Hipsters

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Tim and I finally made it a point to try Perslane, a restaurant we’ve driven by a million times and never once dined at. Ever since it first opened, I’d like to say a year ago, but it was actually three years ago, we’ve passed by and reminded each other we needed to give it a try. The place is always busy, with people gathered outside around the fire pits and others clamoring for tables inside. I’d previewed the menu years ago and knew they served chicken Milanese, which made the visit even more enticing.

I suggested we go out to dinner, and Tim’s only request was that we try somewhere other than our go-to, Mariner Grill. So off we went to a new spot. The hostess greeted us, a former dance student of mine and the only familiar face in the entire place. We were seated at a small (and I mean tiny) table right near the door. It took me about two minutes to reject it and say we’d be happy to wait for two seats at the bar instead. The right table matters… and within a few minutes, we were seated at the bar, looking over the room and scanning the hipster crowd of unfamiliar faces. 

Tim and I both kept asking where all these strangers came from, faces we’d never seen around town, even in passing. Two women sat next to us; one had on an abundance of lipstick that had seeped down the corners of her mouth to the point where I wondered why her friend didn’t tell her she looked like a hot mess. Isn’t that what friends are for? Tim didn’t notice the lipstick situation, he must have been focused on his fancy cocktail…which, to be fair, was delicious.

Our meals were incredible, the food truly lived up to the hype. But as I told Tim I wasn’t sure it was our vibe, he quickly insisted that it was his. So time will tell… are we hipsters now? We did enjoy watching the crowd and wondering who everyone was. At one point, Tim was convinced a woman walked out of the bathroom after doing cocaine....sniffling and all. I didn’t realize we had traveled back to the ’80s!

So my review is mixed: delicious food, a strong hipster vibe (if you like that kind of thing), great bar seating, but tables, not so much. Another visit might be needed for a fair assessment.

Also worth noting: Tim took offense to yesterday’s blog, proclaiming that he wasn’t “scared straight” into getting projects done by my anger. He claims he has a running list in his mind and prefers to work like a rabbit, in quick spurts of energy. After all, he said, “the rabbit wins the race.” I had to break it to him that it was, in fact, the turtle who won, with slow and steady determination while the rabbit burned out. Tim really does throw me softballs of great material I can’t resist writing about. Gotta love him.

And maybe that’s the real takeaway from the night....so much more than the food or the scene, but the entertainment we create for ourselves wherever we go. Whether we end up back at Perslane or stick to our usual spots, we'll always head home with stories to tell and eagerness for new adventures together. 

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” ~  Robert Louis Stevenson  (lipstick lady needs this)