It's always fun times when a good buddy comes into town. This time, it's Michael Margulies (a.k.a. Miguel Margueles), a former Brass Monkey teammate. Mike left this side of the country last spring to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer, and he is currently in his first year at Cardozo Law School in New York.
Will and I walked down to the Mission last night to meet up with Wendy, Mike, and his buddies Blue, Jenny and Greg. We had originally planned to go for dinner at Puerto Alegre on Valencia, but it was mysteriously closed, and we were all too lazy to walk across the street to actually find out why. Then, we considered the economic favorite, Pakwan, but Jenny quickly nixed that idea with a "I just can't do it". So, we managed to agree on going for spanish tapas at Ramblas, and amazingly, all the stars were aligned and there was a table with room for 7.
(Sidenote: Parked outside Ramblas (on the curb, no less) was a American-made, gas-guzzling monstrosity of a vehicle...maybe a Ford Bronco circa 1990, that had the most fitting personalized license plate---"OPEC[heart]ME"...god bless America!)
Michael sporting his NYC shaggy-hair lookDinner included: (my favorites in bold)
- pitcher of Sangria
- Romaine Hearts Spanish blue cheese, crispy jamón & lemon caper vinaigrette
- Pan Tomate Grilled baguette with tomato, garlic, jamón & Manchego
- Piquillos Fire roasted Spanish peppers filled with cumin-lime blended goat cheese
- Butternut Squash Gratin with dried cherries, sage Laura Chenel goat cheese & cream
- Tortilla Espanola Potato omelet with lemon aioli & salsa verde
- Las Ramblas Paella (saffron rice with shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken, chorizo & peas)
- Gambas al Ajillo Sautéed white shrimp with garlic, sherry & olive oil
- Empanadillas de Verduras Filled with Manchego, goat cheese, spinach & pine nuts
- Setas Mixed wild mushrooms sautéed with olive oil, pimenton, butter & garlic
Greg, Jenny, Blue, Margulies and Wendy @ Ramblas
After dinner, there was a drink at Casanova just a few doors down from Ramblas. Will and I pulled the chute and headed home, convinced that it must be close to bedtime, and in actuality, it was only 10:30 pm. Oy!
Thursday may be the new Saturday, but feeling tired and old is still the same as feeling tired and old.
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