I finally made to the Downtown Syracuse location of Funk ‘N Waffles. I’m impressed, to be honest. It lives up to what it boasted: food, fun, music, waffles. Although there wasn’t time or opportunity to eat at the venue, because the group of us had enjoyed a nice hot, meal to alleviate the blustery winter Central New York — and the rest of the continent — has been suffering through. Yes, our continent. Fellow blogger and dilettante, Hanna Han-Basquait, from our neighbo(u)ring Canada had described the weather as “colder than a witch’s tit.” It’s not that I haven’t had any interactions (that I know of) with a witch, it’s tough for me to agree with such a boast … I trust her judgement.

But I digress. The group of us congregated at our Empire Brewing Company brew pub Mecca, and the atmosphere reminded us that it’s very difficult to get tired of the place. Having eaten beforehand, I opted for a bowl of the Big Easy Gumbo, but the bowl of the New-Orleans-inspired dish is just as filling as anything else on the menu, and maybe more filling than the personally preferred medium-done Tumbleweed Burger. I left with a knot in my stomach, because my hubris got the best of me. It was walked off while walking to FNW.

A picture of the gumbo was not captured, because my phone was hidden away. There is a personal desire to be less dependent of it, so it was tucked away in a coat pocket. Society called and left me a message during dinner; it’s displeased with my rebellious nature. However, unlike Empire’s po’boy that isn’t a po’boy aside the type of bread — it’s far too small to be considered a true po’boy — the gumbo is a dish of pleasure. The chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage are a three-hit combo for heartiness and flavor.

Formula 5, a progressive rock band — it’s still okay that we still say “prog rock,” right? — from the Upstate New York area, specifically Albany and eastward. My brother’s college friend and former lacrosse teammate, Mike McDonald, can be found at the keyboards and providing vocals. After the performance, my first time seeing them, I can say that the band is definitely comfortable performing with one another. The crowd enjoyed them, and dancing began immediately. Syracuse-based band, Vaporeyes, opened up with a funk-driven set that definitely impressed me, as I saw them perform for my first time as well.

The venue is definitely needed, a place where music can be heard on a daily basis. Whether you’re out with friends or on a date — hopefully not the “date” I saw the other day …

Aside: I’m not sure if the guy was nervous or what, but he was painfully awkward, more awkward than I am, and I’m not sure if her leaving seemingly abruptly was because she had to … but he came prepared with a computer to do work. He was asking her first-date type questions, but it seemed as if they had known each other before. Regardless, he kept tapping his feet through the meet-up as if he was playing drums, and he laid his upper torso on the table with arms outstretched at one point and slapped his palms on the table. But after she had left, he kept tapping his feet for at least another hour. Keep the nerves at bay, bud … Who knows what you’d do at a job interview …

… because it was pretty damn painful — Funk ‘N Waffles has the ability to extend the night and even get some dancing in. Plus, it adds another “scene” to a personal out-on-the-town repertoire. It’s to see new faces and meet those new people and create some stories. It’s another step toward greatness, boosting another reason to venture out to Downtown. It’s another check-in-the-box when adding, considering our Downtown’s “big city” qualities.

But the 20-something guys at the end of the night (around 1:30 AM), the guys running around in literal circles as they dipped their fingers in their beers and waters to flick the beverages at each other and as they cackled. C’mon, guys. How old are we?