refuel closing...why i give a shit.

this morning at work i was sent an email by ailsa's mom. she was hoping that she wasn't the bearer of bad news, but she was. she had heard that refuel was closing.
and, it's true. it will be closing at the end of the month and replaced by a new diner run by top chef contestant somebody Bird...i care not. not right now anyways.
i am a creature of habit. it's true. and when i find something i like, or love, i stick with it. i practically lived at topanga cafe for over 25 years. and, when things there changed, and i won't get into any of those details of that right now...or maybe ever. so....
don't ask.
i don't remember my first meal at refuel but i do know that i must have loved it. i loved the casual feel of a restaurant that served medium to high end food and was a comfortable place to be. i welcomed back into my life a restaurant that would cook a burger correctly, in my estimation. not scared of e-coli because they cooked it rare. that's the fuckin' way it should be. i loved that they made their own bacon, ground their own chuck, made bread, sauces from scratch, used all parts of the pig, tail to snout. the rib-eye there was, and still is for a week, fantastic. but over and above the food was the staff. and i won't name names here because if i forget one i will feel badly. (maybe they can bring back the sugar pie for the last week...)
refuel was the place where they knew my name. and the garbs' name. and corie's...it was our cheers. and to name one name, jesse made the best margarita - perhaps in town. (i haven't had one by rob in a long time but his are legendary in my mind as well...next in line the congress hotel in tucson and range in san francisco.)
and so it is. my local is closing and i feel a little burned by it, and will soon set-up shop in the mr. shwarma down the street next to the noodlebox as my new haunt. i think.
i sense rambling coming on...if not already.
i'll miss it. them. the food.the drinks. the sitting at the bar having meals with the garbs and corie and 'he who can not be named'...dinners at their real tables with garvie...and one time an extravaganza with 'he who can not be named on the blog', garbs and mishi (ailsa mentioned today that she had never actually had one of their burgers so this weekend she will...) there was something there for everyone...
ok.
it's going. it's gone in my head already...i will have at least two more meals there. then i will search for a new local.
i don't know if any of this made any sense but...fuck it. i'll miss refuel.

g. xo