Leave it to real life to rear its ugly head and inconveniently interfere with blogging life. I'm currently running about 2 weeks behind schedule and if you know me you can only imagine the level of my blood pressure. I'm that girl that sets her watch 10 minutes ahead and actually believes it. If I'm not early, I'm late, and here I am tardy to my own blog. Although, if you've read this for any length of time you've become used to it, so let's accept it and move on.
You might be thinking that my life has must have been SO lackluster lately that I simply had nothing to write about and have been holed up with only Gilmore Girls reruns and leftover Easter candy for company (actually, that doesn't sound like a bad time at all...). But no, sir, not me. Not this time, at least. Things have been chipote-cray lately!
In the last month I've been to Miami, Carmel, San Francisco and will be heading off to Palm Springs this afternoon. I've dined at awesome restaurants, discovered new wines, and have worn stripes more often than not. I've been to plays and concerts, survived a mud run from hell and climbed the corporate ladder. So much to tell you about, where do I start?
From the end, of course.
Last night I had one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I've had in a while. An epic feast of small portions, you might say.
Restaurant Thir13en in downtown Sacramento kicked off their "Third Thursday" dinner series with a tapas-themed spread paired with endless Spanish wines and a ton of fun. Turns out it was my sister's bday so the timing of it was impeccable. (Happy birthday, Megan!)
Located at the Sterling Hotel, Thir13en is known for its adventurous and well-executed food (not to mention the traditional - the burger is to DIE for!) as well as the classy, laid back ambiance. Their idea of hosting a themed prix fixe dinner each month is not unique, per se, but it sure is a good one.
The very first dinner featured nine (yes, nine!) courses of traditional Spanish tapas paired with 2 different wines and their house-made Sangria. Even the menu was so traditional I literally had to plug it into the Google translator to get an idea of what we would be eating! Beyond the menu I had no idea what we were going to encounter at the dinner. I was a little apprehensive because it was, after all, their first shot at pulling this off, but I was super impressed with every aspect of the entire thing. From the details of the decor to the attentive service to the amazing food, everything was executed perfectly.
Menu Highlights:
From the end, of course.
Last night I had one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I've had in a while. An epic feast of small portions, you might say.
Restaurant Thir13en in downtown Sacramento kicked off their "Third Thursday" dinner series with a tapas-themed spread paired with endless Spanish wines and a ton of fun. Turns out it was my sister's bday so the timing of it was impeccable. (Happy birthday, Megan!)
Located at the Sterling Hotel, Thir13en is known for its adventurous and well-executed food (not to mention the traditional - the burger is to DIE for!) as well as the classy, laid back ambiance. Their idea of hosting a themed prix fixe dinner each month is not unique, per se, but it sure is a good one.
The very first dinner featured nine (yes, nine!) courses of traditional Spanish tapas paired with 2 different wines and their house-made Sangria. Even the menu was so traditional I literally had to plug it into the Google translator to get an idea of what we would be eating! Beyond the menu I had no idea what we were going to encounter at the dinner. I was a little apprehensive because it was, after all, their first shot at pulling this off, but I was super impressed with every aspect of the entire thing. From the details of the decor to the attentive service to the amazing food, everything was executed perfectly.
Menu Highlights:
- House made Chorizo with manchego cheese and olives: The Italian version of this is my go-to appetizer but this version may have just converted to me to the Spanish side of things.
- Croquettes filled with what the chef called "Spanish Nacho Cheese"
- Empanadas: Light, flaky dough filled with a meat-and-heaven mix.
- Marinated Pork Skewers: Whatever that pork was marinated in, I'll take a vat of it.
- Strawberries Topped with Basil and Chocolate Mousse: Little shots of dark chocolate mousse topped with a spicy-cinnamon dusting.
- Scribner Bend Tempranillo: Dark and smooth. Just how I like my men. :)
Other highlights:
- Excellent Service: Servers walked around filling wine glasses constantly and even made special trips to the bar to get beer for the non-winos.
- Chef Adam Pechal: The chef himself was present for the dinner and walked around greeting and talking to everyone throughout the night. He's a boisterous, friendly guy and made us all feel like we were at a dinner he was personally hosting for his close friends. He talked about each dish and encouraged us to keep eating and drinking to our hearts content.
All in all this was a great experience and I can't wait to see what they come up with for the next Third Thursday dinner.
I hope to see some of you there!Off to Palm Springs!
Have a great weekend everybody!
~ Sara
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