Birthday Dinner

Monday was my birthday and as since it always happens in the middle of the summer holidays, we usually have friends visiting. In 2007, we had three groups of friends here and we all went to Calima , a one-star Michelin restaurant for dinner. In 2008, we had a quiet family dinner at Thai Gallery, our favorite Thai restaurant in Marbella.

This year, we have my brother in-law, his wife and three children visiting so after some cold Lanson champagne at home on the terrace, we went to Casanis Bistro in Marbella's Casco Antiguo for an al fresco dinner with the kids. As usual, the place was packed and we were seated right outside their deli/wine store where we saw many people, both tourists and locals, taking an evening stroll through the old town.

We shared some appetizers: tuna tartar and a green bean salad with shallot vinaigrette while the children had their nuggets and fries. A few of us, including myself, had the special main course of cochinillo (roasted suckling pig) with chimichurri but they only had two portions left so my brother in-law had the gigot d'agneau (roasted leg of lamb) instead while my husband and sister in-law both had fish - grilled tuna for him and the sole meuniere (pan-fried sole) for her.

We shared some desserts - mostly lemon sorbet or ice cream to beat the heat and were about to pay the bill when the servers brought out a mini-chocolate souffle cake with a scoop of ice cream on the side and a very big sparkler. My nephew had snuck in to the restaurant to let them know it was my birthday and so I was serenaded by the waiters (it was payback since we did the same to him a few days ago when he celebrated his 17th birthday at Laguna Village's La Pappardella). My brother in-law insisted on treating us for my birthday which was really nice of them. After my second dessert, we finished the meal off with some espressos then walked over to the Plaza de Los Naranjos (Orange tree square) then headed home past midnight with the smaller children asleep during the car ride home. Another year gone and another fun birthday dinner spent with family.