Hi Lisa,
I'm glad my blog has been helpful for you!
There's no better place than Rome for a special birthday dinner. For something super-special (and super-pricy), the word on the street is that La Pergola is the place, and it's certainly Rome's most famous and lauded restaurant... I can't say I've been there myself, however (a little tough on a writer's salary!). But worth checking out.
Another good option might be the restaurant on the rooftop of Hotel Raphael -- expensive, but with good food and great views. (I ate there last year). Filippo La Mantia's resturant on the rooftop of Hotel Majestic also tends to get top marks from people, although I haven't tried it myself. I think the terrace restaurant at Hotel Splendide Royal, which has a Michelin star, is also supposed to be quite good.
What I'm more familiar with is the more moderately-priced places (more in the 30-50 euro per person range), which don't tend to be on rooftops and have quite such spectacular views, but also have excellent food! For that, I'd say consider Le Mani in Pasta in Trastevere, Trattoria Monti in Monti, or Da Danilo on the Esquilino.
I hope that helps!
