Weekend-o-rama
Friday Jen and I met Tri, Andy and Claire for MILK STOUTS at Black Swan. Before Tri could arrive to intervene, I convinced my peeps to order, in addition to our entrees and apps, a burger “for the table”. (Reader, I challenge you to resist the temptation to go no-holds-barred when the delirium of readily available milk stout overtakes you.)
Jen and I, per our plan, made it home at a reasonable hour and plopped down to watch CRIME DRAMA!!! About five minutes in, I saw Jen’s head flop to the side. Foiled again by the Dramatic Robinsonian Nod!
Saturday Jen and I ventured out for Grumpy and bagels.
Bad news: Grumpy has traded their Clover machine for a hand-pour brewing method, which takes FOREVER and does not involve the creation of a hockey puck of used grounds. Good news: The coffee is still very, very good. The best. The best coffee ever. Bett(er?) news: Jen and I discovered, upon our first voyage to the aptly named Bagel Hole, that one can secure a super tasty classic NY bagel (replete with terrible customer service) with lox for $5.25. I shall become a regular at the Hole.
After I yogued I met Jen and Dana at Fat Cat, ostensibly for ping pong – although the 2+ hours that we waited to get the call that our table was ready at The Spotted Pig finally afforded us only about 7 minutes of ping pong. The place was pretty packed and pretty douche-y (consistent with other venues near NYU that check IDs and charge a cover). However, they do serve Stone IPA on tap, which is almost enough to get you past all that.
When we got the call, we made our way through the slush – Jen and her Steelers hat in the lead, me hanging back with Dana, who was sloshing through the snow in classy, ladylike flats – to the Pig and were seated in a tiny room at a tiny table amidst a bundle of other diners and their G.D. coats. There was one pretty beautiful couple to our left, but everyone else was normal and non-intimidating.
Oh: except for our server, who was stunning.
The food was tasty. Spicy homemade pickled veggies. Devils on horseback (renamed “hogs on horseback” by Robinson) – prune and poached pear wrapped in bacon. Country paté. Pappardelle in oxtail and cinnamon. And, of course, the burger (which is on The List).
Did I mention our server?
(I apologize, Reader, for the condition of the photos. They’re a little blurry. I was, frankly, a little blurry. I did throw in a bonus shot of Robinson working Dana’s specs, though. HOTT stuff.)
From Spotted Pig we wandered to the 124 Rabbit Club, a SECRET (read: unmarked) underground bar across the street from Minetta Tavern. I added a little flair to our entrance by slipping down the wet metal stairs on my way in. (I am all class, Reader.) We decided once inside that the Rabbit had nothing on Minetta and made our way back across MacDougal for one gin blossom and two Manhattans with Rittenhouse Rye. Then Jen realized that it was midnight and she had a full day of class the following morning beginning at 9am and we had to skedaddle.
Guess who fell alseep in the cab on the way home?
Sunday Jen got up and went to class, and I did not. (Wheeeeeee! It was unfair.) I did, however, edit a very complicated philosophy paper written by the esteemed Andy and run in the cold with the esteemed Andy. Then we pigged out at 12th Street Bar and Grill with Tri, David and Kathryn.
Here’s the thing about 12th Street: the service is always a little odd, and the food isn’t very good. I guess that’s two things. But there you have it.
Back home, I joined Jen for some CRIME DRAMA!!! She made it to the end of the episode. It was the investigator after all. A CRIME OF PASSION!! It was very dramatic.
