Last Friday was my birthday! Yeah! After working a full (and not fun) day I hopped on a plane to Chicago where Bobby immediately picked me up and whisked me away for a romantic dinner at One Sixty Blue in the West Loop. I have to admit, of all the nice dinners we have had (most of which I've posted on this blog) this was my absolute favorite. My personal descriptions of our menu items could do no justice to the socially accommodating master of the house - Chef Martial Noguier. This man has created a menu to die for. I couldn't fit my camera in my cute little Coach wristlet (here for all of my fashionistas) but I found some pics online that other people took of the restaurant, kitchen and one of the items we ordered:
cheese appetizer - capriole farm herb goat cheese - sun-dried tomato / lemon confit / blanched garlic / frisee salad /goat's milk 11
Bobby's entree - Prime rib au jus with the BEST mashed potatoes ever made (and gravy)
With my ahi tuna dinner, small cups of the chefs special soup (which tasted like butternut squash and mushroom with goat cheese), an appetizer of braised quail and the best mango, cheesecake, pineapple dessert I've ever tried, it was the best birthday dinner ever!
I also got a wonderful birthday gift from my boyfriend - the new UGG Classic Cardy boots! I had a pair in the Oatmeal color on backorder (not shipping until 2/28) and Bobby searched the entire city to find what must have been the last pink pair in my size. I love them so much! I canceled the pair I was ordering and instead grabbed the Lacoste Albany shoes I posted on the last entry!
The rest of the weekend was full of food and fun and a birthday celebration that went on for days. We ate at Salud (yes, I mention that one a lot and somehow it turned into countless birthday shots of tequila and a hilarious ride home), Bin Wine Cafe (a cool wine bar up the block from Salud that my cousin put me up on), Milk and Honey (the ultra-cool breakfast spot my cousin took me too where I had apple pancakes with toffee and caramel) and Butterfly Sushi Bar (not as good as my old stand-by Sushi Wabi, but definitely more wallet-friendly). While shopping for Super Bowl goodies I also discovered that Chicago grocery stores (more specifically Jewel-Osco) do a great thing in their wine/liquor sections.... FREE TASTINGS! After a few tries (yes, I tested them all) I found a new "mixed drink in a bottle" - Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita - and everyone at the Super Bowl Party loved it.
Monday was supposed to be "return to Minneapolis day" but after 4 canceled flights and a 4 hour delay ON THE PLANE, Northwest Airlines finally dropped me off back home this afternoon. Yes, 2 days later. The weather in Chicago was definitely not anything to be happy about. I'm so glad to be back. Thanks again to everyone who left birthday wishes on my page and my email! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, my focus has been on returning home!
As for the item of the day (this one goes out to you Choc) they FINALLY came out with an iPod Touch (an iPod with a touch screen and wireless access) in a 32GB version! My current iPod is a 30 GB video iPod so this is much more comparable. The price tag is currently at $500 (WAY too high) but at least I now have something to look forward to. The price has to come down soon, right?
