Armando's Is Returning

It was a beautiful day yesterday so the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to take a little walk down Montague Street. I was happy to see that the Spicy Pickle is no more and Armando's is on its way back.

Bye Bye Spicy Pickle


Welcome Back Armando's


I am not sure when Armando's will be back, or what it will look like when it does, but at least work is in progress.

It Won't Be The Old Armando's


I sure hope they saved the picture of Marilyn Monroe.

We ended up our stroll at the Waterfront Ale House (big surprise) where we split a delicious soft shell crab sandwich and dumped down a few beers, including a couple pints of Sam's Serious Maibock. Phew, at 8.1% alcohol it really packs a punch in the afternoon, and you don't really notice the alcohol all that much because it is so flavorful. Sam, the owner, chatted with us for a bit and said the beer was getting better as it ages. He initially put it up in March so it has had a couple of months to fester now. It will probably hit its peak just as it runs out.

Sam said he plans on putting up a lager, so I hope that will be ready for summer.

You might want to stop by and grab a Sam's Serious Maibock before they run dry, though.

Happy Birthday Kent Hrbek

A Rant

I am all in favor of people who serve in the miliatry getting all of the benefits they have coming to them. My problem? Why do those of us who spent our time in an ugly war we all want to forget, Vietnam, get almost nothing?

Don't believe me? Check out the benefits that someone who served in Vietnam gets versus what veterans got in World War II and those serving now, in Iraq and wherever, and ask yourself What the hell happened to a whole generation that lost their lives to Vietnam?

I would like to see some of these new military benefits be made retroactive. But, I guess, those of us who served 40 years ago should be over our problems by now, and certainly don't deserve any help. Ah, and we aren't really a big voting block, I guess.

By the way, if you don't want to check the facts, we got dirt.

Oh, the reason this has popped up:

Many post 9/11 veterans and servicemembers will soon see a new package of education benefits. This new Post 9/11 GI Bill, or so-called GI Bill for the 21st Century, boasts the most comprehensive education benefits package since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944.

The new bill goes well beyond helping to pay for tuition; many veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, will get full tuition and fees, a new monthly housing stipend, and a $1,000 a year stipend for books and supplies. The new bill also gives Reserve and Guard members who have been activated for more than 90 days since 9/11 access to the same GI Bill benefits.

Again, no problem with veterans getting something in return for the time they put in, sometimes involuntarily (remember the draft) but why does someone who served after September 11, 2001 deserve more than someone who served in the 60's or 70's? Has anyone counted the names on the Vietnam memorial lately? Last I checked it was over 58,000.

And how would you feel if you left the service on September 10, 2001? That your time in the military didn't really count for that much?

And people wonder why politicians are held in such "high" esteem. This bill says it all. No regard at all for tens of thousands of people who, sometimes proudly, sometimes not so proudly, served their country. But boy, that bill sure has a nice symbolic date, September 11, 2001. Excuse me if I sound a bit, shall we say, disillusioned.

Coney Continues

We didn't have to wait too long for the rest of the gang to show up. They were delayed by, what else, subway repairs. Somewhere along the way they had to transfer to a bus and, being from out-of-town, it took them awhile to figure out how to get where they wanted to go. Not too surprising, seeing as how I ended up in the West Village the other day while trying take the subway to the East Village.

The Ringleader, Allen


The Rest Of The Gang; MCW, D.J., Allen, And Leslie


We drank our fill but had other bars to hit before the day was over. You knew it was a down day for Coney Island when even the ever-popular Shoot The Freak was empty.

The Freak Was Probably Happy


Our next stop was the only bar on the boardwalk that might give Ruby's a run for its money, in my opinion.

The Ever Popular Cha Cha's


And we even managed to get a group photo. I seem to be a bit distracted, however.

A Mostly Happy Crew


Cha Cha's did have a very nice bartender who. to her credit, put up with our increasingly, shall we say, exhuberant behavior.

Our Patient Bartender


Cha Cha's does have much, hmm, how should I put this, flashier caps than Ruby's. You can tell we probably had too much to drink by this time because Allen and I actually bought a couple.

