Brushing Crumbs Off Of the Table

I wrote that a neuro recommended drinking  diet tonic water as an aid to treating nighttime leg cramps.  The sudden, agonizing "squaweeez" of a calf muscle or ankle that necessitates throwing off the covers, getting out of bed and, hanging on to something to do exercises such as heel lifts, slight knee bends or whatever feels good until they have eased.

It works.  Side benefit:  instead of drinking Riesling in  a small wine glass (think 1st class wine glasses) and an ice cube I switched over to the diet quinine tonic.  Far fewer calories than a Riesling which tastes more like fancy sugar water than anything else.  Am not sure there is even any alcohol in it as I went to bed stone, cold sober every night.  Judge for yourself.

$30 for a Good Dinner
Brickworks, Manhattan Beach Mall (brickworksroasthouse.com)  to our delighted surprise is doing the $30 Special again.  We had no idea until we were presented with menus.  In it, you are offered a first - salad or hors d'oeuvre or soup, main of a variety of meats including lamb which is rarely seen in South Bay menus, and accessories (the potatoes au gratin are wonderful, flame broiled to a lovely tan) and the third course which is dessert.

We started with deviled eggs with our drinks (Stella for him, sparkling prosecco for me.)  Our server nodded professionally and asked "Four or six?" "Four," we said.  Instead of a flag of bacon waving over the egg half,  theirs come with powdered, cooked bacon sprinkled on top and aside from an initial feeling that I was eating bits of shell, they were good.

He ordered the cream of tomato-basil soup for his first course.  I ordered the Caesar salad which was better than most I have encountered in my So-Far Vain Quest for the Perfect Caesar Salad. That was mine.

We both chose the slices of filet mignon with a red wine sauce, potatoes au gratin and honeyed steamed carrots.

The staff is quite amiable about boxing up your dessert and did so for his crème brule/flan and my carrot cake.

$60 for all but the deviled eggs and the bar bill - a glass of house Cab for him and a second flute of sparkling prosecco.  And leftovers and advice, too!  Our server recommended eating the carrot cake with my morning coffee!  I didn't.  Half yesterday; finish it off today.  The pineapple chunks were a good addition.