A. and I have been together for more than 8 eight years now - gosh, can´t believe it´s already been THAT long - but somehow, we never managed to get the parents-in-law together. Yes, shame on us, I know. Can´t really tell you why either. Sorry. But this time, signs were good, and I did manage to get everyone (excepts for A.´s bigger sister) to agree on the same date. Which usually is the hardest part - all of you out there with big families know what I´m talking about.
We had spotted a nice restaurant in Neuss, where the sisters with the smaller kids live, an found that good enough to give it a shot.
The feel of this place is really mediterranean - lots of terracotta, a nice large "Biergarten". It is family-owned, and immediately upon walking in, the famous greek hospitality is poured upon you. Great. Convenience is a big point on the checking list, too - and the owners were really nice and courteous. I had asked to be let in before opening so I could decorate the table -and they had no problem w/ stowing away my birthday cake in the cooling either. So I prepped the invitations and send them out as little card boards:
While browsing the city for table decoration, I came across sunflowers made out of bast. I liked them on the spot, giving me a warm summery feeling. So I bought a lot of them, and some orange fake glass stones to pull it off. The table looked really inviting and welcoming:
The name cards showed a little yawning lion cub because the birthday boy´s sign is Leo. And the birthday boy liked his birthday party, too - equipped with a "Glücksschwein", the german equivalent to a rabbit´s foot, nothing could have gone wrong, don´t you think?
Everyone arrived on time, and we ordered cold and warm "meses", greek starters, for everyone to nibble: zaziki, feta dip, octopus salad, grilled bell peppers, red feta-stuffed peppers, zucchini fritters, ciabatta. The octopus salad was a challenge to most - people still are very reluctant when they see suction cups on food. Wonder why that is ; )Then, everyone ordered their mains from the menu - I know the families. Most are picky eaters, and whatever I would have chosen, at least two would have said "But you KNOW I don´t eat that!" *sigh* So I went for the easy way. The food was good, however, we waited quite long - but oh well, with a full house AND our 11 different dishes, you really coulnd´t expect anything else.
Then, as "Finale furioso" (grand finale), I brought the birthday cake to the table: two-storied, a simple pound cake with chocolate pieces and a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (black forest cherry gateau) on top. The Schwarzwälder was gone within seconds, literally - couldn´t ask for a bigger compliment, right?
We sat, ate, talked, drank, ate a little more, drank, talked, and did it over. A great birthday party, and everyone left full and satisfied. Again: best birthday wishes to my significant other, A. - we´ve come a long way together. I wish you all the best in the world, especially all that money can´t buy. Looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays together!
In case you want to check out the restaurant we went to, try their website: Kolossos
P.S.: and just in case you wondered - the parents-in-law got along just fine! ; )
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