tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87468222024-03-16T13:53:09.579-05:001000 Bars And BeyondMy travelogue of a journey through 1000 bars in 1 year, and more, much more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-74923265523913247552020-11-12T19:55:00.004-05:002020-11-12T19:55:45.404-05:00<p> It is kind of funny. When I was a student at the University of Minnesota I spent a lot of time in the library reading The New Yorker, including back issues. I always kind of thought about living in New York. And, for some strange reason, I always thought I would end up married to a Chinese woman. Through a strange set of circumstances, I now live in New York and married to a Chinese woman. Fate? Well, before I ever met my wife to be she spent a couple of weeks in my cubicle at work while I was out on assignment. Then we were assigned to the same project. It was almost like fate had thrust us together. But oh, by what a circuitous route.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-20165909144197036732016-12-12T17:30:00.002-05:002016-12-12T17:30:28.078-05:00One Block CloserAh, I know the anticipation must be building beyond belief, but just one more block to go and we are there, Atlantic Avenue. But first we must get through this block.<br />
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American Apparel. This is what I don't like about gentrification, but it is a price you have to pay. When I first moved into this neighborhood it was a neat little place where you could buy their specialty, rotisserie chicken, and all sorts of sides for an extremely reasonable price. In fact it was downright cheap. And the place was always packed. Alas, as rents escalated they had to leave.<br />
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The next place to move in was a very nice upscale restaurant, Grappa. Excellent food and, as you might guess from the name, an impressive selection of grappas. I got to know the owners and one memorable, but not so rememorable, afternoon we sat and had a grappa tasting. Sadly, and I am not sure exactly why, the chef was replaced with one of the owners who was good, but it wasn't the same. And then, it just closed.<br />
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Now it is an American Apparel, which has no appeal. At least to me.<br />
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Next door is a place that has been around forever. If you want a quick slice or a pie to go, this is the place. Not my favorite pizza in the neighborhood, but my wife swears by it, as do many of my friends. It is the kind with the foldable crust favored by most New Yorkers. The kind of crust that lets you fold your slice in half so you can eat it as you walk down the street. They are a busy people. I prefer the pizzas with the crispier crust.<br />
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Moving right along, a place that I browse in, Game Stop. But I try to avoid it because I am prone to pick up yet another zombie game. Having gone through Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide more than once (two of the best zombie games I have ever played) I am trying to swear off games. But it is there if I have a relapse.<br />
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And for all your PC, phone, iPhone, etc., needs we have Radio Shack. Just like all the others, but it is convenient for when you want to pick up another cable or something.<br />
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Now that is it for the west side of Court Street between Atlantic Avenue and State Street. Across the street there are only three places.<br />
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On the corner of State and Court you have a LensCrafters. I had my last eye exam there and picked up two sets of lenses for frames that I already had. After my cataract surgery I was too impatient to get my glasses so the first prescription that I got, the prescription, had to be adjusted after another six weeks or so. It takes a couple of months for your eyes to settle. Anyway, they did a fine job, and their prices are reasonable.<br />
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The Sports Runner's Shop has everything you might want for sports shoes. A bit on the pricey side, but we live in an increasingly upscale neighborhood so paying top price for a pair of running shoes, even if you don't run, is acceptable. Now don't hate me, I usually by mine at Modell's, just a few blocks away.<br />
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They do have a colorful window display, I must admit. And if I just need a pair of shoelaces I will drop in.<br />
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And, finally, we have a Red Mango. If you are in the mood for a frozen yogurt or a smoothie, this is the place to go. It is, however, another place I have never frequented. I guess I am just not a frozen yogurt or smoothie kind of guy.<br />
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Well, there you have it. Even though we haven't even gotten to Atlantic Avenue you can see the many offerings just a couple blocks from where I live. Books, movies, liquor and wine, pizzas..., well, you get the idea. There is a lot going on in my neighborhood. And we are just covering a small part of it.<br />
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Next, Atlantic Avenue. And I will start at the west end of it with Montero's Bar & Grill. Stay tuned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-36292647600776663472016-12-08T11:51:00.000-05:002016-12-08T11:51:18.236-05:00A Bit Of A StrollIt turns out that there was more than enough stuff just on the block of Court Street between Schermerhorn and State to address at one time so I guess it will take me yet another day to actually make it to Atlantic Avenue.<br />
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We start my trip on the west side of Court Street just around the corner from the block on which I live. Only two establishments, but they take up the whole block. When I moved here there was a closed down and boarded up porno theater that was overrun with rats. Then there was Queen, a venerable Italian restaurant that got bought out and relocated just a block away. Still one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Family owned and managed. They build me a dynamite Rob Roy and their pasta is made to order. But, that is another story. Then there was a dive bar on the corner of Court and State called, I believe Julio II. I am not really sure because I only went in their a couple of times. It was primarily Hispanic and I was not. Pretty much a beer and a shot place. I vaguely remember the bartender being behind Plexiglas, but I am pretty sure I am just imagining that. I never went in there when I was sober. There may have been some other stuff on the block, but if there was I don't <br />
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Anyway, they tore down the whole block and replaced it with a Barnes & Noble and a United Artists multiplex theater. Of course there was the usual gnashing of teeth and neighborhood reviews that delayed the completion of this development. I guess some people actually preferred the closed-down porno theater and the rats. I did miss Queen, though. It was dark wood and somehow more comforting than the new version. Although now that my memory of that place has dimmed I like the new one every bit as much.<br />
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I pop into Barne's & Noble on occasion but, I confess, I buy most of my books from Amazon. Mostly downloaded to my Kindle. And I rarely go to a movie at the multiplex although we did go to see Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them the other day. There were about 6 of us in the whole theater at a 12:30 PM showing. But we had to select our seats when we bought our tickets. Assigned seating. But the seating chart was wrong. Anyway, we just sat where we wanted.<br />
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Okay, onto my side of the street. Next to the bank that used to be a bakery and pizza place (well, I guess you bake pizzas) is a cleaners where I seldom go since I stopped working and wearing suits and dress shirts and a Verizon store where I do buy my phone upgrades.<br />
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The most important place, for me at least, is one door down.<br />
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Zap Liquors. Who needs a wine cellar when this place is a five-minute walk away. They always have a nice selection of wines ranging in price from under $10 to, well, out of my range. Decent selections of spirits as well. I probably visit them a couple of times a week and don't even want to know how much I spend in a year. The staff are like old friends (gosh, I wonder why) and are quite knowledgeable about their wines. Sometimes they have wine tastings but I hate to go to those. I always feel obligated to buy a bottle of whatever they are pushing.<br />
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I have never been into the next four places, but it is comforting to know that they are there if I ever feel the need. Although ever feeling the need for a bubble tea is unlikely. They all seem to do a lively business. I think they get a lot of before and after the movie business and a lot of lunch business from people who work in the neighborhood.<br />
