It’s always nice to receive a birthday dinner invite to a restaurant that I have never been to. Besides the obvious pleasure of sharing drinks and food with close friends, there’s usually an opportunity to order, taste and solicit opinions about, many different desserts. The key difference between a typical dinner out with friends and a “birthday dinner” is the license to order lots of desserts–everybody knows you eat desserts with celebrations. Only a major Debbie-downer declines a dessert order on a birthday. (more…)









