christmas dinner

A Christmas tradition that I always look forward to is Sarah's and my "Christmas Dinner". Sarah and I have been best friends for so many years now that it's almost impossible to think of a good Christmas gift. A few years ago, we decided that we would treat one another to a really nice Christmas Dinner in lieu of exchanging presents. I don't think we could have come up with a better idea or something that we enjoy more! Each year we pick a place, make reservations, and enjoy an amazing meal just the two of us. And we go allllllll out. This year, after some deliberation between Highlands Bar & Grill and Hot & Hot Fish Club, we finally decided on HBG. We met at the bar prior to dinner for our favorite cocktail- dirty martinis! Per usual at HBG, we started the meal with oysters- a mix of Apalachicola, Beau Soleil, and Island Creek. With the oysters, I had a fantastic glass of champagne and Sarah tried the special cocktail (an apple and Maker's Mark concoction). For our main course, I had the veal sweetbreads and Sarah had the grilled Gulf triggerfish- each with a glass of wine suggested for the meal. Finally for dessert, we each had coffee, while I had the chocolate peanut butter tarte and Sarah had the creme brulee. Another successful Christmas dinner in the books!




For anyone else struggling to think of new gift ideas for an old friend- I highly recommend this tradition. Birmingham has some great restaurant options, too! Not only does it solve your gift problem and allow you to spend time with a friend, but I can assure you that nothing will beat the food, the drinks, or the conversation!