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The Stolle Bakery used to be the Szechuan Cusine. It was a very good and inexpensive Chinese restaurant with a hidden surprise. Tucked in the back was a little bar where I used to hang out with a bunch of guys and we discussed sports, local affairs, the usual stuff. Not many people knew about it and it was always the same little crowd. The bar had a bit of a Tiki feel to it, although I was probably one of the only people who drank Tiki drinks. The main bartender, Lily, was a former actress in Chinese movies and she always dressed like she was on the set. A great place. Then it just disappeared. It was there when I left to go to Mexico and when I returned it was gone and there was just a hole in the ground. The owner of the place decided to build an apartment building and rent out the ground floor. Can't blame him. As he explained to me "Less headaches, more money." Still, I miss the place and the crowd in the back never really regrouped.<br />
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Well, that is one more little stretch of my neighborhood. I will try to get us up to Atlantic Avenue tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-85850166173887972662016-12-05T10:36:00.000-05:002016-12-05T10:36:05.673-05:00Well, You Know How Things GoMy next post about my neighborhood and Atlantic Avenue will have to wait. The Mysterious Chinese Woman took me out for dinner last night. And a wonderful dinner it was at Convivium Osteria.<br />
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Had a great dinner and, when they didn't have the bottle of Cava that I ordered, they gave me a more expensive one at the same price. Food was delicious and the service was great. Not on Atlantic Avenue, but just a few blocks off.<br />
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Stopped at The Brazen Head, on Atlantic Avenue, on the way home and had a couple of Martinis. Booker gin, straight up, not too dry, and with just one olive. I am fussy. Turned out the bartenderess went to school with the son of one of my best friends. Now considering that my friend lives in Minneapolis and his son went to Southwest, also in Minneapolis, I thought this was an amazing coincidence. I ran cross country back then and Southwest always had one of the best teams. Still do. She also ran cross country. A very fun evening.<br />
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Interestingly, after going to the Brazen Head in Dublin I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen for years at a bus stop as I was waiting to catch a bus to go back to my hotel.<br />
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Anyway, I woke up this morning feeling chipper and was going to go to the gym. But then I saw a glass of wine that I had intended to drink before going to bed last night and didn't, so I did. Then, for some reason, I thought a bit of Absinthe would be a good idea. So this is what you will have to deal with.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-67509717106695824462016-12-04T12:53:00.001-05:002016-12-04T13:01:38.074-05:00Getting To AtlanticAtlantic Avenue, depending upon how I choose to get to it, is either two short blocks or one longer block and two short blocks from where I live. Two short blocks if I just head up Boerum/Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard, but that is the less interesting route. Although Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard (I prefer that name, it sounds more exotic) is pretty this time of year when they light it up. If you come into Brooklyn by way of the Brooklyn Bridge and keep going straight this is what you will be on. A nice stretch with multiple lanes and a wide median with plantings that change depending upon the season. <br />
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Well, that is what it is until it hits Atlantic Avenue. Then it narrows down and ends, rather ingloriously, a few blocks later at an iron works. Not quite the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, but a lot closer. <br />
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Anyway, I prefer walking down Schermerhorn, also known as The Street No One Can Pronounce Or Spell, to Court Street and then south for two blocks to Atlantic.<br />
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I live on the corner of Schermerhorn and Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard. I have been here thirty years now and can't imagine living anywhere else. Well, I can, but I wouldn't want to. That is because I often imagine myself living in a small apartment with peeling pea soup green wallpaper in..., well never mind. I don't even know why I often imagine such a thing.<br />
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And right across the street from me is the Transit Museum. We were going to go there yesterday but even when it just opened it was getting crowded. They said Tuesdays at 1:00 PM was the best time. We will see. They have a Coney Island exhibit now and I want to see that. I am a big fan of Coney Island, especially the bars. But that is another story.<br />
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Anyway, as I walk down Schermerhorn I pass an interesting place. It is owned by a Chinese fraternal society of some kind. The people who live there pretty much keep to themselves but I wave to a few of them who smile and wave back. Some of them collect cans for pocket change and are very industrious about it. I still remember when they were taking them out of a trashcan at a Greek Festival down the street and could not be chased away for love nor money.<br />
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This is the Greek Church just down the block where they have the festival. It is a week-long block party that seems to get bigger every year. Sadly, it has now become like a mini street fair. It used to be more authentic with a lamb roasting in the back and a lot of homemade goodies like moussaka and stuff. Slot machines and poker, if you know where to look. They still have some of the homemade goodies and gyros plus Greek beer and wine. They never have retsina though. A pity.<br />
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Next door to the church is a tobacco shop that has quite a selection of cigars and pipe tobacco, snuff, and pipes (some not for tobacco products). They don't sell cigarettes, though. Nicky, the owner, said it is too much of a hassle and he doesn't have enough room to stock them. Back in the day I would buy the occasional cigar from him, but I have given them up. I can't help but inhale when I smoke them.<br />
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At the corner now there is a bank. Bank branches have popped up everywhere. A pity, there once was a real nice bakery there that also sold excellent pizzas. But, as I have said, everything changes.<br />
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And across the street from that, also relatively new, is a Paris Baguette Cafe. That used to be part of the Bruno's Hardware store next to it, if I remember correctly. Then it was a flower shop for awhile. The upstairs used to be just for storage, but now it is apartments.<br />
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Not sure what the function of that structure next to it serves. It is always locked but is another entrance to the transit museum. Maybe, back in the day, that museum was an actual subway stop.<br />
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Anyway, that is my block. Next I will show you the two blocks of Court Street that I walk down to get to Atlantic Avenue, and then the real adventure, such that it is, will begin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-84928069580683654932016-12-03T12:02:00.005-05:002016-12-03T19:54:13.031-05:00Atlantic AvenueAtlantic Avenue, a scant two short blocks from where I live, is probably one of the most diverse avenues in the United States, if not in the world. At one end is the Brooklyn Bridge Park and miles away at the other end, as it crosses the Van Wyck Expressway, it morphs into 94th Avenue. But my stretch is anchored by two bars, Montero's Bar & Grill and Hank's Saloon. In between you have everything. More bars than you can shake a stick at, restaurants of every kind, from Middle Eastern to French, to soul food, to..., well, you name it. And you can find food stores ranging from your typical New York deli to Trader Joe's to Sahadi's Middle Eastern Grocery, a sprawling store that stocks just about every exotic ingredient that you could imagine. And if they don't have it, there are another half-dozen Middle Eastern stores that do. You have stores to serve your every need. And everyone lives in harmony in this stew of diversity.<br />
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I have decided to restart my blog that formerly chronicled my journey through a thousand bars in a single year to document this, to me, most fascinating of places before it irrevocably changes. As the neighborhood gentrifies, as so many do, many of the old places are leaving or changing beyond recognition. Change is inevitable. Atlantic Avenue, when I moved to Brooklyn, was a stretch you might not feel comfortable strolling about after dark. Some of the bars were downright dangerous. Now the danger is getting nicked fourteen bucks or more for a cocktail prepared by a mixologist who uses more ingredients than a chef uses for most meals, and bars that look like chemistry sets cluttered with bottles of special house bitters and who knows what else.<br />
