Shane's 40th Birthday

Making birthday calls to the USA

We met friends for dinner at Cumhuriyet, our favorite meyhane. A meyhane is a restaurant that serves meze (appetizers) with raki, an anise-flavored liquor that turns milky white when mixed half and half with water.

The meze arrive. We ordered broad beans, purslane in yogurt, beet salad, fish preserved in oil, white cheese, some type of pepper paste salad that was delicious, and a double order of lamb's liver. 

We were sitting inside on the second floor, and still we had a little beggar-cat outside the window.
 

Shane opened the window to give him a prized piece of liver and got a scratch in the excitement. We poured raki over his finger to doctor the scratch. Kitty didn't get any more treats, but he did stay as our fifth guest, out on the ledge, through dinner.

Liver and onions, a favorite of the guest of honor.
 

Friends Aimee and Sarah 

Celebrating 40
 

 

Late night cake and singing at a fancy dessert place around the corner.