Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Reglaeira is, well, I am not sure what it is.  The summer retreat for Baroness da Regaleira, as a start.  Then it was sold to Antonio Ausgusto de Carvalho Monteiro who added parcels of land to give his properties a pentagonal outline.  He was the one who initiated the building that give this place its current look.  The chief architect was a set designer who, if he were alive today, would probably be designing video games. Walking through this place is a bit like playing one, or, more accurately, being a character in one.  The last owner was Waldemar Jara d'Oray, who also made some modifications

I Think I See A Light In Yonder Tower


How many places do you visit that have a little chapel just down the path...

Why Wouldn't You Go In


Don't forget the semi-hidden stairway behind the piller.  It leads you down to the crypt.

Just Give Me A Hand With The Lid


Of course, you have to have the apparent dead-end path that actually ends at a stone door.

Hinges Could Use A Little Oil


And statuary that hides the entrance to a series of tunnels.

Beware What Lurks Behind


Tunnels that lead to the -

Initiatic Well


The Initiatic Well is not really a well, more like a subterranean tower that is about 27 meters deep.  A spiral stairway leads to the top.

Going Up


Looking Down


And the tunnels have surprises as well, like all of a sudden looking out into a little pond.

I Thought I Was Underground


The whole complex, or whatever you want to call it, is built on what appears to be the side of a cliff. 

Vertigo Inducing


As a result it can be a bit disorienting when you are in a tunnel and where you pop out can be a surprise.

Just Like Alice


And, just to add to the spookiness, the property that this sits on is in the shape of a pentagram.

There are also nice flower gardens, and all sorts of statues.  Like I said, this place was so interesting that we came here twice because we didn't see it all the first time and missed the caves.

Flowers Amongst The Flowers




And A Little Lake With A Black Swan


I could write for pages on this place, but I am not going to.  I will just let the pictures do the talking.  If you are ever in Lisbon or anywhere nearby, I heartily recommend that you visit.  It is in a little town called Sintra that is just a short train ride away from Lisbon.  I will be talking more about Sintra because we also visited a palace while we were there and had a couple of nice meals as well.

A Friendly Bunny - Run Away


And Yet Another Tower


I have noticed that the Mysterious Sister seems to like to climb towers and visit high places.

Top Of The World, Ma


And, Of Course, Black Cats


A Bit Of A Break


A Hidden Fount


Picture Taking


Exploring The Caves


Terrace Of The Gods


Going Who Knows Where


Another Hidden Tunnel Entrance


Bridge To The Main Entrance


And there you go.  One of the most interesting places I have ever visited, anywhere in the world.  I just kept wondering what must have been going through the minds of those who designed this, and whoever paid for it all.  There is all kinds of symbology embedded in just about everything.  The Initiatic Well, for example, is supposed to intensify the feeling of the relationship between heaven and earth.  And the area of Sintra is also known as the Promontory of the Moon.

Quinta da Reglaeira was closed for ten years after it was purchased by a Japanese corporation.  I was talking to a lady and she said that when it was closed people would tresspass and throw parties down in the tunnels.  Now that sounds like fun.  The Municipality of Sintra bought it in 1997 and now it is open to the public, for a fee.

Still Bitter

I don't want to say that New Yorkers are still bitter about LeBron's decision to go to Miami, but check out number four on the New York Daily News list of the top five money-earners in sports:

1) Tiger Woods
2) Phil Mickelson
3) Floyd Mayweather
4) Narcissistic Miami-bound NBA MVP
5) Alex Rodriguez

I apologize for not posting more about Quinta da Regaleira yesterday, but I had so many pictures to go through and a bit of research to do as well.  Later today, though, I promise.

