Keen's

For the past four or five years we have called together our friends and planted ourselves at Outback Steakhouse for a few hours to celebrate Dave's birthday. It has always been fun. It has always satisfied Dave's appetite for steak on his birthday.

During the course of this year, however, Dave brought his steak passion to a new level. He went to New York's Keen's Steakhouse during a business meeting a few months ago. He will still eat at Outback (don't do me any favors), but after eating at Keen's, he is spoiled for what we have considered good steak. Keen's is a very old, very fancypants steakhouse in the city. He returned a couple of times with his boss and coworkers after they did some business in town.

I'm lucky if my boss brings mini muffins to work. But that's a different story.

Keen's makes aged steak. Apparently aging steak is a process that enhances the flavor. Our friends were ecstatic. My friend Danna starved herself all day so that she could pack in as much long-gone cow as possible. I don't like steak and used to be a vegetarian, but even I thought the flavor was remarkable. Since I don't enjoy the texture of steak, I had lobster instead, which was divine. I've only had lobster two other times and it was as delicious as the time I had it at a clam bake on Long Island.

The table was full of steak lovers and the table was full of steak. So many dead cows. Maybe that's why I don't like steak - it's so obvious that it is a slab of flesh. I had to have the lobster's head taken from my plate in order to indulge. I'd rather avoid what's really going on when I eat meat.

The meal was truly decadent. Everything was delicious from the wine, to the hollindaise sauce for the asparagus to the potatoes to the service. Remarkable.

Danna and I attacked a dark chocolate mousse. We opted to share one since were so full, but we scarfed that sucker down so fast the waiter laughed. I dared her ask the waiter to give her a doggie bag for the bone from her steak so she could make soup, but instead we just laughed until we cried.

We had dropped Haven at Jes's before dinner. He had a great time getting strolled around the city and chilling out in a tea shop. (Jes has started her own blog and it is hysterical in comedic proportions, by the way.)

I remembered why we love living around here. It is great to be so close to New York. It is great to be so close to Jes. It is great to have friends to celebrate with us. It is great to experience distinctly new things.