birthdays require delicious food, part two

Before my birthday (and the grand Whitney surprise), we went out for a birthday dinner with some friends to BGR The Burger Joint in Old Town. Before we planned the dinner, for days (weeks even?) Sam had been pestering me to choose a place to go, and I was feeling so stressed about it. We needed to go somewhere close, but I also wanted it to be family-friendly and interesting. We don't go out to eat that often, and when we do, we never go places that fit all three of those criteria (um, hello Costco hot dog). Then I finally remembered a recommendation from Hannah and Rob, and I knew BGR was the place to go.

It did not disappoint! Since I've sworn off red meat (two months and going strong!), I opted for the veggie burger, and it was awesome. Flavorful, great texture, filling, and so much lighter than its beefy counterpart. I forgot to take a picture until I had about three bites left:
We also got sweet potato fries (love!) and grilled asparagus (double love!). Three cheers!

But I'm not going to lie. The best part of the evening was having ice cream cake after. I am slightly ashamed to admit that I am OBSESSED with Dairy Queen ice cream cakes. I have one every year for my birthday, and I think I could single-handedly eat one in about 6 minutes. Sam thinks they aren't great, but clearly he doesn't understand what he's talking about. THEY'RE AMAZING. I love the "whipped cream" on top that kind of tastes like plastic, and the best part is the fudgy chocolatey cookie filling between the chocolate and vanilla layer. It's euphoric. I didn't take a picture this year, because, you know, I was too busy eating it. But here's a picture of my 24th and 22nd ice cream cakes, respectively.

I really wish I could justify buying and eating one for no reason.