Max is celebrating his 17th birthday with a cake made of halibut burger frosted with churu and topped with bonito flakes and a sprig of fresh catmint

AI6YR Ben

@dan Happy birthday Max!

Evan Light

@dan What a handsome old fellow! He wears his age well!

Dan Ports

In accordance with Ports family tradition, having a birth year wine for Max’s birthday.

Annalee Newitz 🍜

@dan best birthday cake ever

John Regehr

@dan I'd eat that

Dan Ports

@regehr there was also a human version with pickled carrots and chili crisp aioli, and Not House Made tater tots

(photo from a previous halibut burger meal because I forgot to get a photo of this one)

Dan Ports

@elight he had to go to the nuclear vet for hyperthyroidism radiotherapy and they were like "no, we meant for you to bring in the 17 year old cat with hyperthyroidism, not this healthy looking cat"

John Regehr

@dan ok fine I'd accept the cat version as an amuse bouche

John Regehr

@dan tater tots from the grocery store freezer aisle are kind of underrated

Dan Ports

@regehr I have to serve some authentic midwestern foods for @irene and @sharon

atsuzaki

@dan @regehr @irene @sharon tots were invented in oregon!! born and bred pacific northwestian, midwest could never

MrGrumpyMonkey

@dan Only the best.

Kevin Riggle

@atsuzaki @dan @regehr @irene @sharon you may have invented them, but we perfected them (as topping for hot dish)

Chenny

@atsuzaki @dan @regehr @irene @sharon ore-ida!

Dan Ports

@secretasianman @atsuzaki @regehr @irene @sharon important update: we have just found Pixel running around with an Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots bag on her head

Jon Roach, ♻️ Duke of York

@dan squashed and Max!

Irene Zhang

@kevinr @atsuzaki @dan @regehr @sharon it’s so true. Dan is also half Minnesotan so he knows the hot dish.

Lindsey Kuper

@regehr @dan our fave local pizza place has tots as a pizza topping, and we've gotten that, uh, definitely more than once (I like it with bell peppers and onions as the other toppings)

John Regehr

@lindsey @dan funny I never thought of potatoes as a pizza topping but our standard local place just started doing this and it’s totally delicious

atsuzaki

@kevinr @dan @regehr @irene @sharon nuh uh the highest calling for tots is to become totchos. second highest calling is to be in breakfast burrito