One Ox, Two Flans, Three Deep

Nothing like a wine tasting to pass the time waiting for a bar stool in a busy restaurant.

And at 7:30 this evening, Pescado's China Street was a supremely busy restaurant with three deep at the bar.

After stating my intentions of eating at the bar to the host, it was recommended that I hover near a quartet who were next on the list to get a table.

The cowboy boots-wearing woman who was sitting in the bar stool soon to be mine even mentioned that she was warming the seat for me.

It's the little touches that make or break a dining experience. Cute tights are drafty, so a warm stool on a cold night is a lovely thing.

While I waited for her group to be called, a Spaniard approached and offered me wine.

As it turned out, his only motive was to let me taste his wares since he's an importer and was in house doing tastings for the evening.

I happily sipped an Azento 2005 Rioja Crianza, savoring its nice body and hints of cherry while enjoying conversation with this stranger bearing wine.

May I just say that this is a great way to entertain waiting guests on a busy night.

Restaurateurs, take note.

The diners-to-be were dislodged just as my girlfriend showed up so we slid into our stools as if they'd been reserved for us.

Starved by this time, I went ahead and ordered an appetizer while she ordered wine.

Although we have been friends for a couple of years now and have several areas of common interest, food is rarely one of them.

If I am a human garbage disposal, eating everything, she is the opposite, possibly the pickiest eater on the planet. She has scoffed at my orders of wild boar and been revolted by my sugar toads.

Not that I took that into consideration when I ordered the braised oxtail on crispy tostones with oxtail jus and corn nuts.

The long-cooked meat was divine with my Rioja and she was hungry enough to try a bite, only to discover, "It just tastes like meat!" and finish one of the three on the plate.

Needless to say, it was her first oxtail, but I'd have bet the farm that she wouldn't have even tried it, so this was progress.

A couple sitting near us at the bar eyed our food longingly as they continued to hold out for a table.

The reluctance to eat at the bar when clearly hungry mystifies me; I know from experience that a meal can be quite intimate between a couple at a bar, so why wait?

But to each his own.

I was just lucky that they didn't have forks because I had a feeling that they wouldn't have hesitated to reach over for a taste. Or three.

As it was, they asked what I'd ordered and said they were going to order the same. And it was going to be their first oxtail, too.

It's been a month since my friend and I'd gone out, so some sharing of stories was in order.

During a break in the conversation, I strained to hear the music only to realize that the cacophony in the room made it impossible to know if they were playing metal or Muzak.

Much as I love my music, the lively vibe in the room made for a party-like atmosphere that perfectly suited a Saturday night so I accepted the absence.

On her way to the bathroom, my friend had spotted the fish tacos and the visual was enough to make her dinner decision.

I went with the marlin tostada with black bean and corn salsa, supposedly an appetizer, but so large on arrival that even a man standing next to me noticed.

"That's a small plate?" he asked about the abundance of smoked fish, corn and beans.

Yes, sir. You just have to know how to pick 'em.

The Spaniard finally went off duty and took a stool for dinner, even offering to share his chocolate flan with us.

After seeing it go by earlier, he too had been sucked in by the visual.

The guy next to him, not to be outdone, ordered another chocolate flan and shared that with us, too.

I couldn't think of a single reason not to take dessert from men who were offering it.

That doesn't mean there isn't a good reason to demur; I just didn't bother looking to find it.

And while it wasn't the most chocolaty of desserts, the lovely texture more than made up for its delicate flavor.

Friend was so impressed with the food and the vibe that she arranged to bring her boyfriend there next weekend and surprise him with a tasting menu.

She set it up with the chef once the dinner rush was over, even insisting that oxtail be part of the menu.

An unexpected wine tasting, dessert from a stranger and Miss Finicky Eater requesting tail. I could go home happy now.

My work here was through.