Girl's Night Out

I meant to post on Saturday, but in the midst of packing for our move, cleaning the house & getting ready for our trip to Toronto for Jode's wedding, things got away from me. Anyway, last Friday night, I went out for a going-away dinner with my friends Diane & Adrienne (whom I met during my indentured servitude at HCCA).

Diane has been my kindred spirit in the 'life of leisure' I've been leading for the past few months b/c she quit work the day after I did...from the same place, the same job & the same bi-atch of a boss! Isn't she cool? Yes, she is. Adrienne still works there (her manager is slightly less of an a-hole), but we're trying to get her out! She gave me the cutest red journal with a polka-dot ribbon belt tied around its middle. Lover of blank writing journals that I am, I was overcome with happiness & gratitude. Adrienne is one of those people who always comes up with the perfect gift for you...she's very thoughtful & fun. She also laughs so hard she cries sometimes & I love that!

We went to such a cool place that I have to tell everyone to go there should they come across one. It's called 'Cafe Tu Tu Tango' (www.cafetututango.com) & it's this crazy combination of bohemian tapas restaurant, art gallery, dance studio, fortune teller & any other creative pursuit you can think of! It's more of an experience than a restaurant; the atmosphere is totally incredible & the food was a great combination of tastes. Here's what we all shared:

Roasted Pears on Pecan Crisps (so delicious it could have been dessert)
Oriental Marinated Steak Skewers w/Ginger Soy Aioli (this sauce ruled)
Dijon Chicken Skewers (these tasted like summer, fresh from the grill)
Beef Napoleon (a stacked affair that was beautifully presented)
Cajun Chicken Egg Rolls (another ruling sauce)
Mango Duck Quesadilla (I ate duck!)

No 'Girl's Night Out' is complete without some type of dessert, so we obliged by ordering the Molton Chocolate Cake w/vanilla cream. I think my taste buds had been overloaded by that time b/c I thought it would taste more molton-y & more chocolate-y. Perhaps the sangria I drank had something to do with it.

We had a great time talking, laughing & ignoring our waiter when he came to take our order b/c we were too busy catching up. There is also so much going on in there, it's hard to pay attention to one thing at a time! We saw belly dancers, breakdancers, a couple doing the tango, flamenco dancers, some type of dancers w/lit candelabras on their heads (I'm not kidding!), a jewelry maker, a characaturist (why is this word not in my dictionary?), a sculpter & a fortune teller. It is such a sensory-filling place & I think it's fabulous. Thanks Diane & Adrienne for such a fun Friday night!

Later,
PortlandGirl