Sak Pasé! You’d think it would be next to impossible to walk into a Haitian bistro only to hear Russian karaoke blaring through the speakers. But that’s happened to me twice in the past few weeks alone at Waid’s. Apparently this lovable Haitian haunt is a popular Russian hangout on the first Friday of each month, with local transplants flooding in to sing their favorite songs from back home. So as I sit at the bar with a co-worker drinking $2 pints of PBR, we’re serenaded with a bevy of Russian classics. The Haitian bartender just laughs and thinks I’ve got bad luck, since this is only their second Russian-themed night (it’s a new concept), and I’ve shown up on both. If anything, that just goes to show that Waid’s is a great place to hang if you’re looking for culture. The all-Haitian menu offers plenty of tasty island treats (I recommend the griot), and each dish has a friendly note written in Creole. Since this restaurant/lounge is located next door to an Ethiopian bar, Waid’s doubles as an East African hangout most nights of the week, with DJs spinning world beat, soukous, and hiplife. There’s also Caribbean music on Wednesdays and Sundays, plus the occasional Brazilian night to round out the global dance party. As we finish the last of our food and Pabst, the place starts to fill with more Russians and a few confused regulars trying to figure out what the hell is happening. “It’s the Russian mafia,” the bartender jokes. I hope he’s kidding.