A Final Dinner at Mark & Orlando's

With the imminent closing of Mark & Orlando's, I decided to schedule a final dinner out for Anastasia and me, with several friends (who also happen to be Annie's favorite babysitters.) Anastasia didn't know about our plans before I picked her up at daycare, and when I told her that we'd be having dinner with Abby, Ann, Julia, Nathalie and Katie at Daddy's restaurant, she practically jumped through the roof. It was all she could talk about for the whole car ride.

When we got there, though, her shy side re-emerged, and she was a little more subdued. She sat at the head of the table and enjoyed her bread with butter before finally opening up to Abby.



We all ordered appetizers (the goat cheese grits cake and grilled Caesar salad were popular) and entrees (crab cakes and pork won). Anastasia got to have homemade chicken and mushroom ravioli which she was kind enough to share with the rest of us.



Before dinner was ended, Anastasia made her way into the kitchen to help her daddy. Then she made her way back to the table for desert (homemade ice cream with chocolate sauce.) The rest of us tended toward the bread pudding creme brulee and blueberry financier for desert.

Anastasia was having such a great time that we didn't even notice that it was almost 9:00 (way past bedtime). Before we said goodnight, we all posed for a couple of pictures. All in all, a great last meal at the restaurant that has been a home to me (and Annie) for the last 4 years.



That's Anastasia and me with Ann, Abby, Julia, Nathalie and Katie. Thanks ladies for a lovely dinner.