Birthday Dinner ~ Alex-style

Hi!  I know it's been awhile, but I truly have not had a minute to sit down and type away for the amount of time it takes me to create my witty, informative, flowery & delicious posts (as they've been graciously described for me...thank you!) for your enjoyment.  But alas, looky here. I have more than a minute, so here I go typing away.

For this post, I shall recount the Birthday of my dear Hubby, my Dude, my Alex!  He, like myself, was born in the beautiful month of February on the 28th in a year some 30+ years ago.  In celebration of this, we did it Alex-style, hitting a suburban foodlover's haven in the likes of Parkers' Restaurant & Bar in Downers Grove, a place where the fisherman & the farmer work hand in hand to come up with some lovely delectable dishes. While I miss and lurve the City, the restaurants, the energy, Alex is just as content if not more so not hitting the City, since he commutes daily into the metropolis early in the morning, every morning.  So, since it was his weekend to celebrate a few weekends back, I of course said "Downers Grove for deliciousness it is!"  After all, great scrumptious food any where you have it will be just that ~ scrumptious, and Parkers' certainly did not disappoint.  To make the evening more entertaining and friendly, we were wonderfully joined by friends, Michelle & Jose, fellow ballet parents and a great couple, and what fun company they were!  The conversation was hilarious, informative, eye-opening, and just fun.  And the meals we all had from the spirited cocktails, to the easily sipped & ripe bottles of Felino Malbec, to the fun (well, Jose might not use the word "fun") & briny raw oysters & savory golden crusted calamari, & refreshing beet salads, meaty yet brothy chowders, the filets of mignon, salmon, tuna, and duck were fabulously delicious!  And then the desserts...well, we had a few to sample, but the white chocolate & apricot croissant bread pudding...WOW!  It was absolutely perfect in terms of taste, texture, sweetness, just perfect!  We had a bit left over, but because he was the Birthday Dude, Alex was not up for sharing with me the next morning...FINE, just the reason to return to Parkers' soon then! I think Alex had a great start to his birthday weekend with a fantastic meal and really great company!  Like I had said, when the post was about my birthday, 34 ain't that bad at all, and Alex will definitely agree.  Here's a visual recap of our evening of delicious & great friendship:

Cheers to the Birthday Dude, Alex!!

Starting the evening of yumminess with some seafood fare & refreshing beet salads 

Deliciousness ensues in the form of lavender & honey glazed duck, spicy & seared Hawaiian bigeye tuna, grilled filet mignon, & horseradish encrusted Atlantic salmon!  Nom nom nom & nom!!!!

Happy Birthday to Alex with Jasmine Rice Pudding :)

Followed by Chocolate Tower of Richness...

And culminating in the Perfection that was the White Chocolate & Apricot Croissant Bread Pudding

We had a grand time with Michelle & Jose! Cheers, indeed!

So next time you find yourself in lovely Downers Grove, and you crave something from the sea or the farm, and you are in the company of good friends, head on over to Parkers'!  Deliciousness guaranteed!