Bad Mistress, notes from the Target.

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough."  -Mark Twain
A bevy of Bourbon...perfect for eradicating the bummer. R&R, 33rd Street, OCMD. 5/30/2018 

   The Ocean is like a mistress. You want to be with her even when you know it's bad for you. Terrible weather was plaguing us with an encore leaving me feeling like we should've' skipped this week, but instead there we were again. Overcast skies. Cold, onshore winds, despite the mid-60s waters. And a humidity that hung in the air to the point that your skin and clothes felt damp after just a short time. Both LWatt and I said we were only going to stay a couple of minutes, but we braved the conditions for more than 45. Small, fading sets, sectioning all over the place. Usually, even with these conditions, Wattman spends a bit more time in the water (and from time to time, has a good day) because the Mistress needs to feel wanted. However, there were to be no decent rides on this occasion. Regardless of the screaming in his ears to turn back out, Watt called it early and returned to shore.

No amount of pumpin' gonna get this ride...
Rodeways and 30th, 5/30/2018.

   To ease the pain of a bummer session, we continued our tour of new establishments with a visit to Rare and Rye. Our second whisky bar/restaurant on Patrol, this one was in the new La Quinta on 33rd. While I was a tad underwhelmed at the bourbon saloon visited last month, I was impressed with this place from first glance. Although it was lacking in any real view, the setup inside let one know that this was an upscale restaurant. Upon taking a seat at the bar we were immediately greeted by a friendly barkeep ready for our orders. This was not a taphouse nor a brewery...they had No beer on draft. But, the small selection of bottles met our needs. Now here is where it got good. Our barkeep  perfectly poured our beer into a frosted, ice cold glass and set them before us. It had been a long time since this type of service had been seen anywhere in the OC. We ordered a chicken flat bread, scallops, and a Crab Cob Salad for our meal. Part of any meal is the presentation and there this place shined again. The salad was presented as a perfectly shaped inverted cylinder where you could see all the layers.

The flavors came through nicely and the layers were laced with tasty pieces of crab. The Primavera, a blackened chicken flatbread, had a nice cherry balsamic glaze that Wattman enjoyed. Though my pieces were burnt in places resulting in a lower score, I still enjoyed the offering. The Pan Seared Scallops (a four count), were well seasoned and prepared with a dressing and raw vegetables that provided a nice flavor boost. Flat screens were well placed along all three sides of the bar. The music existed, but on a low, underwhelming level.

Our overall impressions of Rare and Rye were very favorable. The service was outstanding. The presentation of food and beverages was among the best we had seen in a while. We did wish at least some type of draft beer had been available and yet, as if devising a method to lead towards an oversight of the lack of draft, our young grasshopper provided a sample of Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition, an Irish whiskey hop aged in an IPA whiskey barrel. The product, meh. The effort, A+! The prices were what you'd expect from an upscale establishment. Furthermore, some music at a decibel we could hear in the bar area would have added cool points. Some of these suggestions might boost this installation to another level. But hey, we're just on Patrol. 'Til next time...

THE RATINGS-
Crab Cob Salad: B
Pan Seared Scallops: B
Primavera Flatbread: B+
Beer: C+
Atmosphere: B+
Value: B-
Overall Score = 2.92