James Birthday Meals: First Up, Spago at the Four Seasons

An impromptu visit to Spago and the prompt delivery of a Hendricks and tonic can make a birthday boy happy.
Birthday moaning (angst about getting older that spontaneously bursts from the oral cavity) can often be cured with a good meal. At least, it can in our house. That’s why I surprised James with an impromptu visit to Spago a few days before his official birthday.
As always, the bad mood sweetened up as soon as we sat down.
A gin and tonic (made with James’ new favorite gin, Hendricks) created a slight smile.
(The pineapple-ginger mojito I had made me forget I was wearing jeans at Spago. In an emergency, you sometimes come as you are. My top was acceptably dressy!)

The wok-fried opakapaka at Spago, post-carving. This photo does not do its sexiness justice.
The appearance of the wok-fried opakapaka made him just about delirious with joy.
(That fish was flaky, sweet, spicy. A must-order if it’s on the menu.)
We passed on dessert, but the waiter had ferreted out that it was James’ birthday. So we ended up with a cookie plate anyway. And even though we thought we were full … we ate several.

The cookie plate that made the perfect birthday dessert.
Delicious. Spago, as always, makes us happy. And in this case, took James from the depths of existential despair to the heights of soul satisfaction.
Mission accomplished.