Best Reunion Dinner

It was a weekend full of events worthy of recognition, but the event I choose to spotlight here is the combined awesomeness of old High School Pal Lucas being in town from Chicago AND meeting up with old High School Pals Pete and Hannah for the first time in ages. After meeting at Pete and Hannah's place we headed out to the Queen's Hideaway, a new smoked-food restaurant way out in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It is fair to say that this restaurant is far from the beaten path, but worthy of the trek out. In fact, I'm anxious to return, but I don't know that I'd be able to find it.

While the restaurant does have a charming interior and all, summer dining is best enjoyed in the backyard. I'm not even going to say that the restaurant has a "patio out back" or something like that. It's pretty much just tables and chairs in a backyard. Except for the constant attentive and friendly service and the fact that there's a bill at the end of the meal, you'd think you were chillin' at someone's house. Well, I suppose you practically are.

Here Hannah presents Lucas one of the Hideaway's "retarded good" carrots. (The designation was thought up by a member of our dinner party, they aren't listed as "retarded good" on the menu)



An amigo like Pete deserves a slightly more flattering photo than this one, but it's all I got. I'm just not as clicky with the camera these days as I used to be. I think Pete is eating one of my peapods in this photo, but I could be wrong. But one thing of which I am sure is that he has new glasses.



After dinner our band parted ways . . .



. . . and when I say parted ways I mean parted ways as them three headed up into Queens in search of other old high school friends (this time Iraqi musicians) and I headed down to Prospect Park. (It was my second trip to the park that day, but I didn't take any pictures at the ward barbecue, because, as I said earlier, I feel less clicky these days)



After like 16 stops on the G and a half-dozen on the F and much wading through throngs of Brooklynites it drippy-hot weather, I met up with Mitch, Di (hey Di, this is your shout-out, Di), Amber, and Becky at the Celebrate Brooklyn Early-Canada Day festivities.



While numerous Canadian bands were playing, I only caught a portion of the final set by the New Pornographers. Up until that night I was only familiar with the band because of their name (and in a "what's the deal with that band's name, anyway?" way) I enjoyed the songs I heard just fine, but enjoyed walking, talking, and riding the subway home better.