There IS Such a Thing as a Free Dinner

So after a large hiatus, on account of D1's having a baby, our "Full Squad" was back at our Friday night dinner thing last night. D1 picked a gourmet Mexican place in Wynwood called Bakan.

I fetched D2 in the Grove, since Jonathan was coming from a meeting on Miami Beach,and we found a spot on 29 Street. We realized that Wifey was parked right in front of it, on her phone -- she had come from her assistant nanny job with our grandson. D2 and I came to the same instant conclusion -- since Wynwood was still sort of edgy, maybe a woman of a certain age sitting in her Lexus SUV, obliviously chatting or texting, wasn't the safest urban activity one could do. So as I paid the parking app, D2 came to her mother's driver window and rapped hard, and yelled, as if she were about to Wifey Jack the Lexus. Wifey jumped. Lesson maybe accomplished. Hilarity ensued...

The place was packed. Wifey and I were by far the oldest there. It's a huge indoor/outdoor restaurant -- they were turning people away, left and right. We had a 7:30 reservation, and got seated.

We ordered -- D1 and I got the sea bass in mole sauce. The drinks and entrees came -- except for D1's and mine. D1 went into tough woman mode -- telling the server the delay was unacceptable. Turned out -- he had delivered the entrees to the wrong table -- a group of 4 gorgeous Asian women clearly on a girls's night out. The server sent the manager.

He apologized,and said the entrees were 15 minutes away. D1 got sterner -- she had to get home to feed her baby -- we had been there 2 hours already. The manager, a very handsome, young man, said, "Well -- a round of drinks on me."  Nah -- I answered how about giving us the two entrees, which were $38 each, for free. The manager said "You know what? The entire meal is on me!" as he walked away.

Indeed, I called for the check, and the server said it was on the house. I peeled off a few $100 bills and handed them to the waiter, and then asked to see the manager. He apologized again. I asked for his card.

I asked him if he knew about Lotus House -- a wonderful shelter for women and children escaping abusive men. He did not. I told him I would be making a contribution to them in his name, to thank him for his classy move. He got teary eyed.

Truth is, we probably won't return to the restaurant. The food was excellent, but the place VERY noisy -- even my noisy Wynwood standards. But when a luxury meal can be turned into tzekekah -- I figure it's a good night.

Today Wifey and I are leaving in the afternoon -- a stop to see the grandson, and then meeting Paul and his old Philly group up at Gulfstream. Paul and his friend Steve have been friends since kindergarten, in NE Philly, and also coming are Paul's sister and brother in law. It's a lovely group -- we got together last February, too -- Steve and Rose come down each year to escape the Philly brutal Winter.

It should be a lovely evening -- even without a complimentary bill.