Girls' Night Out on the deck

Just got back a little while ago from a really nice evening with a group of really nice ladies. We met at the Brewhouse Grille and dined out on their deck. Unfortunately, half of the group was facing the sun the whole time, and the patio umbrellas did not provide enough shade to some of them - especially poor Erica and Barb! I was one of the lucky ones who arrived early enough to be able to secure a seat in the shade. "The early bird gets the shade," in this case. :-)

I got to sit between two of my friends whom I hadn't seen in a while - Jan and Julie. And it just so happens that today is Julie's birthday!! (HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!!) Julie is having a memorable birthday, but not for a good reason - she has a bad case of poison ivy! And then, we found out that Jan also has poison ivy! I joked with them that I was a rose between two poison ivy plants. :-)

Other than the sun shining directly in the faces of half the women, it was a great evening to dine on the deck. And the food at the Brewhouse Grille is really good! They have quite a wide variety of items on the menu. I persuaded Erica to split the Tuna Sashimi appetizer with me, which came with alfalfa sprouts, Asian slaw, and of course the requisite wasabi and pickled ginger. The tuna was actually seared, so it wasn't true sashimi, but it was really yummy. We both also really liked the Asian slaw- it had a very interesting mix of vegetables and a zesty flavor.

For my dinner, I got a mixed greens salad with parmesan-encrusted scallops on it. It also had sliced cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes, and I think a cherry vinaigrette dressing. The combination of flavors was very good, and I would definitely get it again.

There was a wide variety of entrees at our table - a salmon wrap, a couple different kinds of salads, a steak, a burger and fries, and a couple of pasta dishes - and everyone seemed to really enjoy what they ordered. I was impressed that the restaurant offered such a wide variety of food with such favorable results. Sometimes restaurants try to do too much and end up not doing anything really well. But each of the 12 people in the group ordered something different, and I think each person really liked what she ordered.

It was really nice to sit and chat and joke and catch up with everyone, in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere, with tasty beverages, some of which were adult (I msyself did have two bottles of Woodchuck Cider!) and yummy food too. So thanks much to Jan for organizing the evening!!

Now, I have to rest up for a half-day of work tomorrow. I'll be leaving early to go donate blood, which I haven't done since last fall - shame on me! Then I will officially start my Memorial Day Holiday weekend!! WOO HOO!