South American Dining with Las Mujeres at Casa Drake

Cafe Drake was lucky enough recently to host dinner for three gal pals; doubly lucky for us that our guests were all lookers with hearts of gold! The evening began with festive cocktails - Pomegranate Martinis - appropriate to the occasion (not just a house full of pretty girls but also our first Official True Dinner Party of 2007). The intoxicating tartness of these drinks belies their simplicity: 2-3 LARGE measures of good gin, fresh lemon and lime juice, confectionary sugar and pomegranate molasses; shake well with ice and strain into large cocktail glasses.

First up was a broth of dried chiles and tomatoes, spiked with shrimp and herbs. The main course was a slow-stewed chicken mole, sided with baked corn spoon bread and a carrot and cilantro slaw. The ladies loved the dessert of espresso and wedges of dark chocolate (71% cacao) for dipping.

We really channeled Tallulah Bankhead with multi-servings of assorted digestifs (not to mention Lindsey's prosecco during the soup course, and deep and complex reds from Jen and Miki with the entree), including mezcal and grappa. Further Golden Age stars (namely Cyd Charisse, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire) were channeled in the wee hours as we held a dance-off in Cafe Drake's Sitting/Computer Room/Home Office. Miki was Queen of the Foxtrot, Jen brought back the 80s with a Go-Gos impersonation, while Lindsey and Drake graced the floors with a dramatic tango argentine. An exceedingly good time was had by all, at least judging from the shared full stomachs and earth-shattering hangovers the next day.