Just A Peek At What Is Ahead

Another Jets Rant

Now don't get me wrong, I am still a Jets fan.  It is the Knicks that I have totally turned my back on.  However, as many of you know, I gave up my Jets season tickets, as did about another dozen of my fellow-tailgaters, when we were going to be charged $15,000 a seat for the new Personal Seating Licenses.  This would be in addition to the tickets themselves going up 75% from $80 to $140.  And, of course, I wasn't happy with the whole Brett Favre deal that worked out so well for them that they missed the playoffs while the Dolphins, behind Chad Pennington, made it in, but that was just a bump in the road.  It was, quite frankly, the money.  Think what $45,000 could buy you other than the right to buy three season tickets at $1,400 each.

Sales have been so poor after the PSL and ticket price increases that last month there were still 9,000 unsold PSLs.  As a result the Jets slashed the prices by up to 50%.  There are still over 2,000 unsold PSLs, however, and if they aren't sold before the September 13th opener against the Ravens there will be a local television blackout.

Ain't greed a wonderful thing.

And, as I predicted, the Knicks did get rid of their best long-term player, David Lee.  He was part of a multiple-player multiple-team trade that sent him to the Warriors.  At least Lee did okay for himself, signing a six-year $80 million contract.

Later today I will post about one of the most interesting places I have ever visited, Quinta da Regaleira.  It is like a huge set for some kind of a spooky horror movie, complete with an underground crypt, tunnels and grottos, sprawling grounds and winding paths and plenty of other pretty weird stuff.  We actually went back two times there was so much to see.  The second time we took flashlights.

It Ain't Disneyland

Lunch At bico do sapato

In my last post about this place I, gasp, inadvertently capitalized the name of the restaurant.  I should know by now that capitals aren't hip anymore.  Lowercase all the way.  What was I thinking.

Okay, this post will be primarily for foodies because it will be devoted to describing the quite delicious lunch we shared at bico do sapato one lovely afternoon.

First things first though.  It was a hot day and, well, what difference does it make.  The first thing I wanted when I got here was a beer.

First Things First


They didn't have a really extensive menu here, but it was unusual and sufficiently varied that we had no problem finding things we were eager to try.

I already mentioned the Stewed Black Pork Cheek with minced white carrots, sauteed asparagas and secrets.

Black Pork Cheek


Very tasty with a nice chew to it.  Had a bit of a pungent flavor, probably bacause of the secrets.  It could easily serve as a main course, especially for lunch.  But, when you eat at a place like this a bit of gluttony is acceptable.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman went for one of the specials of the day, Fried Eels stewed in red wine served with beans and pennyroyal.

It Looks Eelie Good


Now I will be the first to admit that I had never heard of pennyroyal before.  It is a plant in the mint family and was used in cooking by both the Greeks and the Romans.  It is also used in traditional medicines to both reduce menstrual flow and to induce abortions.  The essential oil is highly toxic, and even in small quantities can lead to death.  Makes you just want to run out and get some to start using in your cooking.

Everyone agreed the dish was very good, though.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

The Mysterious Sister had Braised Scallops with fleur de sel, common cockle and blooms rice.

Braised Scallops And Mysterious Ingredients
  

Not every day that you get so many mysterious ingredients before you are even through your appetizers.  Well, fleur de sel is a sea salt, but not just any sea salt.  It is the salt that is harvested by hand from only the newest crystals that form at the top of salt ponds.  Aren't we fancy.  Common cockles are edible shellfish somewhat similar to small clams.  And blooms rice, well, I just don't know.  I do know that the mussels were delicious.

Moving on to the main course I ordered Roasted Azores red gurnard with oysters fricassee, sauteed noodles with sea cabbage and seaweed.

My Roasted Azores (No Limericks, Please)


Red gurnard, also known, for some mysterious reason, as jock stewart, is either a rockfish or a perch or both.  The waitress said it would be similar to a red snapper, but it really wasn't.  The fillets were thicker and firmer and a bit sweet.  Very good, though.

The red gurnard is kind of a goofy looking fish.  The picture looks almost like some Japanese metal toy that you might see.

Just Wind Me Up


They do get quite large though, a couple of feet or more.

The Mysterious Chinese woman opted for the Duck Leg Confit with juniper cress tort, giblets, beans and rice.

