April 5, 2010

• Howie’s Birthday Dinner @ Cucina Alessa – March 9, 2010

  “We gon’ party like it’s your birthday, We gon sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday…” That was soooo one month ago.  Usually I don’t plan jack for my birthday, but for some reason this year I organized a small dinner.  Truthfully, it was because I really wanted to find a restaurant on Yelp to try. 

  I don’t like organizing birthday dinners because it seems like such a self-serving thing.  Maybe it looks better if a sig other or best friend sends out the evite?   Wah wah, I also loathe finding a non-chain restaurant that can fit a big party.  One year a friend called and asked if I wanted a birthday dinner.  I said sure.  Then she asked what I wanted to eat.  I ended up planning the whole thing, all she did was ask if I wanted a dinner, but didn’t have intentions of planning or organizing it.  Has that ever happened to you?  Man, it’s so much work.  This year I tried to keep it small and it still ended up being 15 people. 

  I saw the glowing reviews and gave Cucina Alessa in Huntington Beach a call.  They could fit our party and on top of that, on Tuesdays, food is 15% off… even for big parties.  Score!  

  

  Their butternut squash raviolis with sage were so sweet, they melted in our mouths like candy.  Pictures of the other dishes didn’t come out that well due to the restaurant’s mood lighting.  All the dishes were spot on.  I got the chicken marsala with potatoes, other’s got raviolis, sausage mushroom penne, salmon with risotto and numerous other dishes.  The only one I would avoid is the sea bass.  It was done well, but it cost more and it didn’t stand out like the pastas did.  Our server was a doll and they gave us a great table on the second floor overlooking the street corner. 

  

  Katie & Kevin.

  

  Dana & Mike.

  

  Jackie & Doris.

  

  Annie & Howard.

  

  Chanrith.

  

  Michelle & Kristie (sisters!).

  

  Not pictured:  Sam & Quoc. 

  It was just the way I wanted it.  Half guys, half girls, everyone eating and talking late.  Nobody brought gifts or gift cards because I planned it only a few days before.  Classic was one friend sharing her proposal story while the two girls next to her were scaring her about how divorce can or might happen.  One just-engaged person, one pregnant girl, two divorcees, one high schooler, a couple of college students, two teachers, one ex-Navy, a physical therapist, a mechanic, a city traffic coordinator… a varied crowd in age and otherwise.  Everyone loved the food (none of us had ever eaten there before… whew!) and seemed to have a great time. 

  The one thing I hate about birthday dinners is when the check comes and then the person collecting the money finds out that they’re $30 short and goes around asking everyone, “Hey, can I have $3 more dollars?  Thanks man…”   Maybe it doesn’t happen with your friends, but it does with mine.  I always wonder if the birthday person thinks, “That sucks, I’m not even worth an extra $3?” 

  One glass of wine had it’s effect on me and I said, “Damnit, that’s not happening to me!”  When the waitress walked off I followed and picked up the tab since it was me that called everyone out and I want to thank them for their friendship (and also because I’m single, don’t have kids, don’t have to make house payments, so I can only afford to do this for another year or two).   At the end it was awkward, because it was getting late for a weeknight and the bill hadn’t come.  But at the same time, I didn’t want to tell people, ”You know you can go now… the bill is already done with.”  There’s no tactful way to really say that.   So finally it became time and I said, “Well, it’s getting late…”  When people found out it was already paid they were like, “WTF?!?”  One friend joked, “Darn, instead of sharing w/ my husband, I shoulda ordered my own dish!” 

  It was a fun dinner.  I don’t think I appreciate my friends often enough.  I actually feel bad that all I got them was a meal. 

  Would our worlds be different if we gave out gifts of thanks to our friends and family on our birthday instead of getting gifts? 

  • 12:00 pm
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