my birthday!

In case you didn't know, my birthday is on January 1st. It's an interesting day to be born. I get a lot of "New Years Baby" comments and people often ask if I was the first baby born in my hospital (Nope. Sorry I didn't win that year supply of diapers, Mom and Dad). It is fun to ring in my big day as the ball drops on Times Square, but I will admit that my actual birthday is often a bit of an afterthought--even for me. I get wrapped up in the holidays and then once the new year rolls around, I suppose I have to actively take part in growing a year older. 

This year I tried to make a plan of some activity other than sitting on the couch, recovering from the night before. After a delicious mimosa and pancake brunch from Jenn, Kurt and I set out for the Highline.

We've had a ridiculously mild winter so far, so it was actually pleasant to be outside and the park was packed.

Kurt is working on his camera settings for some artsy shots :)

After walking the length of the Highline, we popped down to the street level to see what was happening at the Standard Hotel. The Biergarten looked nice with all its Christmas lights still up.

The hotel has a small ice rink in the cool months. They rent skates and sell hot beverages from cute little ski cabins while kids whiz around the ice. If I weren't such an awful skater and there weren't so many people around (to watch me fall) it could have been fun to jump on the ice for a few laps.

Next, Kurt and I walked a little south in the West Village and stopped for a drink at the White Horse Tavern. Jane Jacobs used to live on this block and this portion of Hudson Street is even named after her! We instantly made a friend at the bar as soon as we sat down because of Kurt's Ohio State hat. The guy was hilarious and chatted about sports and New York with us through an entire beer. He had some interesting stories!

After more than enough time in Manhattan, we headed back to Brooklyn for a glass of wine at the Black Mountain Winehouse.

Then we finally settled on Bar Tano as our spot for dinner. It's right near my apartment, and we've been for drinks but have never been for food. It was so good! Maybe a little too close to home for my wallet and waistline...

For appetizers, we got the Polpette in Umido (braised pork meatballs in marinara sauce over polenta and spinach) and the Carciofo alla Griglia con Gorgonzola (prosciutto wrapped grilled artichokes with gorgonzola sauce and balsamic reduction).

Whoops! We devoured our pasta before I could get a photo. In case you were wondering, we had the Rigatoni Tano (sundried tomatoes and capers with gorgonzola sauce). And if you had any doubts, it was delicious. The tiramisu was inhaled before I even thought about getting my camera out. Yum! Thanks for a wonderful birthday dinner, Kurt!

Wish me luck on 26! I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!