Proud Of Her Pick


Now I have made duck leg confit, but only once.  I really should make it again because I have a lot of lard in my refrigerator.  Because it is a bit of a pain to make, slow cooking in lard, but because I like it so much I often order it when I see it on the menu.  It can be hit or miss, sometimes over-cooked, but this was done to perfection.  It was a pick to be proud of.

The Mysterious Sister opted for the Roasted Lamb Shoulder in the oven, turnip leaves cream, gratinated with traditional Beira cheese. 

Shouldering The Burden


Now maybe it is a coincidence, but there is a Beira cheese factory in Azores.  Maybe they ship the cheese over with the fish.  But whatever they do, this was really delicious.  Done to perfection, juicy and flavorful.

And, of course, we had an excellent bottle of wine with our meal.  The waitress helped me pick it out, but  I forgot what kind it was.  Very refreshing.

Ah, The Good Life


And now for the desserts.  Nothing fancy for me, just some Sour Cherry Sorbet in a nice crispy crepe.  Very light and a perfect little ending to a perfect meal.

Only The Sorbet Was Sour


I am not sure what the Mysterious Chinese Woman and her Mysterious Sister got.  I think the Mysterious Chinese Woman got vanilla ice cream, or something along those lines.

Another Mystery


The Mysterious Sister, who really likes chocolate, ordered a dish that had a combination of three different ice creams, two of which were chocolate.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad


The round thing in the middle was some kind of a cookie.

And that concluded our lunch at bico do sapato.  It was truly excellent, from start to finish.  The service was great and our waitress was very friendly and helpful in explaining some of the more mysterious ingredients.  If I ever get back to Lisbon I would definitely make a point of eating here again.

Oatmeal Martinis

I just read this and I felt compelled to share it with you.  Mike Krawiec, a co-owner of Sweet Afton bar in Astoria, Queens, has come up with an oatmeal martini to serve during his weekend brunch.

First, infuse Tito's vodka (made in Texas) with rolled oats for five hours.  Strain the infusion through cheesecloth four times and you have oatmeal flavored vodka.  Then add organic (of course) maple syrup and a raisin puree (boiled down raisins and brown sugar).  Now shake vigorously with ice and strain into your martini glass.  Throw in a few raisins instead of olives.

Result, kind of a brown oatmeal looking thing with a bit of puree sediment that is a little on the sweet side.

To each their own, but I think I will stick with Bloody Marys.  

A Couple Of Restaurants

The reason that I stumbled upon the Irish bar in Lisbon was because the Mysterious Chinese Woman, her Mysterious Sister, and I had gone to the nearby Porto de Abrigo for lunch.  It is an old restaurant down by the docks and not far from Mercado da Ribeira.  Mercada da Ribeira is a marketplace that was built in 1882 on what was once an old port.  It is a bit more than a market though, with a bar, a craftshop, a restaurant and live music.

Although the general area, called Cais do Sodre, is becoming somewhat gentrified, Porto da Abrigo retains its old look and, gratifying, non-gentrified prices.

A Bit Non-Descript


Okay, I know, Lisbon is not completely free of graffiti, but then this is a bit of a rundown waterfront area.  And, you will note, while there may be graffiti, the streets and sidewalks are still clean.

Rundown, But Clean


The specialties here are traditional Portuguese dishes and I opted for the octopus as did the Mysterious Sister.  The Mysterious Chinese Woman had, well, I really don't remember.

Octopus And Mystery Meal


And, as you know, Bar Man loves nothing more than a good tentacle.

A Good Sucker


We had a nice bottle of wine and some good cheeses to start the meal.  Just a word of caution, though.  Prior to your meal you are often presented with a cheese or two along with a plate of olives and bread.  Although the bread is free, and maybe the olives, the cheese is not.  If you eat them the price will be added to your bill.  They are individually wrapped small "wheels" so it is easy to just leave them alone.  Not that I ever did.  And they don't unduly inflate your bill.

