Girls I Know

Last night visited two girls in my neighbourhood: Betty and Julie. These chicks have nothing in common but postal code.

Betty's a little hard around the edges. At Ossington & Queen W, she tolerates an eclectic crowd with edge. The staff and patrons typically blend well into the wall covered by framed vintage tattoo designs.

Despite her bad girl exterior, Betty cares about her friends. She has instituted a very firm TWO ABSINTHE LIMIT rule in order to protect the heads and knees and sanity of her visitors.

Sheena was sipping a St. Peter's Organic Ale. Lovely flavour and beautiful green bottle that matches the ring with the unidentified stone bought in Austin last year. Quaffing Companion started with Guinness and then switched to 50. Sheena rolled her eyes at that selection, because when I grew up I was taught that you had to BE 50 to DRINK 50.

When Sheena is not in a beer mood at Betty's, she will often sip a Cave Spring Rosé, a regular menu item and one of the top 3 VQA Rosés, IMHO.

The Quaffing Companion pointed to the Absinthe on the wall. Betty stocks 2 types. He had never tried it before. So the bartender kindly let us give it a sniff, and poured a dribble in a shot glass to taste. It was god-awful. One was reminiscent of Jagermeister, the other more like a sambuca. Sheena decided she could never be Degas subject.

And then we heard the story of the Two-Absinthe Limit. We crowded around the solid wood bar as the tattooed pierced bar maid relayed the story. I felt like we were at a campfire and the bogeyman was in the bushes. Our eyes got big and I grabbed the QC's hand to remain calm. They broke the rule but once. There was some big burly European who insisted he was a regular consumer of the green goddess and that their rule was shite. He could take it. After much cajoling, they finally relented. And he ended up at the bottom of the stairs later the night. Shivers went up my spine. Kind of like when the teenagers finally face the claw-handed hitchhiker.

Julie is a whole different atmosphere. We strolled over to the funky little piece of Cuba in the middle of the Victorian duplexes and laundromats. Patio was full, but managed to grab a table for two in the window.

Tried the "walkalita" - Guava Juice and Vodka with lime. Very yummy and cooling. Quaffing Companion stuck to Cristal, the Communist beer, in order to do his part to support the Revolutione that night.

Lots of variety on the menu. Started with the homemade lightly battered calamari. I had beef, with side of black beans & rice. QC had the spicy pork & beef hash, with the prettiest ever fruit salad on the side. No coffee, no dessert, though it all looked good.

Early night. Because Saturday is Road Trip Day.