Proudly Posing Today, Probably Embarassed Tomorrow


By the time we wandered out of Cha Cha's the crowd at Coney was starting to pick up, but still not your typical weekend day at the beach. And it was still gloomy.

Looks Like A Jim Jarmusch Movie


Before hitting our next, and last, bar for the day a bit of a food break was called for. When at Coney Island, a Nathan's Hot Dog is a must. Even a soggy one.

Outside Dining At Its Best


Our last stop was the Freak Bar, conveniently located right next to Coney Island's famous Freak Show.

Step Right In


Just Look For The Flashing Neon Sign - Not


This place gives the Mars Bar a run for it's money in terms of its austere decor. In fact it makes The Manhattans look positively posh. Unlike the Mars Bar, however, the bathrooms are actually useable.

Minimalistic Decor


Group Hug


Obviously we were still pretty proud of our caps. And they did go nicely with the Coney Island beer. Big beers, too.

Well, I Guess Beers Do Have A Head


After our session at the Freak Bar, Allen and the rest of the game had to head out. They had a bus or a train or something to catch. I can never remember what. They all live in Pennsylvania somewhere. The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to stop into Footprints for dinner before we caught our ride.

My Favorite Carribean Restaurant


Yummy Curried Goat


Tasty Oxtails


As usual, the food was delicious and plentiful. The sides are great as well. Not sure what they do to their cabbage, but it is delicious, particularly when eaten with their rice and beans. I can't recommend this place enough. It is the most authentic Carribean food I have had anywhere except in the Carribean. And better than a lot of it I have had there.

Crumby Coney Island Day

Man, are we ever going to get a spring here in the Northeast? It is almost noon and it is 54 F here in Brooklyn. Aside from a couple of really hot days a couple of weeks ago this has just been a miserable spring. Saturday, when I headed out to Coney Island, was typical; chilly and overcast, really overcast.

Can You Say Gloomy?


And, although this was supposed to be the "Grand Opening" of Coney Island, the place was not exactly crowded.

Where Is Everybody?


For the life of me, I don't know why they took the rocket down from the roof of this place. It looked pretty barren without it.

Something's Missing


I think the gloomy spring has driven this gal to drink the harder stuff. I am pretty sure she was holding a mug of rootbeer last year.

And Beer Is A Gateway Beverage


I was actually a bit worried that Ruby's wouldn't be open. An open air bar on a damp and chilly day isn't likely to do a real big business. I was relieved to see that my worries were for nothing.

Open For Business


Of course there wasn't anyone in the place when I got there except the bartender, who just graduated from college and is now a CPA.

Can't Remember His Name, Though


I just settled in for a beer and assured him that more people would be showing up soon.

Breakfast Of Champions


Actually, it was the Mysterious Chinese Woman who had the breakfast of champions, a Ruby's Hot Dog.

Better Than Oatmeal


After a bit a hardcore regular stopped by for his breakfast, so now we were three.

A Fourth And We Could Play Bridge


It wasn't too long before the rest of the crew arrived, and then the party began.

Let The Good Times Roll


There is, of course, more to this story so be sure to check back later for the rest.

Beef Cheeks, Umm! Umm! Good

Man, it had been over three months since I have been in the Waterfront Ale House. My time in Mexico and that food-stamp diet kind of knocked me off my stride. But I went there a few days ago and it was the same as it always was, and I was grateful for that.

Same Old Same Old


As usual I had a beer at the bar before getting a table for dinner. Sam had a beer under his own name on tap, Sam's Serious Maibock. I didn't manage to get any maibock at the Zum Schneider Spring Festival, so I got a pint of it here. Maibock is, literally, a May bock and is a strong, golden lager meant to be a transition between the heavy bocks drunk during the winter and the lighter fare drunk when the weather is warm. Me, I could easily drink this all year long.

Sam's Serious Maibock was commissioned by Sam Barbieri, the owner of the Waterfront Ale House, and brewed to his specifications by Greg Zaccardi, owner of High Point Brewing Co. It is very tasty, and pretty heady at 8.1% alcohol. It recently won first place at an Ale Street News maibock tasting. Their take on it, “Rich malt up front, but not too sweet. Good hop balance from middle to finish. Full bodied. A bit big for a maibock, but tasty.” I can't argue with them.

