Rooftop In Red Hook

After getting the phone call from Ellen we quickly showered and headed out to catch a bus to Red Hook. Living in one of the coolest places in the world all we had to do was walk a couple of blocks to catch the free Ikea Shuttle Bus that took us almost right there.

Almost Like A Limo


Of course you did have to kind of squeeze in.

I Should Have Oiled Up


A Plug To Ikea


Our friend, Ellen, was able to take a free water taxi from downtown Manhattan to get here. God bless Ikea.

Rocky Sullivan's is just a short four or five blocks away from Ikea so it is almost like door-to-door transportation. And free. How can you beat that?

Rocky Sullivan's


Rocky Sullivan's is right next door to Six Points Brewery and supplies a lot of their draft beers.

Count The Points


Barrels Ready To Roll


We got here just as Marnie Rice was starting her set. She was my favorite, sounding like a cross between Tom Waits and Edith Pilaf. A lot of her songs were in French and had that kind of boozie barroom sound to them. She just came back from performing in Japan but, I think, New York is her home base. By all means, catch her if you can.

Marnie Chanelling Tom And Edith


It was a lovely afternoon. The sun came out, it was warm, and there was a nice breeze. A welcome break from what must have been one of the coldest and wettest springs in the recorded history of weather. We have had rain 14 out of the first 15 days of June and the temperature is averaging five degrees below average so far this month.

But, Today Was Beautiful


This whole shebang was Moe's doing, and it looks like he intends to keep it up throughout the summer. I will certainly be hittiing it again. How can you go wrong. I might check out the fishing trip as well.

Hanging With Moe


And Moe even provided the entertainment between the main acts. He reminded me a bit of my buddy Bob who tends to break out in song after he has had a few. Actually, I think Bob has the better voice.

Moe Singing An Irish Ballad


The next act was two thirds of Chapter Three. One of the members was missing but Peter Chance and Cecil Hooker did there best to make up for it. I don't know where Cecil gets his hair cut, but I strongly suggest you avoid the place at all costs.

Chapter Two


The last group we saw was a rolicking Irish Bar Band, the Itinerants.

Staying Put For Awhile


They make a nice pie here too. Great afternoon; beer, pizza, good music, good friend. Hey, the day sure turned out a lot better than I thought it was going to.

A Pretty Much Perfect Day


And just a short walk back to Ikea where we caught the free bus back home. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Oh, I also had jalapeno poppers, and they were dynamite. I strongly recommend that you get some if you visit. There was a pretty lively crowd at the downstairs bar too.

An Amazing Coincidence

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I were kind of planning on going to Kevin's in Red Hook for brunch today. I even bought a bottle of bubbly to bring with us because they don't have a liquor license. Well, the day was so gloomy we decided not to go.

Then, this afternoon it started to clear up a bit, but we had kind of decided to just stay in. The Mysterious Chinese Woman took some shrimp out of the freezer to cook and I kind of pouted because we were staying in on such a nice day.

Well, the phone rang and I jokingly said I hoped it was someone calling to invite us to go out. And it was. An old friend, Ellen, called to see if we wanted to go to see a band with some friends of hers in it. And where were they playing. No, not Kevin's, but damn close. They were playing at Rocky Sullivan's, in Red Hook.

Anyway, we are heading out now. I will post more about it tomorrow, but I couldn't help sharing what, to me at least, seemed like quite a coincidence. Ellen seemed to think I had somehow sent her a mental message telling her to call and invite us.

Getting The Nose Wet At Waterfront

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to hit the good old and reliable Waterfront Ale House for a beer or two and dinner last night. Kind of an old couple's idea of a big night on the town. Hey, we watched episodes 1 and 2 of Smiley's People afterwards, so it was almost like a date.

As usual, we started out with a couple of beers at the bar. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had a Goose Island Summertime Ale.

A Summertime Goose


I thought it would be typical of most summer brews, light and, perhaps, a bit fruity. This beer did have a bit of a fruit nose to it and a slight fruit tingle, but it wasn't your typical summer beer. It is brewed in the German Kolsch style, which is considered a summer beer in Germany. It is an ale, not a lager, and a bit meatier. It was nice and refreshing and not at all a girly drink.

I opted for a Brooklyn EIPA. The "E" stands for East, not Extra, so this is an East India Pale Ale.

