Drinking Appropriately

Tuesday, Jan. 31st Roy's, Rancho Mirage
We (Richie's brother Charlie, his wife Rosalind, my sister Jane and her husband Jim, Richie and self) were about to order pre-dinner drinks. I turned to Jim and asked, "Dirty martini, up?" as we are the only martini drinkers in the bunch.

"No," he said, "I'm going to have (something else, can't remember). I like a martini at a steak place, but not here," gesturing at the menu.

"Ah hah!" I thought, as our waiter approached, "I'll have something different, too."

He bent down (attractive young guy with a ready smile)and I said, "You have two champagnes listed on your menu (he nodded, gravely) - I'd like a glass of the cheaper one!" and he grinned and rolled off a long French name, some of which "Lorraine" I remembered from the menu and I said, "That's the one!"

Later, dinner was at the coffee and desserts stage and he asked me what I would have and I said, "Another glass of the same champagne, please." When he came back, I had my head turned, talking to my sister. When I did turn back, I saw with alarm that it was the expensive champagne! (White, $14/glass; red $9/glass.)

"Richie, please get the waiter back! He gave me the wrong champagne!" sitting well away from it, thinking, "No fingerprints on the glass! Not even my breath touching it!"

He came back, I gestured and he winked and said, "The bar mixed up the order; I billed the cheaper one" and grinned. I thought for a nanosecond and said, shrugging, "In that case, I might as well keep it" and we both grinned like the accomplices we apparently were.

The next night at Tommy Bahama's Caribbean Cafe, we were all together once again. Remembering Jim's words on appropriate drinks, I ordered a Pineapple Jalapeno Mojito. I have no idea of the amounts used, but here are the listed ingredients:
Cruzon Pineapple cane syrup, rum, mint, and club soda garnished with a thin ring of raw jalapeno and a sliver of pineapple. So much for the ballyhooed "pineapple jalapeno"!

But it went well with my Caesar salad,* followed by coconut shrimp with Asian slaw. It was perfectly appropriate.


* I am on a private quest for the perfect Caesar salad. I thought I had had it at Charlie's, A New York Joint, but they quit making their own Caesar dressing and went to Girard's.