For the simple elegance of its décor, the welcoming and comfortable vibe, and the quality of the food, which belie the fairly modest prices, I give Nick’s an A- and am making a mental note to take some of my other friends there in the future. My first impression of this restaurant is that it would make a nice after-work hangout or a lunch spot on the weekends; someplace to chill and celebrate another day or week of chores done and projects completed. Evenings and weekends are times to recuperate from a period of toil and exertion (which, for workaholics like me, is itself anxiety-inducing), and at a place like this, one can recount the arduous deeds of the day, week, or season past over a lovely cocktail (that I didn’t have on this visit) and a good meal (while knowing that one isn’t handing over one’s entire paycheck at the end of the meal). Nick’s, while certainly not lacking in the bustle and vivacity that indicate a thriving business, is simultaneously a relaxing environment. Work can be addictive—not because it is identity-forming, but because one learns to derive from one’s job a sense of purpose, to rely on it as one’s raison d’etre: I matter because of what I do. Hence, weekends can be weirdly stressful as there may be no urgent item on the agenda to motivate us to get out of bed and get our shit together so we can do what needs doing. I’m someone who starts hyperventilating if I ever find myself having an idle moment, and while I’m glad I’m so energized by my work, I also recognize the importance of taking an occasional quick break; as the Chinese proverb goes, “One rests so one can travel farther.” Someday, perhaps, I’ll find that nice balance, where I can take frequent breaks in between spurts of productivity; where I can let go enough to relax, at least once a week, at a joint like Nick’s. In that alternate universe, bartenders at these restaurants would recognize Marianne as a regular, and they would know, even without asking, that she would want her go-to cocktail.