BIG Weekend!!!

Hello everyone!  I hope you had a nice Easter celebration with your family.  We had a very fun and busy weekend!  I have a lot to share.  Starting with Saturday night.  My brother David organized a little surprise party for our Mom's birthday.  Her birthday isn't actually til next week, but this way she would not suspect anything.  David had told  us of a fabulous restaurant that he had been to a few times.  He was recently at a retirement party for a good friend of his there.  The restaurant has a wine cellar that can be reserved for special occasions.  It only seats about 10-12, so this was just to be the boys and I, along with our spouses, and Mom's brother Johnny and his wife Sue, and then on the day of the surprise, my niece Deanna had asked Grandma if she could go to dinner on Saturday night to celebrate their birthdays, as they always celebrate together.  So Deanna came along too.  My brother David and his wife Glenda picked Mom and Deanna up.  Mom thought that they were just going to dinner at Gabbi's.  She wasn't aware of the party that was waiting for her down below in the cellar. The restaurant is an upscale Mexican restaurant in the Orange Circle, in the city of Orange.  We arrived and were escorted through the kitchen, and down a steep stairway, to the secret gem of a room below.  It actually does serve as their wine cellar.  When you walk in, the first room you see is where the dining table is set up.   It was beautifully set, and awaiting our party.

Set with heavy gold glass chargers, and silver for several courses.  The menu for the night was placed at each setting  There were rose petals scattered down along the center of the table, and an arched candle holder with tea lights illuminating the scene.  The room was quite dark, which only added to the allure and charm of the room we were in.

There were dark fabric scarves thrown over the lampshades, and more red rose petals strewn about the tables in the room.

The furniture was bold, and ornate.  I felt like we were in Spain.   The cabinet in the dining room held specialty bottles of tequilas.

Just beyond the dining room, was a cozy sitting room, where we had cocktails and waited for our Mom to arrive.  It was furnished with down filled, die cut leather chairs, and a red velvet sofa.  The floor was brick, and the bottles of wine, were nestled all around us in cubby holes, and some were behind rusted wrought iron doors.

My little brother said he felt like he was on The Pirates Of The Caribbean.

 There were candles everywhere, the dripping wax coated wine barrels and statues.

We enjoyed visiting with one another, looking around, and perhaps a cocktail or two. My brother Mark, and his wife Monica.

Greg and I.

 Before long, my brother phoned to let me know that they were on their way down to the cellar.  Mom thought she was getting a tour of the room before they went to their seat.  She was completely surprised!  I couldn't get a good shot though because the rooms were so dark. We all quieted down, and waited for her to come in, shouting SURPRISE when she did.  The look on her face, was pure shock!

I LOVE this photo of her!  She looks so happy!  And my gosh, how beautiful is she?  This is my brother David in the rust colored shirt.  He is standing next to Orlando, our head waiter for the evening.  He was fantastic, and his attention to detail was incredible.

We were served two appetizers while in the sitting room.  The first one was a seared jumbo shrimp, with  lime and avocado sauce.  Outstanding!

Next we had a tiny tostada with Black Berkshire Pork, on a masa tortilla, with cabbage and yummy sauce. Topped with a shaved radish. Served on a banana leaf.   UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

After appetizers, we gathered at the dining table, and the exquisite food continued, one delicious course at a time.

Each course that was served, came with a waiter for every one of us, setting our plates down in perfect unison.  Each time, the beauty of the dish amazed me.  And each time, I thought surely, THIS one must be the best thing I have ever eaten!  But no, another course would come, and again, I said the same thing.  The flavors were out of this world.  Each dish was a piece of art.
Before our main course was served, a palate cleansing sorbet of cilantro and cucumber was brought out.  I loved this too!!  It is in the upper right box of above photo.  I chose the grouper, and Greg had the beef.  It was divine.  Each bite, melted in your mouth!  We had our waiter take a group photo of us at the table.

That is my little brother Tim standing next to me, behind Mom and Deanna, Tim's youngest.
Deanna is a senior in high school, and we weren't sure if she would like this kind of dining or not. But she loved it.  And she had a lot of fun.  Here she is posing by the cabinet of skulls, in her dress with skulls.

Look at those shoes!!!!  Isn't she darling!!!
I think the only dish I didn't get a photo of was dessert.  I must have been so excited to eat it, that I forgot.  It was superb!  Here is the menu.

Sorry for the blurry shot.  A few random shots of the night.

You can see that all of my brothers and I are gray.  My Dad was completely gray in his thirties!  I began at about that age too, and here we all are...completely gray.  Not Mom though!  Just her children!!!

What a fabulous night!  SO fun to see my Mom enjoy  herself so much!  She has been through a terribly stressful time with her recent health scare and all.  So this was especially important to all of us.  Thank you David, for putting this together!  Happy, Happy Birthday Mommy!!!  And Happy, Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece too!!!!!
Come on back tomorrow for BIG news!!!
XO  Kris