Dive Right In

Hey, that would make a good name for a bar, the Dive Right Inn. One day, though, I will open my Loose Stool Bar @ Grill, home of the world-famous Loose Stool Burger.

But, back to business. The Mysterious Chinese Woman left for a bit yesterday afternoon so I figured it would be a good time to make my Miller's Martini. Maybe I shouldn't have visited Gaid at the Waterfront Ale House first, where I had a couple or three IPA's, the brand of which now escapes me. Maybe I should have had more for lunch than a bowl of popcorn. Maybe I should floss regularly.



But I digress. First, I assembled the essentials, Vya Dry Vermouth, Miller's Gin, Fee Brother's Lemon Bitters, my favorite measuring beaker, and an appropriate sized Martini glass.

The Essentials Assembled



Now, don''t get me wrong. I like my bigger cocktail glasses as well. The beauty on the left (below) is one of three Art Deco ones that I have, all similar but unique. Too big for a Martini or a Manhattan though, unless you like them on the rocks. And I don't. They might be okay for a lighter cocktail, like a Cosmopolitan. At the rate I slurp down Margaritas, they would work for them as well. But the little one on the left, from a set of six that a good friend gave me, is my favorite for the stiff drinks served straight up.

Actually, one of my three art deco glasses was given to me by my Mysterious Sister-In-Law, but I don't remember which one. Bad Bar Man. Okay, let me be a bit more precise. I remember which Mysterious Sister-In-Law gave me the glass, I just don't remember which of the three glasses. They are very similar; the glasses, not the Mysterious Sister-In-Laws.

For Comparison Purposes Only



And my favorite cocktail shaker. They were selling replicas of this at the Museum Of Natural History for about $25 one time. I got this one for one dollar at a flea market, and it is an original. You know it is an old shaker because the recipe for a Martini is just two parts gin to one part Vermouth. Martinis have gotten a lot stronger over the years. To the point where some people simply wash the ice cubes in the Vermouth and then toss it. Others simply coat the inside of the Martini glass with it. For awhile I was using an oil mister (a thing intended for coating a pan with oil) to just spritz the top of the Martini after it was in the glass. Now I like them eight to one with a good Vermouth. Interestingly, though, the recipe on the shaker does call for orange bitters.

My Favorite Shaker With His Little Friend



Time for your trivia lesson. Ernest Hemingway liked his Martinis ice gold and straight up. He also liked them made 12 parts gin to 1 part Vermouth. He called these Montgomery Martinis after British General Sir Bernard Montgomery who, supposedly, refused to attack enemy forces unless he outnumbered them 12 to 1. It was not intended to be an endearment.

Okay, one more, if you insist. Luis Bunuel, considered to be one of Spain's finest directors (he once collaborated on a film with Salvador Dali) kept a bottle of Vermouth on a window sill. He proclaimed that the sunlight passing through the bottle and shining on his glass of gin was enough Vermouth for his liking.

Be that as it may, I prefer a bit of the taste of the Vermouth to come through. James Bond's preferred Martini, which he named the Vesper Martini after a woman he loved who met a tragic fate (don't they all) called for gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet. I don't know if you can get Kina Lillet anymore, but Lillet Blanc is pretty close.

I threw all of the ingredients into my cocktail shaker with a whole ice-cube tray full of ice minus the one cube I used to chill my Martini glass, shook vigorously for several minutes, dumped the ice-water out of the Martini glass, and dumped the Martini in.

A Thing Of Beauty


Makes You Want To Dive Right In


And dive in is just what I did.

Here's Looking At You


It was sunny early this morning when I went out to get the paper, but it seems to be clouding up. I am hoping it doesn't rain, though, because the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I are heading to Coney Island for their annual Mermaid Parade. Harvey Keitel is leading the parade as King Neptune. I think this is far and away the biggest celebrity they have ever had doing this. Can Robert De Niro be far behind.

Actually there is a large gay presence at the Mermaid Parade and, shortly after Robert De Niro was born, his father, also named Robert, came out of the closet. More useless trivia for you. Okay, a bit more, Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando are the only two actors to win an Oscar for playing the same character, Vito Corleone. I am on a roll and just can't stop. Up until Vincent D'Onofrio gained 70 pounds for his role in Full Metal Jacket, De Niro held the record when he gained 60 pounds to play Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. De Niro lost all of the weight during the filming, which shot the scenes of the older and heavier Jake first and then, as De Niro lost weight, shot the scenes of the younger Jake.

Robert De Niro is only one-quarter Italian.

I am done now, I promise. I hope to get some decent shots of the parade today. I am meeting my friend Allen at Ruby's on the boardwalk at around 1:00 P.M., so that can only lead to trouble. He rented a room in town so, after our day of carousing, he doesn't have to travel back to wherever he comes from. Somewhere in Pennsylvania, I know, because he is a Steelers fan and likes to dress up in their bumblebee colors of black and yellow.

Maybe we can go to Footprints Cafe for some dynamite Carribean food after the parade. I love that place. They also have some staggeringly powerful rum drinks that go down way to well. It might be too crowded though.

It's Miller's Time

I made a dynamite batch of Martinis the other night when my darling brother-in-law Jim stopped by for a visit. Failed to take any pictures but I will add one when I make another, probably in about half-an-hour.

Eight parts Miller's Gin
One part Vya Dry Vermouth
One dash Fee Brother's Lemon Bitters

Shake with plenty of cold ice (and yes, not all ice is the same temperature) and pour into a well chilled Martini glass of your choosing. I prefer mine to be on the small side and then make an additional Martini if I want more rather then ending up with half of a less than ice-cold one. That is my biggest gripe about the expensive ones that you get in bars now. They are too damn big.

If you are compelled to make a BIG Martini to justify the price and cut down on the mixing and shaking time, serve a more than decent four ounces in an appropriate sized glass and then figure out a way to keep the rest cold. In a little shaker with ice is one way, but not the best. In a little carafe stuck in ice is even better. Or just make the damn things smaller, charge less, and let the customer decide if he wants more.

I get one of those big Martinis and it starts to go warm on me I start thinking I should have just bought a pint of gin at the liquor store and drunk it straight from the bottle. A hell of a lot cheaper that way. Particularly when so many bartenders now seem to regard Vermouth as an after-thought and not an essential ingredient. Given the quality of the Vermouth most bars use and it's questionable freshness, that probably isn't a bad idea, though.

Anyway, my Martini was very smooth and a bit perfumy. Just a hint of a yellowish tinge. No garnish required, but a thin slice of cucumber floated on top wouldn't be out of place.

I also poured Jim a shot of my Hangar One Chipotle Vodka and had an 'aha' moment. Todd, my friend at the liquor store, and I have been pondering over a use for Crop Organic Tomato Vodka. The next time I replenish my stock of Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka I am going to pick up a bottle of the tomato and experiment with making a Bloody Mary Martini using it, the Chipotle vodka, a dash of Worcestershire (bonus points to those who can spell that without looking it up or checking a bottle) Sauce and a dash or two of either Tabasco Sauce or Louisiana Hot Sauce. Maybe a bit of horseradish juice, if I can get some out of the bottle.

This would be perfect for those of us who like a Bloody Mary in the morning but shudder at the thought of ingesting anything as healthy as tomato juice.

I will be sure to let you know how my experimenting turns out.

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.