Gastropubs, mountaintops, siblings and travel

So last Saturday night, in honor of a friend's 25th birthday, I had my first experience with a "gastropub." For those who don't know, the "gastropub" is a unique fusion of Old and New World cultures, in which the rustic ambiance of a British pub meets a Manhattanite's palette for upscale cuisine. Apparently, they're quite the culinary rage in London right now. Forget fish and chips or shepherd's pie -- you order your pint of ale alongside an order of foie gras, grilled Chilean seabass or sheep's milk gnudi, a ravioli-like pasta. Here, the burgers come topped with Roquefort instead of cheddar slices.

It was my first trip to a "trendy" new restaurant in some time, as evidenced by initial frustrations with the 45-minute wait in the cramped bar area beforehand. I hadn't ventured too far outside of my usual Thai, Mexican and sushi places in a while. Fortunately I had a great deal of catching up to do with the present company as they were visiting from out-of-town. While causing a sizable dent in the wallet, however, the food and drink was every bit worth the time and effort. It was my first time sampling foie gras, and I finally understood how a dish so revolting in concept could taste so delectable...it literally melts in your mouth. We finished off the evening with several rounds of ale at a more budget-friendly local brewery, making for an exceptionally interesting subway ride home.

Perhaps to offset this recent intake of ale and fatty foods, I tried my hand at rock-climbing for the first time this week. It was the indoor version, of course -- a simulated Alpine mountainside housed inside the relative comfort of an Upper West Side gym. It was, by far, the most strenuous physical activity that I partook of in some time -- two days later, my sore limbs can attest to that. The amount of equipment involved creates an atmosphere of slight danger, too. In the end, of course, it's a blast. Plus, it's hard not to pretend that you're starring in a Broadway production of "Peter Pan" while being suspended 50 feet in the air by cables attached to a pelvis-hugging harness, too.

So my sister is making her way into the city to visit this weekend, and this time around, her boyfriend-du-jour is in tow. I probably shouldn't say that -- they've been off-and-on for a couple years now, but true to form, she's had a variety of other boyfriends in the meantime. I'm not sure what we'll be doing just yet as far as sightseeing or activities are concerned. Of course, her first question to me is, "So, is it OK if we find a place to go drinking somewhere? Is that cool?"

It isn't always easy being the older sibling -- I fight a constant battle within myself between trying to be a "cool" brother versus being the "responsible" one. Granted, I am aware that Angela is certainly no stranger to drinking and smoking pot. Furthermore, she will be turning 19 and entering her sophomore year in college soon, and by that time, I'd had more than several experiences with alcohol...and at least she'll be in a location where no one has to worry about driving home, et al. It's also my last out-of-town overnight visitor at the Astoria pad...

In other news, my company is offically sending me out to Chicago from August 23 - 25 for training on a new Macro-based software. At first I felt a little bad about accepting, but after 3 years, I've certainly put in my share of substantial time at this office. It'll be exciting since I've never been to Chicago before, even if I have to sit through those annoying training sessions. I hope I'll get a chance to track my friend Katie down while I'm there.