Morton's

Morton's is a fancy-schmancy Steakhouse in West Palm Beach. The kids had attended a charity event about a year ago and a $100.00 gift certificate came in a gift basket. It was about to expire so they kindly offered it to me. I was warned that there would be some "out of pocket" expense even with $100.00 off. I went on the website and downloaded an "off-menu" offer of a dinner for two for $99.00. Then I cast about for a dinner companion who might appreciate the experience and chose Tony. I picked right. It was a "shades of former glory" experience for him. He is still glowing, downloaded the salad recipe from the web, and telling his friends about "Dining at Morton's." We did not see any celebrities but we were treated like them. Tony developed a crush on a Nicaraguan server (not ours) and I told her. She couldn't have been nicer, nor our server.

The food was extraordinarily good: Beefsteak tomatoes on arugula, with red onions and bleu cheese, Asparagus drizzled in a balsamic vinegar reduction, garlic mashed potatoes, Jumbo shrimp Florentine, hot fresh onion bread and a creme brulee' with raspberries for dessert. The portions were gargantuan. I took fully half of mine home. We upgraded on a couple of things- a $30.00 bottle of wine (bottom of the line there) and double cuts on the beef. It still cost us $88.00 which we split but we lived like Palm Beach glitzes for a few hours. I'm glad to have had the experience.

Creme Brulee is blanc mange with a blowtorched cover of sugar. It came with a sprig of spearmint and three perfect raspberries. I hated to leave any but I did.

We left John Prince Park in a rainstorm and came home in a deluge. And it deluged until late Friday afternoon. At least 7 inches that soaked everything. I was not amused. I had gotten my hopes up that the weather would be nice for a few weeks. That is not to be.

Jason called. We will do the doggy birthday party tomorrow, then go see the Russian National Orchestra in Mizner Park. Jason remembered my playing The 1812 Overture on my reel-to-reel tape machine when he was a pup. We'll see how the Russians do it. It is a fun piece of music with the English themes and the French themes ("The Bear Went Over the Mountain." ) and cannon fire-real, or simulated.