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Now don't get me wrong, I can dump down a Dolores Del Rio (Jalapeño Infused Blanco Tequila, Aperol, Passion Fruit, Lime Juice) at the Long Island Bar as well as anyone. But I also remember when the Long Island Bar was pretty much a beer and a shot place. I want to document my stretch of Atlantic Avenue as it is now, before it changes even more. And maybe throw in a memory or two of what it was like.<br />
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I hope you will enjoy this trip as much as you enjoyed the last one. I am sure I will have as much fun. And I encourage anyone who has their own memories of, or thoughts about Atlantic Avenue to share them. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-83405829539075742482015-09-07T17:09:00.002-05:002015-09-07T17:09:50.498-05:00Early Labor Day BarbecueWell, not too early, just a day. It was a combination Labor Day and birthday barbecue. A birthday for a sister-in-law and a niece. I fired up my Napoleon Smoker, a gift from the Mysterious Chinese Woman and her family, but I suspect a gift with an ulterior motive. My old smoker just wasn't big enough to smoke everything they wanted to eat. They are a voracious bunch.<br />
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<b>My Napoleon Smoker</b><br />
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I did a couple of racks of spareribs, a boneless leg of lamb, a duck, and a chicken. The boneless leg of lamb I just used a liberal amount of Trader Joe's South African Smoke Seasoning Blend. I use this stuff a lot. Lot's of flavor but not too much heat. I also sprinkled on a fair amount of Kosher salt.<br />
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I brined both the duck and the chicken. The duck I brined in apple juice, Kosher salt, and garlic. The Chicken I brined in orange juice, Kosher salt, and honey ginger tea. The honey ginger tea is thick with shredded ginger and is meant to be added to hot water to make, well, honey ginger tea. But it also works well in this brine. <br />
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<b>Honey Ginger Tea</b><br />
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I brine them overnight and then before I put the chicken and the duck on the grill I slather them with more of the stuff as a glaze.<br />
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<b>Pre-Smoking</b><br />
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I make my own barbecue rub and have a variety of recipes but most are a variation on a theme. I removed the membrane from the spare ribs and rubbed them down the day before and and then let them sit in the fridge overnight. Took them out early enough to come to room temperature (well, close) and then put in the smoker.<br />
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<b>Before Smoking</b><br />
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I was pleased with the way that everything came out and, considering the gusto with which everything was consumed I think everyone was pleased. It makes me happy to smoke for an appreciative family. And the mother-in-law contributed with dishes of her own, lobster, shrimp, noodles, vegetables, soup, so we had plenty to eat and a great day. Oh, and a delicious salad from a sister-in-law and a couple of ice-cream cakes. Champagne and raspberry wine as well. A great feast.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-5865280228453534912015-09-02T10:53:00.002-05:002015-09-02T10:53:47.735-05:00Grand ArmyA new place opened up not too far from me on State Street and Hicks. I have been there twice and it is quite nice.<br />
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Beers are a bit on the pricey side and you don't get a pint like in most places. But they have a decent beer selection. Next time I will post it but didn't get a clear picture. But, as you can see, I enjoyed my beer.<br />
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They have $1 oysters during happy hour, something of a trend around the neighborhood and one that I am happy to see. And they serve them with an interesting selection of sauces. I could use a bit of just plan horseradish, though. But these were quite good. I liked the chipotle the best.<br />
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I slurcked them right down. Not sure what kind they were. Bit of an unusual shape, elongated. But they were very good and decent sized. No complaints from me.<br />
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For dinner I had the smoked octopus and it was excellent. I would return just for that, but next time I am going for the steak tartar. If they prepare that as well as the octopus it will be dynamite.<br />
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I can't remember for sure what the Mysterious Chinese Woman had but I am guessing it was the striped bass. They don't have a real extensive menu, but what they have, at least what I had, was really good. And she really liked whatever it was she had.<br />
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I apologize for the quality of the pictures. I forgot my camera and so the pictures were taken with a new iPhone and I don't think I had the settings correct. But you can see more by clicking the link.<br />
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<a href="http://www.grandarmybar.com/#private-dining_undefined">Grand Army</a><br />
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Stay tuned, I plan on posting more frequently, but certainly not as frequently as I once did. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-20220970164222527562015-07-12T12:32:00.001-05:002015-07-12T12:32:16.797-05:00Birthday Party For ArdenWent to a fun birthday party for my friend Arden. He is one of the many regulars from Pete's Waterfront Ale House who are kind of like an eleventh lost tribe. We tend to congregate wherever a former Pete's bartender is working or for special occasions. This was both and we congregated at the Hop Shop on Columbia Street in Brooklyn.<br />
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The Hop Shop is kind of waterfront if you consider the water to be the East River and the front to be across the street from a container terminal.<br />
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But hey, who goes to a bar for the view in Brooklyn? Well, maybe if you go to Ruby's in Coney Island. This is the view I was most interested in.<br />
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I started out with a Fire Island Sea Salt Ale. Not too strong (5.2% ABV) and a fairly hoppy IPA. Dry and crisp but I didn't notice any salt. And I sometimes put salt in my beer, especially 3.2 beer. Not bad. That was followed by a Sly Fox Saison that had more of a kick (6.9% ABV). A very good hot-weather beer. But enough about the beer, this was about Arden, the birthday boy.<br />
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Quite a crowd turned out because Arden is a crowd favorite. And quite an accomplished photographer. I have been going to Pete's Waterfront Ale House since it was across the street from where it was before it closed. Arden has been going there when it was down the block, just Pete's, and was an ice-cream place.<br />
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And no birthday party is complete with out cake or, in this case, cakes.<br />
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So for Arden this was great, two of his favorite things, cakes and taking pictures of cakes. Just doesn't get any better.<br />
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And food. The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I were heading out to dinner so I limited myself to a small Sloppy Joe and an excellent deviled egg brought by a former Pete's Waterfront Ale House cook. Just the deviled eggs. Not sure who brought the Sloppy Joes.<br />
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The Mysterious Chinese Woman had two pieces of cake. You can't stop her, you can only hope to contain her. She wouldn't let me take a picture of her eating it, but this is her with our friend Susan.<br />
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And here is Arden with more of his admirers.<br />
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The Hop Shop doesn't have a kitchen, yet. They are in the process of putting one in. It does have a nice little outdoor area, though. I will probably re-visit when they start having food.<br />
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After the party was over The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I headed to a very nice restaurant that could easily become one of my favorites.<br />
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La Cigogne is an Alsatian restaurant and Alsace is known for their storks as well as for their food and wine. La Cigogne means stork in French but, disappointingly, there was no stork on the menu. I had a delicious beef stew over spaetzle but ended up taking most of it home. A couple of beers, the Sloppy Joe, as small as it was, and deviled egg kind of filled me up. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had no problem polishing off her pistachio coated salmon though. I don't know how she manages to do it. She only had one beer, but I don't really know what she ate at the birthday party other than the cake.<br />
