Beg, Borrow, or Steal

“I read this article in the travel section of the paper,” Kelly said to Sherry and me as we sat down to the bar on the roof at Palio. “It was all about getting the most for your dollar for a night on the town. I think the goal was $40 per person. We should try that tonight!”Kelly was in town from Chattanooga, so we were in the early hours of one of our bi-annual girls’ night out. We were exploring Main Street as part of Restaurant Week, and had just rejected Black Pearl’s $25 prix fixe meal in favor of 1/2 off appetizers and wine at the Palio roof bar. We had a very congenial bartender in the form of Vinnie (who looked young enough to be the Button’s prom date), but the restriction of staying at the bar had us literally sweating it out. Comprised of a large concrete slab, it had absorbed the heat of the day and was radiating it right back at us. A little toasty.

So we vowed to try to make it through the evening, dinner and drinks, on $40 each. “I think we could even stand out on the corner and beg for money!” Kelly laughed. “You mean like on ‘Amazing Race,’ when a team loses their wallets?” I asked. “Yeah!” I then pointed out that it would take some nerve, in a town where half the people have suffered paycuts or lost their jobs, to beg to pay our bar bill for the night. No matter how cute Kelly looked in her sundress.

Palio offers a limited menu on the roof, with only four appetizers on the menu. We ordered the bruschetta, the tapenade variety plate, and some sort of melted goat cheese thingy. The bruschetta was the best – the balsamic vinegar drizzled on the chopped tomatoes, onions, and capers was tangy and yummy. And the artichoke spread among the tapenades was also a standout - garlicy good. The melted goat cheese had been under the broiler too long, we thought – too stiff to spread and too oily.

We wrapped up at Palio and walked down Liberty towards Top of the Park, bumping into Beth on her bike on the way. Luck was with us, since it was one of the few nights this week that rain wasn’t threatening, and it was a beautiful evening on the Ingalls Mall. We marched up to the bar in the Beer Garden at TOP, and Kelly explained “Girls’ Night Out - Beg, Borrow, or Steal Edition” to Max Kurek, the bartender.

And this is where things started to get a little fuzzy, so allow me to refer to my notes…

Max is…
… a Greenhills graduate.
…junior at U of M.
…philosophy major (didn’t know people still did that).
…taking “Philosphy of Religion” with Prof. Louis Loeb spring term.
(exactly 23 years ago I took the same class, same professor. Think I passed.)
…member of Phi Delta Theta.
…not dating anyone right now.
And, without a doubt, Max Kurek is the most charming, handsome, erudite bartender to ever grace the staff of Top of the Park. If you think Max might be a good match for a friend or daughter, send me an email and I'll forward.

As I said, things started to get a little fuzzy about half-way through TOP, but emerging from our hangovers the next day an email came through from Sherry, who had been tracking our expenses on her iPhone:

Palio - $42.14
TOP, Max 1 bottle of wine - $12.00
TOP, Max 4 mini bottles - $15.00
TOP, tip $5.00
Arbor Brewing - $22.00

So, that adds up to $96.14. We easily beat our goal of $40 each.

(Thanks Max!)