lucky me

I fight back the most obvious sign of age and get my hair colored.  I am meeting six friends for dinner in celebration of my birthday (still two days away).  I am bringing my camera; it’s my birthday so my beautiful friends will just have to pose.

We meet at a new restaurant called Ethos.  Though it’s in a conservative part of town (the 50’s on First Avenue), somehow a cool crowd has found it.  One friend cannot make it as she is delivering a baby (one of the best reasons to be a no-show).  The acoustics are not great (it is hard to hear across our small table) but everything else is perfect.

Shari has been here before and we let her take over the ordering of appetizers.  Soon our table is filled with dips and salads and octopus and the best vegetable chips imaginable.  For my main course, I get something I’ve never had before, large prawns called langoustines.  I don’t have the culinary vocabulary to describe how good they are.  Even the accompanying fries are among the best I’ve ever had.  Dessert is a platter for the table with chocolate mouse, baklava, and some kind of custard.  We eat everything.

Having such good friends helps ease the pain of getting older.  It’s a great night.  And, with some coercion, I get a photo.