My Birthday Boy

 We had the most fun celebrating my husband's 28th birthday.

First, he flew us to Fitchburg, a bit west of Boston, to an airport diner for lunch. Basically, you fly to a little airport, pull into the airplane "parking lot", and walk up to the airport/diner. Model airplanes and other paraphernalia frequently lines the walls of restaurants like this, and they always include windows looking out over the runways. This is pretty close to heaven as far as my husband is concerned.  I got a patty melt, and he got biscuits and gravy with the most adorable smiley toast. After lunch, we flew back to Boston, enjoying the view of the fall foliage from the air.

I also took him for a nice dinner at Menton. This was, hands down, the nicest and most amazing dinner experience we've ever had. We began with glasses of champagne and then enjoyed everything from homemade bread, foie gras, sweetbreads to fresh truffle rissotto, swordfish, duck, and veal to pumpkin chiboust and chocolate parfait. Our head waitress (I think a team of 6 or so served us throughout the meal) was warm and friendly and very knowledgeable. She recommended wine pairings that were just perfect and even brought us a complimentary wine sample that she thought would be particularly good with one of our courses.

After our main course was served, our waitress asked if we would be interested in having our dessert course in a small private dining area with a window into the kitchen. I think we both almost squealed with delight and told her, "Absolutely!" So she guided us through the bustling kitchen to the cozy little private room. The manager came in, spoke with us, and narrated the kitchen activities for us. It was a mesmerizing glimpse into how a fine dining establishment runs.  Chefs worked together like a well-oiled machine, moving so quickly, while everyone remained calm and collected, most never speaking a word. My favorite was a chef making sauces in tiny individual-sized copper pots. Or maybe the plating section, so delicate and perfectly done.

From greasy-spoon airport diners to Boston fine dining, we really experienced a wonderful gamut this past weekend! I wouldn't have it any other way! Happy birthday, handsome!