Birthday dinners are the best!

Olivia's At Fifty Three. Go there. You won't regret it. Romantic, cozy, inviting, outstanding service, and food that is beautifully prepared and presented. Sixteen Hour Braised Short Ribs, need I say more? Plus, it's a microwinery! We got a bottle of the best Malbec I've ever drank that left us both speechless. And sadly, only 11 bottles are left. Must...go...back.

Love this wrapping paper.

And his face.









You know you've had a good time when the last photo of the night turns out like this:

Feliz Cumpleaños para mi.

I think I want to spend my birthday this way every year. Not too shabby. It was such a special experience to be at the Elmwood Spa allllll day. I will never forget it. Water therapies, fancy lunch, massage, facial, pedicure and complete relaxation. I was floating and blissed out for days. All thanks to the best boyfriend on the planet.










Delicious 3-Course complimentary(!!!) birthday lunch. And you can wear your robe! Heavenly.

Caesar Salad with double smoked bacon and herb croutons

Pan Seared Tilapia, warm tomato & asparagus goat cheese salad with balsamic reduction.

Mango sorbet & fresh fruit

Picnic in the park

I love Trinity Bellwoods park.
I love spontaneous summer picnics.
I love prosecco with strawberries.
And I love my friends.

Eating outside on warm nights makes me one happy lady.

Cue the food pics!

So it turns out, despite what I've read and heard, the food in Cuba ain't so bad after all. The simple meals are the most enjoyable, when the flavours can really come through and aren't distracted by smoke and mirrors (see Asain restaurant photos). I think we lucked out at the resort because there were so many options, the food was fresh, never had to eat at the buffet for dinner, and we mostly stuck to seafood.

Out of the four restaurants at the resort, the Cuban Creole restaurant was by far my favourite. Simple food, full of flavour and cooked with love. And the staff were amazing. They gave me mini Spanish lessons, so helpful!


My favourite meal! Fried whole red snapper, rice and beans, grilled zucchini and peppers, garnished with crispy plantains. Home run. Brought me to my knees.

Fresh fruit for dessert. I could eat guava all day long.

Same Cuban restaurant, different night. Second favourite meal. Lobster in a white wine, butter and garlic sauce with grilled eggplant, peppers and potatoes. Sooooo good.

Buffet breakfast, not too shabby. Again with the yummy guava.

Surf and turf at The Grill restaurant. Tragic melted cheese covering the (otherwise tasty) surf and a sad sauce smothered on the (otherwise tasty) turf.

Jean trying to figure out how to remove aforementioned tragic cheese.

The "Asian" restaurant was a bit of a bust. When incredible sushi is readily available in Toronto, the standards are pretty high. And it just feels wrong to eat sushi with a knife and fork. Don't even get me started on the cream cheese. Shiver.

They called this chicken teriyaki but it really wasn't. The chicken took a seriously long time to chew, which was actually really funny. But when the bottles of vino and champagne are flowing...who cares?! It's alllll good.

Red snapper ceviche with a balsamic glaze.

Lobster again, cause when in Rome...

Went to a restaurant in the city of Santa Clara one afternoon. We were curious what the tortilla con jamon y huevos would be like but when it arrived we were confused. Not anything like the tortillas in Mexico. Small cubes of ham on scrambled eggs with toasted white bread. Very bland and boring. Not so much a tortilla at all really.

Hamburguesa, mojitos, Beck's, Lonely Planet and people watching.

This meal was so nice, I ordered it twice. Perfect for dinner on the last night.

The wonderful Ariel y Juan at Cuban Creole on our last night, closing down the house. He sent us on our way with happy bellies and a bottle of bubbly.