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We had a nice time at the party, the meal at La Cigogne was very good, and even the Knicks game I recorded was okay. Only second-tier and newer players played, but Porzingus looked pretty good, twelve points, three rebounds and two blocks in eighteen minutes. Good free-throw shooter as well, which is somewhat unusual for a big man, for some reason. The game was worth watching just to see Clyde in a polo-shirt instead of one of his more flamboyant outfits. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-42613697543299760582015-07-10T10:32:00.001-05:002015-07-10T11:15:46.316-05:00Beers at Dive BarDive Bar is affiliated with Tanner Smith's and has been around a lot longer. Twenty-seven years longer. Great place and one I had never been to before. New York City is like a lot of different villages and this is one I don't get to very often. Upper West Side about a block from Central Park.<br />
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This place, like Tanner Smith's, was packed. Pretty much a sports bar with a lot of televisions and a bunch of softball teams drinking pitchers of beer.<br />
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A representative from from Central Waters Brewery was there showcasing some of their offerings. I only had one of their beers though because, well, the one I had, Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout, was 10% ABV and they went up from there.<br />
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This was quite the beer, and you will probably never have a chance to drink one unless you hurry. Only four kegs were shipped to New York, and only two to New York City. Dive Bar got one. I think they do sell it in bottles, though.<br />
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This beer had more flavor than just about any beer I have ever had. Lots of toffee and coffee with just a hint of cherry. And the flavor just stayed in your mouth for a long, long time. It would be a great winter beer, but I can't see drinking more than one at a sitting. Well, I can, but I would probably regret it. Aw, hell, Who am I kidding? I wouldn't regret it at all. It is aged in used bourbon barrels and at the end aged for another week or two with cherries.<br />
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I had an Elysian Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout (5.6% ABV) afterwards and under normal circumstances I would have thought that was a flavorful brew. After the Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout, though, it tasted thin. The (Mysterious Chinese Woman) said it looked like a Guinness, and she was spot on. Like Guinness it is kept under nitrogen. This is brewed with Stumptown coffee and the flavor really comes through.<br />
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Started out the evening with a Bell's Amber Ale (5.8% ABV) and that was also quite good. Like Tanner Smith's they have a really nice beer menu here. I was going to just have a half-pint but it was happy hour and the waitress said I had to have a pint for the same price. Who am I to argue?<br />
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Food here was really good as well. We started with the bourbon chicken wings, spicy and tasty. Then we had a catfish taco that was also very good. I will be back even, though it is a bit of a subway ride.<br />
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Now this wasn't your traditional dive bar, but there was a dive theme to it.<br />
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Not sure how the moose fit into the theme, though. Maybe one of the owners shot it, or had it for a pet, or something.<br />
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I hope they aren't heavily into recycling here. And I hope that just drains and doesn't go into one of their beer lines.<br />
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Had a great time and now I will have to try the third bar these guys own, Three Monkeys.<br />
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<a href="http://www.divebarnyc.com/">Dive Bar</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-61791892217995294412015-07-08T15:35:00.003-05:002015-07-08T15:35:51.961-05:00Great Beer Tasting At Tanner Smith'sI was invited to a beer tasting last night at a fairly new bar and restaurant, Tanner Smith's. I was quite impressed. The place was packed when I got there, but not with people for the beer tasting. There were only about eighteen of us at that. It was for people who blogged or wrote about beer. I guess I got grandfathered in, somehow.<br />
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It was a nice tasting, eight different beers and each paired with a small dish. First, let me say the small dishes were excellent. They make everything (well, not the beer) on the premises and I will definitely make a return visit. An owner of the place introduced himself and the person conducting the tasting was a nephew of the owner. Very friendly people.<br />
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But on to the beers, in the approximate order that I remember drinking them.<br />
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First was Tricycle Grapefruit Radler from 49th Parallel Brewing. This was a low alcohol (3.5% ABV) that tasted pretty much like grapefruit juice. I could not really discern any alcohol at all. It is refreshing, but I would just as soon have a Greyhound with a bit of a kick to it. At Tanner Smith's they use it as an ingredient in some of their cocktails, but I think plain grapefruit juice would work just as well. Not exactly my cup of tea.<br />
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American Honey Blonde from Yonkers Brewing. A bit stronger (4.5% ABV) and made with Hudson Valley honey. It isn't sweet and I didn't discern any notable honey flavor. It is a bit tart with nice maltiness and a bit of hops back-end. A nice drinkable beer.<br />
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Downright Pilsner from Port City Brewing. Moving up a bit in alcohol (4.8% ABV). I found it to be quite dry. Has a bit of a murky color and didn't really appeal to me.<br />
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Labrador Lager from Thirsty Dog Brewery. Now this one I really liked. This was a beer with some meat to it (6% ABV). It was very smooth with what I thought was a dry, faint citrus, after taste. It is a Dortmunder style lager which is similar to a pilsner but the water they use is a bit sulferic (not that you would notice) and that is supposed to bring out the hops. It is also a bit more carbonated than the average beer.<br />
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Citradog IPA from Thirsty Dog Brewery. This beer has a lot of citrus notes to it, all from the Citra hops that are described as a high acid alpha hop (not sure what alpha hop means) with a strong, yet smooth, floral and citrus flavor and aroma. It was both citruy and hoppy and had a bite to it at 6.5% ABV. Very drinkable but citrusy beers are really not my thing.<br />
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Simtra Triple IPA from Knee Deep Brewery. Well, this could get you knee-deep in trouble if you drank much of it. Quite strong (11.25% ABV) and very bitter, as you would expect a triple IPA to be. It uses the Citra hops along with Simcoe hops, and hops you will taste. It is a real stomach warmer and I quite liked it. Probably would never have more than one, though. A pint would do a job on you, especially if you drank it like a beer instead of sipping it like a wine.<br />
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Mudpuppy Porter from Central Waters Brewery. This was a nice, mild (5.5% ABV) that went down smoothly. One of those porters that you could drink on a hot day. Your basic porter taste, somewhat coffee and chocolate, but nothing over-powering. Very drinkable.<br />
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Siberian Night Imperial Stout from Thirsty Dog Brewery. Now this was kind of like a good balance between the Sinatra Tripple IPA and the Mudpuppy Porter (9.7% ABV). You get plenty of flavor, chocolate, coffee, and toffee with the bitterness of an IPA. I liked the bitterness because often Imperial Stouts can be a bit too sweet and cloying for my taste. This was most excellent and would be a nice after-dinner drink. It would pair well with a chocolate dessert. Or you could just guzzle a couple of pints like I would probably do.<br />
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My hats of to Tanner Smith's for throwing a most excellent beer tasting. I had never even heard of, let alone tried, any of the beers before. The hosts were very friendly and knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The owners have another bar, Dive Bar, on the upper west-side of Manhattan and I plan on visiting them tomorrow night. I will try to take some pictures this time. My camera battery went dead and I didn't have my cellphone with me. My bad. They also own Three Monkeys Bar on 54th so that is also on my list for a future visit.<br />
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By the way Thomas "Tanner" Smith was somewhat of a rogue, the founder and leader of an Irish gang called the Marginals who met an untimely demise, shot in the back while playing poker.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tannersmiths.com/">Tanner Smith's</a><br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
high
alpha acid hop with a strong, yet smooth floral and citrus aroma and
flavor. - See more at:
http://craftbeeracademy.com/hop-of-the-week-citra/#sthash.XcjhFMOt.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
high alpha acid hop with a strong, yet smooth floral and citrus aroma
