Lately, date night has been a quick drink at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn, at the end of a long Friday or Saturday night shift at Va Beh'. The bartender there makes the best French martini in NYC, beautifully balanced, just strong enough with only a blush of Chambord and a hint of pineapple. Michele has a classic Stoli orange on the rocks. Both are usually ready on the bar before we can even have a chance to place our order.
We're usually holding hands as we sip our drinks but we probably chat more with Dan and Sean and the other bartenders, managers and customers than we do with each other. It's that kind of place, "where everybody knows your name" and all that, the perfect little detour before we finally head home.