Birthday Dinner

Last night for my birthday, Reese took me out to a wonderful little place in Santa Monica called Library Alehouse. I was surprised by the choice - generally, we seem to pick quieter, upscale places for special occasions, and this place was rock-concert loud - but it was a pleasant surprise.

Once they took us to the back, away from the bar, it was much quieter and the ambiance was pleasant. We sat next to a very friendly couple (Reese would say TOO friendly - the guy let me try his beer) and got to select from an impressive list of beers. Reese chose something "girly" - her words, not mine :) - and I ended up selecting a beer called Allagash Curieux. Aged in Maine in old bourbon oak barrels, it was a great treat. It poured an attractive cloudy, amber-golden color, and had a nice foamy head. After drinking it, I could easily see why they called it "curieux" as the taste was quite mystifying: a hint of bourbon and oak (obviously) with fruity and malty undertones. You can never quite put your finger on what you're tasting, but you just know it's darn good. It's 11% alc. by volume and it comes in a 750 ml bottle, so if you ever try a bottle yourself, be careful - it goes down smooth and can really knock your socks off in a hurry!

I paired it with a delicious steak - perfectly cooked - but unfortunately Reese's grilled salmon was overcooked. Still, the dinner was enjoyable and memorable.

On the way home, we decided we wanted to stop at Duke's in Malibu for dessert. We got there at 9:45 (the restaurant closes at 10) and they seemed a bit reluctant to serve us until we came across a very nice woman who ended up being our waitress. She was happy to serve us and I'm glad she did - we enjoyed our macadamia nut ice cream and chocolate lava cake served over a strawberry and guava sauce. Yum!

After driving home, I opened my birthday present from Reese: a Joe Rodeo Mens Chronograph Bubble Diamond Watch! It's really beautiful. I'll have to post a picture of it soon, although I fear a picture wouldn't do it justice.

Great food, great beer, and great conversation with the woman I love? Wouldn't want to have my birthday any other way.