally enjoyed the mashed potatoes that came with the meal. It was buttery and well-seasoned.

As for me, whenever I see Gumbo on the menu, I have the strong curiosity check it out. I realized the only gumbo i've been a fan of has been BB's Cafe's Maw Maw's Gumbo. It has been the perfect mix of flavor & spices. Also, I'm not a fan of sausage in my gumbo so I always jump at the chance to taste gumbo without sausage in its description.

After our meals and catching up, we ordered the birthday boy some dessert. A little funny moment, when the desserts arrived, the waiter did not realize it was for a birthday, so he forgot the light sparkler flares until his mom asked where they were. He turned back around and came back with them all lit up. Greg was so excited for his dessert and it was so close to him, but when the waiter turned back around to get the sparklers, he whispered under his breath, "Please, don't". But it was worth it! :)

We got vanilla bean ice cream with espresso on the side to pour over the ice cream and an order of Coconut Banana Mousse with melted marshmallow and raspberry sauces, as well as raspberries. They were so delicious, I can't stop thinking about the mousse and Greg LOVED the espresso mixed with the ice cream.

Also, a very big thank you to my parents for thinking of Greg and a gift he very much appreciates and will definitely get lots of use from. It is a shelf/table that attaches to his grill, so he now has an area to keep his utensils when grilling, instead of constantly walking in and out.

We all wish you a very happy birthday, Greg! Here's hoping for many more years together and more adventures to enjoy!