weekend review: surprise!

In case you missed it, I turned 30 last week. Yes, 30. Saturday, my lovely family came to celebrate by taking me on a food tour in downtown (five stops at local restaurants for food sampling). Little did I know, they had invited my closest friends, many that I hadn't seen in years, to surprise me.

It turned out to be day filled with all of my favorite people in the world, delicious food, hugs, tears, laughter, a moderate amount of alcohol, more hugs, more tears, more laughter, and unreasonably large slices of chocolate cake. What could be better? 

30 may have just been my happiest birthday yet.

Figure 1. Hugs, tears, happiness.

Figure 2. Food tour stop at a local Italian restaurant. Pinot Grigio, homemade foccacia dipped in olive oil, a simple tomato and cucumber salad (top right), a mozzarella, roasted red peppers, basil and olive oil appetizer (bottom left), and homemade caprese pasta (bottom right).

Figure 3. Food tour stop at a roof-top bar. Locally-brewed beer (top left), smoked chicken salad (top right), pork bbq (bottom left), and pimento cheese (bottom right) all scooped up with buttery crackers.

Figure 4. More food tour stops. Seafood gumbo (top left), chocolate truffles: red wine, jasmine, and salted caramel (top right), and frozen yogurt (bottom).

Figure 5. Back at home for double chocolate mocha cake from my favorite bakery in town. 

Note: All photos courtesy of my sister-in-law C.W. and bestie J.B.