Sometimes...You Get What You Need, notes from the Target

   Can you remember the first time?  First beer.  First hangover.  How about the first time you grabbed a stick shift and put the pedal to the floor?  The first ride is like that.  Our return to the water.  66th street, Holiday Inn.  Mid 50's onshore winds.  Water a nippy 48F.  Beach was completely empty. But, it's like that the first time every year.  While the session was short, the surf sectioned and chopped, the first time back has it's stoke.

Short rides, 4/25.

   After DWatt let his head thaw out, we decided to steer the Journey in the direction of the Crabcake Factory.  Okay, we've heard it... why go to a restaurant known for Maryland crab cakes to get wings?  Same reason we went went to a lobster shanty... for wings!  Our Tapstress was a constantly smiling young woman who seemed to enjoy everyone in that came in.   She even offered us samples of the craft brews on tap.  As we settled on our choices the beer was brought cold, but in plastic cups. Plastic indoors? Really?  The wing choices were few; Old Bay, Spicy Buffalo, BBQ.  We went with the Spicy and the BBQ.  Arrived breaded. Breaded, yeah.  The BBQ wasn't even sauced, it was drizzled.  But our disappointment was replaced with pleasant surprise.  The meat was literally falling off the bone, juicy, well cooked, and a nice blend of seasonings.  The Buffalo was decently spiced with a nice front end kick.  We had the NFL Draft on the big screen.  A nice 10 strong crowd... classic bar crowd.  We had the middle aged couple getting plastered trying every drink concoction on the menu. The retired dude reminiscing about the  football teams of the70's and 80's. And, a birthday celebration... shots for everyone!  This is what makes a local dive a great place to hang in the offseason.   Everyone is friends.  The wings, beer, people- all a great time.  As Mick Jagger says, "you can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need."  This evening, we got what we needed.

THE RATINGS-
Spicy Buffalo Wings: B+
BBQ Wings: B-
Beer (Plastic cups? C'mon Man!): C
Atmosphere:  A-
Overall Score =  2.93

Days Away, notes from the Target

Holidays' mess, 66th St.  4/18

   "Anticipation, anticipation is making me wait..."  The song lingers in our heads. The anticipation of another surf season.  Another week of dropping temps at the beach, blowing onshores, and knee-high close-outs.  We walked.  Days away.  Sweet anticipation, we know the surf is only days away.

Condo rinse near 65th.

   Dead Freddie's.  We've done it.  A little on the upside tourist scale for our atmospheric tastes.  Pirate paraphernalia everywhere.  The bayside deck littered with pirate playground apparatus for the families blocking a classic sunset.  This time we hit it to rate it.  Our barkeep, Dexter, non-cereal, a bright spot in the service industry.  Brews ordered. Glasses not chilled.  Dude, ifin ya can't get a chilled glass in the off-season, the summer will be lost for sure.  The beer was cold however, and they went down smooth.  In our quest for the cool classic, Dexter brought the Wattman a Nattie Bro. Baltimore's best, National Bohemium on draft.  Cold. Cheap (cheaper than iced tea!). Satisfies.  Baltimore...hmmm. we'll continue.  The Wings. We ordered the Jerk and the Blazing BBQ (10lbs.of habeneros in each batch of homemade sauce!).  The Jerk was average...almost like an herbed Old Bay.  The Blazing BBQ...nice back heat that didn't overwhelm...not a great taste, but good.  The bar had 36 and 60 inch TVs all across, and the music was a good mix.  Bands featured on weekends.  Not a dive, but not high class. Stuck in the middle.  Even with Dexter providing samplings of summer frozen concoctions, the place has that clammy feel... like catering to tourists. The Journey must continue.

THE RATINGS-

Jerk Wings: C

Blazing BBQ: B

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: B

Overall Score =  2.56

Bleeding Waters, notes from The Watt

 

Pick a section, any section. 139th Street, 4/11

   In the Salisbury area we started at a warm 78F, but by the time work was out and we were hittin' the beach a front had moved in.  Temps dropped by twenty degrees and the cooler frontal air hitting the warm bay waters created an engulfing fog one could get lost in, transfixed as the mist bled into the evening air saturating everything it touched.  What was a potential day for first surf ended up low-flying, clouded, jacket weather.  No matter, the Atlantic was chopped up with waves in a disorganized knee to stomach range and  the Journey was en route to a new destination. A minus followed by a plus.  Good stuff.

Bleeding Waters, West Fenwick Marsh.  4/11

   Twining's Lobster Shanty, an esoteric location on the West Fenwick marsh full of local beach lore.  A bit more upscale than we prefer, nevertheless our bartender, Travis, was on point with full menu and specials descriptions as well as historical color commentary.  Well, as historical as he could get at 25 years.  He kept us plenty settled in.  We started the evening with a tasty lobster quacamole and homemade pico. This would have scored pretty decent...IF we were here for the quac, which we were not. Wings...next to waves, what the Journey is about.  We ordered the Shanty Style (Garlic Parmesan) and Old Bay.  The Old Bay, near one of the best we've had.  Near.  The Shantys, not so much.  If we gotta take 'em or leave 'em... we're gonna leave 'em.  Music was good.  No band, but nice mix.  Beer? Bottles, no drafts. And some mis-prints on the beer availabilities.  Need to fix that.  The menu showed a lot of promise as seafood goes.  And on a nicer evening, with a refrigerated draft system installed, the Lobster Shanty could deserve another look.  We noticed a posted Building Permit.  We'll see.

THE RATINGS-
Shanty Style Wings: C-
Old Bay Wings: B+
Beer: D-
Atmosphere: B
OVERALL SCORE = 2.18

Fading Fast, notes from the Target

Early Spring bits 'n pieces, 4/4.

  The last remnants of Winter are fading fast and we have begun to experience the first sustained hints of Spring.  While the colder months of off-season have not been overly harsh, they certainly have seemed to overstayed their sojourn.  The Journey has kept us occupied to be sure. Without a purpose, without the Drive, how can a traveler continue to push forward?
   This past week brought us up North, in the 130's.  The Watt scouted out 133rd Street which looked promising although this day the surf was not making a show.  Wind-blown anklets across a low tide made for a lonely beach.  A local condo did provide a nice privatized shower and parking down alleys and both sides of the street looked that the area would impart plenty opportunities during the surf season.

 

   Our wing stop: Duffy's Tavern in Montego Bay.  We walked in and flashed back to the movie Cocoon.  Blue Hairs everywhere...an apparent local shuffle bowl league.  Fits.  A look into the future?  Maybe.  But, they were hootin' and hollerin' and like our surf  and wing sessions, enjoying themselves.  That is in part, what the Journey is all about. Stoke.  Music was almost non-existent.  However, all of this vintage action around us led to the speculation of a previously tried old/new "wrinkle" (pun intended)...the Classic Draft. Beers of the 70's or earlier if found, will be quaffed and evaluated. Hmmm...updates to follow.  Meanwhile - ratings... the wings were not the "ginchiest" but satisfied.  Buffalo were lackluster,  The "Kickin'" BBQ had a nice spice up front.  In general they were small and could have been cooked a bit longer.  Continued work needed.  Like the beat, the Journey goes on.

Gotta have a Stout at a real Irish tavern...
Peg Leg Imperial Stout

THE RATINGS-

             Buffalo Hot Wings: C

Spicy "Kickin'" BBQ Wings: C+

                                       Beer: B-

                          Atmosphere: C+

Overall Score = 2.31