Monday Celebration!

Fall is here in Boston! I know that at some point it will be hot as crap again, but for now it is so lovely outside. Unfortunately I just managed to get a tan so I’m determined to wear shorts and skirts until that runs out. I plan on being *that* girl for the next couple of weeks.

Gratuitous tan shot!—>

Fall weather also means that drinking a big ol’ glass of red wine feels just right. I can wear my summer clothes and warm up with some spicy Syrah. Which is just what I did last night.

Last night I got together with a few girls to celebrate the Queen of Brunch, Christie’s, upcoming wedding! I love all reasons to celebrate but I especially love when it involves wine and gift cards.

We had plans to meet up for dinner and drinks at Abe & Louie’s, a steakhouse in Boston. Christie isn’t a feather boa and glitter pants kind of gal so this was right up her alley. Oddly enough, I wrote about Abe & Louie’s one other time on this little blog and it is one of the biggest drivers of traffic here.  Apparently people were really interested in finding out more about Cougar night, which unfortunately, I did not witness myself. Christie was one of my partners in crime that night too.

I showed up a little early so I popped up to the bar for a nice glass of Zinfandel and a little complimentary cheese. The bartenders here are so friendly so I also had a nice little chat about my book club’s recent book selection.  FYI…The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire.

By the time the girls and I sat down the whole restaurant was PACKED. Every corner had someone standing there waiting for a seat. It was insane for a Monday night!

We each ordered a protein and then picked a few sides for the table.

I don’t do steak but I DO do tuna steak.

I also knew going in that I would be ordering a baked potato. I love potatoes (well, carbs in general) and their potato is top notch. It is also the size of my head. I wanted to act all embarrassed that I didn’t know that the potato would be so big, but I did and I ain’t embarrassed. Everyone pretended not to watch as I devoured almost the whole thing in record time.

The other sides included creamed spinach, mac & cheese, brussels sprouts, and roasted mushrooms. <—Mushrooms were all me. Why doesn’t everyone love mushrooms as much as I do?! You guys are missing out.

Check out those cuts of meat!

That steak on the right reminds me of that scene from the Great Outdoors where John Candy has to eat the “Old 96’er”. Does anyone remember that?!

The folks at Abe & Louie’s were kind enough to give us a slice of chocolate cake and a “Happy Birthday?” that we all split. We explained that we were really doing a bachelorette dinner and that got us a “Congrats?” Thanks guys.

May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!~Irish Blessing

I hope you guys are having a good week. I officially moved into post-vacation depression yesterday morning. It was a little late showing up this time around, but I followed my tried & true method for helping minimize those sad moments. Seeing the girls certainly helped and I have been really diligent about my meal planning. I even planned for that potato!

See you guys tomorrow!

Would you rather: feather boa & pink drinks OR red wine & steak?