Spice (And Everything Nice)

After Will got out of class this morning, he popped in to wish me a happy birthday with flowers and a traditional folded heart note (A tradition that began last year when he gave me one during our “talking” period. A few days later, we were dating )

And from there, we were on our way to downtown Orlando!

For my birthday lunch, I requested that we eat at an outdoor restaurant along the perimeter of the beautiful Lake Eola. Not only was the temperature ideal, but the timing was perfect too—parking was easy peasy and the park was still bustling with runners, businessmen on their lunch breaks, and dog walkers alike.

oh, and swans

Heart necks!

We didn’t really have a particular location in mind, but once we set out on foot and roamed the area, we decided that Spice Steakhouse sounded right up our alley. There was an indoor and outdoor seating option, so naturally we milked the gorgeous weather and took a seat on the outside porch.

I’ve gotta say—I was really impressed with our dining experience and I’m glad we chose to try this place over a nearby trusted Panera. We started with an order of the edamame, sprinkled with sea salt.

I had a hard time deciding on my entrée because there were so many different options! To mix it up with a few different cuisines, I rolled with the Greek salad which came with feta, kalamata olives, banana peppers, grape tomatoes, purple onions, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette dressing.

And a veggie roll, WHICH CAME WITH PICKLES! (I think?) What a pleasant discovery

Will went with the Philadelphia and Soft Shell Crab rolls for his meal. I traded one of mine for a bite of the Philadelphia and it was pretty tasty, but I was already too distracted by the fabulousness of the pickles in mine that I didn’t notice

A great meal & experience indeed!

But wait! There’s more 8)

One of the waiters overheard Will mention that it was my birthday in passing, and she told another waiter, who went ahead and told another. By the end of our meal, I pretty much had the entire restaurant wishing me a happy birthday and had a complimentary slice of warm brownie covered with ice cream placed right in front of my nose.

I took the ice cream and Will took the brownie. Let’s just say that “demolished” is an understatement

The perfect birthday lunch to end a perfect birthday weekend

Tonight I have a night class (booo), so unfortunately my celebration will be cut short. However, I did manage to convince Will to come over and watch a late movie with me if we’re feelin’ up to it, so luckily the night isn’t completely shot.

A bit to do: Be sure to wish my birthday twin Courtney a happy birthday too!

Tagged as: Birthday, downtown, Greek salad, Lake Eola, Orlando, Spice Steakhouse, sushi