My Dinner Cost $64, They Almost Charged Me $145

Dinner with friends. Usually a good time. Last night was a good time. On my way there I was stuck in traffic (thanks Mr. Can't Move Your Tractor Trailer Out of the Way By 30th Street Station). Seems almost all of us were stuck in the same traffic at some point. However, I had a momentary insight while I was stuck in said traffic. I am working on getting over a not huge, not minor but still very real broken heart. The truth is, I only want to be surrounded by friends at the moment. I don't want to go out meeting other guys... I just want the comfort of those people whom I really enjoy being with. Without the pressure of... well... anything.

So... I parked my sorry butt about 5 or 6 city blocks away from the restaurant and made my way. In boots that are stiff and high. Very high. Wow. Those blocks were long. And then I had trouble finding the restaurant. Past the parking lot I had originally looked for to no avail, past the strip joint that I almost worked at (a long, long time ago), past the porn theater, past the Art Institute with all the smoking wanna be chefs out front... tucked away in a "mall" of designer furniture is Bistro St. Tropez. I would provide a link but I didn't think it was all that great. If you're super interested when you're done reading... Google it.

I sat down with my friends and it took me a bit to get my brain there. I think for a little while it remained on the elevator. And then I panicked. I had left my phone in my car... and one of the people who was supposed to be joining us wasn't there. What was I to do? So, I called an old friend of mine, using someone else's phone... only to get voicemail. I didn't know the missing friend's number and this old friend was the only one I could think of to get his number from. And then we remembered that he had given his digits to one of the other girls at the table. Don't get the wrong impression. Don't ASSUME. He's her electrician.

He got there and the food and drink could finally start flowing. And flow, it did. Two French Martinis, some hummus (which was served with fried pita... oh... the French), a wonderfully cooked medium rare steak, and some ice cream served in some pastry, followed up with a really good Amaretto and Diet. Mmm... mmm... still I was not blown away by the place. However, my lunch is going to be the remainder of the hummus and my dinner will probably be the remainder of my steak.

I think what turned me off in the place was the service. It just wasn't that good. And it's never cool to laugh or make jokes about a customer's last name. No, the reservation isn't a fake.

The conversation over dinner ranged from how to smuggle sand from the Sahara back to the US, the blinking sign that reminds us all of a seedy motel, and so forth. It was funny, it was good. I worry for a moment here and there that maybe I said too much aloud. Then I remember I like and trust these people.

Looking forward to dinner on Friday as well. It will be a mix of the people who went last night and we're going to change up some of the faces. Still... will be a good crowd, I'm sure of it.