As I was making the Mainland-to-Monroe drive on Friday, I was reveling in the lack of plans I had for the weekend. I had just finished telling FKGuy about how I was looking forward to free museum weekend and some quality time in the pool with a cool beverage in hand. That was it. No other plans.
I had just finished my thought when I got a text from a friend of mine. “Are you around this weekend? Do you want to get together?” Seeing as how I have wanted to meet his new girlfriend for some time now, we made plans to have sushi Sunday night. Plus, I have been having a sushi craving and Origami is as good as it gets.
Still undecided on our plans for that evening, we headed to the Orchid Bar. It still shocks me how many Key West residents have not even heard of it, much less have been there. Every time I go, it is filled with locals. (Incidentally, it is in the Orchid Key Hotel on the corner of Truman and Duval.) Plus, it had been written up in the New York Times article, 36 hours in Key West.
While there we start chatting with a couple who were visiting on vacation. “How long have you been married?” I ask. “Since Sunday,” was the fiddling-with-the-new-ring reply. Well, we got talking and we had quite a few things in common with these two (not the getting married 5 days ago part.) As we were leaving, several other patrons (that we happen to have already known) asked where we were going for dinner. “The Flaming Buoy,” I said, proud of myself for having made a decision far enough in advance to score a reservation. (OK, it was really 10 minutes in advance, and I had scored some barstools. Same difference.) The honeymooners asked how it was since they planned on going the next night.
Naturally, being the yenta that I am, I asked if they just wanted me to make their reservation for them. I was going anyway, and they were mid-cocktail. So, I make them a reservation and invite them over for pre-dinner drinks. Yes, I know that is weird on many levels, but… A. We live really close to the restaurant and B. I do things like that.
I was thinking that it’s rather odd to randomly meet strangers in a bar and invite them over for cocktails. Then I remembered that was how I met some other people that have become actual friends over the past several months. It turns out the Orchid Bar is good for more than just a pre-dinner cocktail. (Although those are good, too!)
