Some nice friend check-ins this week: first we met Laura for dinner at White Lily Diner, her first time in a while and our first time in…not that long. Pastrami sandwich as per usual, but also a bottle of Closson Chase. We went back to Chez Nous afterward and had a delicious bottle of Domaine Queylus Cab Franc.

The next night I met an old friend (Shannon) at a new place (Belle Isle) where the cocktails are made by another, newer friend (James). We had a couple bites (weird) and three cocktails each. All five we tried were outstanding.

I had:

• divorced dad dinner: cinnamon toast crunch bourbon, averna, cacao, vermouth, amarena
• these gays are trying to kill me: guava candy tito’s, st germain, apple soju, absinthe, lemon
• going home with the drummer: planteray stiggins rum, citadelle gin, tio pepe, ginger, drambuie, chili

Shannon had:

• i’m not much into health food: el dorado 12, plantaray 3, amaro, pina, coco, egg white, orange blossom
• young, dumb, in love, and dumb: lot 40, cynar, candied ginger, maple, akvavit, lagavulin, hickory, apple cider (ed: I kinda can’t believe I didn’t try this one)
• a divorced dad dinner

It was nice to see James and sample his excellent wares, but I was a good 20 years too old to be in that place.