Honorable mention: Last Stop at the Mermaid
The pressure was on. I had to find a venue in Hermosa that could accommodate 100 people for Donald McVicars surprise 40th party, set for Dec 12. “Save the dates” invites had been sent a month earlier. We hadn’t pinned down a bar or restaurant to host this gig, but assumed it’d be a no brainer. We’d just rent a party room on a Saturday night during the busiest day Christmas party season. No problem. My first stop was the Lighthouse. I thought, “How cool would those commemorative T-shirts be with the Lighthouse logo. I was already sketching it out in my mind, when I walked in to speak with the manager. He explained how the booking worked. They look at the revenues from the same date, one year prior, and that’s how much it cost to reserve the bar. $4,300. Next stop, Hennessey’s. We could have the entire outdoor patio for $1,000, including food and drinks. I texted the other party planners. Outdoors would be cool, but what if it rained? The manager said risk was gonna be all mine. I turned to leave and there it was, the Mermaid. I cruised across the plaza and stepped into 1957. I was a little intimidated by the regulars at the bar. An older guy sitting in the corner said, “Talk to the…
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