birthday extravaganza!

***yes, i'm back dating!***

first and foremost, i'm a proud h-o (home owner)! i finally got the keys to my condo on the 19th which is perfectly timed before my birthday. i was supposed to close last month and get the keys in october but this is just as good.

now onto the good stuff... birthday food adventures!! i started off my birthday with dinner at justin's in santa clara just down the street from where i now live. my lovely and fabulous bff took me. clockwise from top left: fried ravioli, baked brie, beet salad, winter prix fixe tasting w/ beers: salmon salad, rabbit & chocolate panna cotta; and sea bass.

for my actual birthday (saturday), my dear sister spent the day with me shopping and eating. i needed a couch and a dining table for the condo which i found for such good deals at the c&b outlet in berkeley. after that, we went to sausalito to hit the very last benetton shop in the bay area. and shopped some more in the city. and of course, we had to have dinner at one of my favorite north beach restaurants where the boys are extra nice to me. even without reservations, we didn't have to wait.

on sunday, i was invited to hot pot at my friend funie's place in el cerrito. the food was abundant and delicious! and the company was awesome and fun. it wasn't for my birthday but gets to be included in the birthday extravaganza.

food adventures: bix

***back-dating!! i can't believe i didn't blog about this place earlier!***

in celebration of our friend lily's new job, my bff made reservations at bix for the three of us. it was also a good excuse for girls' night out. because lily is a pastry chef and was going to be working at another good restaurant in sf, we had a bunch of bix people come by to congratulate her. not only that but we received some comps! starting with (clockwise from left corner): potato pillows topped with creme fraiche & caviar (comp!), then we had the crab bisque, chili glazed fried chicken, marrow bone, lobster spaghetti (mine), steak & spicy spinach (bff's), and truffle cheese burger & truffle fries (lily's). all with a good bottle of zin (middle).

let's see… the potato pillows were an awesome start to the meal. the crab bisque and fried chicken were good but a bit forgettable. the marrow bone was delightful. i polished off my lobster spaghetti with anything else i was given. i tried bff's steak. it was cooked perfectly and had a little kick to it. the truffle fries that came with lily's burger were also very good. who doesn't love truffle fries??

and now, onto the dessert…

desserts: comp palate cleanser: pomegranate & coconut sorbet, chocolate bread pudding, and bananas foster (comp!).

unfortunately, i am not a fan of bananas so i didn't try the bananas foster. the chocolate bread pudding was ultra-rich, a bit too rich for me. i'm more of a savory eater anyway. the sorbet to cleanse our palate was my favorite out of the desserts.

i have to mention the ambience of this place. it is very 1930s old american feel to it. there was a live jazz band playing downstairs. it was very classy and elegant. i would definitely go back.