i met kiley jo carole (aka kitty) in college at the university of georgia.  we were both in the redcoat marching band, she on the flagline and i on the mellophone.  we lived together on penny drive our senior year in athens and have been best friends ever since.  this past week she turned 26 and invited us to celebrate with her at einstein’s, an innovative local establishment in the heart of midtown.  read on to find out just how much fun we had!

a birthday party is only as fun as the people you share it with, and in our case, nearly 20 of kitty’s closest friends came out to celebrate.  we had reservations at einstein’s at nine that evening, so for those of us who arrived early, we wasted no time in getting started at the bar.  the front bar is monstrous, serving both the dining room and those guests seated all around.  i skipped the beer and wine that night and quickly decided on a cosmopolitan, one of the loveliest drinks out there, in my opinion.  gregory had a cosmo as well and jamie started off with a sex on the beach.  we were ready for a fun night!

once the rest of the party arrived, we were seated at two sets of tables right beside each other, towards the back of the restaurant.  einstein’s is a big space with lots of different areas, so to say.  there are high-tops for drinking, high-tops for eating, corner booths, and booth-chair tables.  it is somewhat a new-age ski lodge, very open and airy.  oh, and the playlist?  it was right up our alley:  90’s hits!  the dj took a brief reprieve for some more recent club music, but as though he could sense our disappointment, backstreet boys and christina aguilera were playing over the sound system in no time.

the waiter promptly took the rest of our drink and appetizer orders once we were all seated.  einstein’s on a friday night is a little loud, so your conversation will probably stick to those immediately around you, unless you enjoy hollering at folks on the other side of the table.

appetizers were ordered and delivered, one of which was the manchego fritters that i got to taste.  right out of the oven, they were piping hot and quite delicious.  pair one with the tiniest bit of garlic-chili honey and you were set.

the entrée orders were quite varied from what I could tell.  gregory and i both had the pulled duck grilled cheese, which was fantastic.  the brie, apple, and duck were a delicious combination that was consumed quite rapidly.  jamie had the e-grill sandwich which i wish i had ordered myself.  she genersouly let me have a bite, and i almost wish she had not, because it made me want to switch sandwiches!  the french toast bread was incredible with the turkey and raspberry sauce.  if i ever go back, you can put good money down that i would order that sandwich.

brandon liked the bbq pulled pork sandwich he ordered and ate the bbq apples as a kind of dessert.  there were other sandwiches and burgers ordered by everyone else, and i do not remember a lot of to-go boxes being needed.  they must have been tasty enough to finish!

if you ever want to celebrate or just get together with folks in midtown, einstein’s would be a perfect spot.  it is large enough for big groups, the drinks were cheap and tasty, and the food was even more delicious and affordable.  i am excited to go back once the weather warms up so that i can grab a spot on their patio.  come on, spring!