Astroturf in a Glass

El Tiempo Cantina Tres Caballos[502 Main, (713)221-1695] is a restaurant with a lot of names. I translate the Spanish in my head: the time, bar, three horses. The place is old-fashioned with monochromatic paintings of horses and Mexican villas on the walls. The bar is a huge island with seating on all sides. A cute girl is sitting down on one end all alone. I select a stool a discreet distance away. Cute girls, like horses, are easily spooked. Bartender Diego Froylan's frozen drink recommendation is a Midori margarita. I try to decode the secret message about time, bars and horses that must lie at the bottom of this bright green slush, but I get a brain freeze. I ask the bartender about the Tres Caballos. He doesn't know. The cute girl doesn't know either, but we start talking. She likes horses. She lives in a loft downtown, but dreams of living in the country. For a moment, I do too.

Midori MargaritaMidori is a melon liqueur, originally made in Japan but now produced in Mexico, that makes a refreshing margarita. But use it sparingly; it's very sweet. The cantaloupe-flavored liqueur is Astroturf-green, which makes for a nice, bright, artificially colored cocktail. It would look great with pool furniture.

3 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec
1/4 cup (3 heaping tablespoons) frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups crushed ice
1 shot Midori

Put the limeade concentrate and crushed ice in a blender. Pour the tequila and triple sec over the ice. Puree until slushy. Pour the shot of Midori into a large clear margarita glass, then pour the slush on top. Yields one large margarita.