In Which We Find A New Hang

Yesterday, my buds Howard and Mary Ann-ski (AKA Barney and Betty from SXSW) and I made our annual pilgrimage to the South Side for a house tour. It's inspiring and torturous all at the same time. Inspiring because these people on the tour have transformed rundown dwellings into incredibly beautiful remodels. Torturous because, you know, my house is a piece of shit by comparison, leaving me with the urge to go home and throw out EVERYTHING, blow out the walls and start from scratch.

*Sigh*

Alas, Geo and I don't have a big ole Sugar Daddy to fund such an endeavor, so we do the next best thing to assuage our feelings of inadequacy... hang out at a bar and drink.

We usually head to Folino's for a kick-ass Cosmo and beers, but this year we hit up this little bunker-like, non-descript, furthest thing from trendy hole-in-the-wall, Nadine's.

I had three wicked good Vodka and Tonics, a ginormous pulled pork hoagie and a plate of exquisite pomme frites that only a divey diner can concoct for $12.50?!?

Twelve-f*cking-fifty!!!!

Dude! This is soooo going to be our hang.

the lovely, let's call her Nadine
and the delightful My Name is Earl

Here's the best part, not only does it have cheap hootch and delicious grub (that pork was beyond scrumptious), the couple behind the bar were big-time fun in a completely Pittsburgh way. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted with good-natured ribbing befitting a regular. Everyone who walked in the door was treated to a joke, story and an ear-to-ear welcoming smile. My Name Is Earl and the lovely woman slinging the food and drink kept harassing each other to the delight of the diners.

Again, I don't know if it's a Burgh thing, my age or perhaps the vodka, but we ended up having the greatest conversation with My Name Is Earl about our collective collegiate club escapades, including the one about us drinking the cocktails people set down on our table while they danced at the legendary, not to mention cramped, Decade. Honestly, I don't know how we didn't get punched. Seriously.

In the end, we exchanged names and were invited to sign their guest book before calling it a day. Yep. We're in, BABY!! Nadine's ROCKS!!

I don't know if this kind of camaraderie happens in other cities. All I know is this is why I love our little hamlet by the river.

Long live the Burgh, n'at!!