A few days later we went to another restaurant in the same general area.  I say general, but it is a good bus or trolley ride away, or another couple of stops on the subway.  I didn't know about the subway, though, because one of my guidebooks, TimeOut Lisbon (2007) did not have this stop on their maps.  Apparently the subway was just extended two additional stops in the past few years.  My other guidebook, Eyewitness Travel Lisbon (2008) did have the stop on its maps, but I didn't see it until it was too late.

Anyway, we took the subway from our hotel to Baixa-Chiado, then switched lines and went one stop to Cais da Sodre and then took either a bus or a trolley to the restaurant.

The restaurant is Bico do Sapato and is partially owned by the actor John Malkovich.  It is considered to be one of the hippest restaurants in Lisbon, and I suspect it really heats up at night. At least it looks like it should.  We went for lunch and it wasn't too crowded. 

Of course because it is so "hip" it also has to be obscure.  We walked right by it and had to finally ask someone where it was.  Not because it is small, but because it looks like some kind of a terminal or something.

Yes, This Is It


The entrance is off to the side and can't really be seen from the sidewalk.  And you can hardly see the sign until you are at the entrance.

Obscure, The New Black


Another reason why we didn't "see" it at first was because all of the restuarant reviews talk about the how it sits right on the Tejo river and you had this lovely water view.

Our "Lovely Waterview"


Nobody mentions that your only view is of the cruiseship whenever one is in port.  And, according to our waitress, that is every day this time of year.

Oh well, at least our view changed a bit during our meal.

Painting And Cleaning


But the lack of a view was the only thing wrong with this place, and the view was more funny than anything else.

There are really three restaurants in one.  A sushi bar is upstairs, but we didn't go up there and it might be closed during the day.  There is also a casual restaurant and that one was pretty packed.

Eating Casual
 

The main area is really quite fancy and there were a few business types there and, of course, a few Mysterious Chinese Women.  But then they turn up everywhere.

Mysterious Chinese Women #1 and #2


There were a couple of nice bar areas and little lounging areas as well.  One was even close to the river and offered a lovely view.

Nice Chairs


Bar One


Bar Two


Okay, I am going to break it off here.  I haven't even gotten to our meal yet, and that deserves special attention because it was delicious and a bit unusual.  Think stewed black pork cheek with minced carrots, sauteed asparagus and secrets for an appetizer.

Stay drooling until my next post.

Lovely Lisbon

Visiting cities in Europe, or even in Asia, often makes me wonder why we in the United States, especially in the larger cities in the Northeast, are so, how shall I say it, inconsiderate, sloppy, messy..., I just don't know.  Lisbon is another example of a large city where you simply do not find trash on the streets.  Oh, you will see cigarette butts, but no cans, bags, half-eaten sandwiches, or garbage of any kind on the streets or sidewalks or in the subways.  I am originally from Minneapolis, and that has always been a clean city as well.  When I moved to Boston one of the first things I noticed was how much garbage was strewn everywhere and how nonchalantly people just dropped stuff on the street.  Sadly, New York is just the same.

Even the entrances to the subways in Lisbon have a clean and futuristic look to them.

Futurama


What you are looking at are two escalators, one up and one down, with a stairway in the middle.  And, unlike in New York, all of the subways work.

As you can see, the subway itself is spotless.

Sparkly Clean


In the entire week I was in Lisbon, and I took the subways a lot, I don't recall ever seeing any trash of any kind either on the platforms or on the tracks.

The stations are also quite spectacular, almost like mini-museums.

Quite Beautiful, And Interesting


A Detail From The Above


And I never saw anything defaced in any way.  Not even the advertisements.  Now that isn't to say there wasn't some graffiti in the city.  But very limited and in places that almost looked like they were made for it.  And the graffiti was artistic.  I almost think that if you saw it, it was meant to be there.  Otherwise it would have been cleaned up.

Graffiti Or Art?


Again, look at how spotless the sidewalk and street are.  As you view the rest of my blogs about Lisbon, just pay attention to the streets and sidewalks.  It kind of makes you wonder what cities like Boston or New York might look like if people just didn't throw trash around like they do.

