I need to say it again: I love birthdays!! 
Mal’s birthday weekend kicked-off with dinner at Piattini and drinks out on the town with friends.
Piattini is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston, and I always have a great experience when I dine there– delicious food, good wine list, solid service– so, of course, I was psyched when Mal picked it for his birthday dinner last night. 😀
Piattini offers a nice selection of “small plates,” so Mal and I picked a bunch and shared them. Everything was wonderful, but my absolute favorite dish was the layered eggplant with smoked mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, and truffle cream sauce. Can you say holy yum?! The eggplant is thinly sliced, breaded, perhaps fried, and layered with mozzarella and then baked all together. The sundried tomatoes and creamy truffle sauce are out of this world. It’s always the first thing I recommend to people who go there.
Dinner
Prosciutto e Mozzarella
Mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh basil
Cozze alla Pescatora
Mussels, onions, red pepper, tomato sauce
Melanzane Affumicate
Layered eggplant, smoked mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, truffle cream sauce
Gnocchi
Spinach gnocchi, tomatoes, pesto cream sauce
Yuuuuummmm!
After dinner, we headed to Solas for drinks with friends.
Solas is a wonderful Irish pub in the Lenox Hotel. It has a laid-back vibe and a great selection of beers. It the perfect place to meet up with friends and hang out.
When we arrived, my buddy bought me a Cape Codder to drink. I forgot how much I like these!
We ended up getting a table, so we hung out and chatted while munching on appetizers and drinking some more cocktails.
Jon + Michelle.
Mike + Erin.
M + T.
Jim + Andy.
A few hours later, we headed to the Cactus Club to meet up with some more friends.
I drank a margarita on the rock with salt.
Time to make Mal his birthday pancakes for breakfast!
