My Three Martini Lunch at Hanna's

A wonderful thing happened at my recent martini infused lunch with my friend, Suzi. We either befriended the bartender or he befriended us but really, who's keeping track?  It was after 2 pm on Thursday, we were the only ones in Hanna's and we commented how much we were enjoying our respective cocktails. What has become a tradition is finishing our lunch with an espresso martini. OK, maybe two.

The martinis on this day were absoloutely the best dessert cocktails I have ever had. So good in fact, we both succumbed to a moment of silence after the first sip whereupon we exhaled a sigh of sheer pleasure complete with eye rolls. I think my toes may have curled in my Revas.

Think what you will. You are probably right.

We were gushing in the afterglow a couple sips later and asked our lovely waitress if she could ask the very talented bartender for the recipe. To our surprise, Kyle Moloo came over, introduced himself and sat down with the recipe in hand.

We had become instant and ardent fans of his mixology talents and had to try another so we could fully appreciate the ingredients with our new found knowledge. After all, by this time, it actually was happy hour as the dinner crowd was rolling in. Kyle told the waitress to tell us our espresso martinis were made "with love." I noticed the domed liquid surface tension.  Now that's what I call love!

As we were leaving, Kyle came from around the bar and said how much he enjoyed meeting and serving us. I don't know if this is a good thing or not to say I'm on a first name basis with our bartender after one afternoon but I am.  I believe Suzi and I both uttered the word adoption in there somewhere.  Amid our conversation we asked about his mother as a precursor to having our own personal mixologist in the family.  Kyle said she also lives in the community where she'll pop into Hanna's to say hello.  Kyle proudly shared with us his mom, Diane, had made two holes in one on the Coto golf course recently.  Apparently excellence runs in the family.

If you want to truly experience the best espresso martinis this side of "the bridge" or anywhere that I've found, you've got to go see Kyle at Hanna's.  And yes, he does use a secret ingredient and sadly no, this is not a compensated endorsement.