Though snowy (this is a street near Sue's house), I had a great weekend. We didn't play "Girl Talk" (Zit stickers?), but we engaged in a lot of it. I arrived Friday night, caught up with Sue and headed to bed.After Saturday brunch (which included bacon wrapped dates, a steak quesadilla, chorizo burrito and virgin bloody mary) at Karyn and Ed's place, Moe's, a nap and pedicures at Lincoln Square's Spa O, the girls and I met up for a pre-dinner meal at Maude's Liquor Bar.
T
hese are shots of our light apps. (wink) My favorite - the french onion fondue and at Sue's suggestion, pomme frites dipped in escargot butter.
Also a necessary inclusion - a shot of our wind-bag waiter, Dean. After schooling us on the food of the French countryside, sweet meats, West Coast oysters and mocktails, he asked Karyn what she thought of the wine. Dissatisfied with her less than enthusiastic response, he wanted to know what, exactly, she didn't like. When she responded, "the smell," he reacted by leaning over her shoulder, sniffing the glass in front of her, then whirlpooling the syrah out of the goblet and down the front of her shirt. Yeah, he acted sorta sorry and provided her with a soda-water-soaked bar towel, but really, he was still a total asshole.
Next stop - Girl and the Goat - conveniently located across from Maude's. Being a Top Chef devotee, I was as excited as Will was jealous to try out concoctions from the kitchen of Season Four winner, Stephanie Izard. We had a perfectly professional, kind waiter that managed to keep my companions' wine IN their glasses, and a fabulous parade of plates (indicated on the photo of the autographed menu K, J and S gifted the 
baby). Included in the repertoire - Pig Face. Though all I could picture was 1997's The Butcher Boy film poster, it was surprisingly tame. It's the fried egg plate. Tasted like breakfast. Did I mention the face was rolled around the tongue? (The restaurant is named such because Drunken Goat was taken and Izard is also a kind of Pyrenean goat. 
On my way out of town I stopped at Karyn's abode for chocolate croissants and quiche (as if I needed brunch after the previous night's dinner, which, by the way, ended around 1:30 a.m.). Besides practicing my parenting skills with best baby Charlie, we talked bouncy seats vs. swings, Baby Bjorn vs. Ergo Baby, City Minis vs. Orbits and the necessary Bumbo Baby Sitter. It was hard getting a word in with all Ed had to share! (See couch.)
