What’s up buttercup? TGIF much? I did OT yesterday because my boss is putting full court press on my a$$. Working overtime can go one of two ways, and they happen to be polar opposites. Fortunately, picking up this extra shift did not backfire in my face. It’s amazing how much more enjoyable work is when the unit is adequately staffed and I can actually spend time with my patients without feeling like I’m hours behind in work (novel concept huh?). My boss is not the best when it comes to the business-minded side of things in the hospital…but maybe things are turning around?
Anyways. I had sustenance…again packed up in two EasyLunchBoxes containers.
Pita, pretz, carrots. Nuggets, carrots, salad.
Add in two apples, and that, my friends, is how I do 12 hours without losing my sh!t.
After the longest shift of my life, all I wanted was dinner (twss).
I really like having things to look forward to after work (who doesn’t like a light at the end of the tunnel?). The good news was that I had fun plans for dinner. The bad news was that they weren’t until 9 pm…which gave me 2 hours of time to kill between the end of my shift and the dinner reservation (did I mention I was starving, too?).
I bought a pound of grapes from the fruit stand man (pretty sure that’s his official title) to tide me over on the subway ride home. Since I didn’t get back to our apartment until 8 pm, I had approximately 4 1/8 minutes to change out of my scrubs, scrub my face down, spritz perfume from head to toe, and toss my camera in my purse before Kyle was dragging me out the door! Now that’s what I call a quick turn-around.
We went to a restaurant in the LES called Alias. As much as I love the Lower East Side, it takes soooo long to get there from the Upper West Side. But it was well worth it. Not just for the food, but because my friends were visiting from CA!!
We started with a few bottles of wine, some bread and a white bean dip (that may or may not have had garlic).
For dinner I got a vegetarian “burger” than I vegan-ified by omitting the cheese and mayo.
It was pretty legit! It had layers of crunchy fried onion crisps, a tomato salsa, portabello mushrooms, and a black bean mash in between a toasty sesame seed bun.
It was perfectly hearty without leaving me feeling too full (read: I still had enough room to get my drank on). The service was great, and everyone else seemed to enjoy their food too.
After dinner we headed to the teacup bar (not it’s real name, but that’s what Kyle and I have always called it). The Back Room is an actual speakeasy from the 1920’s Prohibition Era. You enter through a metal gate that says "Lower East Side Toy Company" and follow a semi-sketchy path (down some steps, through a dark, narrow alley and up more metal steps to a door with an old-fashioned peephole) to reach the bar.
Drinks are served in teacups (shots in espresso cups & beer bottles in paper bags…to throw off the cops of course).
A private VIP room hides behind a fake bookshelf (which, as you can see from the pic, is guarded by a very large man).
We stayed for one round of drinks and then moved on to Pianos, which is another one of my fave bars in all of NYC. Love it!
After this round of drinks, my memory gets a little hazy…we moved on to another bar, but I’m not sure where exactly. Any New Yorkers recognize this bar?
It was so creepy I couldn’t stop taking pics, but I have no clue where we were.
Anyways, we ended up getting back home around 2:30 and I definitely fell asleep in the back of the cab on the ride home.
Sorry Elaine, but this should teach you from high jacking my camera while I’m in the bathroom ;) This weekend is gonna be packed with a ton of fun – I am so excited!
The burger looks amazing, but could you actually fit your mouth around it? I think I’d have to daintily take a knife and fork to it.
Sounds like a fun night after a long day of work! That burger looks sooo yummy and satisfying 🙂
That bar – The Back Room – looks so cool. I’m totally going to convince my friends to hit that place up one night. Is it crowded and/or more expensive than most city bars?
Sounds like you had a fab night!
Nicole G
Holy YUM for that burguer 😉
Lovely post, girl!
Have a terrific Sunday!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
I thought it was the Banana Man…
<3 <3
you are a veganizing machine. ahaha that photo rules. have a great weekend! well, what is left of it!
That is one serious veggie burger, wowza!
hah I seriously hope your boss doesn’t come across your bloggie and realize what a grade A foolio he is. Meh!
veggie burger on ‘roids! nom nom nommmm.
my boss is a she, and im quitting, so im not really concerned…although im pretty sure she wouldnt care even if she did find my blog. its an open joke in the hospital.
it was hard, but i made it work. 😉
its on par with NYC bars price wise…its not too crowded in the back. that whole area in the LES around Ludlow/Stanton/Norfolk/Suffolk have many fun cheap(er) bars
I want that burger.
Love the speakeasy place! This is why I love New York. And London. And other big cities. So many a novelty/random bar to explore…and drink from tea cups in.
Oh and your veganized burger looks TOTALLY legit. Like, I want one right about now.
Love the tea cup bar! I always go there and to Pianos!! Although I always tend to spill my tea cup haha
Wow, that burger looks pretty flawless. I want to re-create that for myself in the near future…
oh lord. either that’s tequila or soco and lime. either one is dangerous.
what a fun time girl! and props to you for working like a maniac and then getting your party face on! guess ya gotta do it up while you can 🙂
stellar pics and what i wouldnt give to ride with you at 2:30am in the back of a cab. let’s just say that once upon a time, i was a wild child and at 2:30am, I was just gettin’ started 🙂
Holy crap, that burger IS legit! I need it now.
I love that bar! Well… I’ve only been there once, but I felt pretty cool about it.
And by “that bar” I mean the speakeasy… not the tantric one.
Love the teacups! Love love love the nail polish…hehe
p.s. I immediately thought Sidney Bristow when I read this title bee tee dubs. LOL!
OBVS! thats the only thing i thought of when i heard the restaurant name – haha