Head East Bar Man


The "E" could stand for Extra. It is a typical IPA, but kicked up a notch, or maybe two. It is has that extra hoppy, bitter taste with just a hit of a citrus note. And at 6.9% you could really do some damage with this stuff on a hot summer day. It goes down way easy.

We checked out the blackboard to see what the evening's specials were. They hadn't all been posted yet. We got there kind of early so Jim, the cook, was still preparing the evenings fare. He wasn't sure what all he would be having, he cooks what moves him, but said a wild boar chili would be one of the offerings.

The Preliminary Specials


We opted to try the Buffalo Ribs as an appetizer while sitting at the bar after asking Jim if they were really ribs from a buffalo. Hah Hah, I am such a card. They weren't, of course.

Buffalo Ribs With Mashed Sweet Potatoes


They were short ribs, I believe, and I think he deep-fried them. They were delicious, nice and crispy with excellent flavor. I chatted with Jim for awhile and told him about how I had deep-fried ribs last Sunday. He said he had been thinking about getting one of those turkey fryers for home use so we started talking about things you could use it for. We all agreed that a deep fried duck would probably be dynamite. Maybe he will get one for the kitchen at Waterfront Ale House.

After finishing my beer and the ribs we headed to a table for dinner. For some reason I asked to see the bottled beer menu. Usually I just drink what they have on tap. Coincidentally they had just gotten new menus, supplied by Chimay, judging by the cover.

I sometimes forget what a large and interesting selection of bottled beers that they have here. The menu makes for good reading because they have pretty good descriptions of the beers. I was intrigued by the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Bar Man Getting Goosed As Well


Hmm, how to describe this. My take would be it tastes like a bite of a Snickers candy bar chased by a shot of Bourbon. Overwhelming flavor with not a hint of subtlety about it. Here is the description from the menu, and I have to agree that they nailed it. You can also see why I had to try it.

I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout - so big the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation we brought in some bourbon barrels to age the stout. One hundred and fifty days later, Bourbon County Stout was born. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with a thick foam the color of bourbon barrels. The nose is a mix of charred oak, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything else in the room. People have even said it's a great cigar beer, but I haven't yet tried a cigar that would stand up to it.

I pretty much agree with it all except that I didn't get any head at all when I poured it. That may have been my fault. I should have just splooshed it into the center of the mug instead of pouring it down the side of the mug. My bad.

Even if this wasn't a heady 13% alcohol, you aren't likely to be drinking more than one of these. But you really owe it to yourself to try one, if you can find one. I think it would be good to share with a friend with some strong cheese and, perhaps, a good cigar.

I was planning on having the Crispy Spicy Snapper Wrap for dinner, but after sipping this beer I realized I needed something a bit meatier to stand up to it. I opted for one of Waterfront Ale House's excellent, and huge, hamburgers.

Just The Ticket


The Mysterious Chinese Woman opted for some cheesy grilled vegetable thing and looked like she was really enjoying it.

Chomping Down


I will get a chance to taste that sandwich for lunch today, because we brought half of it home. Plus a generous portion of coleslaw, and I love their coleslaw.

A Different Kind Of Barbecue

The good weather continued today so it was perfect for a barbecue. My friend Bernie picked up the Mysterious Chinese Woman and me and we headed out to our friends Bob and the Lovely Loretta on Long Island.

I had pre-prepared ribs yesterday. I rubbed two racks with a special rub of my own design and used a bottle of Stonewall Kitchen Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce on another. After letting them fester for several hours I put them in the oven and let them sit there for about three hours at about 160 degrees. This just kind of got them started and let the rub and sauce really permeate the meat.

The plan was to finish them of on Bob's gas grill, but another idea presented itself.

Ah, Deep Fried Ribs


The last time we used this was to do a turkey, and that was excellent. This time Bob brought it out to do some buffalo wings and French fries. I figured as long as it was out there we should use it for a bit more than that, and my ribs seemed to fit the bill.

Ready For Their Bath


Barefoot Bob Making The Plunge


Luckily there were no mishaps, and the ribs turned out really well.

The Finished Product


The ribs with the rub did turn out better than the ones with the grille sauce. I don't think the sauce leant itself to deep frying. I would definitely do this again though using just a rub. They turned out really nice. Crispy, but not over-done, and not at all greasy.

