Working from home can be great. Especially when my travel agent is also working from home, on the other side of the table.(Who happens to be Kathy-wife-who’s-not-really-a-travel-agent)(but could be)
“Hey” she said. “Do you want to go visit Aislyn (eldest daughter) next Tuesday”?
“Flights are $7 on JetBlue”
(I knew I had been working hard, distracted, without coffee for awhile, and figured I heard wrong)
“$7?” I doubted. “Yep” She confirmed. “Round trip” I mocked. “No dummy” She bit. “Each way”.
I didn’t respond. She said “Well”? I said “Why not?!” (Right? $14.00..well…plus airport taxes..parking..dinner… Stop thinking, just say yes! Gotta love those new airport market promotions!)
So, one week later, we left Tuesday @ Noon, took the 2PM train from the airport to downtown (tack on ANOTHER $1.80), walked five minutes to beloved daughter #1’s cool new place, settled in, hugged when she arrived home in her cool-like-that urban cap hat, chatted awhile, contemplated dinner and upscale DC vs funky DC vs 100 beers on tap DC (I crossed my fingers while I said “Whatever you girls want””) and, ultimately, decided on her very cool “get the local flavor” neighborhood of Columbia Heights for a pint and a bite. (Research time…Aah-gain !)
We found Meridian Pint after less than 10 minutes of walking, and in we went for one of their 24 beers on draft. OK, only 12 were available. And we sat at the center community table. Where daughter explained in a weird contradiction to all that I know about restaurant service and success, that, the bartender may or may not come over and take your order, but the table is the bartender’s jurisdiction so the waitstaff will NOT serve you if the bartender doesn’t and sure enough, the most idle, most close by (6 feet) waitress, leaned against the wall, looking away, and never once offered a menu or to take our order or AT LEAST the suggestion that we were on our own! She was nice, when we finally asked cuz bartender was too busy, in telling us we (still) had to go to the bartender. (Far be it from me…and maybe they are doing great, but I can say for certain, their lack of attention cost them no less that $50.00 from our party, as we left after one. (Which took 15 minutes to secure)
So then. We ordered. The only Pumpkin beer of the 4 they offered on the menu. (And found out why it was the only one still available) And, The Evolution #6 IPA (very nice) and…drumroll…
The 9.8% ABV Hot Monkey Love, from Pratt St. Ale House in Baltimore. And…A-mayyyy-zing!! www.prattstreetalehouse.com
Well worth the wait! And the walk to the bar. And the $7.00 flight.
For dinner…we walked anonymously past the bar and down the street to even cooler, Room 11, where we were lucky to secure 4 of the, like, 20 seats. Room 11’s another blog!
If you ever get the chance…Go for some Hot Monkey Love for a great change of pace.
Leave a Reply