Post-Birthday Report

Hi there!  Wow, I have been busy busy.  I'm trying to finish up a post on my trip to Louisville last weekend, but I also want to share just a few notes about my wonderful birthday celebrations!  I was fortunate to have many friends show up at Playwrights Celtic Pub on my birthday eve for some drinks, snacks, conversation and lots of laughs.  I had hoped we could go up to the third floor bar, but a bus of tourists showed up before I did, so we were happy to find a corner in the back on the main floor.  I always hate how you can't really get a real conversation going with so many people there, but it was good to chat a bit and hug dear friends.  I did overindulge in the drinking, though, so I was a little worse for wear on my actual birthday.  But it was for a good cause!  And it's hard to say no to Playwrights' Irish Mule!   A little Jameson and a little ginger beer is good for the soul...

The next day, my actual birthday, I loved getting so many little notes on Facebook (a Facebook birthday is a grand thing) and then I met my dear Italy-trip chums downtown at Terroir for a wine-tasting and birthday dinner.  I had a blast!

I started doing a little research on wine-tastings and emailed a few places with questions about cost and party size.  Most places came back with a large price tag and I hate asking people to spend a lot of money so I can be celebrated, but Terroir was really amenable to my price point and wishes for the day, so I was happy to schedule with them.  And it was a happy bonus that they were available on my actual birthday and that all my dear Italy-trip chums were free, too!

When we arrived, the table was pre-set with placemats that had the wines arranged with three whites and three reds.  Under each glass was a label telling us what the wine was.  Before the official tasting started, though, we were all given a full glass of prosecco to toast the day!  It was very yummy, not as sweet as prosecco can be, but very bubbly and lively.  I didn't finish it, though, to save room for the tasting.  We got a 3-oz pour of six wines, which was awesomely generous.  Our sommelier was really fun and knowledgeable, telling us all about the regions and the characteristics of each wine.  She told us that they had chosen mostly 'off-center' wines, meaning they weren't the usual or the well-known, but something a little different.  I think they chose really well!  We tasted a reisling, a sauvignon blanc, a vinho verde, a givry, a pinot noir and a syrah.  Normally, I'm a red wine gal, but I really enjoyed learning about these white wines and I actually loved the sauvignon blanc!  I'm not generally a fan, but this one was really smooth and full.  We all loved smelling the syrah, the really rich final red wine, but it was a little TOO bold for even me!  It was a fascinating taste, though.  I'm glad I took a photo of all the wines, so I can try them again another time.

It was just so fun to swirl the wine in our glasses, put our noses in and take a whiff, then taste them all, with the food and without.  Oh, and the food was quite tasty, too!  We had a bowl of spiced popcorn and one of barbecued potato chips, along with a delicious Italian meat and cheese tray and two types of bruschetta - one with ricotta and tomato jam (we could've eaten a dozen more of those!) and one with a butternut squash hummus.  So good!  In fact, we rather quickly ran out of the tasting food because it was so good, so we had to order a little more after the 'official' tasting was over (since we had some wine left).  We got some potato croquettes (YUM) and pork belly sliders (DOUBLE YUM - they had picked pineapple on them; I think I need pickled pineapple on everything I ever eat again).  And there was tasty carrot cake for dessert, complete with candle so I could make a birthday wish.  It's hard to wish for anything when you feel like you have everything you want right in front of you - good friends, lots of love, laughs and a great time.  This was one my best birthdays yet!  I highly recommend you take a group of friends to Terroir and enjoy their fun, laid back atmosphere (it is a little loud, I will say, but after six glasses of wine, you don't notice!).  Only eleven months to go before I celebrate me again!  Oh, wait, actually only a couple of weeks, because I have another get-together planned soon...

birthday early-morning selfie

I did find something to wish for!

gifts!  yay!  thank you, all!