Serving suggestion: Red wine with Red Hats

We hosted the Christmas party for a chapter the Red Hat Society last night. I used to want to be a Red Hat; they're all over 50, they only have two rules: 1. Don't wear red and purple until you reach THE birthday; the under-50 crowd wears pink and lavender, 2. Have fun! Sounds like a fun group to me!

After having worked several parties of Red Hats, I'm guessing the amount of fun depends on the group of Red Hats. Some are polite and genteel. Others get together to gritch with each other and treat wait staff like servants. Last night was the party crowd.

We don't serve alcohol at the restaurant, but it is legal if our customers bring it in, serve themselves, and take it home. We provide the glasses. I knew it would be interesting when one lady loitered by the door, waiting for her husband to bring the wine. As the waitresses were getting drinks, one lady asked for a glass of water and a glass of merlot. We had about three dozen ladies for dinner last night, and they started drinking like fish before we served the salads.

Of 36 salads, I got back three pieces of pear and half a plate of lettuce total. Dinner plates were equally polished. By the time dessert plates came back I was in the zone and had a helper, so I didn't notice if any pie came back. I swear, these women fast before they come! I have never seen groups of old ladies eat so freaking much!

Since I was up to my elbows in hot water, I didn't hear conversations, but I know they were having fun. It's probably good that no one lives in the apartment upstairs; they'd have been ticked about the noise. I managed to catch stray comments, out of context, no doubt. The one that sticks out in my mind was, "Oh, I love that! It's so sexy!" For a while it sounded like they'd snuck in the Chippendales. Good grief.

Maybe that's why I never have more than two drinks in public. I wonder how many of them will remember the party this morning.