It all started Friday afternoon after work when my coworkers met at Sweetwater's Bar and Grill, around the corner from our job (only three more days for me!). It is on 3rd Avenue and 139th Street (1 block from the 6 train stop at 138th and 3rd ave). Although Fridays the place is normally packed with schoolteachers unwinding after a long week (there are many schools in the neighborhood) this Friday it was pleasantly empty. We were able to sit at a table and vent in peace. We ordered some of their awesome wings, chicken nachos, and calamari.
Manissa and Keegan came to meet us at Sweetwater's. Then Keegan, Marsha and I headed downtown to meet Evan and Alex in Koreatown, the glorious area located on 32nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. We went to Pocha 32, a Korean bar located on the second floor (as many things in Koreatown are). Although there was a 20 minute wait, we gave them our cell phone number and they called us when there was a table. Here, we drank soju (korean rice wine) and ate Korean street food, such as seafood pancake, fish stew, and cheese omelets. The walls are covered in fishnets and pictures of past visitors.
Following Pocha 32, the only natural thing to do was sing karaoke! So we went to one of the many Korean karaoke places, also on the upper levels of buildings, and sang our hearts out for a few hours in a private room. Good times.
Saturday for a very late lunch (it was around 5) Evan and I went to the Greydog Cafe on University and 12th Street. Although it is often filled with NYU kids, we can't help it, we love their sandwiches. I got my old standby, the grilled chicken press (grilled chicken, pesto, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella). I also got a cup of veggie chili, which was ok. Evan had a turkey Ruben. Yum!
For dinner we met Amy, who is home from New Orleans! We went to Republic, by Union Square. They have awesome Thai-style soups and noodles. We started with beef satay, which is much more flavorful than your standard Thai restaurant satay. I had a tomato and beef soup, Evan had spicy duck soup, and Amy had Salmon soup.
In other good news, I finally got fed up with my camera and bought a new one today. The flash on my old camera was busted, which is why the pictures in this posting kind of suck. So, hopefully, better pictures to follow! Tonight we are having our Bronx Thanksgiving, so look forward to a posting on that coming soon!
