Road Trip

Well, it isn't that we traveled all that far, but we did take a little road trip on a brilliantly sunny fall day. We went all the way to Floyd's, a place that I last visited for Nickle Dickle day back in 2005.

Floyd's


We started the day out there because we could combine our morning eye-opener with breakfast. And I mean really combine them.

Breakfast In A Bloody Mary


They serve these with a little beer on the side and it is a great way to start the day.

Sandy, Rico, and Bar Man At Breakfast


We finished up at Floyd's with just enough time to make it to Rico's American Legion Club for a fun filled afternoon of bingo.

Not Quite Seminole Bingo


I was feeling really optimistic about cleaning up at bingo because I got my first drink for free. If the last number of you American Legion membership matched the one they had posted you were a winner.

Sipping My Spoils


You can see that we were well spread out so we had plenty of room for our bingo cards.

Ready To Play


I haven't played bingo in a long time and the game has changed a bit. I remember when you used to get sturdy cardboard cards that you kept throughout the night and used dry corn kernels to mark your numbers. Now they pass out separate cards for each game and they are on paper. You use inkers to mark your number. Most people just use a single marker for each game so they were a bit amused when I marked my cards in multiple colors.

Although none of us won a damn thing, Sandy sure looked like she did.

Bingo, Not


Well, it was disappointing that nobody won anything, but we decided to try our luck elsewhere. Another American Legion Club was having their afternoon meat raffle.

The Fun Never Ends


Meat raffles are very popular in the Midwest and the women who run them become minor celebrities. Well, winters are long and cold in these parts.

Trying Our Luck



The concept is pretty simple, the meat raffle woman goes around and sells number which you draw out of a box. Then a wheel is spun and the person who holds the number that comes up wins... MEAT. Why this is so popular is anyone's guess but people who win actually run around holding their packages of pork chops.

Our luck was no better here though and, again, we left empty handed. At least Rico managed to get his hands on the meat raffle lady.

Rico Won The Booby Prize


It was another fun filled day, even though nobody won a thing. Worn out by the excitement we headed back to Rico and Sandy's where we had smoked brisket sandwiches for supper and a relatively early night.

Minnesota Barbecue

Well, I am back from my trip to Minnesota. I started out in Duluth, where I spent a night, and then headed up to International Falls to visit my old friends Bruce and Donna. I have known them since grade school, so that is going way back. Another friend, Chris, who is Donna's cousin also came up to stay a few days. I have known him since grade school as well. Now that is going way back.

Sadly though, I never got around to taking any pictures. I don't know what I was thinking. Really should have too. Especially the one where Bruce and I made a venison shank and squirrel stew. Now Bruce already had the venison shanks and squirrels in his freezer so we didn't have to actually go out and kill them ourselves. I know, Sarah Palin would say we were wusses.

After spending about a week in International Falls I drove to Ely where another couple of friends of mine, Jon and Ruthie have a lovely house on Wolf Lake. I did manage to get a few pictures here when we went into town and had a few beers in a new brew pub, BoatHouse.

The BoatHouse in Ely


Ely is a pretty small town up in Northern Minnesota and fell on some hard times when the iron mines started shutting down some time ago. It has reinvented itself as a bit of a tourist town now due to its proximity to the Boundary Waters, a large chain of lakes that are prized for canoeing, fishing, and camping. One of the benefits is neat bars and restaurants like BoatHouse.

And it is a real brew pub too. They make their beers right on the premises.

The Brewery


They have the ability to brew up to, and I think this is right, twelve different beers. Currently they are just brewing two. This is primarily due to the fact that they a relatively new operation and are just ramping up and it is getting to be winter when both beer drinking and tourism tends to drop.

Well that didn't stop us from enjoying a few of what they did have to offer.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Ruthie Conversing


Jon And Bar Man Drinking


The following morning I headed down to Minneapolis where I was going stay with my friends Rico and Sandy. I told Jon and Ruthie that I thought Rico would be barbecuing ribs for me because he knows that I really like them. And I was right.

Slaving Over The Grill


As you can see, grilling in the dark requires special equipment. Rico is in the last stage of his preparation. First he puts a rub on them and then smokes them for several hours. Next he puts them in an oven and finishes the cooking at a low heat. Finally he applies some of the barbecue sauce his wife, Sandy, makes and crisps them up over the grill. Believe me, they are truly delicious. Bar Man likes to smoke and grill too, but even I have to admit Rico's ribs are truly inspired. In fact, he recently won second place in a rib contest sponsored by an American Legion. I wonder what the first place ribs tasted like.

I was wondering why Rico was wearing a Hawaiian style shirt on a relatively chilly day. When I went down to his basement bar I saw why. He was selling them for $20 apiece. Well, not really. He actually gave both me and our friend, Jerry, one for free.

Three Amigos, Rico, Jerry, And Bar Man


Jerry and his wife Pat are also old friends of mine and Rico and Sandy had invited them over for the barbecue feast. We all settled down to a truly delicious meal and a rollicking good time.

The Whole Crew Chowing Down


The next day included a breakfast in a Bloody Mary, bingo, and a meat raffle. More on that in my next posting.

Clam Shuck At The Brazen Head

Last Saturday The Brazen Head hosted a Clam Shuck that was sponsored by Long Island Beers, and how could you miss out on something like that.

