The backyard garden area behind Nicole's Bistro was filled with the sounds of light hearted chattering along with the scents of roses and other flowers that grew around the perimeter. A small waterfall and fountain with a dolphin and mermaids were situated along the back of the garden. During late afternoon and evening dining sessions, strings of fairy lights brightened the place.
Scents from the kitchen wafted out of the restaurant when the doors opened to allow servers and patrons pass through. A table was marked reserved and the group was lead outside to a place near the fountain.
"Goodness, I never even knew this place had a garden," Liv admitted, looking around with quiet excitement as they were lead toward their table. "Isn't it lovely?"
"It is, indeed....one of the highlights, especially on a day like this." Eregor grinned as he held out Rhi's chair for her.
Johnny scrunched his nose and glanced skyward, frowning just a little. "I hope it doesn't rain," he muttered to Liv as they were lead toward their table.
"My sister had the landscaping done ....summer before last. The flowers came later. " Rhi smiled her thanks to Eregor as she settled in. "That's why there are umbrellas on some of the tables, Johnny."
"Oh, shush, I'm sure it'll be fine," Liv giggled softly to Johnny, nudging him toward the seat on the far side of the table from the fountain, in case of accidental splashes. "See" Umbrellas."
Johnny sighed in relief at the sight of the umbrellas and pulled out a chair for Liv, taking his cue from Eregor. "Thank God for that!"
"Besides," Eregor pointed out, "if it did rain, you could just turn it to steam."
"Yes, but do you know how hard it is to turn a rainstorm to steam' That's a lotta water!" No matter what anyone said, Johnny felt it was his duty to whine.
"Or we could use plan B." Rhiannon chuckled as a waiter set the filled water glass on the table.
"Johnny, the umbrella is huge," Liv giggled, slipping into the seat her husband held out for her. "And if you would just let me teach you how to swim, you wouldn't be anywhere near so afraid of water."
"I'm not afraid of water," Johnny replied with a slightly defensive look on his face as he claimed a seat beside Liv and as far away from the fountain as he could get. The man couldn't lie to save his life.
Liv squeezed his hand, and turned her smile to Rhi. "What was plan B?"
"Private room inside?"
Rhi wore a loose fitting dress in a soft lavender color. Her hair was drawn back from her face with a matching ribbon. She nodded to Gory. "Yes, eat inside. There's a big fireplace in main room."
"I'll be fine," Johnny said, a little indignantly. He didn't want to put anyone to any trouble just because he was afraid of a few random raindrops. He returned Liv's hand squeeze as he turned to Rhi to make small talk. "How long has this place been open?"
"In any case, there was no rain in the reports." Eregor gave Johnny a wry grin. "Tomorrow's reports. I checked." He ordered a glass of iced tea from the waiter, then looked over the menu.
"It was open for years as Lasher's, but my sister and mother took it over ....two years ago," Rhi told Johnny. "Nicole's got full ownership, now."
"That's a relief!" Johnny told Eregor, quickly adding, "I mean, good to know. Thanks!" He, too, ordered an iced tea, opening his menu to give it a look. "Seems like a nice place," he told Rhi, though a repeat visit all depended on how the food tasted, at least, in his opinion.
Adding her own drink order - a glass of water - Liv looked over the menu curiously, utterly at a loss. "Everything sounds so lovely," she said admiringly. "What would you recommend?"
"Do those dolphins spit water?" he asked, out of the blue, as he glanced toward the fountains. "You know, like in Vegas." He meant the Bellagio, where there were no dolphins or anything else spitting water.
"Lasher's used to be an Italian restaurant, Nicole did her own thing with the menu. She kept a lot of the Lasher recipes, but added her own. The pizza is excellent as is the veal," was her reply to Liv. "Maggie still thinks her Dad's pizza is best." Rhi grinned as she took a menu from the waiter.
"Well, of course she does," Liv agreed with Rhi cheerfully. "Maybe if I ever manage to teach Johnny how to cook, he'll have a little girl who loves his signature dish, too."
"The fountain does change patterns through the cycle, but," Rhi giggled like a little girl, "I don't know if they spit."
Johnny seemed a little disappointed by Rhi's reply. It would be kind of cool if the dolphins spit water, though he didn't want to get anywhere near them when they did. He arched a brow at Liv's remark though, having to bite his tongue on that one.
"The mozzarella sticks are a good appetizer. You wouldn't think that there's much to be done with that, but I swear Nicole's added something to the breading to give it a bit of kick." Eregor glanced at Rhi. "I've asked her for the recipe, but she refuses to give out her secrets. Your sister is a canny businesswoman, among other things."
"She won't even give the recipe to family?" Liv laughed at that thought. "That's not canny, that's genius."
Mozzarella sticks would just melt too fast if he tried to eat those. And veal was baby cow. There was no way he was eating that. He perused the menu to see what kind of pasta was offered. Otherwise, it was probably going to be pizza. He didn't have much to add to the conversation except for a muttered, "I can cook."
