Last year I shared with you all a dinner I attended in Carmel-by-the-Sea with Vintage Property Management and Chef Adrian Martin from Below Deck. It was so much fun. This year my friend did it again but on a much smaller and with a socially distant vibe. Spoiler alert! The food for this celebration dinner was even better! My pictures of the food were still terrible this time because I drank way too much champagne.
Dress: Devotion (I am wearing an M and usually wear an XL in more fitted items) // Shoes: Rothy’s Lace Up I wear my normal size and this color is Vanilla // Bag: Louis Vuitton Craft Metis (soldout but Fashionphile has one left) // My poor bun 😂
We were in the middle of the wildfire evacuations, I was living out of a tote bag with Olivia in my in-laws spare room and I didn’t really want to leave. I was so anxious that I didn’t think I would enjoy myself. So me, who rarely drinks, had SEVERAL glasses of champagne and wine! I am so glad I went because the meal was incredible, the company was fun and just what I needed and I had the best time.
Course 1 was lobster with a crispy kale chip salad. My husband loves lobster– me not so much. He was so excited to have mine too. I feel like he should have shared his salad with me or at least the kale chip but to my surprise, he ate it all! He said this was some of the best lobster dishes he had–EVER. Everyone else at the table loved it. I really enjoyed the tangy salad and I am one of those weirdos that really like kale.
The second course was my FAVORITE! Goat cheese tempura on a bed of Asian pears and microgreens. Yum. Yum. Yum. I really thought my husband would give me his as repayment for the lobster but he ate all. We were all blown away by this dish. Chef Adrain made it sound like this super easy thing to make but I can attest it isn’t–I tried. This is a dish I think about every day.
Course three was my second fave of the night. It was homemade pasta with prawns. I LOVED the peas and prosciutto. This course and the goat cheese tempura the table was so quiet. 😂 When not chowing down we gossiped about the current season of Below Deck, crazy fires happening at the time, quarantine, and just life. My friends that hosted the party were celebrating buying their first home as a married couple and we chatted about their dreams for the house and who we thought lived there before.
The main course was a duck leg and breast with sweet potato and grilled veggies. I hate duck but this one was actually REALLY good. I ate it all. The sweet potato went so well with it. It wasn’t gamey at all and Adrian explained to me that marinating it in an African Rooibos tea it takes that game flavor out. During dinner, we talked about all the preferences people put on their sheets on Below Deck so I wasn’t about to mention my dislike of duck! I’m so glad I didn’t because it was so good!
Dessert was an incredible bread pudding with a mascarpone truffle dipped in gold dust! I can’t describe how incredible that truffle was! I am determined to learn to make them in time for Thanksgiving.
Overall, it was a fun night and a much-needed break from the chaos around us. I can’t wait to see Chef Adrian again next year!
Have you done a friend celebration dinner before? Let me know in a comment below!
