Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Vivos - National Margarita Day

I found out yesterday that today (February 22) was National Margarita Day. That seemed to me to be as good a reason as any for a happy hour date. I set up a babysitter before the date details were finalized and Facebooked a question about where we should go tonight. One of my FB friends suggested the same locale my husband recommended - Vivo. I had to admit - it is my favorite margarita date when it comes to pure ambiance. How can a girl NOT love a place where they not only put a flower into your margarita but also give you a long stem rose when they hand your date the bill? Add in the great sexy paintings on the wall and it's pure fabuloso.

The only thing I was moderately bummed about was the fact that there were no stones and rose petals in the sink at the 620 location tonight. But, of course - you can't have everything in life.

I spent the entire afternoon angsting about the fact that my favorite Vivo margarita is their prickly pear version.  I figured that if it is National Margarita Day, I should be a purist and go for the traditional lime version. But my husband convinced me (hero that he is when it comes to manipulating my emotional logistics) that since he was having a regular lime version, we'd be ok from a purity standpoint. I started with a prickly pear, ended with a hibiscus, and am stunningly disoriented as I write this blog - a good hour and a half after I finished the second margarita.

Truthfully, I'm amazed that anyone could make it home after two Vivo margaritas. I realize I'm a bit of a light weight when it comes to happy hours...but still...yikes! These were some serious margaritas! (Although the fact that my dietary intake during the previous 24 hours consisted of a package of instant oatmeal, a cup of chicken noodle soup and a side salad might have SOMETHING to do with the perceived strength of the alcohol....)

And yet....I digress. Back to the date. I began the date by telling my husband he needed to tell me how fabulous I was. It ended with my philosophical musings about whether my particular version of sensitivity was just the other end of the spectrum from sociopaths who had no empathy for other humans. (i.e. - is it just as problematic that a person is hyper-sensitive as it is that a person has absolutely no feeling for his or her fellow human beings?) I am clearly one hot date, right? Who wouldn't want to end the date discussing the Vietnam War and Quadafi? (Or Gaddafi....I can't really come to a conclusion on the spelling...)

I suppose I should rate Vivo, right? Well - I like it. It's eccentric, it has a great happy hour deal ($2 off margaritas and 1/2 off appetizers), and the margaritas knock me on my @#s (which is all one can hope for on National Margarita Day). Having said that, I'm completely WORTHLESS now that I'm here at home...so if you're looking for a place where you can have 2 margaritas, you weigh less than 140 pounds, and you still want to sound like a normal human being once you get home....Vivo might be too much for you to handle on a school night.

Just sayin'.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Jasper's at The Domain

I figured that Jasper's would be an early posting on this blog because it's a little tricky for the two of us to make it to a "normal" Happy Hour. Most HH's are over by 7 (and often don't take place on weekend nights) but Jasper's has a HH menu that you can use any time as long as you're on the patio or in the bar. So no matter what time our date is - Jasper's has some HH options.

Lucky for me, I snagged our babysitter at the last minute and we headed over to The Domain. What a fabulous date. For one thing, I'd just finished my first ever "spa day" where I enjoyed a manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, and hair stylin' all on the same day. That's something that might never happen again so I really tried to soak it up. I felt like a million bucks because the hairstylist was able to do amazing things that are beyond my mere mortal capabilities.

I rushed home, threw on some lipstick and mascara, grabbed my black heels and my grandmother's mink (technically, my mink now) and strutted into the bar. I started with the Skinny Margatini - which was perfect for me but probably too tart for most people. After that, I had a sangria. My husband had the house margarita. We split the blue cheese potato chips and two orders of the brisket tacos (appetizer size - each order had two tacos) which was, bar none, the best brisket I've ever put into my mouth. Don't tell my mom I said that. So that's three appetizers and three really fabulous drinks for a grand total of $34 (not including tip).

I'm telling you - if you want some great food, a classy atmosphere and great drinks - Jasper's is a wonderful choice. They have a number of appetizers and drinks for just $5. The menu has enough variety that I'd like to go back soon, but because I want to experience more diversity in my HH hunt, I probably won't rush back because date nights are precious. I'm already looking forward to the week in summer when we'll be on our own - I'll probably be insisting on a HH every night...at least!