A month of birthdays

So my birthday was this past month. And my loved ones and I decided to stretch it out as long as possible. It started back in May, with our Girls' weekend in Palm Springs.

Then Prez decided we should go out to dinner the week before my birthday because she was going to be out of town the actual day of.

We went over the list of restaurants we want to try (yep, we keep a list of restaurants), and decided on Whisknladle.

I had a harrowing day - one of those days that seem like they're never going to end. And by the time I got to the restaurant (15 minutes late) Prez could sense my anxiety. "Let's get you a drink," she said. Like magic a server arrived to whisk away my troubles with a drink containing cava, tequila, and tamarind agave.

After a drink we were ready to order. Even though we had specifically chosen not to go to one of our favorite Italian restaurants, we both ended up with pasta.



I had the potato ravioli, made with potatoes from our very own local Chino Farms (a MUST stop if you're in the area). The ravioli were served atop baby swiss chard and in a parmesan broth. But what sold me on the dish, was the slow cooked egg which was perched on the ravioli. The egg yolk mixed with the parmesan broth to create a really creamy sauce - similar to a carbonara. Prez didn't order the dish because she was worried it would be creamy like alfredo, but after one bite she gave me the "wanna trade?" look. Since Prez's pasta didn't have any cheese, I wasn't tempted.

Prez saw the tagliatelle bolognese on someone else's table and she had to have it herself. Beside the noodles, the sauce contained slow roasted beef, porcini, and rosemary. I tried a bite of hers and the tagliatelle was perfectly al dente.

Normally Prez and I aren't tempted by dessert, but there was just something so intriguing about this strawberry shortcake. I mean, start off with a buttermilk biscuit (a FABULOUS way to start), and then top it with strawberries and candied kumquats. And, because that's simply not enough, add some basil whipped cream. I discovered the deliciousness of basil and strawberry years ago, and this played off all my favorites.

It was a fabulous birthday dinner, and there was plenty more celebrating in store for me.