Ides of March

I have a group of friends and family that are, um, unique and spirited. Basically, we're a bunch of geeks - in the best sense of the term, I like to think. The group largely consists of my uncle, who is really the closest thing I have to a big brother, his long time girlfriend and friends he's known forever. I've always been the baby. These are truly the best people to be surrounded by - they love great drinks, great food, they're teaching me to garden and they're all smart as hell. Oh yeah, and completely down to earth.

We have a tradition of visiting the Gingerman on Mondays. This is the type of routine that doesn't require the "hey, are we going out?" email - you can just pull into the lot on any given Monday and chances are some folks will be partaking in a beverage. Today, however, I did send the email as it's been one of those weeks already and I really needed a beer. I can drink alone, but it's more fun not to. Upon asking if we'd be commemorating the Ides of March in our favorite Irish bar (how's that for multicultural AND geeky?), I was answered with everything from latin to bad iambic pentameter. I was also reminded today marks the demise of the Romanov empire. I took that as a yes.

After good beers and good company, I've now settled in under the covers and got to thinking about the day. One of the most amazing culinary experiences of my life was the two weeks I spent in Italy. I was just starting to figure out what good food is and it's impossible to miss over there. In Rome, we ate in this restaurant in Campo di Fiore and the waiter told us it is where Caesar really was murdered. Right where the restaurant now stands. A "restaurant caesar murder" google search has revealed I'm not crazy - since everything is true on the internet. I've dabbled in history-geekdom and I remember thinking that was just the coolest thing. Now if only I could remember the meal.