I guess this is a pet peeve of mine, the way people do just throw their trash around.  Maybe, because I grew up in Minneapolis, I would never think about doing this. It just wasn't done.  And, so often when I return from a trip, it just strikes me how so few people here in New York feel the same.

As you can imagine, I have a lot more to post about Lisbon, but I shall be spreading it out a bit so as not to make reading my posts too much of a chore.  Plus, for those of you who read these at work (and you know who you are) you can quickly blast through an entire post while noone is looking.

Back And Ranting

Ah, just a short rant.  I got back home last night after a long day of travel (over 13 hours) and a nerve-wracking cab-ride so am kind of just recuperating today.  I will post more tomorrow, with pictures, even.

My short rant, PBS bleeping out what they consider to be offensive words of a poet.  Just watched their special on Patti Smith and I think their bleeps are more offesnisive than anything she might have been saying.  If you have to bleep out the words, don't broadcast the show.  Poetry with a bleep in the middle just doesn't cut it.

Oh, and just to make my day complete, I read in the paper that Isiah Thomas might be coming back to the Knicks in some kind of a managerial role.  Apparently he was even involved in the discussions to try to lure LeBron to New York, meeting with some of LeBron's representatives, although not with LeBron himself.

At Last, Connected In Lisbon

At last. Sorry for the delay in posting but internet connections are not that easy to come by here in Lisbon. Although my hotel advertises in-room internet access, they don’t really have it. There is a PC in the lobby that is supposed to be connected to the internet, but apparently it is “broken,” and has been all week. I kind of doubt that they have it at all because you would think that they would be able to get it fixed in the week that I have been here. But, perhaps not.

Also, unlike in the United States, WiFi appears to be very limited as well. And you don’t see many internet cafes either. They seem to be limited to just this one street in this one section of town. Unlike in Puerto Vallarta where they seem to be on every street corner.

My television is limited to just one English station, and that is BBC World. That is fine because I haven’t been watching much television other than the soccer matches, and those I have been watching in a Spanish bar down the street. As you can imagine there was a lot of celebrating when Spain won.

Watching the BBC World and reading the English language Portuguese and the British papers is quite enlightening. Their perspective on world events is, as you might imagine, quite different that those we get in the United States.

As one example, although they certainly don’t hold BP blameless in the oil spill, they do think President Obama has gone overboard in bashing the company. Particularly now that it seems as though there might be some White House shenanigans to facilitate the takeover of BP's North American assets by United States companies, Apache and Exxon being two of them. They are also quick to point out that United States drilling operations have spilled much more oil over the years abroad, particularly in Nigeria, without anything being reported.

And, as you can imagine, the perspective on how the war in Afghanistan is going is much more negative over here. They are of the opinion that President Obama’s announcement of troop pullouts next year has pretty much made a Taliban victory inevitable and has forced the Afghan president to cover his bets by seeking to cut deals with them.

And, of course, the economic melt-down, due in part to our failure to regulate and monitor our banking system, isn’t helping matters. It appears that President Obama has lost a lot of his luster over here in Europe.

On the other hand, I am getting along with everyone and have found the people here in Lisbon to be most friendly. Not as many people speak English here as in many other major European cities, but enough people do so that there really isn’t any major language barrier.

But, enough of this, let’s get back to the basics, at least for now. And for me that means bars.

We flew AirEuropa from JFK to Madrid and then after a short layover we took a short flight on into Lisbon. We departed from Terminal 4 at JFK and they have a very nice Irish bar there.

Getting Tight At Tigin


I went a bit against the grain, though, by ordering a Bass Ale and then a Newcastle Brown Ale. Hey, I just wasn’t in the mood for a Guinness.

