birthdays require delicious food, part one

The first order of business is my birthday, because it was the best one yet. For the big 2-5, my sister Whitney surprised me by showing up at my house for a 6-day visit. Best present ever! We had so much fun, and ate a lot of good food, including my birthday dinner at Paolo's in Georgetown.
When I go to a new restaurant, I always like to ask the waiter what their favorite thing on the menu is, and our waiter had several good recommendations. It's a good sign when there are so many things that sound good on the menu. The three of us were all debating between the same things, so we each got a different dish and shared some bites.

Sam got the margherita pizza. It was huge! And delicious! I loooove margherita pizza, but I think it can be tricky to find a good one. This had a chewy but crisp crust, and a delightful balance between cheese, tomato, and basil. All the pizzas are baked in a brick oven, which you can see from the restaurant (I love seeing into the kitchen from my table.) I'll probably get this when we go back.

I ordered the salmon, and it was so tender. So perfectly cooked. The sauce was flavorful, but not overpowering, and I adored the vegetable "spaghetti" on the side. And the polenta-- slightly crispy on the outside, tender, hot, and soft on the inside. So, so tasty.

Whitney ordered the cayenne and espresso steak salad, and holy cow. It was amazing. The waiter said once people order that salad, they never order anything else ever again, and I have to say, I can totally understand. It was amazing. The salad also had fingerling potatoes and gorgonzola cheese with a punchy but smooth dressing. This picture seriously does no justice to the salad.

I offer a hearty recommendation for Paolo's. Georgetown is such a fun place, and the restaurant was lively, intimate, and fun. And the food. Oh, man. Perfect birthday food. I'm considering asking Paolo's to be my personal chef.