Read Drink & Be Merry

Boys night out is an age old tradition.  The wife and kids go to visit a sister in a far away town leaving the husband to fend for himself, alone, at home.  Calls go out to friends to see who wants to hit the town and have some fun.  Matt Marinara is in, another Matt is a maybe, RVA Foodie on the other hand seems more interested in some female wrestling event and selects to spend the evening in the basement of his house. So, with the people picked the next question is ‘Where?’

Dance clubs are out.  The evening starts too late and spouses tend to frown upon that.  Sports bars hold no interest for me nor would karaoke.  Good drinks and decent things to sample are more my speed.  The other key would be lots of places to choose from in a small area so we’re not tempted to drive.  Shokoe Bottom seems to fit the bill.

The first place we decided to hit was Morton’s.  Martinis at the bar and perhaps a little cold shellfish seemed to be a good way to start the evening.  The martinis were good and cold as was the lobster and crab.  The bartender, Chettie (of Chettie’s Cow & Clam back in the day), was polished and professional.  The bar… meh.  It’s dark and cozy but is awfully tiny.  Waiters yelling through the service window were a little disruptive but when the twelve strong bachelorette party the noise level bouncing off the walls of the tiny wood paneled room grew to an unbearable point.  One drink and gone.

The next stop was Cha-Cha’s.  Loud, boys and girls on the prowl, a whole flock of girls circling Jack like vultures around carrion. Probably would have loved this place when I was younger.  Now, everything I touched felt dirty and sticky.  The guys loud and oafish, the girls just one shot away from staring in a ‘Girls Gone Wild’ video.  Time to walk briskly away.

The rest of our walk through the Bottom was interesting but more of the same.  Loud music, very drunk kids (a couple of them passed out on the sidewalk in their own puke.), full sensory overload.  In the midst of all this chaos there was a little of corner of darkness, Julep’s, closed for the evening.  Or was it….  A few feet away from the main door is a very odd door, one with no handle.  We approached and dialed a number on my cell.  Moments later the door opened and we slipped in.

It seems, after the restaurant has finished serving and the shutters on the windows closed, they re-open, but very discretely around 11 on the weekends.  In the spirit of an old speakeasy they are open but only if you know how to get in.  After the noise, the August heat and the stumbling drunks it was nice to go inside to the cool and quiet peace.  Soft music was playing.  The darkness broken by candle lit tables with people relaxing comfortably.  We pulled up to the bar and made ourselves at home.

A cocktail list was offered with an array of interesting concoctions.  Of course there was a mint julep, possible the best one in town and served in a pewter cup.  I selected a nice Hendrick’s Cocktail.  The small batch gin muddled with cucumber is a wonderful combination.  Sadly my diet required me to have the simple syrup replaced with Splenda but it was good none the less.

While the dinner service was over they still offered appetizers.  Pickled Shrimp served with a tangy cream and a trout pate fit the bill wonderfully.  Compared to the bar food being served at our other stops this seemed like returning to civilization after a long slog in the wilderness.  Don’t get me wrong, the other places we wandered through that evening were fun and I would have been barhopping with the best them in my younger days.  I can still drink most of them under a table but as an adult my tastes have become more refined.  Spending an evening down in the Bottom and all the drunken kiddies was made enjoyable thanks to this little oasis.

I’d tell you the secret number but then I would have to kill you….
Oh, OK – 651-8621 – I’ve programmed it into my cell.
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