Underhill-Lounge

The night at Flower started in earnest around 8. We had quite a rush and it stayed busy for an hour or so. By 9:30 things started to taper off, and I took my break and had some much needed dinner. Next time I plan to pack a snack for the BART [...]

The only remaining detail I haven’t covered was the dress code. White shirt, black pants, black socks, black shoes.  I really didn’t have was black shoes that I could imagine standing in all evening. Quick trip to the shoe store and I had a pair of kind of ugly black new balance walking [...]

Well, you know, I suppose not all bartenders are cool, but I just have to pause and mention how great and supportive the men and women who work behind the bar in San Francisco (and elsewhere) have been regarding my little obsession with the Savoy Cocktail Book.
I mean, really, I’m just another cocktail nerd with [...]

Earlier in the week, I had sent a note to a friend, Trott, asking if he or anyone he knew might be interested in dropping by to act as “guinea pigs” for a little drink mixing experiment. I figured I should give making these drinks for other people a shot.
Trott brought along the lovely [...]

If you’ve read the post “Homework“, you’ll know I made it through all 18 drinks more or less according to the recipes from the Flower drink book.
I did forget to pick up the Gosling’s at the store, which was a major mistake.  To me, (sorry Cameron,) the Cruzan Blackstrap Rum just did not make a [...]

In preparation for making the drinks, I made up a little shopping list of the ingredients I needed to pick up:
24 Limes (1 oz juice per lime)
1 dozen Lemons (2 oz juice per lemon)
2 Bunches Mint
Ginger Ale
Martin Miller Gin
Ron Pampero Anniversario
Black Seal Rum
That should be enough to make all the drinks twice, with what I [...]

So in agreement that I would work the next Friday night, E. sent me the drink book and service document.
I’m kind of a student cocktail mixing and technique, so I didn’t have too much trouble with the service document. My only worry was that Erik the slightly mean, grumpy, and foul mouthed cook might [...]

About this time, I thought it might be good to mention this little idea to Mrs. Underhill.
She was a bit skeptical. Her exact analogy was, “You don’t have to be in a band to appreciate music!”
Fortunately, due to the fact that she knew and liked E., she eventually conceded. But I knew I’d [...]

To go back a bit…
When I was working at the Italian restaurant there was a worldly piano teacher who worked in the building.
We bonded over Contemporary Classical Music (Cornelius Cardew) and 20th Century literature (Samuel Beckett).
Some nights, after lessons, he would come down for dinner. If it wasn’t too busy, we’d chat about music [...]

After a few days of thinking about what I had said and written I sent a note to E.
“Yeah, I suppose, if I’m going to continue spouting off about bars and tending I probably should at least have some experience behind the bar…If you can think of some gentle introduction to the job, let me [...]