Friday Food and Wine: Birthday Dinner Recap!

What a week!  I would like to thank everyone who made my 30th birthday so special!  I am so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing family and friends, and each one of you found a way to make my birthday extraordinary!

In recapping my birthday it seems only fitting to start from the beginning.  So first things first, I got to work on Wednesday only to find that my co-workers had surprised me with 30 gifts to open on my 30th birthday...how lucky am I?!  Even though half of the gifts were my desk supplies re-wrapped, it was still a very funny, and very nice touch!

After a few hours, lunch rolled around and I was so happy to have a surprise visit from my adorable niece and my sister in law! Their visit included  Buttercup Bake Shop cupcakes, and a special 3 year old rendition of Happy Birthday Aunt Jennifer...I don't think it gets any better!  Thank you L and A!

After my surprise cupcake for lunch, the day just seemed to fly by!  Here I am just home from work, and enjoying a pre-dinner champagne toast with my husband...

A glass of Champagne later, I was all dressed up and ready to go...and here is a picture from our elevator photo shoot!  So glamorous.  Haha!

After a nice brisk walk to the hotel we arrived at The Mark for dinner....

Once seated at our table, my husband and I were looking at the drink menu, and out of the blue our waitress appeared with two champagne flutes and a bottle of Prosecco for our table.  How nice I thought to myself, my husband must have called ahead and ordered a bottle of wine for the table!  Well after pouring our glasses of sparkling wine, the waitress presented me with a card that read, "Jenn, Happy Birthday, hope it's your best yet. Love, The Davidson Girls." 

Of course I couldn't help but begin to cry right then and there.  My dear friends from college were so thoughtful that they called ahead and ordered a bottle of my favorite wine for us to enjoy on my birthday.  Just thinking about it makes me want to cry all over again.  Thank you, thank you, thank you girls!!!

And next on to our amazing dinner!  Everyone has been asking me how it was and I have one word for you...delicious! To start we ordered the...
 

Hamachi Sashimi with Avocado and Soy-Yuzu Dressing
and
Steamed Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Enoki Champagne Dressing
 

Both of these appetizers were presented beautifully and the flavors were impeccable.  I must admit that I have enjoyed this salad before at Dune at the Ocean Club in the Bahamas, and it is hands down my favorite salad ever, many my favorite dish ever!!!  The shrimp is so buttery and delicious, but the champagne dressing is what really sets this dish apart.  I think I could eat this dressing all day and be happy!

And next up was the main course...
 

Grilled Black Sea Bass, Braised Fennel and Carrots, Cerignola Olives
and
Maine Lobster with Hollandaise and Crispy Potatoes and Herbs

This may look like a lot of food but each entree was so amazing, together we polished off both of these dishes. The fish and lobster were cooked perfectly, and the flavors in the sauces were delicious.  Who knew that lobster and crispy potatoes went so well together?  Great call Jean!

And last but not least...dessert.  Just as my husband and I were discussing what we would like to have for our final course, once again our waitress appeared out of the blue with three lovely desserts! 

Warm Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream
Banana Torte
Fresh Cut Strawberries

And of course, another note!  My good friends A and D surprised us by sending over an incredible selection of desserts, and a special birthday note.  Of course the waterworks started flowing once again, and I began to cry over my cake because I was so touched at the thoughtfulness and care that my friends took to make my birthday so special! 
Thank you, thank you, thank you, A and D!  You don't know how much this extremely kind gesture meant to me!

Here's a close up of our desserts with my birthday wishes from my generous friends who sent over dessert.  Mmm, love this close up of the warm chocolate cake.  It was so good, I wish I could dig into it right now!

And one last photo of our meal, about to dive into these amazing desserts!
 

I hope you all can tell from these photos, that  I had a wonderful 30th birthday!  Our dinner at the Mark was so incredible, and it will be one of my most treasured memories for years to come.  Although the focus of this website is to "Spend less, Live Better," I believe that every now and then there is a special occasion that calls for blowing caution to the wind, and just plain indulging yourself in something completely luxurious. 

Many of my friends have asked me about our dinner at the Mark, and commented that they have been wanting to try this new restaurant.  If you are interested in trying The Mark, or if there is another upscale restaurant you have been dying to try but it is just not in your budget, here are a few suggestions for dining out luxe for less:

1) Visit the restaurant bar for a drink and maybe an appetizer.  This is a great way to experience the atmosphere and food of an upscale restaurant without the high tab. 

2)See if the restaurant has a brunch or lunch menu.  The Mark has a wonderful brunch menu with lower priced items and cocktails, and this would be a great way to try a new luxurious restaurant for less!

If you read my post on Tuesday you will probably recall that I featured the dress I planned on wearing for my special night, and promised to follow up with a recap of the luxe for less accessories that I chose to complete my look for the evening.  I promise to follow up on this post next week and focus more on my birthday dinner accessories, and how I completed this luxe look for less.  Please stay tuned for more information on this next week!

Have a great weekend everyone!

And as always, happy eating and drinking!