Category Archives: Life on a Cocktail Napkin

A CONNECTED GUY

There’s a lot to love about this job.  Behind the taps on a busy night, the dance floor is packed and everyone is having a blast as the band rocks out on the stage.  Drinks are flying out over the … Continue reading

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THE CHOCOLATE STARFISH (and other bits and pieces)

This blog came about when I started to sift through all the cocktail-napkin notes that I’ve accumulated over the years.  My goal — to transfer the more worthy scribbling to one very large computer file. That first day, sitting at … Continue reading

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LILLIAN, one of my worst shut-offs

(This note is from one night at Christopher’s, in Cambridge MA.) “I’ll have one more VO and ginger,” Lillian said. She had said the same thing before ordering each of her last four drinks. I was behind the taps at … Continue reading

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THE CUTE BLONDE NURSE

(This note is about a plot that was hatched at Johnny D’s, the Boston-area nightclub where I tend bar now.) For as long as I could remember, my cousin Bill Patti was always breaking my balls. He was a great guy, … Continue reading

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GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Decorating the tree and finding a special gift . . . that‘s Christmas, right? Not entirely, at least not for bartenders. Remember the movie, It‘s a Wonderful Life? Jimmy Stewart struggles to find the true meaning of Christmas, and a … Continue reading

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