The knife ceiling at Travail catches your attention. 🔪

Hundreds of chef knives arranged blade-down on a red ceiling with cylindrical tube lights in a restaurant entryway.

Travail Rooftop Patio Cantina

Tammy and I went to the opening night of Travail’s Kitchen and Amusements Rooftop service tonight. We were lucky enough to grab tickets right when they went on sale and it was a southwest tasting menu that looked absolutely delicious to us.

At Travail Rooftop

Travail Rooftop Patio Cantina Tasting Menu

Travail did a very good job managing social distancing, keeping everything outside with fresh air, and making sure that people moved through promptly but not too fast. I love seeing that restaurants are figuring out how to adapt to the pandemic.

Watermelon Slurpee with Tajin
Pinto Bean & Cannellini Bean Salad
lime creme fraiche, roasted pepper salsa, gustavo romero’s nixta tortilla chips

Watermelon Slurpee with Tajin

Ceviche
coconut lime marinade, lime segments, almonds, avocado, green tomatoes, king crab, smoked swordfish, basil, fresno, cilantro, taro root

Ceviche

Mezzo
piña colada slurpee with coconut cream

Mezzo

Mexican Curry Corn & Roasted Poblano
oaxaca cheese tamale, herb and lime crema

Mexican Curry Corn & Roasted Poblano

Pescado ala Talla
cage-grilled mexican striped bass: morita chile sauce, grilled vegetables, gustavo romero’s nixta tortillas

Pescado ala Talla

Mezzo
Strawberry cardamom creamsicle pop

Strawberry cardamom creamsicle pop

Stuffed Smoked Chicken
herbs, mesca bbq sauce, green mole, crema, mexican pickles

Stuffed Smoked Chicken

Mexican Chocolate Mousse
coconut cream, cinnamon waffle round

Mexican Chocolate Mousse*

Dessert
tres leches cake, strawberry flambe, strawberry jam filling, whipped cream

tres leches cake

Take home
churro ice cream with chocolate

churro ice cream

Drinks

I had some delicious drinks along with dinner.

Paloma
Repasado Tequila, Spicy Grapefruit Cordial, Fresh Grapefruit & Lime Juice, Highball Soda Water

Pale yellow cocktail garnished with a watermelon cube in a tall faceted glass on a white outdoor patio table, with a live band and diners in the background

El Valiente (The Brave Man)
Tommy’s Margarita, the simple and famous blend of Tequila, Agave, Lime

Pale yellow cocktail with crushed ice and a dried citrus slice garnish in a ribbed glass tumbler on a white table

Music

To top off the beautiful evening on the rooftop patio we also had delightful music from Riverside Unplugged. They played a wide variety and were seemingly ready to play anything. We requested Prince and Brandi Carlile and they did both without hesitation. 🎶

Three-piece band performs on a rooftop patio at golden hour, with a female singer, acoustic guitarist, and electric bassist playing for seated guests nearby.

Lucky got her first grooming today. She looks a little strange but is very fluffy. This was a partial grooming. Part 1 of 2…

White fluffy dog standing on green lawn beside yellow daylilies with a rock-bordered garden bed behind her.

Tammy and I enjoyed Self Made on Netflix. Very good four-part series on Madam C.J. Walker and the empire she built on hair products. 🍿

Netflix poster for Self Made a limited series inspired by the life of Madam C.J. Walker premiering March 20

We went to Heather’s for the first time tonight. They have an amazing outdoor patio and the weather was just perfect. We loved our dinner: Cheesesteak, Cubano, Buddha Bowl, Field Burger and we shared the Chocoalte Caramel Sea Salt Cake. Recommended! 🍽

Heather's restaurant logo in teal cursive script on a white background

Coronavirus spread via New York Times Morning Briefing.

Line chart showing COVID-19 new cases per million residents March to July 2020 with the U.S. surging past 1,000 while Europe and Canada near zero.

My fire table got hooked up to the gas line today. I love it! 🔥🤩

Girl playing acoustic guitar and an adult sitting beside a round gas fire table on a patio at night, house interior visible behind them.

New 45-minute PR on Peloton tonight! 506 kJ v 486 kJ. Plus hit 2,000 minutes in 2020! #FitByFifty

Peloton workout summary for a 45-minute low impact ride on Jul 13 2020 showing 506 kJ output, 900 calories, and 187 avg watts.

Congrats to Minnesota United FC in defeating Sporting KC in Stage 1 of the MLS is Back Tournament! 1-2 ⚽️🤩 #SKCvMIN

Watched American Experience: Fatal Flood this evening. I didn’t know the history of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and the terrible racist actions around it. Just 93 years ago…

Black flood refugees waiting in a relief line holding plates and bowls at a tent camp, 1927 Mississippi flood