I know I'm spoiling myself but I can no longer accept regular ice cream.

Despite the crowd of 100-200 people just outside the restaurant, the inside had a surprisingly large amount of available seats. The loud (and bad) music practically killed my eardrums though.

I just *love* the food here. Totally mouthwatering and filling.

Let's see ... we never made it to the chicken and only partially devoured the tiramisu (which was sooo good).

Dude. Sweet potato rolls are fantabulous!! That is all :-)

The Heartland Brewery on Union Sq was quite big and surprisingly cosy on the 2nd floor. Also, I inhaled the tuna burger and even drank a thing that was essentially beer (a biggie for me).

My nephew celebrated his second birthday in style!

So, XO is this joint in Chinatown. Let's say it's in the tourist heart of Chinatown, not the real heart. If you ever find yourself there, GET the watermelon sago drink. Not only will you be surprised by the amazingly fresh taste, but anyone sitting near you will be able to smell the watermelon juice and immediately become jealous. Also, the entrees were so big that I really regretted getting the dumpling appetizers.

The day started out with such promise ... and then it got cold & started to rain. But it's still the end of yet another long week and that's always a good thing. Also, the staff at Ichi Sushi in Bensonhurst continues to have the best staff of any restaurant we've ever been to.

... of which there actually weren't any.  But that didn't stop this celebration from being especially lovely :-)