My 26th birthday was on Tuesday so as a present my older brother got me a Target gift card. A Barbie Target gift card. With a free dress inside.

I have not reviewed a restaurant in a long time, but this place really deserves it.

The Garden at the Cellar is truly awesome.  I was lucky enough to go to high school with chef Will Gilson and also did a little manual labor for his dad at the Herb Lyceum.  We just went there last night for a double date with my girlfriend, my twin brother and his girlfriend, for our birthday.  The seating area is small and quaint, you can see right into the kitchen.  Fresh herb plants sit on each table.  The bar tender was extremely nice and our drinks were excellent while we waited.

The menu is extensive, with a few specials.  Sadly they were out of the pumpkin soup, which I really wanted to try.  However, I went with the Chick Pea fries as my appetizer and it did not disappoint, the aioli was excellent.  The big winner of all the appetizers was the Foie Gras and Doughnuts that my brother ordered.  I have had foie gras a few times and this was by far the best preparation.  My girlfriend got the Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese and they were also exquisite.

For my main course I went with the Chicken and Waffles, which was great.  The chicken was super moist and went extremely well with the waffles and the hint of maple sauce.  My girlfriend got the duck, which was perfectly cooked. My brother ordered the scallops which were also excellent.  His girlfriend got chicken soup and added a grilled cheese to the side (which you can do with any of the soups).  The grilled cheese was delicious and the soup was great too, I could totally see that being a great little meal for a cold winter night (pretty cheap too).

Overall the service was excellent and the food was spectacular.  The overall bill for 5 appetizers, 4 main courses and 2 bottles of wine was super reasonable ( ~$180 ).  I will totally be back to this place again soon.

Aren’t you a little short to be a Stormtrooper?

I went to Star Wars: In Concert on Saturday night. It was an….. interesting experience.

Comic strip version of the history of Coffee.

Thanks @wander_LUST

Gotta love when you become an adjunct professor and they still use the picture of you from freshman year…

Karina and I are Snuggie Super Heroes. Luckily she helped make most of my costume and plenty of delicious treats for the party. She is the best.