Saturday, March 12, 2011

Peche - 208 W 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

A first date and I went here last February at his suggestion after Betsy's Bar was still not open twenty minutes after their supposed opening time.  I'd heard good things about Péché, but I knew nothing about it.  On the walk over, the date told me that Péché specializes in pre-Prohibition cocktails and all things absinthe.  Absinthe, eh?  I've never had absinthe, and I didn't even try it that night.  This is because I hate all things licorice.

The date and I amazingly found two adjacent seats at the bar, despite it being about 8:30 on a Friday night.  Our bartender was a dead-ringer for Leonardo DiCaprio, despite my date's insistence that I was crazy for thinking so.  I've never found ol' Leo particularly attractive, but I somehow couldn't take my eyes off that bartender.  I think that's because he and I seemed to have good rapport, and I got the impression he was flirting with me.  Of course, he gets paid to flirt and fake good rapport, so...

I ordered a Side Car because I saw Auntie Mame do it.  Yeah... huh?  I knew you'd say that.  In an old (1958) movie called Auntie Mame that stars Rosalind Russell, she wakes up mid-afternoon with a wicked hangover, and tells her nephew to tell the butler to bring her a side car.  I'm usually not influenced in that manner by movies, but Rosalind Russell's performance in that film tickled me pink, so I just had to try it once I spied it on the menu.  I think my date ordered a Bees' Knees.

I didn't try my date's beverage, but mine was quite good for what it was.  I'm not a huge lemon fan, unless it has enough sugar to cut the tartness, but the drink was definitely made well.  Frankly, I went in there wanting to order a beer, but I didn't see any beer anywhere, bottled or otherwise, so I splurged.

Had I paid for my own drink, I'd probably be too broke to willingly give this place five stars, but since I didn't have a chance to gander at the tab, Péché gets the full five.

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