#25thannualgingerbreadvillage

[thedaveandkimmershow]

Tuesday night was as flawless a night out as it gets. The only thing that’d make it better would’ve been a warm summer night.

But you can’t have everything.

It’s a part of our Christmastime tradition to join the Christmastime tradition of a band called The Senate. Now, the only reason Kimmer ‘n I know about The Senate is because our friend, Hilary, has been crazy nuts over these guys since she was a teenager. Later, much, much later, one of LInzy’s friends had a pair of tickets to see the band at Jazz Alley on my birthday.

December 23.

That was 2014. The first time the band played their holiday gig at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley.

Ever since, they’ve played holiday gigs there in the week leading up to Christmas. And ever since... we’ve been there. Up in front, literally right next to the stage.

Tuesday night marked the fourth time we’ve seen The Senate’s holiday concert.

We actually arrived on-time, by the way. 6:15... ish. That’s me, Kimmer, Eli, and Linzy. All of whom, as it turns out, thought it was the best idea ever to order the Chicken Piccata. That’s a seared chicken breast in a lemon caper and white wine butter sauce served with whipped potatoes and seasonal vegetable.

And then the bread.

And then the butter.

Oh my.

Then the concert.

Energy. Humor. Musicianship. Fun.

They had a lot of fun up there. And that spirit is something that filled everyone in the room.

Here’s a little of what we saw...

After the show, we got to speak with a bunch of the band members, then we’re off to our next destination: City Centre, right across from the Sheraton on 6th and Pike for the 25th Annual Gingerbread Village.

We went last year. It was a pretty cool, Harry Potter themed event with all the gingerbread structures designed by architects. It was actually in the Sheraton... with a super long line to stand in and wait... then shuffle... then wait... then shuffle.

I loved it, though, so decided to give it another go this year to see what it was gonna be like in City Center.

Here’re some photos Kimmer snapped while we partook of the scenery...

While enjoying the easier access and absence of annoying lines and crowds, it seemed dessert was in order. 

Kimmer figured if The Cheesecake Factory were anywhere nearby, we might go there. So she asked Linzy if—

“YES!!!!!!”

And we were off to The Cheesecake Factory barely a block away.

Unfortunately, come to find out that with Kimmer’s profound nut allergies there’s nothing, absolutely nothing they serve there in the way of cheesecake that won’t simply kill her.

Not what people usually look for in a dessert place.

Linzy ‘n Eli split a tiramisu cheesecake. I split the Peppermint Bark Cheesecake...

With myself.

It is... 

White chocolate cheesecake swirled with chunks of chocolate peppermint bark, topped with white chocolate mousse and finished with chopped peppermint.

The problem for Kimmer wasn’t that any of the cheesecake were made with nuts... they weren’t. But they’d been exposed... which was enough to disqualify.

Sad face.

So Kimmer scooped a lot of my whip cream and ordered herself a hot chocolate and called it all good. In some circumstances, it’s simply the price she pays to not, you know, end up in the ER for a lovely evening of treatment and observation.

And that was it. A classically fun night out on the town with amazing entertainment, unexpected conversation, yummy of course, great company.

This.

Is getting good...