The Lovely Loretta And Friend Patti Chowing Down


Bob And The Lovely Loretta's Daughter Emily Doing The Same


And, Of Course, The Mysterious Chinese Woman


Bernie Too, Mustn't Forget Bernie


We had lots of other good stuff as well, hamburgers, brownies, a nice toasted pear and pecan salad, watermelon, plenty of beer and frozen margaritas, pina coladas, and who knows what all. Suffice it to say the barbecue was a smashing success.

Another Day At The Greek Festival

Finally we got a nice sunny day here in Brooklyn. The other day I passed by the priest of the Greek Orthodox Church and told him he should do something about the rain. He said the congregation was sending petitions like mad. It seems like it worked. Next time I see him I think I will ask him what he can do about the parking situation.

A Sunny Day Brings The Crowd Out


Of course even on a sunny day there is a lot of shade most of the time. One of the things about living in a city with narrow streets and tall buildings.

No Sunstroke


But the crowd didn't seem to mind. You get good value for your money here when it comes to the food, and the food is really good. You can get a lot of homemade specialties too, prepared with loving care by the more elderly female church members. Stuff like my grandmother might have prepared if she was Greek and not Norweigan.

Preparing To Chow Down


And plenty of games of chance if you are inclined try your luck.

Catch A Frog


And little rides for the kids.

Magic Mushrooms


Oh, and did I mention games of chance?

Step Right Up


Plenty Of Customers Today


Sadly they had no more of that Greek beer, at least none that was cold. Why, I do not know. The lady said they had plenty of it but it hadn't been put on ice yet. Maybe they are saving it for later when the goat-that-I-never-get-to-eat is done.

Close, I Don't Think So


But who can complain when you get to eat a delicious pork with lettuce, tomato, and who knows what else on a nicely crisped but still tender and chewy thingy.

Mysterious Chinese Woman Is Loving It


A Look Inside


Now I am a big fan of this Greek Festival but there are many people on my block who are not. Their chief complaint is that there is no parking for a week. And I often wonder how they get away with blocking of an entire block for a whole week. Plus they get to sell beer, which is prohibited at a lot of street fairs.

And, as you can see, this isn't your average church social. You can also buy wine and hard liquor here as well, although you have to know how to ask for the hard stuff. And the rides and games of chance are a bit over the top. They used to have slot machines too, but I think they are down in the basement now where there is are usually a few card games in progress. Hey, live and let live is my motto. May things never change.

Except one year I really would like to get some of that goat.

Stupid Burglars

Why do those burglars in the Brink's Security commercials persist in kicking in the door and setting off the alarm just as the person inside is about to open the door?

Gloomy days make me ponder things like this, and we have had plenty of gloomy days here in Brooklyn as of late. I might book that hotel room in Bangkok.

Finally, An Honest Offer

I was so pleased to get this email after being bombarded with so many fraudulent promises of money. I mean, if the FBI is involved, how can you go wrong?


Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
J. Edgar. Hoover Building, Washington D.C

==Final Notice for Fund Release==

This is to officially inform you that we have thoroughly completed an Investigated with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you are having an illegal transaction with Impostors claiming to be officials of Zenith Bank and some impostors claiming to be the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. We have removed the former Governor of the Central Bank of Niger (Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo) because of his fraudulent act and also because of the fact that he has siphon people’s money in the name of helping them claim their overdue Inheritance/Contract payment.

Go to:

http://www.africanloft.com/sanusi-lamido-nigerias-new-central-bank-governor-speaks-on-govt-7-point-agenda/ to confirm the fact that there is a new central bank governor who we have instructed to make sure he releases your fund to you as the rightful beneficiary.

During our Investigation, it came to our notice that the reason why you have not received your payment is because you were dealing with fraudsters and also you have not fulfilled your Financial Obligation given to you in respect of your Contract/Inheritance Payment.

So therefore, we have contacted the Federal Ministry of Finance on your behalf and they have brought a solution to your problem by coordinating your payment in the total amount of $800.000.00 USD which will be deposited into an ATM CARD. You now have the lawful right to claim your funds which have been deposited into the ATM CARD.

Since the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been involved in this transaction, you are now rest assured that this transaction is legitimate and completely risk-free as it is our duty to protect and Serve citizens of the United States of America.

All you have to do is immediately contact the ATM CARD CENTER via E-mail for instructions on how to procure your Anti-Scam Certificate which will protect you from being a victim of scam and also protect your fund from being stopped by any organization in the world. We have confirmed that the amount required to procure the Anti-Scam Certificate is US$296.00 which you pay directly to the ATM CARD CENTER agent.

