And last night, I was able to see them for some drinks and appetizers in Soho. I was so excited to see them! After many emails and photos, we were finally going to meet in person. (Unfortunately, Guillaume couldn't join us because he had to work.)
It was rainy and cold last night, but we managed to brave the weather and meet at Bar 89 on Mercer Street.
Bar 89 (in photo at the left) is a spacious bar/restaurant that has a great menu of American comfort food. It also has a large art installation that changes monthly. This month it had many amarylis plants in pots attached to a metal frame hanging from the ceiling.
What the place is really famous for are its unique restrooms, though. I won't spoil the surprise, but, if you are curious and can't make the trip to NYC, Elaine tells me you can see a video of them on Youtube. I recommend seeing it for yourself. ;)
But I digress. While walking to meet them at the bar, I was a little worried that I might not
recognize Elaine and Chris when they came in. (Chris, where was the red, blue and yellow outfit?! Haha!) They confessed to the same fear. But it wasn't a problem at all. I saw them when they came in and I knew it was them. (The picture that they sent me and that was posted here helped me to figure it out.)
So, I waved them over to where I was at the bar and we got a table. We began to get to know each other as we looked at the drink menu. Elaine and I chose a big, pink, girly cocktail -- the name escapes me -- and Chris had a Stella. Later, we splurged on another fancy cocktail -- a pomegranate martini. YUM!
Even before the drinks came, we were chatting easily. Elaine and Chris are warm, funny, smart and personable. Though we didn't really know each other aside from emails and our family connection, I felt immediately at ease. I guess that's something that just happens with family, even if you are sort of distantly related. Or maybe it's just because they are great people!
We traded stories about life in the U.K. versus the States. I offered a few tips on shopping and restaurants in the city. I learned that Elaine works with 16-18 year-old-students helping them get work experience for university. She told me about her famous shepherd's pie with lamb mince (can I have the recipe, Elaine?). Chris loves boats and was in the Navy and has seen so many cities all over the world. It was fascinating!
We also discussed their trip so far. I think they may have liked the festive atmosphere of Chinatown the best. They saw the dragons in the street and the fish market and even ate at a Dim Sum restaurant. I don't think they tried the chicken feet, though! They hope to do some more shopping and maybe hit a jazz club before they leave.
I asked Elaine about Danny in Scotland and she said that she met him in Edinburough, I think. Danny was my first connection to
the extended family tree. He wrote a letter to my grandmother about 4 0r 5 years ago and gave her his email address. I wrote to him and he sent us many historical photos and a sprawling print out of the family tree. It was amazing. Elaine said she met Danny and Gillian for dinner and they are delightful!
I really wanted to continue talking with them, b
ut I had another party to attend that same night. I decided to be a little late to the party and we ordered a second drink and split some yummy appetizers. (BTW, the hot hot hot chips were delish and the buffalo chicken salad looked scrumptious. I couldn't try them both because I had to save room for the Shepherd's pie at the Australian place.)
After we were finished, I walked out with them and we said our goodbyes from beneath our umbrellas. Then, Chris and Elaine headed to the subway back uptown to their hotel. I hopped in a cab and hightailed it to a bar/restaurant The Australian located near Penn Station to celebrate our close friend, Sofia's, birthday.
I hope that Chris and Elaine come back again soon. There's always more to see in New York City and maybe they could even journey out to NJ to see the (in)famous Garden State!
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