Happy Monday friends!
As promised, I want to share the rest of our celebratory weekend with you. After a relaxing and productive Saturday, the rest of the weekend was filled with two delicious meals, lots of dancing, and an unhealthy amount of alcohol. :) I mean, living in New York City is all about moderation, right?
Our cab ride quickly took us to the night’s dinner location, Valbella. We chose Val Bella on a whim, Saturday afternoon, after Lavo refused to expand our reservation from 4 people to 5 to accommodate our friend Michael. Luckily, Zagat and Open Table came to our rescue and suggested this when we searched for restaurants in the Meat Packing district so we’d be close to the evening’s next stop.
Upon arriving, the service was the first thing which stood out. They quickly escorted us over to meet our friend Michael who was already at the bar, waiting for the birthday girl with a rose and chocolate. Proof, that chivalry still lives strong!
The restaurant’s spiral staircase in the middle of the curved bar really adds to the atmosphere. The restaurant had a great deal of style ranging from the hardwood and white walls to the simple arches.
Luckily, we received a wonderful table on the side wall of the restaurant, positioned perfectly in the center which allowed for wonderful people watching.
Throughout our experience, the service is what stood out more than anything. They happily charged Meg’s phone in the coat check when she noticed it was dead, they made her feel like a princess the entire dinner, and they even provided a used Pellegrino bottle to serve as a vase during our meal for Meg’s yellow rose.
The restaurant was the place for birthday celebrations Saturday night as there were four people who celebrated while we were there. This is our table neighbor, smiling with his birthday soufle and the birthday girl!
How do I begin to describe the wonderful food we enjoyed. Each dish was better than the last and luckily we were a friendly group, everyone open to sharing bites of our dishes.
Our stand out dishes of the evening included a mix of specials and regular menu items.
An appetizer special that night, a rare mozzarella, flown in from Italy 2 times per week, served with arugula, roasted artichoke, and prosciutto.
Medaglioni Di Aragosta Con Brie baked brie cheese crusted with spanish almonds, topped with lobster medallions and served in a grand marnier sauce
The best dish of the night, hands down, was a scallop dish with a delicious pistachio reduction.
The boys enjoyed their special filet, a rare bone in filet grilled to perfection!
Last but not least, what birthday celebration would be complete without a candle and a wish.
Luckily, the rest of our evening included dancing the delicious calories away at Marquee! We saw a special on Gilt last week, and new it was a perfect way to celebrate the birthday.
$210 special for VIP Bottle Service at Marquee including table for four people, 1 bottle of vodka with mixers, and hours of dancing.
Even better, they let our fifth person, the birthday girl, in free! We spent four hours dancing the night away in the packed club, enjoying more than one vodka cocktail, and catching up on all the newest club fashions, dance moves, and music. I had so much fun, that I actually frowned and said I wish we didn’t have to leave when they turned the lights on at 4am.
Such a wonderful way to ring in the big birthday with the best sister-in-law a girl could ever have!
Question: What is your favorite way to celebrate a birthday? Intimate dinner? Party with friends? Club?
