filed in Daily Life, Happy Ever After
What Are Friends For?
During the Clinton years, I learned to drink Manhattans at the 500 Club, a Mission district bar in San Francisco. I no longer remember how the custom got started, but for years, like clockwork, every Monday at 6:30, John, Doris, Fred and I would grab a cozy booth by the door and order cocktails. These seasoned drinkers would laugh as I slurped my Bloody Mary, a beverage they considered strictly brunch material. It took some coaching to acquire the grownup taste for Makers Mark Manhattans, but I’ve never looked back.
Our foursome set a few ground rules. No mates. No dates. No excuses. One by one, we would go around the table, and share our latest triumphs and defeats. It was comforting to begin the week with a standing date, timed just long enough to make us hungry for the next installment. I always left the 500 Club happy, and a little drunk, then grabbed a nearby burrito and went home.
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Sounds awesome! I’m wondering what happened to end the awesomeness. Did people move away or get too busy, or did those mates and dates slowly steal them away?
The catalyst, Wendy, moved away and te tradition faded. I miss it still and Manhattans don’t taste as good anywhere (or with anyone) else.
After pink Champagne, Makers Mark Manhattans are probably my favorite liquid inducement for sharing the week’s trials and tribulations with my “cone of silence” friends.