Dean Fearing Listens to Andrea Grimes.
Oh Man, We'll Never Hear the End of That.

Fearing now has a tortilla soup, tomato juice and V-8 answer at his namesake restaurant at the Ritz Carlton.

"It's kind of one of those things you forget about," Fearing says of the mainstay brunch drink, which typically sits at the neglected intersection of bar and kitchen.

Thanking Grimes for prodding him to rethink the beverage, Fearing yesterday unveiled his revamped Bloody Mary, garnished with a nest of crisp tortilla strips, cilantro and a halved jalapeno.

"Some people gasp when they see the jalapeno, but it doesn't make it five-alarm fire," Fearing says. "What I love about it is there's the Bloody Mary you're having right now, and the Bloody Mary you have as the flavor infuses. It's kind of fun."

In addition to the vegetarian tortilla soup, tomato juice and V-8, the base includes fresh grated horseradish, garlic Tabasco and the juice of four limes. The result's a hearty, brawny cocktail with a faint whiff of onion that's as much food as drink.

"The thing I hate is an under-seasoned Bloody Mary," Fearing says.

He's also none too fond of seeing his cocktails called out in the blogosphere.

"I'm going to call Andrea," he vows.