FISHY WATERS… .Yes, sometimes even Squid gets the seaweed pulled over Squid’s slimy and beady eyes. Here’s the scoop: Last week, Squid got a bum steer from a tipster who put Baja Cantina in the darkest dungeon reserved for greedy capitalists, claiming they were up to something cold by charging $20 per soon-to-be-former Quail Lodge hotel employees for a going away party.

What Squid didn’t catch was that the union leaders fighting Quail management also have a bone to pick because of the closure.

Hence the tipster’s haste to paint the Cantina – a favorite gathering place for many employees – as a place that was taking “the opportunity to squeeze another 20 bucks from ’em.”

The menu, it turns out, was packed with enough value that $40 or $50 would’ve been fair: an all you can eat buffet of chicken, steak and veggie fajitas, rice, beans and salad, and dessert, plus a margarita, tax and tip included.

Those bitter about the labor dispute had the choice of not attending, but it was fishy to blame the Baja folks for agreeing to host the farewell. As another Squid tipster responded:

“For your information, the Quail ‘soon-to-be-jobless’ employees like me are the ones that… organized the party at Baja. The organized food and beverage at $20 a head was also our idea.

“While talking amongst co-workers, we realized many of us planned to have a good-bye drink at our local watering hole. Working in the food and beverage industry for many years, we thought it would be nice to have something organized instead of bombarding the bar with an unexpected, rather large crowd.

“If you went to Baja on any regular night for dinner you’d be paying $20 anyway. So for those employees that are complaining about the price… they don’t have to come, but they will definitely miss out!!!”

Squid deeply regrets the Quail closing, of course, but also regrets not checking in with the hardworking folks at the Cantina, who were trying to stir some margaritas for some old friends.

They deserved salt on the rim of their drinks, not poured into wounds.

And there’s some good news, despite the sadness surrounding Quail’s demise, and sympathy for the workers who have lost jobs – Edgar’s will remain open, and its many special events will continue.

More good news:

As demonstrated at the party Sunday, Baja – a Carmel Valley crux socially, gastronomically and philanthropically – is thriving.