Birthday Dinner: The Menu & Cocktails

My birthday dinner was everything I hoped it would be – a wonderful meal surrounded by the people I love most. And with temperatures that have been on the warm side to say the least, it was so nice to have a celebration that felt like a perfect transition into the season ahead.

The Cocktails

The wonderful Annie Campbell has often been featured in these pages (and some of my favorite celebrations), thanks in no small part to her specialty cocktail program. For my birthday, Annie and her husband Greg created a cocktail that tasted every bit as good as it looked. Comprised of fresh concorde grape juice, rosemary simple syrup, fresh lime, and vodka or gin, her Fall Gimlet was a delicious variation on the classic sip, and just perfect for a late summer celebration.

To serve, we used some favorites for outdoor entertaining, Marta Tumblers from CB2, and placed all of the cocktails on gorgeous Sol & Luna leather trays.

The Menu

For the meal, we enjoyed a farmers market-sourced menu prepared by the amazing Benny Bohm. Having managed the seasonally-inspired AMMO since 1998, as well as overseeing several of its expansions and the opening of its second location, his beautiful and delicious preparations hit all the right notes.

On the incredible seasonal menu: Assorted Olives with Roasted Almonds & Fresh Herbs, Blistered Shishito Peppers with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Market Lettuces with Shaved Radishes, Cucumbers, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, Lemon & Olive Oil, Heirloom Tomatoes with Burrata, Basil & Aged Balsamic, Orecchiette with Caramelized Cauliflower, Spicy Rapini, Gaeta Olives, Breadcrumbs & Parmigiano Reggiano, a Garbanzo Bean Salad with Baby Artichokes, Arugula, Parsley, Lemon & Olive Oil, and Grilled Wild Bass with Green & Yellow Zucchini, Castelvetrano Olives, Parsley, Lemon & Olive Oil.

For inquiries, contact bennybohm3@gmail.com.

For the sweet conclusion to the meal, Annie also contributed her baking expertise. The ultimate birthday cake: her amazing Naked Layer Cake, beautifully decorated with an assortment of figs, berries and greenery. XXJKE