Deserted Call, the Target's notes.

"Ride, ride ride the wild surf."  Looks angry.  We'll pass. Castles at 37th. 12/7/2014

   The beach is pretty much deserted this time of year. Cold, wet sand. Too much for most to bear. Waves are a lonesome lot. Almost angry. But they continue to roll and crash. An explosion that no matter how obnoxiously loud or faintly subtle, serves as a never ending call to return. Catch just one more ride. For us a call to remain strong to return strong.

Northside Winterfest, 12/4/2014

    First winter blast has come and gone.  Regardless of the almanac and the experts, the brevity has left all wondering just how wicked this winter is gonna be. Snow? Ice? Or, just that bone chilling damp cold that zaps the good health of everyone, and sucks the joy out of even the simplest attempt at fun. For us...no zapping, no failing attempts at fun. The stitching of one wave to the next may have

been put on hold, but the Journey continues. We conquer the winter blues with a few hours of a warm bar, hot apps, good sports on the tube, and a couple of cold brews. Granted, we are dependent upon upon the quality of establishment chosen. The wrong place filled with empty rickety chairs, no music, crap TV, and warm beer can have a debilitating affect. That is the risk we take. The deserted call of the offseason. Truly a shot in the dark this time of year. That being said, we return to the locale that we began our rating system with almost three years ago.

Winterfest tram.

   JC's Northside Pub on 127th and Coastal Highway. Tucked into a strip center right next to Northside Park, there were a handful of patronizers and the lone barkeep seemed to have things well in hand. Twenty beers on tap (including PBR!) put the Watt in an immediate selection tailspin. Brews were served in chilled (not iced) glasses. We put in for the Northside Wings, meaty well cooked wings with a nice house spiced honey barbecue that was quite tasty. But the star was the Green Card Panini. Well seasoned chicken breast with sauteed onions and green peppers, shredded cheddar-jack, and a house made salsa. The plate was pure Stoke Brah! Wow! We took in a car auction, caught up on the latest goings on with life, and watched the Thursday Night Football kickoff. Tab was paid. and as has become tradition we walked to the Winterfest of Lights and perused the tent and displays. Too miserly to put out for the tram ride, we dealt with the dropping temps and rising winds (bayside, not beachfront...go figure) and checked out the sparkle, undaunted. The weekly Journey coming to a close, we headed off into the night strengthened for another week.

THE RATINGS - 

Northside Wings: B

Green Card Panini: A-

Beer: B+

Atmosphere: B

Overall Score = 3.25

Mele Kalikimaka