Looking Forward to Getting Back to Normal

I'm somewhat of an introvert, but I like being able to go out if and when I choose to do so. Not being in control of my environment is what troubles me the most. That's why I like bars. I can choose how social I want to be. If I want to strike up a conversation with someone at the bar, it's usually pretty easy to do. Most people are willing to chat with others who are sitting near them. I'm not sure why. There's just something more communal about sitting at a bar.

If, on the other hand, I don't want to chat and want to be "alone" then all I need to do is focus a bit on my food or drink and people generally get the idea that I'm "busy." Certainly you get the occasional person who is too drunk or too loud, but I generally go to bars that are connected to family restaurants. You don't generally get the kind of rowdy crowd that one might find at a drive bar.

And while hanging out with friends will be wonderful, and I'm sure that I'll start making arrangements to hang out with people shortly after the lockdown ends, I just want to be able to relax. That's why my first day post-lockdown, I'll be going to the bar. Which bar? It's really hard to decide. I have so many bars that I like to frequent. That statement might make me sound like an alcoholic, but there really are a lot of options. Still, a few bars in particular come to mind, and I'll probably shoot for going to as many of them as I can. This plan is of course subject to change, but I'm really looking forward to returning to my old haunts.

Mr Sushi

It's hard to find great sushi in New York, outside of NYC, but a local sushi restaurant by me does a pretty good job. Mr. Sushi is on Route 211 in Middletown, New York. They've done a really great job at making sure to order a special selection of fish each week to keep the regulars happy. I'm sure they've been hurting since the lockdown, and I hope that they're able to get something interesting in when I start going there again.

Don't get me wrong. I can do a reasonable job of creating a nice sushi meal for myself, if I'm willing to spend some cash on ingredients. I love chirashi and kaisendon, which are essentially sliced of fish and other ingredients on rice. And I'll be honest, I think in that regard I actually do a slightly better job, even if I'm lazy in my presentation.

The real problem is that my selection of ingredients is much more limited, and I risk wasting ingredients if I want a wide selection. As much as I like sushi itself, what I really love about sushi is the number of different ingredients that I can get. I also lack the skill to slice the fish properly, let alone prepare a whole fish. Take this aji for instance.

There's no way I'd be able to slice that fish correctly, which is a shame, because aji makes a great snack. You can even fry the bones and the head and turn that into a snack of its own.

I'm actually quite looking forward to aji, and other kinds of sushi. I've been doing a lot of fishing in Animal Crossing, and I'm tired of just catching digital fish. I want to eat the real thing. Given that I like to order a few items at a time, I'll probably spend a few hours here, as I often did on a Friday afternoon/evening.

You You

While I like the food at Mr. sushi, the alcohol is a bit overpriced and the selection is limited. So, I don't get too much drinking done there. You You, on the other hand, is known for its drinks. You You, which is also in Middletown, is in many ways your usual Chinese restaurant + sushi combo. However, their drink menu predates the restaurant itself.

There was a time when the place was a faux Polynesian restaurant called "Hawaii Fountain." Unfortunately as the faux Polynesian trend faded, so did the restaurant. But when the new owners opened up You You, they decided to keep their drink menu the same. Even though it's just the drinks, and the pu-pu platter, that are the same, there's a certain element of nostalgia, and many of the regulars at the bar had been regulars at Hawaii Fountain as well.

So when the lockdown ends, and the restaurant reopens (hopefully), I'll definitely be going for drinks. I'll also be going for one other item, that's technically not on the menu. For quite a while now, I've been trying to convince the owner to add a spam lunch special. Of course, maybe after the lockdown everyone will be tired of Spam. Or perhaps they'll have a new found taste for it. But I love spam, and it makes a great topping for sushi.