By the way, I find it interesting that Sam's last name is Barbieri and he owns a bar that has a fine bier selection. Of course a bier is also a stand on which a corpse, or coffin containing a corpse, is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave. I guess Sam could have been an undertaker too. Hey, he could have a combination bar and funeral parlor and specialize in Irish wakes.

All the while I was drinking my beer I had it in my mind that I would have the grilled flank steak that was one of the evenings specialties.

The Evening's Offerings


Then, just as it came time to order I switched to the beef cheek, posole, and sweet potato stew. I mean, you can get hanger steak in a lot of places, but beef cheek stew is a bit harder to find.

A Cheeky Little Devil


The stew was delicious. Nice and spicy. The beef cheeks are just chunks of tender beef, but because they tend to be fatty, they are great in a stew because they don't get tough when you cook them for a long time.

To accompany my meal I had a Rastafarian Rye (that's a beer) from Blue Point Brewery. This was a nice dark beer that stood up well to the spicy stew. Highly recommended, although I think it is a one-off specialty brew.

The Mysterious Chinese woman had one of her favorites that is on the regular menu, the Catfish Po' Boy.

Oh Boy, My Po' Boy


I had stopped in to say hello to my friend Todd on my way to dinner. I was telling him about the bacon infused vodka from Idaho and he told me about a chipotle infused vodka from Hangar One. I stopped and picked up a bottle on the way home, figuring it would be nice in a Bloody Mary. But then the Mysterious Chinese Woman said I could just put a few drops of the Martha's Original Recipe Chipotle Salsa that I brought back from Mexico into my Bloody Mary instead. Seeing as how I brought back four bottles of the stuff this seemed like a cheaper alternative to using the vodka.

But what then to do with the vodka? Well I poured a couple of ounces in a brandy snifter and sipped it straight. Outstanding. This stuff really is too good to put into a Bloody Mary. I will have to try to figure out some kind of a cocktail that I can build around it. Kind of tough though because the chipotle flavor really comes through. It will be fun trying though.

It is kind of overcast this morning but I am hoping everything burns off soon. The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I are heading out to Coney Island to hook up with some friends and do a mini-barcrawl. We are meeting at Ruby's and I plan on wearing my prized mustard stained Ruby's tee-shirt that I was given by the owner several years ago.

A Green Greyhound and an Amazing Coincidence

I posted my recipe for the drink using Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka last night. Now, to my knowledge, that isn't a widely known or wildly popular vodka. Imagine my surprise when, while reading today's am New York I came across this recipe for the Zen Martini:

2 ounces organic cucumber vodka
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup (half sugar and half water)
1/4 ounce cucumber juice
a fingerful (whatever the hell that is) of mint

Put all of the ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.

Sounds good, but why, oh why, does everyone call these concoctions a martini of some sort?

Anyway, most people know that vodka and orange juice is a Screwdriver. Most people, and this includes bartenders, don't know that vodka and grapefruit juice is a Greyhound. Maybe I should name my drink a Green Greyhound. The drink isn't really green, but cucumbers are green and the vodka is organic.

An Amazingly Good Drink

I don't usually blow my own horn about drink concoctions. I will, on occasion, share my opinion about how a drink should be made. My proclivity for orange bitters in my Manhattan, for example. But this one I just came up with tonight, and I am not sure what inspired me. Perhaps a lack of ingredients and a desire for something lighter than a stiff one.

Anyway, some time ago my friend Todd, who manages my local liquor store, suggested that I try a bottle of Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka. Now I know what you are thinking, organic what? But, if you know Todd you will know he never steers you wrong. And he knew that I liked Hendrick's Gin and that, when I used it in a martini, I added a slice of cucumber. When Todd talks, I listen.

I had this sitting around for awhile though, not quite sure what to do with it. Then, out of the blue, inspiration struck.

The Ingredients


In a fourteen ounce glass I added three ounces of the Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, two dashes of Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, three ice-cubes, and grapefruit juice. Give it a quick stir or, as I do, just poke the ice-cubes a few times.

