Back to the Beer Garden

So, its summer again and that means its time to return to the best beer drinking venue in the Tri-city area, the Czech Beer Garden in Astoria. Man, I love that place, and it has been a while since we have been there ... an almost football field sized area full of picnic tables, pitchers of beer and rowdy, youthful New yorkers drinking entirely too much. A perfect place for a drink with friends and a perfect warm-up for our trip to the Czech Republic ... so last weekend at our engagement party Aviva and I made plans to meet my cousins Jake and Julia and her boyfriend Carlo. We were hoping some other folks would show, but as is typical in the city, everyone has plans weeks in advance.

Although we were supposed to get there at around 1845, but as usual, we were late. This time it wasn't my fault, as it usually is, nor was it hers, which happens, but with much less frequency. This time we were stopped by the Puerto Ricans. Specifically the Puerto Rican flag bearing cars that completely jammed up every roadway out of the Bronx, meaning that our 25 minute trip to Astoria took about an hour. This is New York, so this was not a huge surprise, but it did mean that once we parked and found Julia and Carlo in the back corner, we were definitely ready for a drink.

They were just finishing some kielbasa and pitcher, I think hogarten, when we got there. I took advantage of the opening and went to get a new pitcher, this time Staropramen. Nothing like the most popular beer in Prague to get you started. Back at the table the conversation ranged all over the place, getting most entertaining when big booty girl from the next table apologized for whacking Carlo with her ass, something that happened a number of times over the course of the evening. As the evening progressed and our bootylicious friend got more intoxicated, she found an american idol microphone and began to make the sound cars and trucks make backing up as she backed her ass around the table.

Soon after this a huge piece of fried cheese with a piece of ham inside showed up, drawing admiring looks from the female smokestacks at the next table. We housed the cheese even though we had already eaten dinner, and just a couple of minutes later my cousin Jake showed up and another pitcher appeared. Jake got a cheese burger and we all hung out and waxed philosophical about how people these days have many more options than they used and how the increase in life options has led to a spoiled society.

A ways into this conversation (at this point it had actually morphed into 2 separate discussions and I am not sure what Julia, Carlo and Aviva were talking about but Jake and I were talking about how it was easier to become a guitarist in the 1930's, 40's and 50's than it is today ... something I don't necessarily believe), our booty girl asked me what kind of beer we were drinking and then she and a friend stopped by and dropped off a pitcher of beer on her way out ... like I said, full of great people. We took off soon after we finished the bonus pitcher, a fantastic evening all around. I love that place ....