Happy Birthday Baby

I took Matt to a surprise location for his birthday which falls on Valentine's Day (notice the candle on that dessert). It killed Matt that he knew nothing about the evening. I gave him very little hints...only that we were going to dinner and no one going with us had ever been there. He guessed a McDonald's in Buffalo, a random gas station and a new Friendly's that opened up that we didn't know about. I found a write up on a new winery in Ripley, NY called Quincy Cellars. They have only a handful of wine on their wine list, but they are also a restaurant and hold something called a wine maker's dinner about once a month. It is a four course meal for only $45 a person, The best value is that with every meal, you are given a different (sometimes HEAPING) glass of Quincy Cellar's wine. The menu is always different and every morsel is made in house (nothing boxed or prepackaged) and collected from local grocery stores or fruit markets. The winemaker is indeed the chef and surprisingly, just opened the place less than a year ago. I say surprisingly because the eatery was filled. I half expected to walk in there with one other couple and that was it. It's wonderful to see such a nice guy doing so well. He comes out and talks to you before every course and gives you a bit of the background on Quincy Cellars. Quincy Cellars used to be a barn that they renovated into the winery, original exposed beams and all. It's all very open and contemporary. The downstairs tasting area is even more beautiful with stone walls and dark wood. I think I would have taken more pictures if Matt weren't already embarrassed enough that everyone knew it was his birthday.We went with Matt's mother and brother, Brad since his father was out of town. The entire thing was 2 1/2 hours, but there was barely a lull. We had a great time, great conversation and I'd recommend it to anyone. They also do rehearsals, parties, etc. Or if you're ever near the NY/PA state line, you should check it out.