and NOW I need a nap......

today was the office/company Christmas party. we checked out a new restaurant in town, Paul Martin's American Bistro. and no matter how light I plan on eating, I always come away from office lunches STUFFED and in serious need of a nap! today was no exception!!

one of the guys in the office ALWAYS does the honors by ordering appetizers......this time was no exception: artichokes, clams, calmari, shrimp, and spinach dip (you can look at the menu on the site for specific into) along with the greatest bread!! J would be happy just eating bread there! lol!!

prior to going, I had planned on Clam Chowder (because I love it and rarely get it because the family doesn't like it) and a chopped salad. well.......in what would have astonished J, I actually ordered it. but......in what wouldn't have surprised my dh, I changed my mind before the waitress left the table and ended up ordering the Cedar Plank Salmon. (the link is to a review blog so you can see what it looks like!) I loved the spinach! I loved the mushrooms! I loved the salmon! I didn't love the bacon and onions on top or the broth type sauce. that was too salty. so....is it really too salty or am I just a picky person where salt is concerned?!?! probably a combination of both. but overall it was YUMMY!!!!

so after the appetizers, several pieces of bread (OMG! the bread! lol!!), and my meal, I still managed to eat dessert. in normal life I wouldn't have had dessert, but it is kinda tradition that we have dessert. so I ordered the banana cream pie. it was good. it was too big of a piece......... and looking back I kinda think I wish I had ordered the devil's food cake with sour cherries. but really....I can't complain! except that now I need a nap! lol!!

oh.....and as a side note......in case you don't check out the link to the restaurant's site......I will tell you that everything was organic. all the meat, produce, etc is organic and supposedly pretty much locally grown. I would say that they hold truer to the organic versus the local part as it looks many things come from other parts of the state and even some meat from Arizona. but it is a start, right?!?!? continuing on that side note......I read an article the other day about how organic fruits & veggies have MORE (significantly more) vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients, whatever than produce grown using pesticides!! that makes me feel even better about us trying to buy organic.

and now it is beddie bye time for me!!! (I wish! lol!)