No. 702 – Heartbreaker

Performer: Led Zeppelin

Songwriters: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham

Original Release: Led Zeppelin II

Year: 1969

Definitive Version: BBC Sessions, 1997

Debbie and I were excited when we got the announcement in 1997 of my cousin Amy’s wedding, because it was going to be in San Antonio just before Christmas. We loved San Antonio.

Scott and Shani drove up the night before, and we all flew out of Columbus together the next day. At the time, I was listening to Zeppelin’s BBC Sessions album regularly—particularly the full-length BBC broadcast concert from 1971 that comprises Disc 2, which is worth the price of admission alone.

Debbie’s friends from San Antonio picked us up at the airport, and the first order of business was to stop at this excellent fast-food fajita chain for lunch. I can’t remember the name of it now—and I can’t find it online—but it was awesome.

You placed your meat order at a counter like at a McDonald’s and grabbed your beer out of the cooler, not like at a McDonald’s, and they’d assign you a number. When your number was called, they had a plate of fajitas with all the veggies and trimmings and tortillas that you could want. Scott loved it.

Our hotel was next to the Riverwalk downtown, and the plan that first day—rehearsal day—was to just hang out down there. Debbie broke away with her friend after we checked in. We’d all meet up for dinner at Boudreau’s on the Riverwalk with Aunt Sally and whoever else had shown up by that time.

It was getting on into late afternoon when we got down there, so the Christmas lights weren’t yet lit, but you could see that they were everywhere. That was cool, and the fact that it was warm enough for shorts in December is always great when you hail from the frozen tundra of the Great Midwest.

Jin, who met us at the hotel, and Shani wanted to walk around and check out the shopping. Scott and I wanted to park it somewhere and have drinks, so we broke into pairs. The only place I could think of to stop was Zuni’s, which was my favorite place down there. I loved Zuni’s smoked salsa so much that for a few years, Debbie’s friend would send me a couple jars at Christmastime—even after Debbie and I broke up.

We ordered a couple of grande margaritas, and the chips and salsa came forthwith. I think Scott and I had a whole basket polished off before our waiter came carrying the drinks with the announcement that the bartender made them “with extra love.”

We took a sip … and the backs of our head were blown off by the amount of alcohol that were in them. AYE CARUMBA!! That’s some serious love right there! We dove into chip basket No. 2.

It didn’t take long before we really started feeling the love, and it was glorious to just bask in the setting sun through the Riverwalk trees as the Christmas lights started to come on. I could have just sat there and eaten chips all evening, but eventually the gals came back, and it was our turn to walk around and their turn to feel the Zuni’s love.

Eventually, we wandered back to the hotel to clean up a little bit before heading over to Boudreau’s, where Aunt Sally had a huge table awaiting everyone. Debbie showed up, her friend joined us, and everyone had a great time.

Debbie raved about the Cactus margarita at Boudreau’s, which was a frozen white drink that had a purple swirl on the top. But between the fajitas and chips and Zuni’s margarita, I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I chilled out before ramping up for when the “kids” would reassemble to go out later that night.

And the phrase “that drink has a lot of love in it” gained widespread currency and frequent subsequent usage in my family.