and flavor - See more at:
http://craftbeeracademy.com/hop-of-the-week-citra/#sthash.XcjhFMOt.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
high alpha acid hop with a strong, yet smooth floral and citrus aroma
and flavor - See more at:
http://craftbeeracademy.com/hop-of-the-week-citra/#sthash.XcjhFMOt.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
high alpha acid hop with a strong, yet smooth floral and citrus aroma
and flavor - See more at:
http://craftbeeracademy.com/hop-of-the-week-citra/#sthash.XcjhFMOt.dpuf</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-62691626046124193002015-06-03T10:59:00.001-05:002015-06-03T11:01:37.788-05:00Drink Like A Thirsty Swagman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Not everyone can drink in one-thousand bars in a single year, and lord knows I will never be able to do it again. But that doesn't mean you can't do some legendary drinking. A fellow I ran across via Facebook runs some tours that involve some pretty legendary drinking in some legendary places. The fellow's name is Kenneth Hart and his Tour/Drinking company is Thirsty Swagman. As you may guess from the name, it is based in Australia. Drinking beer with Australians is always a risky business. Kind of like drinking Vodka with Russians.<br />
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Anyway, he has an upcoming tour in August, the Ale Of Man tour, that looks like fun. Ireland, Scotland, the U.K. A few others scheduled for next year as well in Asia and Spain. You might want to check them out.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8746822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>You can find all the information you need the Thirsty Swagman website which you can access by clicking on Swagman Pubcrawls under My Favorite Links to the right, just under the picture of the Mysterious Chinese Woman.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-73595022112579831322013-09-26T14:50:00.000-05:002013-09-26T14:50:24.046-05:00Leftover Pasta PizzaWell, not really pizza. But it is an easy to prepare breakfast or lunch that get's rid of your leftover pasta from the night before. This works well with almost any pasta dish but homemade pasta puttanesca is my favorite. I have also made it with leftover linguini in a white clam sauce though.<br />
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First step, and not necessary, you caramelize some onions. This is the most time consuming part because it takes a good hour over low heat to really get nice caramelized onions.<br />
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<b>Quite Delicious When Finally Done</b><br />
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Then you grate up a bunch of Parmesan cheese. I find a small food processor works well for this, unless you really want to give yourself a workout. And don't be stingy with the cheese.<br />
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<b>Dan's Time Saving Tip</b><br />
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Now for the fun part, mix the leftover pasta (homemade pasta puttanesca in this case) with a couple of eggs and about a cup of the grated cheese in a bowl and then plop it into a frying pan (I prefer cast iron) with about a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom.<br />
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<b>Plopped Pasta</b><br />
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Now you just turn on the heat to a low medium and then leave it until bubbles start to form on top and most of the cheese is melted. Then you top it with about another quarter of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese and put it under the broiler for about ten minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.<br />
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<b>Should Look Like This When Done</b><br />
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Next you top it with the caramelized onions.<br />
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<b>Ready To Eat</b><br />
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Well, not quite. I cover the pan with foil and let it rest for a good ten minutes. Otherwise you end up with a mouthful of hot melted cheese. Then I like to slice it like a pizza and have it with a nice glass of Chianti.<br />
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<b>A Great Little Brunch</b><br />
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This is good hot or even cold if you have leftovers of the leftovers. The Mysterious Chinese Woman always makes extra pasta just so she can have this the next day. Try it, you will like it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-32249507106602054992013-09-23T15:33:00.000-05:002013-09-23T15:33:01.463-05:00Lost In BrooklynWow, I actually got somewhat lost today, and in my neighborhood. I hope this isn't the early onset of Alzheimer's. I was coming back from my eye doctor in Manhattan and decided to take the N train back to Brooklyn instead of the usual local 6 to the Brooklyn Bridge and then transferring to either the 4 or 5 to Brooklyn. Anyway, the N skipped the stop where I usually get off (don't ask, it is the New York subway system). I got off at Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center, another stop I am familiar with. But I exited somewhere, well, different. They have redone the station so there are new exits. With all of the new buildings and the mirrored front of the Barclays Center I got confused and started to walk the wrong way for a couple of blocks. Then, when I recovered my bearings, to my horror I discovered that Hank's Saloon now opens at 11:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM so I couldn't stop in for an Old Crow and water to steady my nerves that were unsteadied after that horrific disorientating experience. Luckily I could get a beer in a paper bag (hah, they ruled against stop and search, although I don't really fit the profile anyway) at a deli just down the block. I am better now.<br />
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For those of you not familiar with New York laws, you can't buy beer in a liquor store. Or anything other than liquor and wine. for that matter. No mix, no olives, no nothing. All beer is sold either in delis or bodegas (small convenience stores), grocery stores, supermarkets, beer distributors and, interestingly, drugstores. But even my local drugstore has a good selection of beers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-25466671107019374492013-09-22T10:29:00.000-05:002013-09-22T10:29:28.299-05:00Fletcher's In BrooklynA buddy of mine, John, has been trying to drag me to his American Legion for the longest time. It is a bit out of my wandering range, a couple of miles away, but it was nice out yesterday so The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to walk there. Well, we got there but no John. Oh well, for $1 gin and tonics and 50 cent glasses of beer I could afford to wait for awhile. But after a bit we decided to head down the street to pop into a place we passed on the way.<br />
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<b>Fletcher's</b><br />
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As you can tell, I am having a bit of a problem with pictures. The Mysterious Chinese Woman took these with her iPhone and I am not sure how to go about formatting them to get rid of that big white margin. Oh well, I will use my camera from now on.<br />
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Anyway, let me tell you that this little place is a real gem. I take pride in my own smoking and barbecuing, and I am not going to suggest that this place had better ribs than mine, but they did have dynamite ribs. Dry rub with sauce on the side, just the way they should be served. And Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace on tap. Sorachi Ace is named for the lemony smelling hops that were created by the Japanese in 1988 when they crossed the British “Brewer’s Gold” and the Czech “Saaz” hops. It is one of my favorite beers and is a relatively strong 7.6% ABV (Alcohol By Volume).<br />
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<b>Aces Will Get You High</b><br />
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So I settled in and had myself some ribs and beer. Seemed like the thing to do.<br />
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<b>What Could Be Better?</b>
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The people here were quite friendly, including the guy I was sitting next to. We discussed smoking and barbecuing and Matt, the Pitmaster and Executive Chef joined in. It turned out that he had spent time in Minneapolis and we liked some of the same music (Tom Waits, The Replacements, Hold Steady). Stuffed pork shoulders were coming out of the smoker and he generously provided us with tastes. Quite delicious.<br />
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<b>Lookin' And Tastin' Great</b>
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They did there own smoking on the premises and they had some pretty significant smokers.<br />
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<b>A Bit Big For My Apartment</b>
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I can give a whole-hearted recommendation for this place. It is located at 433 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, between 7th and 8th Street. A bit out of the way but you can easily walk from two nearby subway stops and it is on a bus line. Well worth the trip.
Oh, I did pop into Hank's Saloon for a quick Old Crow and water for old times sake. I hear that it only has about another couple of months left before the building is torn down and replaced with Who knows what? The place really should be land-marked.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-61759409530912376682013-09-21T19:24:00.000-05:002013-09-21T19:24:19.929-05:00Back At ItDon't get excited, no more thousand bar treks or anything like that. But I have been going to some interesting places and I am beginning to miss blogging a bit after almost a year layoff. So if I do or see something interesting I will make it a point to blog about it. I have been far too lazy for far too long.<br />
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I did get potted at Harry Potter's favorite pub.<br />
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<b>Damn That Butterbeer</b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-48742875584591085902012-10-31T07:41:00.000-05:002012-10-31T07:41:40.948-05:00Hurricane SandyJust thought I would pop up a quick post to let everyone know that the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I escaped the wrath of Hurricane Sandy completely unscathed. We are in a part of Downtown Brooklyn that is high enough about sea-level that we wouldn't have to evacuate even if there was a category 5 hurricane. At least according to the evacuation map . And we didn't seem to get much wind damage either. I walked around the neighborhood yesterday and aside from a few fallen branches didn't see any damage.<br />
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Of course my main concern was:<br />
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<b>Pete's Waterfront Ale House</b><br />
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It looked a bit forlorn, but then it was early and not open yet. I was happy to see that Sam didn't let the storm curtail his entrepreneurial instincts.<br />
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<b>What Else Would You Expect</b><br />
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I did pop in there last night and the place was packed. They were really short staffed and everyone was working their tail off. Mary, the bartender, was into her second shift and even Sam was serving drinks and clearing tables. Hats off to the hard-working crew.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-21706875508903365602012-09-20T12:46:00.000-05:002012-09-20T12:46:22.237-05:00A Mash UpOkay, I know, I am way behind on posting about Alaska and Canada. But the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I just got back from a barbecue eating expedition in Memphis so I will kind of shuffle between the two. The Memphis trip was kind of a spur of the moment thing. I got the hankering to go after watching a Food Network show that featured Memphis barbecue. We got to Memphis on a Tuesday afternoon and left on the following Monday morning. In the five and a half days we were there we hit eight barbecue places and had ribs in six of them. I shall be reporting on each of them.<br />
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But first, before we left we had a little barbecue at my sister-in-law's place. Mostly the same stuff except for the beef tongue.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ready For Smokin'</span></b><br />
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I didn't do much to it, just trimmed off some of the fat and then lightly salted and peppered it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Had To Have Some Chickens, A Duck And Lamb Too</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">And Everything Assembled</span></b><br />
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Did a few racks of ribs too. Nobody starved. The tongue was a bit bland, will do more to spice them up the next time. The ribs came out perfectly and I did a throwback rub in honor of my other sister-in-law's birthday. I made the original rub for one of her birthdays many years ago and it is one of the few recipes I have ever written down. Quite flavorful and packs a nice kick.<br />
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We flew out of LaGuardia on Delta and I must say that I was really impressed by the new Delta terminal. Not your typical waiting area.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Like The Future</span></b><br />
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Those iPads are provided free as well as the internet connection. You can also use them to order food and drinks. Pretty cool, if you ask me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Even The Restaurant Had Them</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Well, One Of Them</span></b><br />
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And they had kind of a futuristic looking bar island where you could grab a quick one.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Conveniently Located</span></b><br />
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It is a pretty short flight to Memphis and once we checked into the hotel, right around the corner from Beale Street, we wasted no time in hitting our first barbecue joint.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rum Boogie Cafe</span></b><br />
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It looked promising enough, a few people at the bar and a hundred or more guitars signed by their famous and not-so-famous owners. Lot's of old posters hanging on the walls.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Looks Good To Me</span></b><br />
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Well, looks can be deceiving.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pulled Pork Sandwich</span></b><br />
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I wouldn't say it was bad, but it was bland. And the coleslaw, served on the side, was bland as well. I like to put the coleslaw on the pulled pork, but it didn't help in this case. No smoke flavor either so I suspect they just cooked the pork in the oven. The French fries were okay, though.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mystery Gumbo</span></b><br />
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The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered some what turned out to be mysterious gumbo. Mysterious because it seemed to lack most of the ingredients that were listed on the menu. Thing like the sausage, shrimp, chicken and alligator. About the only chunks that were big enough to identify were chunks of celery. The gumbo was flavorful, I will have to give it that. But if something says it has shrimp in it you would expect to see at least one shrimp. Same with the rest of the stuff. Oh well, I guess this is what you get for just stopping into the first place you see. The Ghost River beer, a local product, was quite good.<br />
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Okay, next post it is back to Alaska.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-74333638651600625002012-09-02T18:23:00.000-05:002012-09-02T18:23:46.506-05:00Pig IslandOkay, another break from my Alaska posts. Yesterday the Mysterious Chinese woman and I headed out to Governor's Island which had been renamed Pig Island for the day for a beer and barbecue festival. One of the great things about where I live is that we were able to just walk a short distance to catch the free ferry. The first ferry departed at 11:00 AM and then they run about every twenty minutes or so. We got there about 10:30 AM and the lines were already starting to form. And then people just kept coming.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Waiting For The Ferry</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">And Here Is The Ferry</span></b><br />
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Amazingly, there was room for everyone. But it was pretty packed.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Top Deck</b></span><br />
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The bottom deck was packed too with everyone who brought their bicycles and strollers for the little kids. But we got our seats and just chilled out for the short ride.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Just Chillin'</b></span><br />
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I don't know why, but I didn't get any pictures of the beer tents. Only Six Points beer was being served but they had several types and there was no problem getting as much as you wanted. Although the event was sold out I think they reduced the number of tickets this year because it wasn't as crowded as last year and the lines weren't nearly as long. Much more pleasant. But that isn't to say that there weren't a lot of people.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Having A Wonderful Time</b></span><br />
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Last year there were several smaller bands playing around the festival. This year they just had one band but it had more of a stage and was at one end where people could gather and not get in the way of the food vendors and the lines.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The Band</span></b><br />
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Joe Doe was my first food stop, probably because it was right next to one of the beer tents. They, like most of the vendors, were here last year.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Joe Doe's Big Sandwich</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>And Joe Doe's Sandwich Maker</b></span><br />
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They also had some pate and a big jar of pickled stuff that included sausage, okra (too tough) corn, radishes and who knows what else.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Mysterious Stuff</b></span><br />
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One of the things they had this year that was new was a pig butchering demonstration put on by Wusthof Knives. And it was quite interesting.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>How You Butcher A Pig</b></span><br />
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And, of course, a few of the many vendors that participated.<br />
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Now this is a neat little smoker that would be fun to have. Perfect for pedaling to a park for a picnic.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>The Ultimate Portable Smoker</b></span><br />
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I was happy to see that my hometown of Minneapolis was represented as well.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Made Me Kind Of Homesick</b></span><br />
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And my friend Sam and his Fuhggeddaboutit barbecue team representing Pete's Waterfront Ale House was there.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>You Can't Fuhggeddaboutit</b></span><br />
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His smoker isn't as portable as the little one, but it does the job.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>The Big Smoker</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>And Smilin' Sam Himself</b></span><br />
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I had the pulled pork, delicious as usual, and his really delicious homemade headcheese. Sam was nice enough to cut off a big hunk for me to take home. And it didn't take me long to dig into it once I got back to my place.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>There Is Always Room For Headcheese</b></span><br />
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Speaking of Pete's Waterfront Ale House, don't forget that September 30th is the Atlantic Antic, far and away the best street fair in New York, in my humble opinion. He will have that smoker out in front of his place and be serving up more pulled pork sandwiches. The line is always long and hopefully the Black Coffee Blues band will be playing as well.<br />
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And that was my day on Pig Island.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Here's Looking At You</b></span><br />
<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/PI19.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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More on Alaska next time, I promise.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-34492816568242536492012-08-28T14:19:00.000-05:002012-09-30T12:37:19.859-05:00A Bus Ride In The Park<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just a quick flashback. You may remember this picture of a statue in Fairbanks:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Honoring United States And Russian Airmen</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair205.jpg" width="628" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I did a little research and found out that before the United States actually entered World War II (we were horribly late to the game) there was the Lend Lease Act, signed into law on March 11th, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of World War II in Europe and nine months before the United States entered the war in December, 1941. It was a program under which the United States supplied Allied nations, including the Soviet Union, with military goods, including airplanes.The memorial has bronze statues of U.S. and Soviet pilots wearing cold weather clothing standing in front of a granite backdrop with a bronze propeller. The monument commemorates the flights of American planes from the continental United States via Alaska to Siberia and were flown by both United States and Russian airmen. There, I just had to get that off of my chest.</span><br />
Okay, on to the bus trip which, unless you were on the bus, might seem a bit boring. Basically we just saw a lot of park with a few animals seen from great distances. But I did get some pictures of why they call those wide, shallow meandering glacial rivers braided rivers.<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Braided Rivers</b></span><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT04.jpg" width="628" /><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT11.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Again, glacial river sounds like something clear and refreshing but, as you can see, in reality they are shallow murky things that support little in the way of life. In deeper areas there may be a few salmon who wander into them and a few beluga whales will go after them.
We were very lucky in that it was a very clear day and we got a pretty good look at Mt. Whitney off in the distance.<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mt. Whitney, Or At Least Most Of It</b></span><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT03.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Me Blocking Most Of It</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT07.jpg" width="628" /></span></span><br />
<br />
Oh, and the wildlife. We didn't see any moose or mountain goats, but we did see several elk and a bear with her cubs.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Ooh! Look, A Caribou</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT08.jpg" width="628" /></span></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">And Some Bears</span></b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT14.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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We thought we saw some mountain goats, but they were just some hikers who were all down on their knees, for some reason.<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Looking For Magic Mushrooms, Perhaps</b>
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT06.jpg" width="628" /></span><br />
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And here is a picture of our bus, must have a picture of our bus.<br />
<span ms="ms" sans-serif="sans-serif" trebuchet="trebuchet"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Our Bus</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT01.jpg" width="628" /></span></span><br />
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And a picture of the happy vacationers.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span span="span" style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>So Very Happy</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Thousandbars%2012/ABT05.jpg" width="628" /></span></span><br />
<br />
Stay tuned, things get a bit more interesting. We get back on the train again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-91846677430538985662012-08-23T12:19:00.000-05:002012-08-23T12:19:08.333-05:00Our First Evening At Denali ParkWell, we weren't actually in the park, that doesn't come until tomorrow. And we didn't exactly go out exploring the Alaskan wilderness. Instead we settled in to my first couple of Maker's Mark Manhattans. The small, informal restaurant that wraps around the bar and extends out to the deck has some very good food. We ate there a couple of times.<br />
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<b>Nice Views, Good Food</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP102.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP01.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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But on our first night we decided to take a little shuttle to a place down the road that had a good reputation.<br />
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<b>The 49th State</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP103.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Both our guide and the bartender said we should try it, as did a couple of people at the bar. So how could we resist. And it was worthy of the praise.<br />
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<b>Typical Bar Interior</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP104.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP105.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP106.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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But this really gladdened my heart,<br />
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<b>A Brewery In The Back</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP107.jpg" width="628" /><br />
<br />
Fortified with the knowledge that I would be delivered to my cabin's door by a series of shuttle buses and therefore would not have to actually walk on any potentially dangerous paths, I partook of a few of their brews. Sadly, I remember little about them except that they were very good. I think one of them used pine buds instead of or in addition to the hops.<br />
<br />
And for an appetizer, well I couldn't pass up on their version of a Scotch egg. Instead of using pork-sausage they use reindeer sausage. For those of you who don't know, you make these by wrapping a hard-boiled egg in a sausage and, well, fat of some sort. When I make my own I fry up a pound of bacon and use the bacon fat. Then you deep-fry the thing until the outside starts to crisp up. Quite delicious, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
<b>A Scotch Reindeer Egg</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP108.jpg" width="628" /><br />
<br />
I can't remember what the Mysterious Chinese Woman had for dinner, but I know she liked it. I had a steak and it was great. Good piece of meat and done to perfection.<br />
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<b>No Leftovers Either</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP109.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Now what wondrous view could elicit such a reaction from the Mysterious Chinese Woman?<br />
<br />
<b>Oh, Look, It's A...</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP111.jpg" width="628" /><br />
<br />
Well, to be fair, it was a mighty damn fine piece of pie. Made with wild blueberries that were as flavorful as any that I have ever eaten, and I have eaten my share. And the crust was just perfect. We did something we very seldom do, we ordered a second piece to take home for breakfast.<br />
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I don't know how many of you saw "Into The Wild." It was about this guy who goes off to live in a school-bus in Alaska and ends up dying. Anyway, The 49th State has the school-bus that was used in the movie. Not the actual one, mind you, just the reproduction.<br />
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<b>Not The Real Bus</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP112.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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And for those of you who might worry about having to eat that strange Alaskan food, take heart. There are alternatives available.<br />
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<b>Available Alternatives To Alaskan</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP113.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ADP114.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Okay, my next post should include more exciting scenery and wildlife pictures, mostly shot from the inside of a bus.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-23005892329219866482012-08-21T10:48:00.001-05:002012-08-21T10:48:22.695-05:00First Alaskan Train RideI figured I better get some more stuff out here about Alaska. The Mysterious Chinese Woman relies upon my posts to remember our trips. Sometimes I post stuff that never happened just to mess with her. She still thinks we had a wonderful time at the Canne's Film Festival, all thanks to Photoshop.<br />
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Anyway, not too much narrative here because it is just shots from the train as we traveled from Fairbanks to Denali Park. So sit back and enjoy the scenery.<br />
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<b>Scenery</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT01.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT02.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT04.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT03.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT05.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT06.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT07.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT08.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT09.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT10.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b>And The Trip Was Worth It</b><br />
<img nbsp="nbsp" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/ATT11.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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You can see the look of concentration on the bartender's face as she makes the Maker's Mark Manhattan to my detailed instructions. It turned out deliciously. And I had another one of those discussions about bitters in your Manhattan. All recipes that I am aware of it call for its inclusion and that is the way I prefer them. The bartender knew this but still said she usually makes them without the bitters. Go figure, it isn't as though they didn't have any.<br />
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Speaking of bitters, although my liquor store carries a small, and getting smaller, section, Stinky Cheese on Smith Street near me has, in addition to a fine selection of cheeses and beer, a very interesting selection of bitters, some of which I had never heard of. I will have to go back and check them out and, perhaps, add to my rather extensive selection. I bought some cheese, bread and a bottle of Brooklyn BAMBoozle beer. A mighty fine beer by, of course, Brooklyn Brewery. It was released to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a portion of the profits from the sale of the beer is donated to them. It was a very good Belgian style, at least in my opinion, beer that was crisp and had some nice spicy overtones. Nothing overpowering and very drinkable. I will let you read what Brooklyn Brewery had to say:<br />
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"BAMBoozle features a large addition of wildflower honey from the New York family apiary Tremblay Farms – we pick up the honey from Alan Tremblay at the Greenmarket. Blended with golden malts, it is fermented to a dry complexity by our Belgian yeast strain, and then re-fermented in the bottle like Champagne. When the cork pops, the beer shows a shimmering effervescence, a beautifully floral, honeyed nose, and a fresh light zing on the palate that belies its underlying strength. You have not had a beer like this, and neither have we. You can enjoy it now, but it will also age very nicely. Like BAM and like Brooklyn, BAMBoozle is in a class of its own."<br />
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More on Alaska tomorrow, I promise. Otherwise I will start to forget and think, perhaps, we were really in Cannes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-23672770179821275872012-08-15T14:09:00.000-05:002012-08-15T14:09:52.658-05:00Beer BreakThought I would pop in a brief post about a dynamite beer. My brother-in-law Jim, who looked after our place while we were in Alaska and Canada, left me some beers in the refrigerator. And we aren't talking Bud Lite or whatever, We are talking:<br />
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<b>Brekle's Brown</b>
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/BB.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Brewed by the Anchor Steam Brewery, brewers of many fine beers including quite possibly the best micro-brewery produced beer in the United States, Anchor Steam. Brekle's is named after Gottlieb Brekle who, in 1871, bought an old beer-and-billiards saloon in San Francisco on Pacific Street near Russian Hill for $3,500, and transformed it into the brewery that, twenty-five years later, would be renamed Anchor.
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Damned good beer too. Quite dark and most flavorful but not all that heavy. And it has a nice bit of bitterness from hops that come through but isn't overpowering. The malt overrides whatever hops flavor that might reside on the back of your tongue as a finish. A nice hearty, but fairly light, beer and you could easily drink several. Somehow refreshing but not refreshingly so. At some point the bitterness may build to the point where you just want a nice lager to reset the palate.<br />
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Speaking of beer, I just bought tickets for a home brewery tour here in Brooklyn. You get to visit several well-known and well-regarded home brewers and sample their products. Should be a lot of fun and I will be sure to post about it. It isn't until September 22nd, though.
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See more about the Third Anniversary Homebrew Hullabaloo here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/267985">http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/267985</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-47699737966257525952012-08-12T08:26:00.000-05:002012-08-12T08:30:36.780-05:00A Day In FairbanksWe did a bit of strolling around Fairbanks and there were a few things to see and do. They have some nice parks and a pretty river walk.<br />
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<b>The Wrong Way</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair201.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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I had misread the map and we were on the wrong side of the river. I am not sure where this path originally went, but maybe there was an older river walk here at one time. There was obviously some major construction about to take place.<br />
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<b>The Walk Is On That Side</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair216.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Of course that meant we had to walk over the bridge and resist the temptation to jump off.<br />
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<b>Helping With Our Resolve</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair202.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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It was a pleasant walk and we decided to stop into their nature center, dedicated to protecting Alaska's environment and wildlife.<br />
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<b>Except For The Moose</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair207.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Unfortunately, in the harsh Alaskan climate those antlers don't last very long so they have to be replaced every couple of weeks or so. This means rounding up all of the local moose and then harvesting those with the biggest antlers. Over the years this has meant that the moose with the smallest antlers have a better chance of surviving and the average antler size has dropped considerably. Soon you will be able to make necklaces out of them.<br />
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The displays in the nature center were quite interesting.<br />
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<b>A Salmon Smoke House</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair208.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b>Harsh Living</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair209.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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They had some nice dioramas depicting the wild life that you are likely to encounter and the habitats that they occupy.<br />
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<b>Our Friend The Beaver</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair210.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b>Mr. Bear</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair211.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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There were a number of monuments on display both along the river walk and in a memorial park. Most had to do with World War II.<br />
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<b>Memorial Park</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair203.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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You will notice the ravens. Ravens are everywhere here in Alaska. The are almost as numerous as the pigeons in most cities. A lot bigger, though, and much more ominous looking. None of them talked to me though, which is probably a good thing.<br />
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<b>The Alaska Territorial Guard Memorial</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair204.jpg" width="628"
/><br />
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The next two statues were along the river walk.<br />
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<b>Commemoration To Alaskan And Siberian Soldiers In WWII</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair205.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Yes, I know, people sometimes forget that Russia was our ally in WWII and also suffered many more casualties than we did. To say nothing of the almost total destruction of many of their cities, including much Moscow.<br />
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<b>Statue Of A Native Alaskan Family Group</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair206.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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So Fairbanks had some attractions, but if I lived there I would start suffering from terminal boredom in about a week. Unless I could partake in those bi-weekly moose harvests. That would keep me going.<br />
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And then it was time to catch our train and head up to Denali Park.<br />
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<b>Catching Our Train</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair212.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b>A Happy Traveler</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair213.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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<b>All Comfortably Tucked In</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair214.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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The train was very comfortable and there was a bartender in each car. Beer and Bloody Mary's during the four-hour trip along with the scenery made it a very enjoyable trip indeed.<br />
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<b>And The Views Were Great</b><br />
<img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair215.jpg" width="628" /><br />
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Next stop, Denali.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746822.post-62697594408777428402012-08-09T15:42:00.000-05:002012-08-09T15:42:25.434-05:00Alaska Arrival<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We arrived in the lovely, not really, town of Fairbanks, Alaska, way back on July 22nd. We got there a day before our tour officially started to see the town. But, quite frankly, there isn't really much of a town to see. Of course the first thing I did find was the local hangout.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A Real Mecca</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/Fair01.jpg" width="628" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It had the ambiance of a dive bar but it was really just a place where the locals hang out. I should have taken a couple of pictures of the interior but somehow it didn't feel right. Talked to the woman next to me a bit and the bartender was friendly enough. There were a few seedy looking people wandering in and out and it has been a long time since I have been in a bar where most of the people were smoking. I am sure there were other bars in town, but aside from the one in the Iris and shared by the Golden Nugget Hotel I couldn't find any.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I mentioned before that for a small town there seemed to be a lot of Thai restaurants. I thought there were more, but when I went looking for them to take pictures I could only find these three.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tiparos</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thai House Restaurant</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Bahn Thai Restaurant</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We ate at the last one and the food was quite good. I just had a vegetable soup but it was very flavorful and plenty hot. I asked our waitress, who happened to be the owner (I think) why there were so many Thai restaurants in such a small town. She said she didn't know but she came down with her mother from Anchorage. Her mother left Anchorage because it was too big for her and opened this place. Then she thought Fairbanks was too big and move to a smaller town about three hours away. Apparently her daughter thought Fairbanks was quite small enough and stayed behind. It was a very nice restaurant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The other place we ate was the Iris.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Iris</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I got the mussels and they weren't half bad. But the garlic bread was dynamite. Not that you can really have bad garlic bread, but this was really good. Particularly when the bread the initially brought out was like Wonder Bread that had been left out for a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Right next door was the Golden Nugget Hotel</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Golden Nugget Hotel</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I asked if they had gambling upstairs and this got a big laugh, like they had never heard that before. Needless to say they are not affiliated with Landry's, the parent company of the Golden Nugget casinos. They did share a bar with the Iris, though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Shared Bar</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The bar had a nice, if limited, selection of draft beers. Can't remember exactly what I had, but maybe an Alaskan Amber, one of my favorites. And a couple of shots of tequila.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although there wasn't a lot to see in Fairbanks, I passed on the ice museum where you could stand in a room that was -40 (and that is the same in Fahrenheit and Centigrade) because I am from Minnesota and know what cold feels like, there was kind of an interesting little craft store that had an amazing selection of, well, stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Craft Market And Alaska Museum Room</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And when I say the place was packed with stuff, I mean packed. These pictures really do not do the place justice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>See Anything You Want?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I did learn that whale bones have to dry out for years before you can carve them. They have a honey-comb interior that is filled with a viscous fluid that is quite evil smelling. Apparently the owner bought a few large bones and didn't realize this, at first. After they have been sufficiently dried they are quite valuable, however.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, that is enough Fairbanks for one post. I will add some more stuff tomorrow. We did go on a little river walk and popped into the local museum so I do have a few more pictures I took before we caught the train to head up to Denali.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5