ashleyd /

Dirty Thirty Part One: The Party

If the rest of this year is anything like this weekend, then 30 is going to be one hell of a year! The birthday weekend included a perfect mix of relaxation, fresh air, bubbly, running, dancing, and friends! I am going to divide the weekend recap into two parts, beginning with my birthday party which took place on Friday night.

I was worried that having my birthday party on Friday night, after we hosted everyone for Thanksgiving on Thursday night would be a lot, but in fact it just enhanced the weekend. Bo and I both took Thursday and Friday off of work which was a lovely treat and allowed both us to enjoy some quality time together in the kitchen and then with our friend Michael on Friday who was in town from New York City.  People had the opportunity to catch up and enjoy long conversations on Thursday night during Thanksgiving festivities whereas Friday night was all about partying as you’ll be able to see in some of these pictures.

2013-11-29 23.48.36

Ten of us met at 8:30 for dinner and drinks at Le Crise, a small French restaurant in Eaux Vives just down the hill from our flat. I haven’t been to Le Crise since last February when I stayed with Renaud and Sarah but the food left such an impression on me that it was my first choice for a birthday dinner location. 2013-11-29 22.30.37The environment is conducive for parties as the music is loud, the prices are reasonable and the owners help create an unpretentious, fun atmosphere through the décor and their personalities. The menu is shared orally with each table, including 5 daily appetizers and 5 daily entrees all of which are very French and take advantage of seasonal produce. As it turned out, most of our table chose the same two appetizers and entrees: escargot or salad with warm Chevre cheese then either lamb or duck.

2013-11-29 21.42.592013-11-29 22.26.48

Over the course of our delicious dinner we went through 8 bottles of wine, including two bottles of bubbly. To say our group was having fun would be an understatement!

2013-11-29 21.57.002013-11-29 21.55.29

After the dinner dishes were cleared lights, music, a horrible faux wig, and giant sunglasses were graced upon me in true birthday style. Bo ordered a gorgeous and delicious vanilla sponge cake with alternating layers of vanilla and Nutella frosting from Cammie Loves Cakes in Geneva.

2013-11-29 23.47.25-2photo (1)

After dinner our group headed to Le Baroque for hours of dancing and merry making. It may sound crazy, but as I’ve grown older I love nights out dancing with friends and therefore this was one of my primary birthday requests for the weekend. I’m not the type of person who goes clubbing on a weekly basis but every now and then, on a special occasion, I love it! 2013-11-30 00.46.542013-11-30 00.53.122013-11-30 00.58.35966804_870487409249_254953162_o1403405_870487833399_343252764_o1421168_870487608849_675914658_o

It was such a wonderful night with great friends! By 4am we were all home and in bed, ready for some much needed recovery.

I hope you all have had an equally wonderful weekend! Happy December!

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Another Year Sexier

ashbday

Last night I spent hours smiling, laughing, sipping, and eating with some amazing friends! I initially thought that hosting a holiday party next weekend and the Miami work travel would make things too hectic for a birthday party but I’m thankful that Bo convinced me otherwise!

We me the group at the Hurricane Club at 9pm for a dinner of tropical shared plates and fun rum punch drinks!

008The first to arrive, we had just enough time to grab a fun drink at the bar. Bo started with a Manhattan and I went with my standby, vodka soda with a splash of cranberry. The fun and slightly kitschy decor immediately put us in a party mood!

011

010  012For anyone who has yet to enjoy drinks or a meal at the Hurricane Club, the atmosphere is not the only amazing part. The owners really have mastered all three aspects of a restaurant experience: atmosphere, food, and drinks.

These pictures, while devoid of people, give you an idea of the decor and interior. The restaurant was packed last night, but at 5:30 this evening when I showed up to pick up my camera which had been left behind, it was completely empty.

022 023 Upon being seated, our party was ready to dive into the food and drinks!

We started with two Brazilian punch bowls and the Pupu appetizer platter.

013 015

018

014 The highlights of the platter were the tuna tartare cones, coconut shrimp, and the PB& Guava Jwith prosciutto and Thai basil.

After enjoying some sweet drinks and appetizers, we ordered a number of main dishes to share:

  • Honey-glazed baby back ribs
  • Bangkok chicken stir-fry
  • Filet mignon w/shiitake mushrooms
  • spice-crusted shrimp with coconut cream
  • scallops a la planch
  • Shanghai lobster noodles
  • steamed baby bok choy

020 017 021 The food was even more amazing than I remembered, especially the lobster noodles and the scallops!

No birthday celebration is complete without dessert, so our table shared two different desserts, the chocolate kill devil’s food cake and a peanut butter sandwich. The devil’s food cake was like an uptown, grown up version of a Little Debbie Swiss Roll.

022 After dinner the majority of the group ended up at Cibar where we enjoyed our version of bottle service, compliments of our fine gentleman escorts!

IMG_0587.JPG

019002Needless to say, after a fun evening with lots of bubbly, I’ve spent the day in bed, on the couch, and in the kitchen baking. I didn’t shower until 5pm and have only left the apartment once all day. The lazy recovery day felt wonderful, complete with homemade pancakes, miniature red velvet cupcakes, and healthy Chinese dinner to complete the day!

006 008 015 001 024

Have a wonderful Sunday evening and here’s to hoping the painters will be finished tomorrow and that our life can return to normal.

Share Button
Follow: