Since the community maintains a clear Polish presence, a visit to Roncesvalles would not be complete without a trip to the native Chopin Restaurant (165). Seated on a throne-like chair, I felt like royalty sipping on a pint of Tyskie gronie listening to live classical piano. Sharing a Polish plate of schnitzels, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, and pierogies, I had to digest this massive feast and refortify my dwindling buzz with a few glasses of krupnik, the 80-proof vodka honey liqueur so popular with the Slavic peoples. Na zdrowie!

It is evidently time for strong drink, and The Local (396) does not disappoint. More or less a typical pub, serving ales and finger foods, there’s a few things that distinguish it from other beer and wings joints. The swirling manicured evergreens and black slated wood frontage contrast well with its ostentatious golden lettering. Pushing the pub-fare envelope, oddities include blue cheese garlic bread and Cajun meatloaf. There’s also live bluegrass and Celtic music to stomp your feet to, and the confabulations reign supreme to clinking glasses till the wee hours. -L.S.