another birthday celebration

It's Z's birthday. For many many years now, a group of us (all ex-Horace Mann moms) have been getting together to celebrate.

We are a high spirited, hold-no-punches, energetic group. Tonight there are five of us.

The restaurant we've chosen, San Babila, is new and has gotten rave reviews.

Twenty-two minutes after being seated, and we still haven't seen our server. The restaurant is loud, tables are filled, and not much food has been served.

The hostess finally comes over to take our drink orders we think. But no. She's there to take away our drink menus as the restaurant apparently doesn't have enough.

This is not good. We leave.

We go a block away to A La Turka, an aptly named Turkish restaurant. The ambiance is great, and we get a table near a wall of open windows.

The service is fine, as is the food, but there are a few minor (though surprising) peculiarities.

Our drinks come and Ellen has ordered some kind of cocktail. It comes in a small tumbler, and is filled with about one inch of alcohol. Really! And, it's $24. So ridiculously overpriced. It basically looks like what remains after ice has melted in a small glass.

As an appetizer, we order the Turkish thin-crust pizza which we heard was excellent (and it is). We ask for it to be cut into five pieces. "I'm sorry, we can only cut it into fours," our waiter says. When questioned, he repeats his answer and is adamant. Four pieces. No negotiating. The pizza arrives and could easily have been cut into eight small slices. Why it couldn't be cut into five is a mystery, answered only by, they don't want to.

When we go to pay, we throw in four credit cards. This time our waiter says, "I'm sorry but we can't take more than three." Another strange rule. This restaurant seems to have many of them.

But hey, the food is good, and the company better.

We've known each other a long time. Our conversations are always animated.  Often argumentative (our politics are not all the same but getting closer).  And most of all fun.

Happy birthday Z, and many many more.