Below, you shall find contact details of the Agent whom will process your ATM CARD from Federal Minister of Finance:

Contact details are as follows:

FEDERAL MINISTER OF FINANCE.
ATM CARD CENTRE
Contact Person: MR. EkenBrown Aku.
EMAIL: info@ecowasverification.org
Contact Mr. Aku of the ATM Card Centre with the following information:

Full Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Direct Phone Number:

Once you have sent the required information to Mr. Aku he will contact you with instructions on how to pay the US$296.00 for the Anti-Scam certificate after which he will precede towards the dispatch of your ATM CARD with the Anti-Scam certificate t you provided address without any further delay.

You have hereby been authorized/guaranteed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to commence towards completing this transaction, as there shall be NO more delay once you provide the information required and pay for the Anti-Scam Certificate.

You are hereby advised to give this notice an urgent attention in other to receive your fund without any imposter interfering.

Federal Bureau Investigation
Robert S. Mueller Director, FBI

Now I just have to figure out how to best spend my new-found wealth. Ain't life grand? As soon as I send off that $296.00 I will be all set to go.

Something Sad And Something Sick

I just saw that David Carradine, star of Kung Fu, Kill Bill, etc., was found dead in his hotel room in Bangkok. Apparently he commited suicide by hanging himself. This is sad.

What is sick is that one of the sponsored links for the story is a site where you can, you guessed it, book a room in a Bangkok hotel.

When In Brooklyn...

When in Brooklyn do as, well, as the Greeks do. At least when it is time for the annual (although I swear they have more than one of these a year) Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church just down the block from me.

That Time Of Year, Again


I dropped by the day before the festival began and you could see where they were already starting their prep work.

A Greek's Work Is Never Done



The church has a nice courtyard in the back for tables and the roasting of the elusive goat, but most of the action is on the street.

Step Right Up


This action will really heat up on the week-end, but there was still a nice selection of food this Monday afternoon.

Grilled Chicken And Pork


Lamb Roasting Away


They also have beer and wine available for a "contribution." In the past they just sold it, but I think this must be a way to get around some kind of law. Well, Bar Man is always willing to contribute to a good cause.

A Very Good Cause


I opted for the lamb gyro, and it was a good opt.

Messy, But Delicious


I am sure I will hit the festival again. It would be hard not to seeing as how I have to walk through it every day. But then that is one of the things I love about where I live, there is always something going on.

Happy Birthday Johnny

For those of you of a certain age, watching Tarzan movies on Saturday mornings was a part of growing up. Ah yes, Tarzan, common-law-wife Jane, Boy and, of course, Cheetah. Amazingly he got Boy's name right, but missed horribly with Cheetah.

A Close Knit Family


Today is Johnny Weissmuller's birthday. Some of you may know that he played Tarzan in many of those old movies, and some of you may know that he was a champion swimmer. Few probably realize how great a swimmer he was. He was the undefeated winner of five Olympic gold medals, held 67 world and 52 national titles, and at one time held every freestyle record from 100 yards to the half-mile. And nobody ever saw a picture of him with a bong. But then nobody saw those compromising pictures of him with Cheetah's mother, either.

Today we should all tip a glass of some fermented stuff, preferably African, to celebrate his career.

Straight Up, Or On The Rocks


Sadly, Johnny has passed on to that great pool in the sky. Cheetah, ironically, lives on and, at 76, is the world's oldest, known, living chimpanze.

A Comfortable Retirement


Cheetah enjoys painting, playing the piano, and long walks in the moonlight with that special someone.

Waterfront Ale House

I know, I know, this is my favorite local watering hole and I write about it all the time. This time, however, it wasn't me who wrote about it. If you get a chance to get hold of a copy of the June - July issue of Ale Street News check out the Beer Strategies column written by Paul Sullivan.

The title of the article is Finding Your Local. His local is, you guessed it, Waterfront Ale House. And his reasons for liking it are pretty much the same as mine, "Friendliness, camaraderie, and great beer." Of course I also include the free popcorn and fabulous food.

You can often find free copies of Ale Street News in bars, that is where I picked up mine. They also have a nice website at Ale Street News but this particular article wasn't available online.



And no, I still don't know why the awnings say Pete's Ale House.