Stay classy, Minneapolis!

Last Friday night Matt went to play in a poker tournament. He strolls in a 5 in the morning.
"What happened? Did you win?"
"Yep."
"How much?"
"Oh, pretty good." He's always vague.
"What did you play?"
"Texas hold'em."
"Were you playing with a bunch of dumb yahoos?"
"Pretty much."
"Cleaned them out?"
"Yep... this one guy got so drunk. I kept knocking him out but he kept buying back in."
"Aaahhh."
"So what are you going to spend it on?"
"Mmmm....I think steak dinner."

So Saturday night we make reservations at the Capital Grille in downtown Minneapolis. There are about 6 or so very nice steak houses and we hadn't been to any of them but we like the sound of this place. It is ridiculously expensive.

We have reservations for six. I tell them it is an anniversary and they have the table covered in rose petals, a card signed by the staff, and have complimentary champagne for us. Oh goody, they got me at hello!

Our waiter, Scott, was fantastic. When the guy across the aisle hears it is our anniversary he raises his glass to us. Scott assures us that he's a regular, and he looked the type: A retired captain of industry from the Nixon administration who probably made his living doing corporate hostile takeovers and was familiar with pushing fat envelopes of money across tables in dimly-lit restaurants to some beefy guy named Big Paulie, who would then be assured, "Yes, sir, it's taken care of."

You know, THAT kind of guy.

He was sitting with a much younger woman, and me and Matt tried to figure out if she was also the type of date who gets a big tip at the end of the night.

We ordered the shrimp cocktail, and then I did something I've never done. Something I dreamed of, but never had the courage for.

I ordered a whole bottle of wine.

Scott helped us pick it and it was very good. It was a California, Sonoma County, blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet, that went very well with our steaks. This was a big step for me. I still can't bring myself to order orange juice in a restaurant because all I heard growing up was, "Juice is THREE times as expensive in the restaurant! If you want juice you can have some when we get home."

One of the first times I went out with the Braun family for breakfast everyone ordered orange juice and I practically had a stroke and fell off my chair. I kept waiting for a lightning bolt to hit our table or the waitress to tell them what complete fools they were for being so frivolous.

We also had a side of creamed spinach and ordered creme brulee for desert. The food was outstanding; so when our waiter asked how our food was I was busy cramming a hunk of meat into my gaping maw - all I could do was nod and grin and give him a "thumbs up" sign. I might have even had creamed spinach on my chin.

Because I'm a classy lady.