Rainy Sunday

     

   
We didnt do much last weekend, but we did manage to get
out of the house. Friday was spent waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to show up, which didnt happen. We rallied and went out for a couple of beers and met up with
a friend that we hadnt seen in a while. His roommate's mamma cat had 4 kittens. I cannot wait to see!

Opening parade for HONK, Somerville

         

Saturday we did nothing, aside from TV marathons, and then rallied again for a bachelorette party. So much fun. No pictures, please.

Bundled up. So cold outside

Sunday, again with the not doing much, however we did get our butts up and out the door for a late start to the Oktoberfest in Harvard Square. This was coupled with the annual HONK festival that goes on in Somerville and Cambridge. New Orleans all over again, sans walking drinks. We really missed the walking drinks.

Drinks and Oysters. Slllooowww kitchen, really good drinks and oysters.

Warm November Nights

What the what?! It's been like 60 degrees all November!

So we've been having back porch cocktails. I'm actually getting kind of sick even looking at these pictures, but ya know, all alcohol is good going down...

Sparkling Blood Orange Juice and Prosecco

and Chess, of course...

Heat Wave!

In case you hadn't heard, New England is having an unprecedented heat wave! Mid-60s all week, and it's NOVEMBER. I have seriously considered bringing legislation that everyone should get a "sun" day instead of a "snow" day every time the weather hits over 55 after November 1. We'd have this whole gorgeous week off instead of wasting it inside. I hope all you folks are getting as much as you can!

Which brings me to last night, a cool, crisp, unseasonably warm pitch black night. Day Light savings is getting the best of us already, so we are trying to enjoy as much of the warm air as possible. So decked out in sweatpants, sweatshirt, and knit hat, we hit the back porch. Perfect night for some smoke, hammock, and conversation with my love.

Beer dat!

  
Ok, in summary:

Saturday
Boston Beer Works, Logan Airport - Boston Common amber - Ah Mah Zing
Antler's, Dallas, TX - Shiner Bock, Bushmills
Irving Meyer's, Royal Sonesta, Bourbon Street - Gimlet, House Cocktail

Sunday
McGuires - sneaky rum drinks (strawberry rum), Abita Southern Pecan, Mrs. Packman, paper towel rolls every 2 chairs at the bar, stuffed burger, crawfish balls with aioli

Um, I have no idea where 

I had this!

Jacksons - Yummy drinks! One with thyme, one with rosemary (not on the menu!!!). herbs from roofdeck garden! Hung out with owner of bar, Missouri man, and cook? Day drinking.
Rendezvous - Pats game, Abita's, awesome playlist, major Saints fans, shopping break, video poker, WHO DAT? WHO DAT?
The Rum House - house sangria, trio of super ridiculous duck, pulled pork and lamb soft tacos, homemade sweet potato chippers
Bulldog's - beer tasting amazingness - we tried everything! or tried! a million little shot cups, cool local conversation
Huge Ass Beers - just what it says, and grain alcohol soaked cherry shots
Mechanical Bull Cart - Baily's on ice, beer
Rick's Cabaret - not enough alcohol to get me through

Monday
Clothing Store Mimosas - pink champagne, ok clothes, beautiful rustic antique hand crafted furniture
Coops - lamb barley something gumbo, rabbit sausage jumbalaya, Louisiana crab claws, duck quesdilla. standard cran-orange-vodka. Tyler: "Do you have chocolate milk? Woman: No, this is a bar sweetheart. (mindful nod from Tyler) But I do have regular milk" Tyler: "yes, please"
Ferry - mimosas with Jess
Pelican Club - wine: Austria - Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner ‘09, complimentary Champagne

Tuesday
Sculpture Penis Place (87% sure it's a place called The Ninth Circle on N. Rampart) - beers to go
Royal Street Deli - Cran-Pineapple-Vodka, jack and ginger, apple brie crustini, lettuce crossant lettuce turkey sandwich
13 - Frenchmen St. - Frozen Irish Coffee: one in bar, one to go! Bushmills on rocks
Checkpoint (I saw a cockroach, grossest bathrooms ever!) - pinball, 2 $2 PBR cans each, tried on hat but couldnt keep it. I beat the crap out of Tyler. Sopranos. Tyler: I wonder if this place has a pinball machine? Emily entering bar and seeing pinball machine: How did you DO THAT?
The Black Cat - taco, Raspberry and Watermelon margaritas
MRB - Shock Tops to go, video poker
Evangeline - soft opening, bar to ourselves, amazing back courtyard (converted parking lot, gigantic 150 yr old smoker), beers flights - 3 10oz beers, Alcide dopple-ganger - convinced him to try the Turbodog, even though I had never tried it myself! But he was looking for CHimay, and I thought this might hold him over. Always nice to find another Chimay lover.
Ryan's - hot to trot video poker. On a roll! PBR? Bushmills
D.B.A. - New Orleans Nightcrawlers. Must See! Mother of Tuba player. Ladies Dancing. Falcon Stout, more rum punches than I can count, Black Russians, Ginger beer cocktail - bartender's choice, wine all around, made Dad try random beers, something in a bottle i dont remember
13 - back again for To Go Cups! Frozen Irish Coffee for me and Jess! Babysitting the parents home!

d.b.a.

