Independence Night

We decided to go see a movie on July 4th, and eat out, maybe at the Flat Top Grill, later.

We began the evening with a drink (I had a martini, A the mojito) on the roof garden of the Sundance, aka the Bistro. The martini was made to order; the mojito was remarkable for the size of the glass in which it was served (a pint glass; most restaurants in Madison will serve it in a highball glass). Thus fortified, we survived the movie- Waitress- which was a wall-to-wall cliche fest (just read the plot summary here... need I say more). A deduced that it was a Mystic Pizza re-make. We chatted about movies for women vs. movies about women vs. movies for men. All three feature mainly women; the story line of the first can usually be summed up with some synonym of the word "empowering" (exhibit A: Steel Magnolias). Of the third, one can safely say that the storyline, like the clothing, is skimpy (exhibit B: Barb Wire). The works of Pedro Almodovar are glorious testimony to movies in the second category.

Later, finding ourselves stranded outside the Flat Top at 9:01pm (it closes at 9:00pm), we decided to take a chance with the "small plates" at the Bistro. We started by ordering crab cakes (passable) and a california sushi roll (okay; major negative: niggardly gari and wasabi garnishes). We were well on our way into these offerings when the fireworks started up. Although I would never call this location the best place in the city from which to watch the fireworks, because there are too many obstructions in the line of sight to the parks where the fireworks were, it still wasn't bad. And for A and I, who are not given to falling over in joy, foaming at mouth and twitching in limb, each time the word "Fireworks!" is mentioned (and trust me, in this town, there are a few who do), the subdued patter of the distant lights was quite all right.

We finished the evening by over-reaching with the food. I ordered fried calamari (over-cooked and under-blotted); A ordered pizza which I was too full to try, by then.

We'll likely be back, to enjoy what this place does best: a summer night after dinner, for drinks.