Bar Man And His Bass, Or Nukie


I ended up sitting between two guys who were heading to Ireland and we chatted a bit. One of them, Carl, is a bartender at, well, I forgot the name but I am pretty sure he said it was at 94th and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. After talking with him a bit, and after I gave him my card, he remembered having seen my blog and seemed to remember me stopping into his bar during my slog through my thousand bars. He said to be sure to stop by after I returned home, and I will make a point of doing so.

Carl, if you see this blog, please either email me or post a comment giving me the name of your bar.

It didn’t take me too long to stumble upon an Irish bar here in Lisbon, either. Although the Mysterious Chinese Woman was surprised I didn’t find it the day we arrived.

An Irish Bar In Lisbon


I had to explain that it was a bit off the beaten track and it took me awhile to figure out the subway system, of which I will be writing more about later.

Although most of Lisbon is smoke-free, just like most of the good old U.S.A., this place seemed proud of the fact that they were somehow exempt.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em


The bar had the typical Irish pub feel to it and this time I did go for the Guinness.

A Cheery Place


It was poured the proper two step way with a nice little rest between the steps.

Time For A Rest


And nicely presented to me by the Donange, the most friendly bartender.

Service With A Smile


And, finally, I had my first Guinness here in Lisbon.

Guinness Is Good


Buybacks don’t seem to be that common here, even at the Spanish bar that I have been to three times and where I have tipped rather generously. I did get a small buyback here, though.

A Small Buyback


And, of course, I had to take one of my artistic pictures. See if you can find me among the bottles.

Not Just Another Bottle Top


Actually, if you look closely, you can spot another artistic picture as well. Remember, I consider a picture to be artistic if I am in a reflection.

Well, that is enough for today. I probably won’t post again until Thursday when I have a five-hour layover in Madrid. I spotted several WiFi areas in the airport. Hopefully the partying will have died down. It looked like they were really painting the town red the night of their World Cup victory.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and her Mysterious Sister are out shopping but I am going to use my time here to surf the internet a bit. Luckily I had already left town when LeBron announced he was going to Miami so I missed all of the gnashing of teeth and soul rendering agony back in New York. I am sure most people there just can’t understand why he didn’t come to the Center Of The Universe. Never mind that the Knicks organization has been a shambles for more years than I care to think about and just getting Amar’e isn’t going to change that. I am still waiting to hear that they have gotten rid of Lee, the one good player that they have had over the past few years.

Off To Lisbon

Just watched Amsterdam beat Uruguay in an exciting game and am now heading off to Lisbon with the Mysterious Chinese Woman and her Mysterious Sister.  Probably no posts for a day or two, but I will be blogging while I am there; probably starting Thursday or Friday.

It is 105° here in Downtown Brooklyn according to the thermometer on the corner of Court Street and Montague; might be a record high for this date.

Belly Sliders

I stopped into the Waterfront Ale House yesterday to visit the world's friendliest bartender, Gaid.  Funny, though, he is always gone by the start of Happy Hour.  I guess he is friendly but not happy.  Anyway, I was glad to see that they had the Brooklyn Brewery's Buzz Bomb Ale back on tap.  I really like this a lot and will probably return today to have a few more while the Mysterious Chinese Woman is away visiting her equally Mysterious Mother.

Getting Buzzed On The Buzz Bomb


The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I are heading to Lisbon next week and a Mysterious Sister-In-Law is going with us.  We aren't leaving until Tuesday but she is coming over tomorrow to stay for a few days before we leave.  I think the Mysterious Ones are going to gang up and try to train me to behave before our trip.  Anyway, that is why I am hitting the Waterfront Ale House again today, I may not have another chance for awhile.

On the bright side, Jim is coming over tomorrow as well and bringing his new Dead Red Redemption game that I bought him for his birthday.  That means an afternoon and evening of being entertained by watching him play while we drink beer and eat take-out barbecue while the Mysterious Sisters do their thing.

There was something a bit different on the daily special board, Pork Belly Sliders.  They always have interesting stuff here and it is usually very good.  These were no exception.  Simply scrumptious.  You got three and the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I each scarfed down one before I stopped to take a picture.

