On the seventeenth of February, the Lovebunnies hosted their annual Valentine's Day Dinner of Romance. It was the King Midas Feast.
"But it was his funeral feast," Bucky said when Loie first proposed the theme.
"It's just the idea of the luxury, the opulence of it," said Loie. "The gold, the special wine, it all sounds so lush." Loie had read of how scientists from the University of Pennsylvania had analyzed food remains that had been found twenty years ago in King Midas' tomb. The University used their findings to create a "feast" to be served as a fund raiser.
"Oh, OK," said Bucky, and the Midas Feast it was. While reading about the fund raiser's menu, Bucky noticed that the special Midas Touch ale that was served was brewed by Dogfish Head, in Lewes, Delaware; and that the brewery was planning to make a commercial version of the Brew. He remembered that the Lovebunnies had some different kinds of beers from that brewery at KCLinger's, their favorite pub in Hanover. He called KCLinger's and spoke with John.
"We might get some," said John. "But I don't think we'll have it before your party." He suggested Bucky call Dogfish Head and speak with the owner. Sam the owner did indeed promise that if the Lovebunnies came to the brew pub in Lewes, the first commercial batch of King Midas Touch ale would be ready: the day before the party!
The week before the party was spent in preparation, including marinating a leg of lamb for three days and grilling and smoking it over an apple wood fire for a whole afternoon. Loie procured golden brass candelabra, gold candles and gold edged dishes and glasses from Yo, and Bucky got golden dollars for table decorations. The day before the party, Loie and Bucky drove to Lewes in search of Midas Touch.
"Great Scott," said Bucky. "Why didn't we get Laura to come with us?"
Loie laughed. "Then this would have been another Wonder Tour!" The Lovebunnies had been driving for hours in pouring rain across the flat Delaware countryside.
"I wonder if we're ever going to get there in this mess," said Bucky. Eventually they drove into the little seaside resort town of Lewes, and the rain had tapered off.
"Isn't this where we were screaming up to the ferry to go to Cape May?" said Bucky.
"Yes, just here," said Loie. "And don't say anything about…"
"Rain washed beer?" said Bucky. The Lovebunnies laughed, remembering a trip long ago, when they chafed at having to sit and listen politely to their host at the Cape May hotel drone on about his rain washed herbs when they had wanted so to get out and begin their bird spotting. But on this day, they found the Dogfish Head pub easily, and despite the slow going in the rain were even a bit early, as it hadn't yet opened. When they got inside, a wonderful wood smoke aroma greeted them. But the pub's manager was less welcoming.
"I'm not going to start serving that until Monday," he said. The Lovebunnies' faces fell, but they pressed on.
"I'm really sorry," said Bucky. "I talked to Sam on the phone earlier this week, and he said we could come get a couple of gallons today."
"Do you know what I'm going to have to do? I've got to take off a keg, and find the keg of Midas. It's buried in the storeroom. I don't know how many cases I'm going to have to move to get to it. Then I have to flush the line, and then take it all down and hook the other keg back up…" He was looking daggers at Bucky by now, having worked himself into quite a state with his litany of travail.
"Gosh," said Bucky, "I'm really sorry to cause all the trouble. I guess Sam thought it'd be hooked up by now. We drove over from Baltimore just to get it. Sam did say it'd be ready." The pub manager turned away, and called someone on the phone. The Lovebunnies assumed he was speaking to Sam the owner, although they couldn't hear the mumbled conversation. They waited in trepidation. What a shame it would be to have come all that way for nothing.
"All right," said the pub manager. "This is going to take about fifteen minutes. How many growlers did you want?" When Bucky told him two, he glared as if Bucky had asked for a single glass. But he strode off into the back to begin the laborious process of switching kegs.
"I feel bad about putting him to all this trouble," said Loie.
"Well, I do too," said Bucky. "But Sam did tell me to come over, and we did. That's not our fault. Heck, we've had a lot more trouble than he has. This is going to be, what, eight hours for a couple of gallons of beer? And dealing with this guy?"
The manager appeared again, and began pouring beer into a pitcher from a tap.
"So, are you guys food critics?" he asked.
"No," said Bucky, "We just read about the Midas Touch. We're having the same dinner that the university served, and we wanted to have the same ale, too." The manager looked at him blankly. Loie and Bucky realized he didn't know anything about the Midas Touch!
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