burning koala

Last night Second Road had their Christmas Party at a “Party” restaurant called Tharen’s. The gist of the place is that you get four large groups in a room, lots of silly hats, and play really old, really bad music and everyone has “fun”. It was fun, but not by Tharen standards, evidently. We ended up leaving before the “real” partying started and I would guess that we were the first group in their history to pull that off.

The restaurant itself is located on a back street where you are supposed to find it by accident apparently. Angela car-pooled down from Chatswood and I walked over from Surry Hills, as Kings Cross is just the next town over.

Tucked back in the corner of Kings Cross

The evening began auspiciously with the trying on of hats. Some hats were better than others, but all hat were bad.

Tim as James Dean

Kurt and Tim as Russian Rappers, assumably

But after much hat fun, we all sat down to chat and get to know one another. I, of course, didn’t move off my seat so only took pictures from one spot and only got to know the same people I already know. But that’s OK, because those people are really swell. However, conversation was difficult due to the excessive amount of rather bad vintage music and show tunes blaring from a speaker that was seeminly placed 14” inches from my head. I cleverly positioned myself in the middle of the table so I had the advantage of not being able to hear the conversation on both sides of me rather than just one, so at least there’s that.

Angela, Lauren and Tony

Lauren wishing the flash would stop going off

After chatting and drinking some wine, the menu came around and we were challenged to decide among a set menu of three dishes. An entrée, a main, and a dessert. The list looked pretty interesting from the descriptions. I ordered the Indian sampler, Atlantic Salmon, and Crème Brûlée. The most popular entrée seemed to be the Lamb. I however went with the Salmon and it was, how do you say?, not good. Tasted more like the sea water it came shipped in. Ah well, that’s how it goes. As for the Lamb, it was good, but it seemed many were taxed by having to saw at it with a butter knife.

Getting ready to order. Careful what you wish for…

As I mentioned earlier, Tharen’s was kind of a party place for several large groups. One was evidently a birthday celebration and another seemed to be a bachelorette party. As if on cue, the music switched to “Going To The Chapel” and a big cake came out with oodles of sparklers flaming off the top. To add insult to injury, or wow to fantastic (depending on your point of view), they proceeded to pour an ounce or two of some kind of ethanol based liquid on the sparklers from about 3 feet above. This made a really impressive fire off the top of the cake and we were suddenly very aware that the seating arrangements and the lack of exits made this kind of entertainment just short of depraved indifferance. But no harm no foul, as they say. To make us all feel that special kind of Tharen excitement, they proceeded to hand out sparklers to all the tables. Luckily they ran out right after Lauren got hers.

Like 4th of July, except different

As a good number of the staff at Second Road were fighting off a bug that has been going around (I had it last week), the party came to an end – much earlier than Tharen standards we were admonished – and people soon began to say their goodbye’s. The nice thing was that as people were walking out some congregated in the small foyer and it was finally possible to have a conversation, somewhat brief, but a conversation none the less. Since Angela and I lived not far away, we proceeded to walk back home through Kings Cross. This area is very much the club (strip variety) and bar scene. Just up the street from Tharen we came across a club called “Porky’s”, which had a police van waiting outside. I assume they wait there every night, as business seems like it is good.

Porky’s

You can see all the pictures from the evening here in higher resolution…