I'll be honest. I really wanted to convince the owner to do spam musubi, which is a very typical Hawaiian snack, but it was easier to just explain it as spam sushi. And honestly, it works great. tttt

Stagecoach Inn

While I do like You You's drinks, and they're quite nostalgic, their main appeal is the alcohol content. If I want something a bit more refined, I tend to go to Stagecoach Inn. This small bed and breakfast in Goshen, New York opened its doors a few years ago, but the original building has been around for over 250 years. They don't have many rooms, but I'd definitely suggest it if you're planning on staying in the area.

Their bar has some of the best drinks in the region, and a great food menu too. It is quite pricey however, so it's not something I could afford to do all the time. Still, the bar focuses on craft cocktails, and I'm a big fan. It also has a very calm atmosphere, and the employees are friendly. They also are fairly easy going about trying out new recipes and drink ideas, including one that I've been working on for a while.

For instance, before this whole mess started, I had been working on my own version of a cocktail known as the Bishop. The originally is very simple. It's just rum, red wine, some simple syrup, and lime juice. The drink isn't bad, but I wanted to take a more tiki spin with it and add more depth of flavor. For those who are curious about my progress, here's what I have so far.

The Knight Cocktail (Prototype)

• 1.5 oz spiced rum
• 1 oz wine
• 1/2 oz port
• 1/2 oz falernum
• 1/2 oz pimento dram
• 2 teaspoons grenadine
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz lemon juice

I'd definitely avoid using something like Kraken Rum . While it's not a bad rum, the flavor would just be too overpowering for the drink. The Bitter Truth has both falernum and pimento dram available. Both of these liquors are important elements of many tiki drinks. You'll also want a high quality grenadine. All the ingredients go into a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and double strain the drink into a chilled martini glass or coup.

Stagecoach doesn't have the pimento dram, so I might just "gift" them a bottle when things finally go to the "new normal." And with that, hopefully I can perfect the cocktail. Because it's far from perfected, I don't have a picture of the cocktail, but it's a very nice ruby color. To make up for the lack of a picture, here's one of Stagecoach's cocktails: the apricot sour.

Once the drink is perfected, I'll write a whole article dedicated to Knight, or whatever its final name will be. And I'll probably write the article while I'm sipping on a drink at Stagecoach Inn.

Getting Work Done and Catching Up

I don't know if I'll actually be able to make it to all three places within the first 24 hours that lockdown ends. It's going to be a lot, but I'll try. I'm also not even sure if all three will be opening at the same time. But I do hope that I can get to all three as quickly as possible. I want to get back into my routine. For me, going out and hanging out at bars and restaurants is basically my work routine.

As odd as it sounds, bars and restaurants closing has caused my output to drop considerably. I used to get a lot of work done at the bar. I did plenty of writing while relaxing over a cocktail. It was quite relaxing for me. And because I didn't have to take the time to prepare my own meals and clean up afterwards, I could focus on getting work done while waiting for the meal to arrive. When I "work from bar," I also don't have to worry about my cat walking all over me and my keyboard. And of course there are plenty of times where I'm inspired to write by the drinks and food that I find, or by the people that I meet.

I also get some interesting looks and reactions when I work from bar. A lot of times people will ask me why I would work while I'm at a bar. It's a fair question. Who wants to deal with work when they're relaxing at a bar or restaurant? The real question is, why would anyone want to work from home when they can sit and relax with a cocktail and a snack while getting their work done? I'm honestly, hoping that someone asks me why I do it, because my answer has even more meaning now.

Admittedly, I doubt I'll get too much work done if I'm trying to pack in at least three different restaurants/bars in one day, especially since I'll want to catch up with everyone. It'll also probably get fairly expensive, but that's okay. Who knows? Maybe I won't even go home the first night. If there's a room available at the Stagecoach Inn, I could just stay there, even if I do live in the same town.

I want to support these places as much as I can. I meant to gather up some gift cards and gift certificates during these hard times, but I haven't purchased as many as I wanted. So while I wait for the lockdown to end, I'll probably continue to plan out my first days out, and gather more gift cards for local places. And might I suggest that others should do the same to help support their own favourite places during these hard times.