Simply Scrumptious Belly Slider


These were actually beyond delicious.  Nice and crispy on the outside with succulent fat on the inside.  Jim, the cook, said he braised the pork belly and then finished them off on the grill.  And the little buns were tasty as well.  Like smaller versions of their delicious hamburger buns.  The sliders came with kimchi on the side, a traditional Korean spicy pickled cabbage dish, that nicely complemented the sweet fattiness of the belly.

I see pork belly a lot in the meat stalls in Chinatown, but have never cooked it myself, not being sure of how to do it.  Maybe I will try it at the next barbecue.

I was talking to Sam, owner and manager of the Waterfront Ale House and he said he had bought a whole hog from Flying-Pig Farm in, I believe, upstate New York.  He said they have a booth or whatever you call it at Union Square where they have a very nice farmers market.  A lot of the restaurants in the area do their shopping there and at least one cooking school advertises its proximity to the market as a selling point.

Anyway, you buy a hog you use the hog and these pork belly sliders were a tasty treat.  I guess this also explains the headcheese that I had here about a week or so ago.

Sam also said he had purchased 50 kegs of Brooklyn Brewery's new Monster Ale.  He plans on breaking out a few kegs every year to see how it ages.  I know it ages well because I was at a tasting once where they had every year's Monster Ale available.

We had a nice discussion about beers, beer fads (why every brewery tries to out-hop everyone elses I.P.A., for example) some wine fads (drier and drier Reislings from Washington for awhile) and why he doesn't have a board for the World Cup (he can't get anyone to run it).  Actually, I haven't ever seen a World Cup board, even in die-hard soccer bars like Nevada Smiths.  Maybe because if you got a number over 4 you just knew you were going to lose.

The Chinese Woman and I also split an order of ribs and they were delicious as usual.  And we had plenty to take home for me to snack on today.

After our ribs Sam generously brought over a couple of glasses of a 17 year old bourbon, Jefferson's Presidential Select.

Jefferson's Presidential Select
 

There is a long story behind this bourbon.  It is a product of Stitzel-Weller, a distillery that closed in 1992.  This brewery is known for its wheated bourbons meaning that the secondary grain in the mash is wheat, not rye.  They used to produce Old Fitzgerald, another wheated bourbon, which is now produced by Heaven Hill.

Anyway, the Jefferson's Presidential Select was one of the last batches of bourbon brewed before the distillery's closing and it is just coming on the market now.  And let me tell you it is deliciouso.  Smooth and tasty and just what I needed as a pick-me-up after my Buzz Bombs.

Perked Me Right Up


It was so smooth that even the Mysterious Chinese Woman enjoyed a sip or two before giving me the rest, and that is saying something.  The last I heard this was going for $100 or more a bottle, if you can find it.  I don't know what they were charging for it at the Waterfront Ale House, or even if they were offering it.  Maybe it was Sam's private stock.  Either way, thank you very much Sam for sharing this.



I am still wondering about the three people out of the eighty reviewing this place that didn't like it.  I can't think of anything not to like.  Maybe the beer prices are a bit high, but not for this neighborhood.  And you get a really fine selection of beers, and the free popcorn.

Plus, you have Gaid, the world's friendliest bartender.

Such A Sweetheart - Gaid, That Is


Well, the Mysterious Chinese Woman is a sweetheart too, but that goes without saying.

Did You Know?

New York is the only state where it is legal for women to go topless in public, as long as it isn't for the benefit of a business.

I would post pictures, but Photobucket won't let me.

Don't know why I found this so funny, but I did.  One day a killer whale in Puget Sound started pushing a dead salmon around.  Apparently the other killer whales thought this was cool and within a couple of weeks all of them in Puget Sound had a dead salmon they were pushing around.

Also, in the same article, they were talking about how dolphins, when exposed to a mirror, use it to check their teeth and other body parts they can't normally see, like their anal slit.  I am guessing that last one would be primarily the males.

Aftermath

You ever wake up in the morning and wonder just what the hell happened last night?

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