fancy dinner

I'm a fan of extravagant meals. If you know me, you also know I'm cheap thrifty [and maybe a little poor from the student life I've been in for the past 3-ish years], but I will still spend more on dinner than I will a pair of jeans I wear four times a week. Priorities.

MegB convinced me to splurge on a trip to Washington, D.C. the week before I started my grown-ass nursing job. It didn't take much convincing because I love people in D.C. My complete list of things I wanted to do while I was there: 1. Go to Shake Shack, 2. Go to Spa World.

Megan's one request: Go to Rose's Luxury.

I wasn't 100% convinced that we needed to eat at this fancy-schmancy restaurant where President Obama had his birthday dinner, but I was willing to force myself to eat there. It was quite a sacrifice. I also read this Bon Appétit article, and fell in love a little with the concept of restaurant happiness.

And, y'all, you can feel it. It's for real.

The people who work here here appear to be happy, and the guests are happy, and the place is happy. Shooooo, that's a lot of happiness.

The pasta above was one of my top two favorite courses. Yes, we ordered one of errrr-thang. 

Let's talk about dessert because, well, it's kind of my favorite course. I mean, 95% of the time I don't actually need any other courses. Apparently I am a child.

We ordered two of the fancy desserts. We started with an eggplant tart puff pastry. I wish I actually knew the name, but I do know the fabulousness of it. OHMYLANTA. The whole eggplant-in-your-dessert thing may sound a little weird, but I assure you: IT IS NOT. It is amazing and if you argue with me I will cut you. [Then I'll nurse you back to health because we all know my threats are empty and filled with love.]

The other course we had was a corn crème brûlée topped with blueberries. I CAN'T EVEN. GAH. It tasted like sweet, creamy corn milky-ness with a crunchy, sugary top. Then when you eat it the blueberries burst in your mouth. I CAN'T EVEN. Did I say that already?

I'm inspired to add more vegetables [is corn still considered a vegetable? I think it is?] to my desserts.

Our server was Patrick. He was fantastic. Plus he brought us a third [we needed THREE desserts? YASSSSS!] dessert of birthday cake ice cream with candles. Loved it.

So...would I go back? Would I wait in a line 45 people deep on a Thursday at 4:30 pm waiting for 5:00 pm to roll around just so we try to get a table? [For the record, I was about number 32ish.] Would I spend money on every small plate on the menu again? [Probably not, but I'd get every vegetarian one. *heart eye emoji*] Would I eat raw onions in the best soy-sage habenero peanuts and lychee salad even when I hate raw onions?

YES.

Why would I do it?

Because everything was, well, awesome.

Even the bathrooms.

ten things

1. I start my new job next Monday! Right now, I'm mostly excited about dressing up and joining the ranks of all my nursing school peers. Since they're basically 95% done with training and I'm just starting, I'm a little behind. Also, I don't know any other new employees at my hospital, so this could get interesting. [and by "interesting" I mean "lonely" and I can't decide if I want to make friends or not. OK. FINE. I'll make friends.]

2. I went to Our Nation's Capital/Capitol last week and visited MegB. She took me to a public pool where we set our sights on the beautiful Ethan.

Of course, his name isn't actually Ethan. He just swims at that pool regularly and last summer MegB&Co gave him a name. He may or may not be the most beautiful man I've seen in real life. I'm not even joking. And then he spoke [not to us] and his accent just sent him over the top. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge how ridiculous and superficial I am. I would also like to state that I have a strong appreciation for all the work he's done for that bod. *sigh*

3. I quit facebook.

I've been thinking about it for YEARS and a few weeks ago I impulsively just did it. And you know what? I don't miss it. I may write a whole post on my reasoning and blah blah blah, but not right now.

4. The only problem with quitting facebook is that I can't post blog posts on the facebook blog page. [And I can't interact on that page either, so I don't even see any comments.] Maggie graciously offered to post for me, but if I blog more I feel a little annoying asking her every time. Just check around if you don't want to miss anything. Or maybe you'll miss things, that's OK too. (-:

5. I'm trying to drink more water and I realized I drink more when I have a straw, so I got myself the 32 oz Contigo [at Target in one of their eleventy-thousand water bottle sections]. The only problem with the Contigo is that when it gets hot or you have a pressure change it can cause water to come out when you flip up the straw.

Yesterday as I was flying, we were about halfway to Indianapolis from Washington, D.C. and I flipped up my straw to take a sip. WATER SHOT STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOTTLE AND HIT THE CEILING, THE SEAT NEXT TO ME, AND MY CLOTHES. I'm pretty sure I lost 8 oz of water in the course of 2 seconds. Luckily the plane was mostly empty so no one was sitting in my row. I don't even think anyone saw it. I silently giggled as water dripped down from the ceiling. Laughing by yourself just isn't that much fun.

6. When my parents were out we at the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. I don't want to brag, -- I totally want to brag -- but it was AMAZEBALLS. That Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen knows her business.

7. I got my hair trimmed while I was out of town and I had to go through my whole "I like my hair. I like my hair texture. I wear my hair curly." tirade four times. Then the stylist kept asking if I wanted random pieces cut because they were "sticking out."

UH. NO. My hair is curly, it does that. STEP AWAY.

It was terrifying.

8. I'm starting a new list of things to blog about. I'm so excited to have time again.

9. My current album on repeat is After it All by Delta Rae, here's my favorite song:

10. I love this picture of me taken by SarahN. 

Happy Wednesday! 

xoxo