If you know me, you know my Birthday Celebration is huge.

For the past years, I’ve had 15-20 family/friends join for an elaborate evening filled with food, drinks, and dancing, of course.

This year was not about the fluff.

It was all about celebrating what I referred to as my “GOLDEN” year as it’s been super amazing, from starting a new job, obtaining my catering business license and just taking Bouffista’s Kitchen to the next level.

This year,  just a couple of girlfriends, my brother and my son joined for a small and intimate brunch at The Tasting Room in downtown Frederick, Maryland.

I’ve said over and over again, the culinary scene in downtown Frederick is definitely one to discover and experience.

I know Frederick is far from everything but it’s so worth the drive.

Let’s get into our brunch selections.

They were all so good that I don’t even know which one to share first.

Phoebe’s Filet Mignon, sizzling in Truffle Butter, was probably my favorite.

OMG, it was thee best Steak I’ve ever had and I plan on visiting soon just to bask in delight of this amazing piece of meat.

The Crabcakes were just as delicious, served with Potatoes Au Gratin + Asparagus.

All of the elements of this dish were perfectly cooked.

Harlette’s Shrimp + Grits were outstanding!

The grits were perfect, just delightful.

Ayisha and Kim both had the French Toast.

By the look of their plates, I knew this dish was a hit!

Their plates were clean, white.

The “oohs” and “aahs” from every single bite we took of our meals were an indication of pure satisfaction and delight!

The service was nothing short of impeccable.

My Birthday Cake from Classic Bakery was simply delectable with multiple layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, vanilla cake and more.

And Elijah blew my candles before we finished singing “Happy Birthday”.

What an amazing time we had!

Oh, the Mimosas were so good, especially the Fall Mimosa, with cinnamon and ginger notes.

My takeaway for this year is to continue to be “unapologetically me”, whether people like it or not.

Not allowing the behavior of others destroy my inner peace and protecting my zen!

Here’s to 33 + Cheers to many more!