All About the Flow
Jack: “Today’s your birthday, nahnahnahnahnah-nah, nah-nah…”
Jill: “Ah, yes.”
Jack: “And you still look great at 25!”
Jill: (laughs)
Seeing as it was Jill’s birthday, I suggested we have dinner in ‘the City.’ After all, this is big. Real BIG!
She left the choice of cuisine to me. Knowing her as I do, I suggested seafood. And her knowing me, as she does, she promptly agreed. If she knows one thing, it is, Jack REALLY loves seafood, especially oysters! Not sure why exactly… perhaps it’s the flow, but they do feed my soul. As luck would have it, they feed Jill’s soul as well. Off to the Blue Water Grill we went.
The Blue Water Grill sits on the corner of 16th Street and Union Square Park, which is a very nice setting. The building itself was once a bank so it has that beautiful, polished look with marble all about. It truly is a pleasure to walk inside. In warmer weather, they offer outdoor seating along the sixteenth street side. I know from experience, it can be on the tighter side but still very much enjoyable.
We were greeted by a very cheery hostess who took our coats and directed us to the bar. Though we were early for our reservation, she offered to seat us. We chose a ‘decompression’ cocktail prior to dinner. The bar itself is rather, meh. It appeared a little worn and the bartender a wee bit cranky, though she did apologize to us after serving our drinks. Give credit when credit is due. Hey, sometimes you have a bad day. After which, her spirits lifted and she was quite pleasant. Regardless, the T&T and VS flowed smoothly.
As we enjoyed our cocktails, Jill’s phone was buzzing ‘off the hook’ with b-day wishes from many of those close to us (figuratively speaking, of course). Naturally, this lead to selfies. Which, of course, lead to…
Jack: “How’s my hair?” (I kid, I kid!)
Jill: “How’s my hair?”
Jack: “Lovely.” “How exactly do we do this selfless-thing?”
Jill: “This what???”
Jack: “Smile!” and SNAP!
The topic then turned to one of my two favorites; travel plans! Though we still have several months, one can never begin planning soon enough, especially when one is looking for a deal. And Jill is ALL about getting the deal! Yet another quality that I love in her.
Las Vegas is a favorite get-away for Jill and I. We simply LOVE it there! So much so, it is our annual junket. It is a place where we can let our ‘hair down’ and leave all cares to the wind. Late morning starts and lounging all day by the pool. Fine dining in multiple cuisines and the endless choices in wine. Unique shows followed by gambling-filled evenings. And, of course, escapades into the wee hours. It’s our kind of town. Well, at least for a few days.
A lengthy post of our last jaunt will be posted soon enough. Until then…
We agreed, our next Las Vegas theme will be, ‘old school’. No, not that Old School. More like, ‘Rat Pack’ old school. We (meaning, she) are currently looking into the following destinations: Caesar’s, The Mirage, The Flamingo and the Golden Nugget. There are naturally pro’s & con’s to each, and pricing is a big variable as is amenities such as the pool (Jill demands a wonderful pool experience, as do I!) and the casino.
After our drinks, we requested to be seated and were taken to our table. Once there, our server, Ricky, introduced himself. He was very personable and relaxed which we both enjoyed. After sharing specials and some of his personal favorites, our dining experience commenced.
We began with a selection of six oysters (the Chef’s Selection) along with two additions of our own; Salutation Cove and Kusshi. The chef certainly did a fine job BUT I must say, I liked our choices better. So much so, that we ordered two more of each. Yum-my!
Our entrees were the Seared Sea Scallops with sunchoke in apple brown butter for Jill and the Black Sea Bass with sweet potato ravioli in mushroom consommé for me. All was incredibly fresh, delicious and presented quite nicely. We also found the portions to be appropriate. Dessert was a shared Valrhona Chocolate Mousse with Oreo crumble. Simply divine!
As we let the food dance in our mouths, we carried on a wonderful conversation, letting the positive vibes of the restaurant serve as our backdrop.
As I mentioned earlier, I have two favorite topics; travel is one; ‘ta-ta’s’, the other. Hey, just keepin’ it real. So how exactly did we land on this topic, you ask? Well…
First and foremost, Jill looked amazing, as she always does. Her form fitting dress, the tempting thigh-high’s, those confident heels, the sultry lingerie I just KNOW she had on… needless to say, she was inspiring an itch in me that would definitely need to be scratched later that evening (as it turned out, we decided to relive high school). But I digress.
Fortunately, Jill is blessed in this department. Heck, that’s the first thing that attracted me to her! And her attire brought out the best in her.
Back to the story.
Jill brought up her adventures (link to post) in the city at the Today Show. Naturally, this lead to her sharing stories and photos of her friend, Cleveland. Quite frankly, I did not recognize her and said as much. In my defense, she was indeed bundled up in the cold. With that, Jill provided another photo sans coat.
Jack: “Ah yes! NOW I recognize her.”
Jill: (laughs)
Jill is not only a beautiful woman but also a very confident woman. More outstanding qualities. She’s also a ‘free spirit’ of sorts. I just love my Jill!
This lead to an in-depth discussion of breast types; natural vs enhanced (I don’t judge), tear drop vs bell shape, east/west vs side set…
Jill: “Hey Jack, this isn’t ‘War & Piece,’ you know. Get on with it.”
Throughout the evening, Ricky was selectively attentive, tending to our needs yet allowing us to really enjoy the experience. To be sure, he had the flow to our cocktails down to perfection, offering the next round once the prior was complete.
As the evening went on, the restaurant became steadily busier but at no time did it become a distraction. It simply served as a complement to our own electricity. Upon receiving our coats, we were made aware of a new section to the restaurant, located downstairs; Metropolis. It is an oyster room & cocktail bar, which hosts live jazz on select evenings. That is now on our checklist!
The evening had taken on its own flow; steady, smooth and natural.
Walking out, we left arm-in-arm into the crisp City night feeling quite satisfied and very much in love. Next up? 1983!
Ah yes, it’s all about the flow!