It's my birthday and I'll eat if I want to...

Hello! Well, the 23rd held two great meals (lucky me!) courtesy of friends. MJM very kindly (and stylishly, as usual) took me to est. for lunch. Although we were at some considerable distance from the window, it was clear that this was simply discretion on the part of the management - we didn't want to be bothered after all. The service was smooth and unpretentious, the surroundings could have held the supper for an Austen ball and the food was spectacular. I started out with a salad ("Waste of an entree" MJM) of buffalo mozzarella, jamon, figs, nectarines, fresh herbs and persimmon seeds. When I was little I had a book in which a girl's hamster adored persimmon seeds and particularly liked bursting the seeds against his rodenty little teeth. Up until now I've always felt that the seeds failed to live up to this hamster's expectations ...I stand corrected. MJM had scallops which also looked divine. My main was roasted duck breast, with blood plums, baked polenta, lentils and vino cotto. Surprisingly, est.'s polenta is better than my polenta. The duck was juicy and pink and the skin was crispy. The plums were perfect, dark-blood red cheeks. MJM's John Dory was balanced in a tower above a sea of emulsion, he handled the deconstruction very elegantly. We concluded with coffee and petit fours and then swanked our way out of the restaurant. Perfect. This is why we have taste-buds...apart from the whole need to identify poison and stuff obviously...

After a short pause for book-shopping (www.abbeys.com.au) and drinks with E. and a persistent Finnish stranger who tried to give me a voucher for 'bras and things' as a birthday present, I met up with N. and a friend of hers to try out the new mexican restaurant on Glebe Point Road: The Flying Fajita Sisters. Once again, short pause to express my gratitude for fabulous friends! Still in mourning for the loss of The Chocolate Dog, we approached with some hope. It's a lovely space - artistically faded bright colours and cheerful waitresses in primary-coloured, embroidered smocks. The menu was very promising and we started with white wine and strawberry sangria (highly recommended) and a trio of dips with home-made corn chips. The most interesting of these (but not the fastest consumed) was a pepito dip with pumpkin seeds. I think that I've made a duck dish that was meant to have a sauce very much like this - in my hands it failed so it was interesting to get an idea of the intention. We then went for enchiladas (N.), Quesadillas (N's friend) and tamales in my case. The salsas were great, the portions were generous and there were stacks of vegetarian options. I went for the chicken mole tamale and was a little disappointed by its dryness; the flavour of the mole got a bit lost too. Still, definitely worth another shot and the fajitas need to be tried! A great evening with two very fun, very smart women - it's a really nice place to catch up and relax. The desserts are also extremely promising but none of us had the fortitude on the day/night.

Then, I stumbled home, clutching glorious flowers from N., to bask in the general loveliness of everybody and digest quietly while checking out Ant's gift of 1080 and fondling my griddle pan....rock on.