banyan cafe Archives - My Inner Shakti

I was looking forward to this past weekend since May! That’s when my friend Jenny asked if we were going to be around because she was going to be in town for a conference and her husband Jimi was going to drive down for the weekend.

I’ve known Jenny since my freshman year at UGA. We quickly bonded during late night study sessions and continued to stay close over the years. Vishnu and Jimi actually met during Vishnu’s freshman year as well…way before I knew Vishnu and Jenny knew Jimi. Craziness!

It’s been a long time since the four of us have really hung out and spent time together. Of course, we’ve seen J&J at various weddings over the past couple of years, but those don’t count as quality time! I’m so glad it worked out for them to stay with us this weekend.

Jenny and Jimi got to our place late Friday night. Unfortunately, Vishnu was sleeping because he had work in the morning (the only crappy part of the weekend!).

On Saturday morning, we got up and lounged around for a few hours chatting about…pretty much everything. J&J love deep conversations as much as I do! Seriously though, we talked about everything from our childhoods to our take on healthcare. SO MUCH FUN!

Eventually, we got ready and made our way to the Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Pete.

Horrible picture but you get the idea!

Jenny, Jimi, and I scoped out the different stalls and then got our eat on…literally! I tried a cheese stuffed arepa, a pineapple + strawberry smoothie, and a falafel wrap. Aside from the amazing food stalls, there was lots of fresh, organic produce as well. Can’t wait to make the Morning Market a regular thing!

After stuffing our faces, we continued on with our walking tour of St. Pete and eventually ended up at Kilwin’s for some ice cream! There’s always room for ice cream. I decided to go with a scoop of the chocolate peanut butter…my fav!

Since we couldn’t fathom anything other than sitting on the couch for the next few hours, we headed home after our ice cream break.

Quite a few hours later, after Vishnu got home from work, we headed to Taco Bus for dinner. Jenny and I decided to share a plate of nachos because neither of us was that hungry. Best decision ever (I was kind of sick of food by this time). We ended the night with funny YouTube videos and random conversation!

The next morning unfolded a little slowly. We got up and talked for a bit before showering and getting ready. We then made our way to Banyan Cafe for brunch (the same place Vishnu and I went for his birthday brunch). I decided to go with a breakfast sandwich this time (eggs, cheddar, spinach, and Cuban bread) and was happy with my choice!

And then came the sad part…saying bye to J&J! Even though I didn’t want them to leave, I was so glad we had the chance to spend good quality time together. Jenny and Jimi are so much fun to be around. I honestly haven’t laughed this much in a long time! Can’t wait to do it again soon (I hope)!

Until next time…

Have a great Monday and thanks for reading!!

When it comes to my own birthday, I don’t like to make a huge deal out of it. A little chocolate in some shape or form, and I’m a happy girl! But what I didn’t realize is that I was applying my nonchalant attitude to Vishnu’s birthday as well. Yes, I always make sure to do something special for him, but I never make it ALL about him. And as much as he denies it, I know he enjoys and appreciates a little extra attention on his birthday.

That is exactly why I decided to change things up this year!

After work on Friday, I made a little celebratory dessert – Katie’s Gooey Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars. You guys, these bars are addicting. I know this was Vishnu’s birthday weekend, but I definitely ate more of this sweet treat than he did. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture…oops. Trust me though, you need this in your life!

When Vishnu got home from work on Friday night, I asked if he wanted the first half of his present a little early (his actual birthday was on Saturday). Before he even had a chance to say “ok, sure,” I ran into our room. I knew he was going to love what I got him, and I couldn’t wait any longer. If you can’t tell, I was more excited than he was!

Vishnu’s a shoe guy. He has more shoes than most girls I know! And that’s exactly why I got him some beautiful new leather TOMS. The cognac color is beautiful! They even look great with scrubs. Smile

On Saturday morning, I asked Vishnu what kind of food he was craving. The answer was brunch, so the birthday boy and I headed to Banyan Café. This restaurant came highly recommended from a waiter at a different restaurant, so we were super excited to check it out.

The Black Bean Benedict had my name written all over it, so that’s what I ordered. Vishnu decided to go with the Smoked Salmon Benedict. Both dishes were absolute brunch perfection. My benedict came with eggs, black beans, a grilled peppers, salsa verde, corn bread, and a side of rosemary breakfast potatoes. Vishnu’s came with eggs, smoked salmon, capers, tomato, lemon marmalade (I know right!), toast, jalapeno aioli, and the breakfast potatoes. We will be back!

After stuffing ourselves silly, I suggested we walk around for a while. The weather in St. Pete was gorgeous – warm with a slight breeze. Vishnu forgot his sunglasses at home, so we made what I thought was quick pit stop. Umm no. The birthday boy decided to take a birthday nap, and I didn’t have it in me to wake him up!

Eventually, we had to get ready for part two of Vishnu’s birthday present – the Oddball Comedy Festival!

I did a little research beforehand and learned that this event can get a little crazy in terms of parking, lines, etc. We decided to leave home around 3:30 because the parking lots opened up at 4:00. In true Parita fashion, we were a tad bit early, but it all worked out because we were able to grab a quick bite to eat from the Taco Bus food truck! We were also able to watch a few different comedians perform on the festival (secondary) stage.

A little before 7 pm, we headed to the amphitheater for the main stage performances. You guys, we laughed…A LOT! Of course, when you go to something like this, you have to put your sensitivity hat away and just go with it (I’ll be honest, I found this a little hard when it came to certain topics.), but overall, we had a great time!

Jeff Ross, Roastmaster General and the host for the night, was awesome. He started the show by using an audience cam to narrow in on members of the audience so he roast them. Later, he randomly picked 10 people to come on stage so he could roast them. Hilarious! Of course, Amy and Aziz were ridiculously funny! Amy joked about how she’s always told what a great time it is for women in Hollywood and how that can’t be true because all the women are starving! Aziz joked a lot about his relationship and how being a minority in Hollywood has affected him. Good stuff! Vishnu and I were reacting some of the jokes on our way home…albeit not as successfully!

There was no celebrating on Sunday because Vishnu had to get up early and head to work. I, however, woke up and finished Why Not Me?. I then made a to do list and got to work – cleaning, organizing, packing, shopping, writing, etc. Needless to say, Sunday was a full yet productive day.

While I’m sad the weekend is over, I’m excited about my trip to Chicago this week! And the fun doesn’t end when I get back. Our friends Jenny and Jimi are visiting and staying with us over the weekend. WOO HOO!

Have a great Monday!

Do you like comedy shows? Who’s your favorite comedian?