"The lasagna is divine."
"Oh?" Johnny asked, perking up a little at Eregor's remark. "Hmm..." So much to choose from!
Scents from the kitchen wafted out of the restaurant when the doors opened to allow servers and patrons pass through. A table was marked reserved and the group was lead outside to a place near the fountain.
"Goodness, I never even knew this place had a garden," Liv admitted, looking around with quiet excitement as they were lead toward their table. "Isn't it lovely?"
"It is, indeed....one of the highlights, especially on a day like this." Eregor grinned as he held out Rhi's chair for her.
Johnny scrunched his nose and glanced skyward, frowning just a little. "I hope it doesn't rain," he muttered to Liv as they were lead toward their table.
"My sister had the landscaping done ....summer before last. The flowers came later. " Rhi smiled her thanks to Eregor as she settled in. "That's why there are umbrellas on some of the tables, Johnny."
"Oh, shush, I'm sure it'll be fine," Liv giggled softly to Johnny, nudging him toward the seat on the far side of the table from the fountain, in case of accidental splashes. "See" Umbrellas."
Johnny sighed in relief at the sight of the umbrellas and pulled out a chair for Liv, taking his cue from Eregor. "Thank God for that!"
"Besides," Eregor pointed out, "if it did rain, you could just turn it to steam."
"Yes, but do you know how hard it is to turn a rainstorm to steam' That's a lotta water!" No matter what anyone said, Johnny felt it was his duty to whine.
"Or we could use plan B." Rhiannon chuckled as a waiter set the filled water glass on the table.
"Johnny, the umbrella is huge," Liv giggled, slipping into the seat her husband held out for her. "And if you would just let me teach you how to swim, you wouldn't be anywhere near so afraid of water."
"I'm not afraid of water," Johnny replied with a slightly defensive look on his face as he claimed a seat beside Liv and as far away from the fountain as he could get. The man couldn't lie to save his life.
Liv squeezed his hand, and turned her smile to Rhi. "What was plan B?"
"Private room inside?"
Rhi wore a loose fitting dress in a soft lavender color. Her hair was drawn back from her face with a matching ribbon. She nodded to Gory. "Yes, eat inside. There's a big fireplace in main room."
"I'll be fine," Johnny said, a little indignantly. He didn't want to put anyone to any trouble just because he was afraid of a few random raindrops. He returned Liv's hand squeeze as he turned to Rhi to make small talk. "How long has this place been open?"
"In any case, there was no rain in the reports." Eregor gave Johnny a wry grin. "Tomorrow's reports. I checked." He ordered a glass of iced tea from the waiter, then looked over the menu.
"It was open for years as Lasher's, but my sister and mother took it over ....two years ago," Rhi told Johnny. "Nicole's got full ownership, now."
"That's a relief!" Johnny told Eregor, quickly adding, "I mean, good to know. Thanks!" He, too, ordered an iced tea, opening his menu to give it a look. "Seems like a nice place," he told Rhi, though a repeat visit all depended on how the food tasted, at least, in his opinion.
Adding her own drink order - a glass of water - Liv looked over the menu curiously, utterly at a loss. "Everything sounds so lovely," she said admiringly. "What would you recommend?"
"Do those dolphins spit water?" he asked, out of the blue, as he glanced toward the fountains. "You know, like in Vegas." He meant the Bellagio, where there were no dolphins or anything else spitting water.
"Lasher's used to be an Italian restaurant, Nicole did her own thing with the menu. She kept a lot of the Lasher recipes, but added her own. The pizza is excellent as is the veal," was her reply to Liv. "Maggie still thinks her Dad's pizza is best." Rhi grinned as she took a menu from the waiter.
"Well, of course she does," Liv agreed with Rhi cheerfully. "Maybe if I ever manage to teach Johnny how to cook, he'll have a little girl who loves his signature dish, too."
"The fountain does change patterns through the cycle, but," Rhi giggled like a little girl, "I don't know if they spit."
Johnny seemed a little disappointed by Rhi's reply. It would be kind of cool if the dolphins spit water, though he didn't want to get anywhere near them when they did. He arched a brow at Liv's remark though, having to bite his tongue on that one.
"The mozzarella sticks are a good appetizer. You wouldn't think that there's much to be done with that, but I swear Nicole's added something to the breading to give it a bit of kick." Eregor glanced at Rhi. "I've asked her for the recipe, but she refuses to give out her secrets. Your sister is a canny businesswoman, among other things."
"She won't even give the recipe to family?" Liv laughed at that thought. "That's not canny, that's genius."
Mozzarella sticks would just melt too fast if he tried to eat those. And veal was baby cow. There was no way he was eating that. He perused the menu to see what kind of pasta was offered. Otherwise, it was probably going to be pizza. He didn't have much to add to the conversation except for a muttered, "I can cook."
"The lasagna is divine."
"Oh?" Johnny asked, perking up a little at Eregor's remark. "Hmm..." So much to choose from!