A significant part of my childhood consisted of sitting with my family in front of a large, wood-enshrined television watching shows like “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Get Smart” while eating TV dinners on TV trays and drinking Grape Nehi. As I sat on the yellow shag carpet of my suburban Lakewood home, I dreamed of living like one of the dames in the Rat Pack, preferably Angie Dickinson, hanging out in Vegas with Frank Sinatra and in New York with Jackie O, laughing and drinking martinis while the band played on. And while I don’t remember longing to actually consume martinis, I do remember the Rat Pack looking fabulous while dining in classy restaurants. And every time my parents took me to El Gaucho in Seattle I dressed to the nines. I would eye the door expecting Jackie O or Nancy Sinatra to grace the classy joint. The iconic restaurant sat at Seventh Avenue and Olive Way from 1953 until it closed in 1985, serving the likes of Peggy Lee, Bob Hope and The Carpenters. It later reopened at 2505 First Ave. in downtown Seattle.

This year, El Gaucho celebrates five years on Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma.

I bring up my past memories not to justify my martini habit but to remind everyone that all El Gaucho restaurants have turned the clock back beginning Aug. 1 to 1953. For 54 nights, as many years as El Gaucho has been serving outstanding steaks, one table a night will receive a bill reflecting prices as they were in 1953, as well as the original menu. I have seen this menu, as my publisher was surprised three years ago as the table of the night. His $300 bill arrived reduced to $15.

So, I’m popping in to El Gaucho a couple of times this month, dressed to the nines, hoping I’m the lucky girl. With prices this low, I may still miss Jeannie and Agent 99 — but I won’t miss the TV dinner.

[El Gaucho, 2119 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1510]