I take one glance at the restaurant's logo outside of the building. A warm, welcoming rope tugs my heart. The modern style exterior settles with the street's apartment setting. Birch, is written in a soft, cursive font against the white circular sign— reaching out of the wall, facing the street. Strings of bulb lights display the large patio to the left of the entrance. As there is a lot to take in, I make my way inside. 

Welcoming each and every guest by taking the role of the host is the manager. A restaurant manager's involvement with customer service is quite rare. It appeared as if the manager was proud and grateful of the restaurant— feeling the need to greet each customer. Yet, another feature I noticed was the atmosphere. A large room with soft lighting holds a wide variety of seating arrangements, including a sit down bar connecting to the kitchen. An open kitchen. I was impressed by how the sound collection of pots and pans, friendly communication, and food sizzling could kindly add to the atmosphere. The jazzy and modern rock music makes me feel more comfortable and at home. 

The appetizer was filled with color, and the chef out done himself with its appearance.  Birch’s produce is locally grown and their main source for produce is the Stone Bank Farmers Market, where my sister works and how she is acquainted with the Head Chef. The produce is the highest quality of organic foods and artisanal groceries. Nutrition is a grand factor of the chefs work as well. Each meal has nutritional value and its own style. Order any dish on the menu and you will see that each chef holds a creative talent. 

And now the entree. I can be a picky eater, so when going through the menus' intense nutritional vocabulary, I’ve decided to order a simple dish. The Ricotta Filled Pasta. Multiple pasta squares, thin like fettuccine, are stuffed with ricotta. 

Expecting a heavy texture, it was the opposite. I barely had to chew as the pocket popped in my mouth. A rush of ricotta invaded my taste buds. Warm— like a cup of hot cocoa waiting for you to take a sip. Light— like the thinness of a watercress salad. Together, with the flavors of a rich cheesy taste, everything melts in my mouth. My dad must have seen an expression on my face, “How is it?”. Being as honest as I could, “This might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten”.