5 /5 Stephen Hatfield: The tyranny of choice is prevalent, especially when just trying to grab dinner first thing after arriving in a new town on vacation. We walked around for a while, learning that 5pm Friday night in Santa Cruz right before Christmas feels a lot like Sunday night everywhere else. Why were all the shops closed? Why was the boardwalk lit up so fantastically, yet only to be populated by the similarly hapless as us? Was it too *early*? How can a loving God cause such agony?
We found no answers as we walked, despite how pleasant our stroll was. What we did find was Ideal bar and grill. I joked that we can stop here - its "ideal" so clearly well find nothing better - but really there wasnt much from the outside that struck me. But cute Christmas cocktails caught my wifes curiosity and I was in no position to protest; in we went.
Much larger inside than I thought. Much more comfortable than I was expecting. Her Christmas cocktail was tasty, my margarita probably would have been if I remembered Miltons Uncertainty (did I remember to order no salt?). Ceviche accompanied our cocktails and was absolutely fantastic. From all reports her Buddha salad was wonderful - I fully intended to try it myself yet my fork could never seem to stray from the horseradish salmon in front of me - it was marvelous! By that point I had drained my drink as carefully as I could, avoiding the Crystals That Do Not Belong the best I could, and I ordered a sour to follow. Tropic Sunset by Fruition Brewing company was one of the best Ive ever had. It really topped off my dining. It was a rotating item though, sadly this will become yet another beer that I love so much though will probably never find again.
These are the fleeting moments though, arent they? Such wonderful dining experiences are not to be recreated and we should be careful not to try, but to make new ones.
So reader, if youve stuck with me this far, I encourage you to make a new one at Ideal.
