BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

I'm not typically a big fan of surprise parties, but when Meena and I rolled into the Vinegar Hill House on Friday night and a handful of my very best friends were gathered in the entrance, I can't say I was disappointed. At all. It was great to see everyone and even though I'm not much on birthday celebrations, if this is what it takes to have an awesome meal with awesome friends ... then so be it!

So yes ... Vinegar Hill House. Quite the buzz about this one so I was very excited to be in the house. I'm told these are the same dudes who do Freeman's ... so you know, there's some cause for excitement.

I have to apologize for the photo above ... pretty awful. But it was dark and I didn't have anything other than a camera phone. But like I said, it was a surprise party, so that's my excuse for not being prepared.

The food was pretty simple. Meena had:
- mussels cooked in wine
- chicken with lemon

And I decided on:
- sausage with pickled quail egg
- pork shank with white beans

And we all shared some sides of sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

I guess in the end I wasn't all that blow away by the meal itself. My pork was a bit dry and the sprouts were a tad mushy. The sausage wasn't what I expected, but I can't hate. It was very good. Meena's chicken was the stand out for sure. I stole a few bites and loved every one. Her mussels were pretty rad as well.

I have high hopes for this spot and I'll be back for sure. It's new and you know how that is. But the setting is lovely and for the moment, the BYOB will keep loads of people coming back for more.