J. Alexander's Restaurant

This weekend, I had the pleasure of going to J. Alexander's for my best friend's birthday. Being that I don't generate much income, I don't get to go out to fancy-schmancy dinners very often.  However, a 26th birthday celebration calls for a little spending, right?!

(Also, I got her an Erin Condren planner as a present! How awesome of a friend am I?!)

Mike and I were some of the first to arrive so, being that we decided to wait in the bar area so the birthday girl couldn't immediately see us when she walked in the door (the dinner was a surprise), I ordered a Pomegranate Martini.

I admit, Blue Martini's pomegranate martini is the best. But, J. Alexander's didn't disappoint. It wasn't too strong and it wasn't too fruity. Bonus? The amount of martini that you get filled two glasses. Weeee!

Once we sat, looking at the menu was a challenge for me because everything looked so great. Jackie ordered the chips and salsa for the table as an appetizer (which was eerily similar to Pioneer Woman's Restaurant Style Salsa) and I finally decided on Grilled Pork Tenderloin with NYO (Not Your Ordinary) Mac & Cheese as a side and a caesar salad to start.

Delicious! and not too "anchovy" which is nice. The croutons were of a butter flavor and were perfect.

The pork tenderloin is cured in-house and grilled with bang bang sauce for a nice flavor. The meat wasn't overly grilled. It was juicy and tender and FABULOUS. The mac & cheese was topped with breadcrumbs, tons of cheese, and spices. It was really unlike any mac & cheese I've had before.

Overall, I'd definitely come back. It's a little more than I'd want to spend on a normal night's out (between $20-40/person, before drinks, appetizers, and desserts), but it seemed to be well worth the money. Yum!

I'm also linking up with Magical Monday's blog hop!  :)