SF Tao of Pao

I have wonderful girlfriends.  Smart, sassy, caring, thoughtful, adventurous and charismatic women.  Yesterday’s “A” is for Anne, “B” is for Birthday Potluck was just another reminder of that fact. 

I enjoy a good meal out (clearly) and usually for birthdays, we have the requisite dinner out at a fun spot in the city, complete with creative cocktails and a menu of rich, stomach-pleasing entrees.  But let’s face it, we are in a recession, or according to the street, we are exiting a recession.  Instead of having a large group dinner, where each person would spend at least $50 out and I would honestly only probably be able to have an in-depth discussion with the girls seated closest to me, I told one of my dearest friends, and party organizer, Han, that I’d prefer a more intimate potluck dinner with the besties. 

With the invite list set, Han picked a theme – “A” is for Anne, “B” is for Birthday.  Every girl was asked to bring a dish or drink of their choice that started with the letter “A.”  I was intrigued to see how this hodge podge meal would turn out, and now that it’s through, I can say with confidence that I was “Pao Wowed” – total success.

The menu included:

Apple relish pork tenderloin

Apple Spinach, Raspberry Walnut salad with a red wine vinegarette

Asiago cheese toasts with brined red onion topping

Steamed Artichokes with peanut sauce and hoisin style sauce

Blanched Asparagus

Artichoke, portabello mushroom and shallot rice pilaf

Spam Musubi balls (okay these don’t start with “A” but they were damn good and Debbie had to bring them for me – she stuffed rice/seaweed balls with spam and then injected them with Sriracha sauce, dusting them with li-hing powder to finish)

Avocado Guacamole salsa and blue corn tortilla chips

Who knew that “A” could provide so many delectable options? To complement the dishes we had an array of different wine options. “Alamos” cabernet, sauvignon blanc, pinots.  My college roommate whipped out her crafty skills and purchased three bottles of wine, then created her own wine labels – “A is for Adventurous”, “A is for Ambitious” and “A is for Athletic.”

It was honestly the perfect birthday dinner option for my 29th – aka the last year you actually count.  I was able to catch  up with every one of my girlfriends on a deeper level while we were all feverishly cooking and drinking wine in the kitchen. The meal ended with a Coldstone’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cake (okay it’s not “A” but if you know me, you know that Mint Chip ice cream cake is pretty much my favorite dessert of all time). 

Next time you are going to throw a potluck or celebratory dinner, I encourage you to follow suit, pick a letter for your themed dishes and invite your favorite people over to partake.  You won’t regret it and you will leave full.