Birthday at Bloom, Pizza Party, Craig's Cruisers
My birthday was almost two months ago, but the memories are still lucid enough to merit posting a few of the culinary highlights. The above cocktails we enjoyed on the outset of our birthday dinner at Restaurant Bloom greased the skids for a juggernaut of a three course meal that began with...

Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Pickled Vegetables
They are every bit as delectable as they look, but if you'd like to try them, you'll have to make a special request since they are not a standard menu item. And while we're on the topic of eating outside the parameters of the work-a-day bill of fare, feast your eyes on the main course:

Poppyseed Encrusted Tofu with Kale, Chanterelles, and Barley
We enjoyed the tofu immensely (especially the unusual pairing with barley as the starch), but we all agreed that the standout of the evening was the sweet course, a thoroughly unpredictable yet delectable juxtaposition of...

Avocado Soup and Lemon Sorbet with Candied Citrus Rind and Pistachio
This dessert was sublime. I recommend talking Chef Miller into reprising it the next time you visit the restaurant. Suffice it to say that the Bloom birthday celebration ended on a very high note indeed. Of course, just one birthday celebration is hardly adequate, and since Aunt Curly's birthday is just a few days after mine, we had our third annual "April Birthdays" bash on the weekend, complete with...

A Pizza Party to End All Pizza Parties
As if there wasn't enough white flour in those crispy crusts, we served the pies with a side of coconut heaven cupcakes. We figured this ultra-light fare would settle well during a few laps around the indoor go-kart track at Craig's Cruisers. And we were right. As an added bonus, the combined total of game room tickets amassed by people in our party was sufficient to procure a prized set of neon fangs per person, as well as several dozen plastic dinosaurs.