Was it Something I Said?

Please bear with me, I have a tiny rant.

I just returned home from an afternoon out with a friend. We attended an art show then stopped into a new restaurant where we enjoyed a nice lunch. The service was outstanding. We enjoyed the air conditioning as we sipped our margaritas and dined on 100% TexMex awesomeness that included tamale, enchilada, tacos, chips and guacamole. Yum! It was a fitting Houston lunch for this all-American holiday weekend.

Before heading home we stopped into our favorite bar for a cocktail - a place we've patronized for over two years. We're regulars. We were greeted by a bartender who is fairly new to the crew and we took two seats at the end of the bar. We placed our orders and extended hellos to a couple of the other bartenders. It became clear very soon that the mood in the place was not good.

It was late afternoon and as the staff on duty grew, one-by-one they displayed scowls and exchanged looks of general unpleasantness. They used one word answers with the customers and with each other. A few of them looked (frankly) pissed off.

Can I tell you that it was uncomfortable? Can I tell you that I didn't want to be there? Can I tell you that I wish we hadn't stopped in?

Here's a big one.

Can I tell you that I don't know if I'll go back?

The funny thing about this is that just last week I let one of the bartenders in this establishment know that I'd nominated her for a local newspaper's web award. Now this woman is hardly acknowledging me. (Wait. I don't think we're best friends. The day I get that buddy-buddy with my barkeep is the day I sign up for an extended stay at posh place with "Meadows" on the sign out front.) It was just weird.

Here's the story I made up in my head about today. (Remember, I make up stories.) The people working in the place were irritated, pissed off, angry, SOMETHING, for some reason and they didn't or couldn't make nice in front of the customers.

What. A. Shame.

The good thing about Houston is that there are plenty of places to spend a buck or two on a cocktail. Or ten.