Some Things Never Get Old

My 25th birthday is exactly 2 weeks and 2 days from today and I was making up an evite to organize a dinner with my buddies, so I thought it'd be funny to find photos from my last several bday dinners and spruce 'em up in photoshop to go into the evite. Well, I don't know what is going on with that site, but it keeps getting more and more annoying to use, so the pics didn't make it. I'd really appreciate it if someone would create another similar site. So, if you technical types would get on that, that'd be great.

Anyhow, I figured I might as well post the pics here since I spent my whole Sunday on the couch watching Lifetime and doing this. This also marks my 5th year anniversary living in NYC.

twenty-one: Supper


twenty-two: La Bottega


twenty-three: Ivo & Lulu/ Mom's House in NC


twenty-four: Mesa Grill/ La Palapa


Not pictured: A LOT.

A couple of the places we're eating in these pics are my favorite restaurants:

Supper is a great Northern Italian restaurant with a rustic open kitchen and an extensive wine list. It's located on the Lower East Side and owned by Frank Prisinzano who owns neighborhood faves Lil' Frankie's on 1st Ave and Frank--both southern Italian cuisine. Located separately from the main dining area of the restaurant is a party room that can seat up to about 20-25 people, but if you're looking for a more intimate setting the back of the restaurant is well-equipped to give you that, generally pumping some smooth Billie Holiday or Miles Davis through the sound system.

Ivo & Lulu is another secret that I almost hate to expose except for the fact that it is so amazing. Having not been there since about July of 2007, the BF and I decided to spend our Vday in Ivo & Lulu's quaint 25 seat dining room. Much to our surprise, their no reservation policy had changed, and the restaurant had expanded into another space two doors down with the lone server and runner darting between the front doors of the two spaces! Luckily, even though they were booked for the evening, we arrived early and they were happy to accommodate us. The restaurant is BYOB (major plus, and great if you have a group), and located on the outskirts of the West Village, there are plenty of liquor stores nearby. All of Ivo & Lulu's French-Caribbean fair is organic and there are many veggie options (stuffed avocado!), although their selections of sausages are truly not to be missed! This place is a total whole in the wall, and there isn't much room to move around, so if you are looking for privacy, don't look here. They play music out of a little boom box--and during our Vday experience, it was right by our heads, but we sorta dug it.

For this year's bday extravaganza we're going to Congee Village. It's not the amazing food that is the draw, although it was delicious the last time we ate their, the indigestion wasn't. I just thought trying some crazy frog parts in seaweed would be more fun with a big group (not to mention the CHEAP drinks). They also have karaoke rooms that I'm hoping I can talk everyone into after a kamikaze shot or five.