My sweet parents threw a dinner party/birthday celebration for me and Caitlin McKenney (a friend from our Ecuador trip) this past weekend. Going into it, I knew it would be an elaborate affair, however; I had no concept of just how spectacular and unconventional it would actually become.
After all of our 26 guests had arrived my father came out of the kitchen, welcomed us to the "Green-Bird" restaurant, and started explaining how the evening would work...
"Here's how it will work," he said. "There are menus at each of your seats. You are to go and find your place at the table, grab a pen and choose what you want to eat and when you want to eat it. Each course option must be selected once and only once. You must choose one "implement" that will be used to eat each course and you will choose a beverage to accompany each course..."
With that, we were off - excited to see our menus and start selecting what we would be having that evening... Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. When I turned the menu over this is the "foreign language" that I saw:
SERVICE WITH A CHUCKLE…
Today’s specials are listed within,
So select what you like and dig right in.
Though names may be strange, each contains a clue,
To some dish or implement familiar to you.
If you figure them out and select in right order,
You’ll consume our mystery dinner without disorder;
But if you can’t decipher the true name of the dish,
You may start with dessert and end with the fish.
In any event, it is all in good fun;
So stick around until we are done.
Today’s Specials:
1. Nero’s concoction
2. I need some Rolaids
3. An oriental gymnast’s best
4 To Akba its sikbaj
5. Peculiar is no friend of Ashlie, Caitlin or this girl
6. Sparrow guts with yellow stuff
7. The Marlboro Man and Mr. Head could have been this one’s cousin
8. Some times a swollen ovary can be sooo good
9. Goi with an oblate homo and a nut
10. Choose One:
A. The leg man who goes blind with a sock and a southern delight
B. Get those legs near me and I’ll sock you because I’m full
Available Utensils:
1. Slurper
2. Pitcher
3. Petit Pat
4. Eraser
5. Tuner
6. Mack
Beverages:
1. Ethiopia's Wine
2. A Monk’s Yeast Infection
3. Liquid Life of the Master
4. A Clearly Forbidden Prescription
5. Two plus One
The evening was a blast! I ended up eating my meal in this order. Have fun guessing which thing is which!
1. Asparagus with hollandaise sauce, with a fork and red wine
2. Civeche, with a knife and red wine
3. A cheese course, with a fork and red wine
4. A sorbet intermezzo, with a fork and white wine
5. Strawberry shortcake, with a fork and coffee
6. Zucchini soup, with a fork and red wine
7. Spring rolls with peanut sauce, with a toothpick and water
8. Grilled salmon, with a fork and white wine