Your interpretation is as good as mine. we heard two different versions of the story -
1. They had a sign custom made in NY, and when it got back, it said d.b.a. which is not what it was supposed to say, but they ran with it. I wonder what it was supposed to say? Story from the bartender
2. d.b.a. = "doing business as" story from the bouncer.

Regardless, it was a riot night. Mom and Dad and Jess and Tyler. We all went out to hear rockin' music from New Orleans Night Crawlers. Must have been a 10 piece live band? We heard they just come here to jam. Well, if this is just jamming, I cant imagine what really playing is. Sax player on far left was holding the band together belting it out. Sousa phone player - his mom was in the audience. She was dancing her face off, and drinking Jack and diets. Go Sousa Phone player's mom! we even gave him a drink, because she couldn't have another. I was buying drinks for everyone. Black Russians, Rum Punches, Ginger beer bartender's choice concoctions, wine, great beer list - I kept making Dad try new things, he also kept taking beer coozies from the box near the door. I think Jess still has one. I kept going up to the bar, and then apologizing to the couple on the corner because I was always in their way. I explained by saying I had a whole family to feed! Gesturing to my parents, Jess and Tyler, who took up practically one whole side of the bar. She said, Oh good, because I was thinking wow, this girl drinks a lot! She finally got up to dance. She was like a gypsy.

I complimented a woman on her skirt, and she loved me for it, and her husband laughed charmingly. it was the third time someone had said something and she was thrilled. Talked to them for a while. My Mom came looking for me, as I was ordering another drink and I explained I was talking to the couple at the end of the bar. Mom went to the ladies and came back and said, oh that woman with the beautiful skirt? Haha, I said Yes! Go tell her that! The woman was thrilled again! so happy to have the compliments. so bright from it and talkative.

Jess and I had a great time dancing. Just being goofy to the music. Penguin walking and break falling (like those toys where you push the bottom and the giraffe falls over then gets back up). Sillyness. Tyler went home early, Jess, Mom and Dad and I danced late into the night. Yes! Mom and Dad were dancing like crazy! You couldn't not dance! The band was infectious.

We finally left and I told Jess to go and grab a frozen Irish Coffee from 13. she had previously said that she hadn't had any to-go drinks yet! I stood on the corner with Mom and Dad while Jess made her escape. She came running down the street with a cup for me too! So good of her! We got Mom and Dad in a cab and back to the hotel. I don't know what we were talking about, but by the time we arrived, we learned that the cab driver had lived in Somerville! Crazy world. Thanks, Sal, for the ride!

Got onto Bourbon Street and Mom went straight to the hot dog stand. Got one for Tyler, and of course Mom started chatting with the nearest young man. I guess she kept chatting and chatting, because I went upstairs with my half eaten hot dog and Tyler's and found Tyler fast asleep, so left the hot dogs in the bathroom and crawled into bed myself. I heard Mom was downstairs talking still way into the morning. Only on Bourbon Street, huh?

Good night New Orleans and Thank You!

Ritas

Hmm, what an interesting bike. Sarcrifice? Where'd all those bones COME FROM? Funky? Intimidating? Gross? All of the above? 

Market

We stumbled upon this guy who made a video about train hopping and bumming around the US. He actually cast people and played a role in the movie. So, on one side the travellers are all cast characters that have a plot to stay within, but everyone they meet and interview are not sticking to a plot, and then he integrated the whole thing. Great soundtrack and stunning views of the country. Check out Cure for the Crash. Excellent website too, I just found out. 

                    

some expensive art at the market

Creative fleur de lis. I swear this town
is full of wit and creativity.

Need cash! so we went to every restaurant on the strip, and all had bogey ATMs. So we ended up at El Gato Negro. The ATM didnt work, but the drink sure did! 

Raspberry Rita. I got talked out of the Carrot one.
I really wanted to try it. Our waiter said not so much.
I still think I should have tried it, but this was
so delicious, it's not like I was disappointed.

Miss!

Watermelon Rita

MMMMM, perfect yummy tiny bites. And you think Tyler's sandwich fixation didn't rub off on me yet?

Have never seen this beautiful color of hibiscus!
So melancholy and moody.

Bathroom art at ... Ryan's? Ty? I don't remember. I just remember Shock Tops to go. 

Frenchmen - Day

So we never really thought we found Frenchman. We had to ask to make sure we were in the right place. Not too much to look at during the day. Not busy, quiet, short street. Good murals and you could tell it had a meaning for later. 

Stopped in at 13. Open air bar, was like a garage with the doors wide open. It was a beautifully sunny day some shade and a breeze and a drink. I was sold on the special sign though - frozen Irish coffee - how can you pass that up? 

MmmmMMM MMM!

There is a pelican in this picture!

One for the bar, one for the road, grabbed my second Irish coffee, and we were off again.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Chick chick chickkkken!

Royal Street Deli

I always find good places to eat. If Tyler had his way, we'd drink meals all day long, or try to find food in a pub. But the cafés are generally my choosing, and with a little dragging, they always end up being the best!

We had popped into the Royal Street Deli. Great atmosphere, great service, great food! 

We got the spiced fries with aioli. No aioli, so they gave us homemade mustard instead. Excellent. Brie and apple toast hit the spot, and Tyler's lettuce and turkey and lettuce and more lettuce on croissant was good. Lots of lettuce. Morning drinks and a nice little rest. 

Marker art was great. I usually hate
marker art. This stuff was good. 

Perfectly painted chairs. Don't you want to sit down?