You Got Me Hooked


The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to head over fairly early because I wanted to make sure I got there before the the clams ran out. Heh Heh, a little clam humor there. Clams don't have legs, so they can't run out.

Early Arrival


Well, I don't know if they would have run out of anything, but the place was already quickly filling up.

Packing Up Early


There was already a fairly slow moving line waiting for the clams. They also had oysters so it was a real raw bar treat.

Worth The Wait


Of course the center of attraction was the shucker, who was certainly earning his keep. He was pretty much working non-stop the whole time I was there. He was quick though, so the line actually didn't move that slowly. It just seemed that way if you were standing in it.

How Many Clams Can A Clam Shucker Shuck?


People eagerly grabbed up their portions when they were ready.

Looking Yummy


Sometimes when a bar hosts one of these things the clams and oysters aren't that good, but that was certainly not the case here. I should have known that because Lou, the manager of The Brazen Head, always runs a decent show. During the summer he used to have a Barbecue With Lou in the back outdoor area and he still has his famous Stew With Lou.

Nice Looking Clams And Oysters


The Brazen Head also has a very decent selection of beers and they usually have a couple of cask ales available. They also have a very nice Scotch selection.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions


Well, the Clam Shuck was sponsored by Long Island Beers so I figured the least I could do would be to have one. I opted for the Hoptical Illusion, a very hoppy IPA that isn't overbearing and went quite well with the oysters and clams. The beers were being very ably served up by the two very busy bartenders, Vikki and Carly.

Vikki


Carly


Although the bar was packed you could still get a comfortable seat in a cosy corner of the bar.

The Cosy Corner


It was such a lovely evening though that I wanted to sit out in the fresh air.

Ah, Fresh Air


It really was quite nice outside and I don't mind my friend smoking his cigar. He is a Budweiser drinker so I can't begrudge him indulging in something with a bit of flavor.

I got a dozen clams and a dozen oysters. At $10 a dozen it was a real steal. At a lot of restaurants these would go for $2 or more each, easily. And they really aren't any better and often times aren't nearly as large. These were delicious.

Beer, Clams, And Oysters - My Oh My


And they slid down easily. I doused them with the sauce that they had prepared with a healthy dollop of horseradish stirred in. Nothing better.

Sliding Down To The Gullet


The Mysterious Chinese Woman tried one of each but raw clams and oysters aren't really her thing. Lou, however, had that covered. He had both Manhattan and New England clam chowder available, and it was free. You can't beat that. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had a bowl of each and said they were both delicious.

Stew Rhymes With Lou, Chowder Doesn't, Oh Well


As usual we had a great time. There was a friendly crowd and we talked about how our neighborhood had changed over the years with a couple of old timers. To be honest though, I am now one of the old timers. I don't care though, I have always looked forward to geezerhood.

I am heading to Minnesota in a couple of days so there probably won't be many, if any, posts until I get back, but what the hell, check anyway. It drives up my hit counter and makes me look popular.

Oh, I found out something interesting to day. There is a real medical condition called Palinopsia (Greek palin, again, and opsis, vision) the symptom of which is persistent or recurrent visual images, following removal of the exciting stimulus. In other words, you continue to see things that no longer exist and often don't see them as they actually were.

Atlantic Antic

Sunday was the famous Atlantic Antic and a group of us gathered at my place to form up, have a mimosa, and then head on out.

The Gathering Of The Herd


We didn't tarry too long before moving on out for the fun.

On The Way


As always there was plenty to see.

Hula Hooping In Front Of Last Exit


Belly Dancing Too


And A Band In Front Of Moxie


I once again started out the day by stopping into Montero which is just across the street from the official end of the Atlantic Antic. I think next year I might save this until the end because it is kind of a quick start.

Montero, A Block Too Far


Actually only three of us hit Montero. We really did need some adult supervision, though.

Bob, Bernie, And Bar Man


My old pal Pilar was there and she didn't help matters by insisting that she buy the first round. Of course we didn't help by making that round beers and shots.

Old Buddy Pilar


Then protocol required that we buy a round ourselves so without really hitting the fair we were already two beers and two shots into our day. Oh, yeah, and a mimosa or two.

The bartender was quite friendly, as everyone in this place always is. I am sure I asked her for her name, but somehow I forgot it.

Our Attentive And Attractive Bartender


Eventually we did make it back to the fair where Bob and Bernie studied their food options.

Hmm, What Looks Good


Grilled Shish Ka Bobs


Mexican Style Grilled Corn


These kids were having fun bringing out their inner Michelangelo.

Hmm, A Bit More Red, Perhaps


The streets were really packed so by the time I got to the Waterfront Ale House I had to stand behind the band to listen to the music. In my opinion, the best band in the whole Atlantic Antic.

Music At The Waterfront




There were a lot of old buses on the street too.

Do You Go To Macy's?


And, for those of you who remember and were fans of The Honeymooners, the bus that Ralph drove.

The Jackie Gleason Special


Well, I wish I had more for you, but after this we hit The Brazen Head.

Brazen Head


and then wondered aimlessly before hitting Robin Des Bois for dinner.

Robin Des Bois




But I had lost my focus (and probably my ability to focus) and didn't take any more pictures. Well, now I know why I don't do this professionally.

Next year I promise I won't start at Monetero and will make a concentrated effort to do a better job of documenting my day.