The Last Hurrah, Maybe not totally last, yet. We'll see.

[Zaxton Books]

Subtitle: Open topic at the Pocket Haven!

As was the common tradition in Zaxton, a copy of the bill of fare was posted behind a pane of plexiglass just outside the restaurant door, along with the daily specials. The restaurant, Pocket Haven, seemed to occupy a large portion of the bottom floor of a tall rise here in Kraterburg's uptown core, and much of the street-facing wall was taken up by a window.

The menu, posted thus, ran as follows:

Chef LeCruset and the Pocket Haven team would like to welcome you to our fine establishment. While you wait for the highest quality of foods prepared a la minute, we would like to offer your one of our delicious aperetifs:
Mobius Blue (Bols Blue, Pinapple Juice, Goldshlagger)
Yellow Thirteen (Amaretto, Ginger Ale)
Kraken Twist (Grappa and Soda)

Or, our alchohol-free Aperitif:
Kitten Pink (Ginger Ale, Lime, Maraschino Flavoring, Grenadine)

Appetizers
Mozzarella Sticks - Delicious Deep-Fried Mozarella sticks, breaded with our chef's secret blend of herbs and spices. Served with a spicy mayonnaise dip.
Prawns Eclipse - Panko breaded prawns, lightly fried and stuffed with sushi rice.
French Onion Soup - Beef an onion soup, baked with cheese and crouton.
Neptune's Chest - Lobster bisque, baked into a pastry shell.
Caesar Salad - Our best romaine lettuce, served with house dressing and home-made croutons.

Entrees
Striploin Steak a LeCruset - 7 oz serloin steak to your order, stacked double with roasted garlic mashed potatos, served with pan sauce and bernnaise sauce.
Fresh-Caught Pacific Salmon - Fresh pacific salmon, hand-picked by our chef every morning at the fish market in Zvanesburg, cooked with herb butter and served with potatoes rosti, accompanied by Sauce Espagnole.
Chicken Kursk - Breaded chicken breast, stuffed with our Chef's special blend of scrambled eggs, and served with arracinhi al fromaggio.
Snitzel Ritter - Pan fried pork cutlets topped with a fried egg with mushrooms, tomatoes, and capers. Served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and lemon.

Desserts
We have a variety of hot and cold deserts, made fresh daily per the whims of our chef. Please ask your server for the day's selection.

Behind the counter at the back of the dining room, which was all that separated the dining room from the otherwise open kitchen, Locke LeCruset polished the side of his french knife as he waited for the first customers of the evening to arrive. That done, he turned his attention to the final adjustments to the Table d'Hote menu to be released shortly - kicking off Italian Week.

[Aredjay]

As if drawn by the mingling scents of the various dishes, one Tetran Montyr entered Pocket Haven. Seeing the startled reaction of the attendant just inside the door, he flatly stated, "I'm not here to caussse trouble; I'm jussst here to eat."

[Zaxton Books]

Shortly after Tetran was seated, not so far from the counter itself, the server walked back into the kitchen. "Walk in of one."

"On it." Someone muttered, returning from further out back, and setting down a basket of onions beside Locke. "Here's your onions, chef."
"Thank you, Rodney." The kid nodded, before returning to work.

The server returned a moment later, with a basket of fresh bread; white, whole wheat, and foccacia. Placing a plate of butter down, she asked "Can I get you anything to drink, sir?"

Meanwhile, Locke had begun assembling something special to send to the table.

[Aredjay]

"Yesss, I'll have a Yellow Thirteen, if you don't mind," came the Bangaa's response. He was actually quite surprised that the server was being so calm about his presence.

[yaypenguins]

A young girl in a pink cloak approached the door to the restaurant, her bright eyes and a bit of blonde hair the only things visible through her hood. The purple gem at her neck glowed lightly and the door opened for her.

"Hello there, I'm here to eat. To taste your food would be my treat!"

[Zaxton Books]

The hostess chuckled. "Sure thing, sport. Table for one okay?"

"Yes, sir." sweeping off, Tetran's server (let's call her Lola) stepped behind the bar, and mixed up that drink fairly quickly. It had a slightly brownish gold colour to it, served in a tall, narrow glass with a straw, and garnished with a twist of lemon. When she brought it back, she also brought back a small square plate, with a rosette of a pink-fleshed fish, slightly smokey-smelling, and apparently wrapped around a small piece of a white cheese. "Compliments of our Chef; Smoked Salmon Rosette with Mozarella. Will Dascar be joining you this evening?"

The door opened and closed again, and within a few moments, a third server (We'll call her Laura), had sat a pair of men not far from Tetran. One wore a long red coat and black jeans (nothing else), and the other wore a jumpsuit with the sleeves rolled up. Both were given their bread and amuse (the salmon), and ordered beers for themselves. Coors Light, to be specific.

[yaypenguins]

Sitting down, Merlee smiled at the hostess, though she probably couldn't see it.

"Thank you ma'am, that's very kind. Now I'd like to order if you don't mind."

[Aredjay]

"No, he'sss busssy with official clan busssinessssss. Thank you, though."

Tetran took a sip of his drink and glanced over at the men who had just been seated. They seemed oddly-dressed, but he didn't voice his opinion as he looked back at the salmon rosette.

[Zaxton Books]

"Of course. Are you ready to order, sir?"

"Sure, what will you have?"

Locke was cutting onions without looking, as he glared across the room at the two-top. Rodney, the only other one in the kitchen, approached him, mumbling. "Hey, is that Kalan."
"Mmhmm." the other replied, sweeping the diced onions into a container with an expert flick of the wrist, before whipping the board down. "... Did the gelato turn out?"
"Yeah, it's out back."
"Show me."

[Aredjay]

Tetran took a quick look at his menu before deciding.

"Yesss. I'll have an order of Neptune'sss Chessst for ssstartersss, and a Sssnitzel Ritter for the main courssse."

[yaypenguins]

"For my drink, a Kitten Pink. And I'll skip to the entree with a Striploin Steak a LeCruset."

[Zaxton Books]

Acknowledgements, before drifting off. "Order up... hey!"
"Sorry!"
"I want ice cream too!"
"After service!" grumbled Locke, "... It'll melt before you finish it anyway. And this is Gelato!"
"What's the difference?"
Rodney took that one. "Basically, the amount of air that's folded in."
"Get a Neptune's Purse, Rod. Get ready to go on a steak, too. How do they want it?"
"I... forgot to ask!"
"Go, woman! Go! And find out what Kalan wants."

"Why don't you just ask me, jerk? What ever happened to the good old days, when you ran the whole place yourself?"
"I had kids." Locke chuckled, before taking a slab of beef out from an in-counter fridge, to cut off the correct portion.

[Aredjay]

Tetran had consumed the rosette and a couple slices of buttered bread while he waited. He had plenty of time before his next mission, so he wasn't in any rush.

[yaypenguins]

Seeing the server return, Merlee realized that she never said how she wanted her steak.

"My apologies, I forgot to tell that I would like my steak done medium-well."

[Zaxton Books]

"Thanks, I'll tell him."

Kalan sighed, rolling his eyes. "... Whatever. Steak, rare."
Devaunge was a bit more polite. "I'll have the chicken, with mashed instead. And another bottle."
"Sure thing." the waitress grumbled, before taking these orders to the kitchen.

The amuse had a very pleasant taste; smokey, and fishy, but mildly so for both. It was, however, a bit chewy. By now, that plate had been cleared, and the ordered appetizer had arrived. Set in a ramekin cup on a plate, a golden-brown crust contained a delicious-smelling rose-peach-pink soup, thick in texture, with large chunks of lobster meat still inside.