Scape'n At The Miracle Grill

Last night, happy hour at the West Village outpost of the Southwestern eatery Miracle Grill was taken up a serious notch.

Could it have been due to the company of my down-home homey Keith? Was he the cause of a bar raising experience at the bar?

He was nice and all - but not bar raising.

Could it have been the frosty, potent Frozen Guava Margaritas?

They were only $5.50 a pop for happy hour, but - nah.

Happy hour was made significantly happier by making the acquaintance of the Miracle's longtime owner Lynn Loflin.

A force to be reckoned with, there is no question that Lynn hasn't lost any of her Louisiana charm over the course of her 20 some odd years in NYC. On the contrary, her country appeal has only taken on a slighty urban patina - a bit of West Village sophistication by way of crunchy-granola Park Slope.

Her Dixie gifts are evident in the way she warmly greets regulars and in Miracle Grill's little touches. Touches like the homemade pickled garlic scapes in the restaurant's popular Sunday brunch Bloody Marys. The scapes (a bunch pictured above) are grown on Lynn's upstate farm and pickled by the good grace of her own two hands.

As a bizarre accompaniment to our Margs, Lynn offered us up a few stray pickled scapes from the very last jar from last summer's batch. Slightly sweet, vinegary and packing a wollop, Keith and I immediately saw how they could simply make a Bloody Mary.

For the record, this summer's batch is expected to hit the bar on Sunday. I strongly suggest you order up a Bloody Mary and suck on a scape or two to ensure a powerful beginning to your day.