Drinking Hair of the Westminster Best in Show at Half & Half, St. Louis
No matter how many times I have heard someone explain their version of the “hair of the dog” hangover cure, I never quite believe it; even after experiencing the miracle for myself. Now, to give you a little backstory: I am a pukey hangover kind of person. Like…puke until 9 PM puke. I can’t hold anything down. Not water, not gatorade, not soup, not emergen-c, not alka seltzer, not gingerale, nothing. Trust me, if you’ve heard of the magic hangover cure I’ve tried it, and it has failed me. The only one that has ever worked for me, although not without fail, is drinking a Bloody Mary.
The few times I’ve had hungover Bloody Marys, the only hurdle — and it’s a big one — is getting the the first sip down. Once that’s over, it’s smooth sailing. The vast majority of the time, I need to be thoroughly and masterfully coerced into drinking one of these spicy, vodka infused tomato beverages. When I wake up after a night of too much fun, the LAST thing I want is more alcohol. There has been only one exception. When I was in St. Louis and had the chance to try one of the supposed best Bloody Marys in the entire United States, even a raging hangover couldn’t stop me. If I was going to acquire one, however, I was going to have to pull off a miracle. This is the story of my first successful hair of the dog experience.
First, why the hangover? Well, my then girlfriend and I had just completed 18 hours of road-tripping from Massachusetts. We had decided to drive to St. Louis to visit her cousin, a sophomore in college. It was an amazing trip, and after all that driving we were excited and ready to drink. Not only drink, but drink as if we were still teenagers. So, we engaged in a college-style, beer pong, cigarillo smoking, vomit in the street kind of evening.Everything was amazing until we woke up the next day. We planned to go to a restaurant, Half & Half, to enjoy what was reported to be one of the best Bloody Marys in the country; all we had to do was pull ourselves together and get there.
I am all too experienced with appearing composed and following through with plans while sporting a weak-stomached hangover. How do I do it? I know where the nearest bathroom (or bush/trash can/hidden spot behind a car if I’m desperate) is at all times, I know my body’s warning signs of vomit, I know when I can eat/drink and have a chance of holding it down, and I know how to vomit relatively quietly so as not to arouse suspicion from my fellow bathroom patrons. This day was a true test of my hangover management skills. We got our teeth brushed, put some clothing on, took a few deep breaths and got on our way. The whole drive over I was convinced it was going to be yet another a puke-filled day. The only question was: how was I going to survive it?
There is only one thing that could have made me feel worse that morning, and it was watching people pull off amazing feats of athleticism. Well, to my surprise/horror, the St. Louis marathon was that day, and Half & Half is RIGHT next to the running route. Going up to the restaurant after walking a few blocks (parking was a nightmare), and seeing sweaty marathoners, legs outstretched, medals on their necks, eating well-deserved meals, only increased my guilt for the way I had treated my body. I wished I could turn around and go back to bed, but this was one of the things we were most looking forward to on our trip. I walked into the restaurant, full of kind people and midwestern charm feeling all kinds of horrible. I figured maybe I’d just sit without food/drink and pour my energy into trying not to vomit. I thought I could live vicariously through my girlfriend (a hangover champion) as she ate her breakfast and enjoyed a Bloody Mary. Once hers arrived, however, I knew I needed one…even if it was fated to come back up.
This Bloody Mary was beautiful. In a gorgeous, perfectly cylindrical glass, the alcoholic tomato juice was peppered with spices and accouterments; and to top it off, literally, a fried pickle spear. I ordered my own and sat silently, staring longingly, for a few minutes before I mustered up the courage to taste it. That was, in essence, the end of my hangover. If this is nothing more than the confession of a sad alcoholic, I will plead ignorance. Regardless, that first drink brought me back to life.
After only a few sips of my Bloody Mary, I was ready for breakfast. The brunch menu at Half & Half changes depending on what fresh, seasonal produce is available. I ordered a breakfast skillet, served in cast iron with brussels sprouts, onions, peppers and potatoes, topped with two eggs. Shockingly I was not only holding it down, I was enjoying it! All fears and warning signs of vomit had disappeared. This drink was not hair of the dog; this was hair of the Westminster Best in Show. If I could have given this drink a blue ribbon, I would have. The prospect of another fried pickle put me over the edge into ordering a second drink. This second drink completely invigorated me, because the only thing that could make a fried pickle better is a miracle-producing brunch beverage to dip it in.
A photo posted by Half & Half (@halfandhalfstl) on
We loved our experience so much that we went back once more before driving home. We could have explored any number of new, exciting and delicious restaurants in and around St. Louis, but could not give up the chance to go to Half & Half again. Despite our love of adventure and novel experiences, we returned to the only restaurant we knew. The Bloody Marys were just as good the second time around.
Drink up
Half and Half
8135 Maryland Ave
Saint Louis, MO 63105
Clayton
E. Garcia wants delicious Oaxacan food, and will trek to the South Bronx for it.
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E. Garcia • July 12, 2016