handful of balloons

Taste of Belgium

has this cool thing called

the "Chef's Table."

Basically, if you have a party of 8 or more, you can reserve to all sit together at this Chef's Table that is pretty much right in the middle of the action.

You can see everyone working!

It's awesome.

It's basically a long, beautiful table that we set up for dinner.

Parties can choose a pre-fixed menu, or you can order from the evening's selections.

i served my first party of 12 this past saturday.....

and made a ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLAR TIP.

OAIOHVAKMNEOIJR

THEN

there was a second chef table that evening

ANOTHER party of 12

and John took it.

HIS TAB WAS CLOSE TO 1000 dollars!

OAIOHVAKMNEOIJR!!!

anyway, the second party ended up being a birthday party, and it turns out, Taste of Belgium is an exceptional place to have a birthday party. John, it turns out, just so happens to be an exceptional waiter, and he seriously knocked that party of 12 OUT OF THE FREAKING PARK.

the bday party hung balloons, brought presents, brought cake, then ate food, drank wine, loved each other, and left.

and they left the balloons.

"allyson, do you want these?" my manager asked. he gestured to the balloons. twenty of them. pink, orange, green, blue.

YES

my heart pounded

YES

they're beautiful

YES

then i laughed!

i suddenly had twenty balloons!

i couldn't wait to see what aaron would do when i brought them home.

turns out, it's difficult to wrangle 20 balloons into a small car.

turns out, it's hilarious to walk through the drunken saturday night of clifton with 20 balloons.

turns out, aaron loved them (for like, five seconds,) and thought they were hilarious.

we still have them in the house, probably for their last day today, because they DO stink, and they ARE deflating.

but i gave four of them away last night, to the two little girls who live across the street, and they gave me delighted hugs in return.

I LOVED IT!