Ah, New Year’s Eve, you kidder you. Always driving me into a frenetic mania in my attempt to secure the perfect NYE festivity. And every year, I tread dangerously close to disaster.
This year, I almost spent 200$ per person to sit in a stuffy, underwhelming ballroom at tables with 8 unknown Stepford wives/husbands, in chairs with fabric bows tied onto them, eating things that include descriptors such as “naughty” and “prestige” (BARF). Who do I think I am, a regular in the smash hit series, “Housewives of the Not-So-Wealthy-Side-Of Glenora”??
NO.
Rebounding from that near catastrophe, I went too far to the other extreme and almost spent 10$ to dance with children half my age whilst clutching my red solo cup of the dreaded vodka cran.
So. Much. Plaid.
NOPE.
Fortunately, I was able to retrieve my senses from their precarious party planning perch, and ask myself:
Smart me: “Ok, soooo…what do we like to do when it’s not NYE, anyway?”
Dumb me: “Well, we like to….eat. Good food. Good local food. Aaaand drink bubbles. Also, we like Nibs.”
Smart me: “Alright! So here’s what we do. We eat good local food. We drink bubbles. Also, we eat Nibs.”
Dumb me: <smiles contentedly>
So off we went! First, we went to Table Top Café to eat Nibs. And play Bananagrams.
I love the candy bowls, I love running a tab, and I LOVE destroying the world with my banana gram talents.
Since we hadn’t made reservations, we decided to start at one of the best joints in town for food and for atmosphere, Bar Bricco. But first, a toast.
To us! #lovemyfamsomuch
Have you been to Bar Bricco? I feel instantly cooler when I walk in there.
We started with the ricotta and crostini. Always a favourite, so to die for, and die we did.
With a glass of the bubbly rosé – a Pinot Noir/Grasparossa, it was divineee. My compatriots enjoyed the 8$ Negronis and Boulevardiers. Man, I hang with some cool kids.
This was just the warm up though. If I had to marry a spuntini, my husband would definitely be the scrambled eggs Cacio e Pepe style.
Aghhh so creamy so cheesy sooooooo good.
Finally, the Fonduta Angolotti with its blissful sage butter.
Sorry for darkish pic. I’m actually surprised I have anything to show you since my eyes were closed in rapturous bliss for most of the dinner. Point and click, baby!
Time to move next door to Uccellino! Men in kilts first!
Oh my gosh I love me some Uccellino.
Start with bubbles. Gasparossa!
Add a bubbly dinner partner.
And get ordering ALL THE FOOD.
Pumpkin Agrodolce. Such a revelation of deliciousness. Like worthy of stopping in just to eat this beauty.
I, of course, had to continue my uninterrupted streak of Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. I always have intentions of breaking outside of the cheesy, peppery box, but continually fail.
Dear husband Robert has been holding a desperate and hopeful vigil for the Drunken Spaghetti for many months now. His soul was crushed like a pitiful ant under my Poppy Barley boot, however, when he heard it is still AWOL. He rallied and got the Pappardelle with Pig’s Head and Prosciutto Ragu Bianco.
He did love it, of course! Nothing, however, will ever compare with his beloved Spaghetti Ubriacchi. For the sake of our marriage, Uccellino powers that be, please bring it back!
Dearest daughter o’ mine had the Pumpkin Ravioli.
More sage butterrrrrr. It was beloved, adored, and cherished.
Daughter’s lovely young fellow in rose had the Mezze Maniche. Spicy food for a spicy guy!
To end it all on a note of adulterated bliss, we had the olive oil cake with olive oil gelato.
SHAZAM.
A toast to a highly successful NYE dinner!
P.S. I actually painted my nails so please note them.
What a delightful evening we have had, I guess it’s time to go hom-
WHAT.
WE DID NOT. HAVE. CHAMPAGNE.
OR OYSTERS.
On to Wishbone!
I highly recommend Wishbone as a first date venue. That lighting though. Banishes the deepest of wrinkly crevasses into blurry oblivion!
Half price champagne, ILU.
Fresh, delicious, slurpy oysters with garlicky butter and lemon, of thee am I also fond.
Fully sated with decadence and tomfoolery, we headed home.
To a midnight toast to 2018!
How did you celebrate the new year? Hope it was anything but disastrous!
