Part 1 of 2 Tap and Grill Lakeside Brew Haus
There we were, sitting on barstools along the shores of Lake of the Ozarks. It is an outside bar. We can see the Millstone Marina to our backs and a pool to the side. There are three people in the pool. At the center of attention is a man who appears to be in his mid-sixties and confident with his slightly round torso. There is a pretty woman who is in a red bikini and appears to be about the same age as the man. There is another woman who is fit, energetic, and playfully swimming around in a bikini. I guess her age is barely twenty-one. She is the closest of the two women to the older, confident man. It was easy to assume the three of them knew each other. Then there was the boat in the marina that listed the hailing port as Quantico!
Our barstools are at the Tap and Grill Lakeside Brew Haus. It felt like a classy place from the moment we got off our motorcycles and entered through the gate. We were greeted by a pleasant hostess. The tables inside the restaurant were modern with a nice open space. We walked through the outdoor area that has soft chairs and couches that looked charming for lounging. Then the space led to a traditional outdoor metal tables with umbrellas. Brad and I noticed the activity in the pool just beyond the bar. The outside bar had about six to eight barstools, all of which were empty. Our bartender greeted us as we continued to observe our new surroundings.
We’ll get to the folks in the pool later. Right now, we are chatting with a lad from the Chicago area who spends his summers bartending at the Lake of the Ozarks. He tells stories of how he shares an apartment with three to four others who are at the lake to make some quick cash before returning to school in the fall. This is our bartender’s second or third year bartending at the lake. He really likes the abundant summer money he adds to his bank. He shares that once he became a bartender, the money was so much better. Brad and I are on our motorcycles, so you guessed it, we are drinking iced teas.
It is the middle of the day. A weekday and, according to the bartender, a lull in business. The weather is sunny and warm. The pool looks inviting. Brad and I were analyzing the situation in the pool, filling in the unknowns with our imagination. Our conversations with the bartender began to echo a theme we’ve heard about rich customers traveling from Kansas City who spend obscene money charming their paramour. We broached the topic of the current situation in the pool. It turns out the young woman in the pool is a roommate and coworker of our bartender! This was her off-schedule day, and she was enjoying the pool. The older couple were regulars and were just being friendly.
Stay tuned for part 2 when the pool trio joins us at the bar. One is the owner of the boat hailing from Quantico and he talks about the Yellow Brick Road!
