Family dinner

Neither Petey nor I come from big families.  That's why we were so desperately trying to claim Alberto Altamore from Altamore Ristorante as a cousin recently.  A couple more visits and I think we'll have that relationship cemented up.

So imagine how thrilled we were when we received a text from our nephew, Mike (Peter's sister's son), last Saturday asking if we could meet for dinner in KALAMAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Mike, his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Amanda were working their way across the midwest from Philadelphia checking out college campuses.

They landed in Detroit and got their "maize and blue on" for the 
U of M and then rented a car (changing colors on the way) to drive to Notre Dame so a natural stop for eats would be "the Zoo."

We picked out a place to meet up and were extremely happy with the result.

I'd heard about this fairly new restaurant.  I'd heard good things.  Those reviews were RIGHT.

I should have taken more pictures but I was so excited to see Mike and the family I . . . lost my concentration?  That's the excuse I'm going with.  We met @ 5p and this is what the place looked like.  We left @ 7p and it was packed.  On a Monday night!

We hadn't seen them in a year and it was wonderful to catch up.  We missed having Andrew with us but he was busy at a sports camp.

We're really pulling for Amanda to pick a college near us (Go Blue!) so we can constantly drop in on her and sit around her dorm room telling funny stories.  I'm sure all her new friends would love to spend afternoons with us, don't you?

Family - it's the best.