I have been deemed an Original Gangster (finally!)

Last night, based on the recommendation of Bethany Clement and my own - local haunts -curiosity I went to Liberty, the new booze and sushi bar on 15th.

I was intrigued by the email correspondence that Bethany told me she had established with the owner's mother. It made the place seem like a family place and a hip place which lead me to believe that I might like it as much as the Hideout where this very conversation was taking place. Bethany also nearly guaranteed that I too would get to meet the owner.

My date and I sat down at one of the tables that look out upon the wonderfully large alley view windows that frame the bar and feature mirrors above them.

Next to us was a young, curly haired man on a laptop. He was eating a burger out a of Styrofoam container. Date X and I began talking about what to order. There are three vegetarian sushi options on the menu, spinach rolls, garden veggie rolls with wasabi aioli and another whose name I have forgotten. I was trying to determine which one to order. The aforementioned burger man leaned over and said that the sushi "is very good here." I thanked him and asked if he had recommendations for the lovely vegetarian to his left (me). He recommended the garden and forgotten name rolls. In homage to my defiant nature I went with the spinach roll.

Date X began talking, but the total of my measly brain power was devoted to guessing if this was, indeed, the famed owner. I turned to him and asked what his affiliation with the place was, "owner or regular...nobody else would eat a burger from another joint at a sushi bar." he confessed that he was the owner. He continued that they were very amenable to people bringing their own food in as Liberty is primarily a bar and he wants people to be well fed.

I asked for his mother's email address. He kindly declined my request.

We talked about Bangkok, where he had lived for several years and then he closed the laptop and went away.

I turned back to Date X and we began talking shop, e.g. music, interests, family and other first date garbage. We drank Manny's (after Manny's after Manny's) and realized that we had been talking for a very long time with no sign of our food. We asked the waitress about this in a very friendly way. It was amazing. I was not angry. I did not want to dine and dash or any other such shenanigans that typically overtake me when I receive anything less than superb service. She told us that the order had not been forgotten they were just moving slowly tonight. That seemed to satisfy us.

Finally the food arrived. It was delicious and the tactic of making us wait only served to please us more. I love the taste of avocado. Love it.

The date went on, with lots of trips to the bathroom.

And then he was back, my new favorite bar owner. He sat beside me and apologized for the wait time. I was smitten. I love a restaurant owner that easily mingles with his patrons and that acknowledges your individual experience. I told him that all was forgiven because the food was so good and 15th had been lacking a joint like this for at least 28 years.

I confessed that the neighborhood and this street in particular were my childhood haunts; that I slept at the foot of the register of Rainbow Grocery when my dad ran it in the very early 1980's.

And this, my friends, brings me to the point of the story: He crowned me the OG of 15th Avenue East. I was so honored. It felt like the accolade that I've been waiting for my whole life. Now I have lived.

Now, you should rush out to Liberty and see what type of glory Owner X bestows upon you.