Voila


This is one dynamite drink, in my opinion. The cucumber comes through just a bit and mingles nicely with the grapefruit juice. The orange bitters brings it all together. Refreshing, but with a bite. Move the amount of the vodka up or down depending upon your own taste. I found that three ounces was just right.

Now all I need is a name for this drink. Suggestions are welcome.

All Good Things...

Ah, last day of our Fishing Opener Weekend. Some people already left this morning and the rest of us head out tomorrow morning. But we couldn't simply waste the day so we did what we had to do.

Play Pull Tabs


Ah yes, I know, it is somewhat pathetic. Particularly so if I told you how much we didn't win.

Cubby The Ringleader, Jon The Instigator


We blamed our losses on Bruce, who kind of was looking like the Evil Emperor in Star Wars. They may have been seperated at birth. Bruce's only super-power seemed to be his ability to affect the pull-tabs.

Bruce


Evil Emperor


Then we made the mistake of asking the bartender to turn on the television and put on the Twins game. They were up 2 - 0 going into the 7th at that time, but things were soon to go to hell in a handbasket.

When Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two run homer we were forced to take drastic steps.

Now This Is Really Stupid


The Homer Hankys Were Bad Enough


And Waving The Hats Too


But you have to admit, turning your cap upside down really takes the cake. And after all of this the Mariners still managed to score two more runs in the eighth and another one in the ninth. How the hell, couldn't they see what we were doing?

Jon got really excited in the bottom of the ninth, though, when Mauer singled in Punto.

Hey, Hey, We Are On Our Way


Alas, that was the end of the rally and the Twins went down, 5 to 3.

After an emotionally draining afternoon we were glad to be able to recharge out batteries a bit in the little sunlight we did get this weekend.

Solar Powered


And so another fun-filled Fishing Opener drew to a close. But there will be another one next year. There is always another one next year.

I apologize if the pictures look somewhat distorted. For some reason the editing feature of Blogger seems to be hosed up. It no longer tells you the size of the picture when you adjust it using the compose feature, and when you pull a corner it doesn't maintain the height and width ratio like it used to, and like most editing features do. Also, blogger's compose feature doesn't really show you what the finished product will look like. I hope this is just a temporary glitch and not a permanent "fix."

And The Opener Continues...

Ah, another day of, well, not fishing. Another tradition is to visit the bar within spitting distance of the Blue Max, the Eagle's Nest Resort. Although, I do believe that resort is stretching it a bit.

Another Tradition


We have been doing this for thirty plus years now and you can tell we are getting older. I remember the days when we would spring up these steps like, well, like younger men. Now we kind of lumber up them.

Jon And Bruce Heading In


Cubby And Chris Close Behind


Cubby, the youngest of our group (hence his nickname, Cubby) had no problem. He actually climbed Kilimanjaro a few years back. Quite impressive, if I do say so myself.

We were greeted by our friendly bartender whose name has totally slipped my mind.

Ready, Willing, And Able..., To Serve


Chris, Gus, And Jerry Settling In


The Whole Crew Minus Rico


Rico went over to visit his friend Skippy so missed out on our day's adventure.

Now, I don't want you to think that all we do is hang out in bars and drink during our Fishing Opener Weekend. Heck no, we also come back to the cabin and drink. In fact Bruce makes a special batch of beer to bring up every year. The one he brought up this year was exceptionally good.

Like A Proud Parent


Bruce came up with an ingenious setup too. Figuring out how to keep five gallons of homemade beer carbonated isn't as easy as it sounds, but this works just fine.

The Beer-O-Matic; Billy Mays, Where Are You?


Just Hanging, And Rico Is Back


Oh, yes, I did promise you a picture of a fish. We caught this bad boy off the dock. It put up a hell of a fight. When it pulled that bobber down all I could think of was Jaws and the barrels going under. A three-foot Muskie was seen lurking under the dock, probably making a meal out of these little guys. You can't keep a three-foot Muskie if you catch one though, they are too small.

Catch And..., Well, It Is Dead


One more day of pictures to post, but don't expect to see anymore fish.