My birthday is not for another ten days, but birthday season commences tonight when I am treated to dinner at a new place called Pacific Echo. I've walked by it a number of times, and when I came home from Florida two weeks ago, was feeling lazy, and found the menu under my door, I decided to try the sesame crusted tofu.

I've had the sesame crusted tofu from Whole Foods and that's pretty good. The Pacific Echo version was unbelievable. Who knew that tofu could sizzle with nuanced flavor? At that point, my restaurant pick was decided, and I will try it on location tonight.

Speaking of food, a group of us enjoyed outstanding Colombian cuisine for lunch yesterday at La Boina Roja, according to an expert source (and the host of this gathering), the city's best Colombian food. Fantastic combinations of meat, rice, plantains, peppers, onions, tomato...all with a new twist.