With The Money We Saved on Dinner ...

Isn't Stuart Little cute? You know what's not cute, real mice joining you for dinner at a restaurant. Not cute at all.

After enjoying the new Star Trek movie on Friday, we headed to dinner at Spice on 4th Ave and 10th Street in the Village. Unfortunately we got more than Thai Fusion. Instead of turning on the air conditioning, the workers at Spice opened two street-side doors. That is how, I suspect, our furry little germ bucket got close enough to pay us a visit.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted him; Stuart Little's ugly cousin calmly walking along the top edge of the banquette where Sachiko sat. He was about 4 feet away when I told her as calmly as I could something along the lines of "get up right now and come to me." My tone apparently conveyed the proper sense of urgency because she was up and several feet away from the rodent in a flash. Though it seemed clear to us that the mouse came from outside and not the kitchen, it was hard to shake the disgust that was rising within us; we had already eaten most of our meal. Management was profusely sorry and tone deaf-ly offered us desert (as if we'd touch it), but after a few minutes to collect ourselves, we quietly left. A bottle of seltzer water and a walk down Broadway helped soothe our stomachs but did little to ease the assault taking place in our minds. You can't help but deal with the fact that as disgusting as that was, that and worse must go on all the time unseen.

With the money we didn't spend on dinner we decided to treat ourselves to some of the highfalutin drinks served at Pegu Lounge. They were what the doctor ordered; tasty, soul southing, and mind numbing. We felt so much better after our drinks that I didn't feel bad about paying $13 a cocktail - a sentiment that I will likely never feel or utter again. Pegu is located at 77 Houston St. near W. Broadway.