Scots Wha Hae ...

Attended a b-day celebration at the new St Andrews Bar & Grill in Seattle, which has a cheesy-in-good-fun Scotland theme. When the b-day boy is named McDonald, it's entirely appropriate, and apparently also leads to drunken stories of Glencoe.

The food was nae sae bad (but nae sae good, either). Highlights from the menu:

Rod Stewart Onion Rings ($5) -- If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy, come on try these battered O's. Served with our special Rod sauce.

Robert the Bruce Burger ($10) -- Legend has it that this was the pre-battle meal of the Scottish king before he defeated Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314.

Loch Ness Fish 'n Chips ($9) -- These fillets are so tender, you'll think you're taking a bite out of Ole Nessie herself.

Fresh Caught Haggis (market price) -- We only serve haggis that has been humanely trapped. Due to illegal poaching and dwindling stocks, we only serve male haggis. Any haggis caught that are less than 18 months old are released back in to the wild so they may reach full maturity adn hopefully have a chance to breed. ...

Cute and hilarious! So while half of it caters to the Bonnie Prince Charlie romantic types, the other half seems like a serious pub. With a serious collection of whisky -- I think I counted 25 single malts! I've only seen that many at Chapel.

On a side note, the bar happened to be across the street from the house I lived in before the fam moved to the Westside, so of course I took a walk past it. And, like many nostalgic interludes, it was probably best not to return and stare at Time so defiantly in the face like that.

And then! I knew Aurora Ave was infamous for its streetwalkers, but I had no idea that any female walking alone on the street would be taken for one! So apparently to start an Aurora-type business transaction, a car driven by a lone male will slow down and park by the curb, and wait until said lone female either hurriedly puts on headphones, stops and walks the other way, or whips out her cell phone to make a fake call. Three different cars in the 20 minutes I was strolling around trying to reminisce fondly about the old childhood neighborhood! And no, my attire was entirely preppy (sweater, khakis, coat). Jeez.