A Much Too Dirty Martini

David and I have been busy with lots of "stuff", some of it more pleasant than others.  Most recently we've been working on his mother's beach house, getting some much-needed maintenance done and making it a little more comfortable for us, since we now live close enough to visit frequently.  On Tuesday evening we headed over to Jackie's American Grille for dinner.

David ordered their Lemon Jack Martini, which we had tried before, but forgot to ask that the rim of the glass not be sugared.  It was still tasty, but we both prefer a not-so-sweet drink.  I decided on something simpler, a Tanqueray dirty martini.  After the first sip, I knew it had much too much olive juice, and while I never send anything back in a restaurant, David encouraged me to ask that it be altered.  I explained the situation to our waiter, suggesting that more gin be added and the drink re-shaken, and that would probably solve the problem.  He returned, and I tasted the drink, only to find it even saltier than the first one!  So back he went again, and when he returned there were pieces of broken ice floating in the glass.  What I now had was a watered-down salty glass of cold gin and olive juice.  I was prepared to give up, but the waiter wouldn't allow that, and suggested just a Tanqueray martini with olives.  This he brought, with the olives on the side just in case, but not before our entrees arrived.  I prefer my cocktail before dinner and a glass of wine with my meal, but that just didn't work out this evening.  Still, the martini was now drinkable, and I enjoyed it with my meal.

For his entree, David chose the Triple Smoke Burger, an 8-oz Certified Angus Beef burger topped with Nueskie's Applewood Smoked Bacon, Rogue Smoky blue and smoked mayo, and served on a toasted brioche bun.  The burger arrived cooked perfectly medium-rare as requested, and accompanied with a side of Jackie's green onion hash browns.  I would have tasted the burger, but I tasted my meal first, and there was no way I was putting any other flavors in my mouth than the delightful ones on my plate of...

Pan-Seared Scallops Portofino, served with white cheddar-orzo mac & cheese and grilled asparagus.  I had asked for my scallops rare, and while they were a little more done than rare, they were still perfectly acceptable.  Their flavor was just exquisite, and while I wouldn't ordinarily think of pairing mac & cheese with scallops, this was the perfect accompaniment.  The asparagus were perfectly cooked, with a nice char from an actual grill (not a hot-top pretending to be a grill), and still slightly crispy in the center.  The three items combined perfectly, and I enjoyed every bite.

Afterwards we decided to share a dessert, and our choice was a salted caramel-apple cheesecake.  The waiter hesitated to even offer me anything salted, and we all shared a laugh.  He agreed that the martini was awful;  he had tasted it when I sent it back.  In any event, the cheesecake was delicious and the perfect end to what turned out to be a perfect evening.