Ringing in the New Year

I don't really like to celebrate New Years eve but my boyfriend does so as a compromise we decided to go to Momo, a new restaurant in town, that was doing an eats and beats night for New Years, with friends of Stephens.  I spent the week telling people I going to a bites and bubbles event in Momo because I had convinced myself that's what it was called so it might be worth noting as a possible name for next years one. After working a full day New Years Eve, I wasn't really in the form for a night on the town and I might have come close to having a little nap in my supersoft dressing gown. Instead I motivated myself with the thought of food and got myself out the door looking reasonably presentable.

 I have never actually been out in Waterford city for New Years because in my years living here I have mostly been pretending that it's just another night and not waking up in a heap on New Years day so I really didn't know how bad town would be and I was a little worried about the prospect. We got to the restaurant at 8 and I got a glass of something sparkly while we waited for Stephen's friends to arrive. I had been reading a lot of good stuff about Momo and I was pretty excited to try it out. From what I had seen of their menus online they seemed to have a lot of vegetarian and gluten free friendly options and I was looking forward to actually having a choice of things as I find often when going to a restaurant that there is usually one thing I can eat and I'd want to be sure I like it. 
They did not disappoint and the menu had options for everyone. I was undecided as to what to get, I liked the sound of the risotto but I had one risotto in the last year and it was beyond disgusting. It had so much cream in it that it was all I could taste and the problem was that I had no basis for comparison so I didn't know if it had been a terrible risotto or if that was just what risotto was meant to taste like. After speaking to the waiter I decided I would take a chance on it and got a side of fries as well. I had my fries brought out with the starters because the little bit of bubbly wine was already going to my head and I thought it would beat salivating at the smell of food while I waited for everyone to finish their starters.

 The fries were light and delicious. I spent many years, as a much fussier eater , getting just fries when nothing on the menu appealed to me so I would consider myself a bit of an expert and I think if the fries are nice then it bodes well for the other food. We got a bottle of wine to share at the table, a nice light sauvignon blanc, not that I could claim to know much about wine but I didn't have to hold it in my mouth for a second or two before swallowing so it was a winner as far as I am concerned. Soon after our main courses arrived and my risotto (pictured above ) came served with a salad and vegetable crisps. Stephen got what looked like half a cow on a plate (it was actually a rather nice serving of ribs that he did a good job of demolishing) while the others had a chicken and a fish dish. I am pleased to report that my risotto was delicious. It had parmesan and hazelnut and veg and a very reasonable amount of cream (in that it wasn't drowned in it). We all cleared our plates and rubbed our bellies while looking forward to the desert menu. I had fully pledged myself to a dry January and giving up sugar so I was going to make sure I enjoyed my last supper as it were. 
Stephen had cake and the rest of us had icecream. I prefer a chocolate icecream myself but I did enjoy the trio of fruity ones. Except for the really red one which I think might have been beetroot and I was a bit unsure about that.

 Meal finished and paid for, we left happy but nervous about what we would be facing in town. I remember in Clonmel a few years back ( where I had previously celebrated my New Years ) there would be queues out the door of several of the more popular bars and that was what put me off going out on the night. The first bar we walked into was packed to the rafters with some of the dodgiest heads I have seen in a while so we walked right out again and headed to Geoffs where there was a nice crowd and after about 5 minutes we managed to get ourselves seats which would be unheard of on your average Saturday night in there so it seems that worry that town will be insane on New Years has a knock on effect. We got ourselves a corner and we stayed there even as everyone else seemed to be running off to busier bars, eager to not ring in the new year in a relaxed atmosphere.There was no countdown in Geoffs so we just wished each other a happy new year when the time came. A little while after we headed down to Sinnotts for the rest of the night. There was a good crowd in there but it wasn't scary busy. We headed home in good spirits before the bar ended because Stephen really wanted a burrito. 

 As New Years go, It was pretty good. I had a lovely evening and no major disasters occurred. So I might have broken the New Years curse. I am however in a woeful state today and just about mentally prepared for dry January and a new sugar free Laura. I have gotten some nice food to tide me over and I will hibernate until I can be a functioning human again. That would really want to happen by tomorrow as I am back in work then. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The darker side of romance

Image
  For some reason I felt compelled to write about a corner of my past that hasn't been part of my blog before. a heads up to anyone who might be upset by this topic I will be delving into emotional abuse so feel free to stop reading now if you don't feel able to carry on. When I was in my late 20's I met a guy on a night out. He was a few years younger than me and honestly looking back threw up a couple of red flags early but I didn't trust my own intuition plus I was only a few months away from finishing college and planned to move to Edinburgh in a few months so it wasn't like it was going to be anything more than a brief fling. However as time went on I became more infatuated with him, there was an intensity there and he seemed sweet but damaged. Like a perfect modern fairytale I thought I would be the one to fix him. somehow plans changed and he was going to follow me over to Edinburgh, get a job there and we were going to live happily ever after. at this point
Read more

Help, I think I'm autistic

Image
 So I, at the age of 41, have come to the realization that I am autistic.  Growing up I always had a feeling something about me was a little bit off. I never quite fit in and I wasn't sure why. It was like everyone had been given a book of rules of how to exist in society but no one had thought to hand me a copy. Looking back with hindsight the signs were there. I was a super sensitive kid, a sensitivity I have not lost in adulthood, I cried very easily and felt every emotion very deeply. I was a picky eater and very particular about the textures of different food. I was very sensitive to light and noise and the feel of different fabrics. I was never a hugger. all of these things are as true about me now as they were when I was younger. I am socially awkward, I don't make friends that easily and will joke I am an acquired taste. Eye contact is something I have to actively work on and small talk feels like torture.  I thrive on alone time, I am incredibly sensitive to the moods
Read more

Sometimes I open my mouth and my mother comes out ..

Image
I have been told on more than one occasion that I'm sarcastic. Often that I'm too sarcastic (as though there could be such a thing) and I have retort up my sleeve for such occasions which is if you think I'm sarcastic you should meet my mother. No, really you should because my sarcasm is but a pale imitation of hers. Every so often though I come out without something that makes my friends or other family members pause because sometimes when I open my mouth, my mother comes out.  It's funny how people always take the words you are turning into your mother as such an insult because the reality of the matter is it's a both a good and bad thing. Obviously there are certain qualities I am perfectly happy to emulate and others not so much and on the whole I am not entirely sure how much control I have over it. It's not quite a pick and mix counter here. I think there are some habits you are not even aware you have picked up until someone else kindly points it out.
Read more