Into The Shallows, notes from the Target.

   The sun sets earlier each day. Only been 30 days since the longest day of the year.  Already we can see the difference. Each week the the long shadows of dusk creep over the beach earlier and earlier.

With less light, the time to recharge our minds diminishes exponentially. However, we are up against another time sensitive element this year. DWatt's late return just before the start of summer meant we got a delayed start. Still searching for our signature moment that will define this year's congregation of the Crew. Whether its that perfect break that lasts for an entire surf session, or that boost to the bar experience that we talk about for years following. A moment to pin this year on. We need it. We've come nowhere close to any real standout adventure this year. Planning, weather, and luck have lacked that synergistic energy that produces exceptional sessions. 

Sliding payscale... Dwatt straining to set the rail, 38th & Castles.  7/27/2017

                So, as we cross the dune line this week it is with a sense of urgency to have a good week. What we found provided little cooperation. Another week of windy conditions and a near on-shore break left no room to maneuver. DWatt attempted multiple waves trying to find some semblance of fruit to squeeze. Time after time the waves broke just short of the shore, dumping him into the shallows. This day was just not meant to end on the bright note as we had hoped. Exiting the water, torn fiberglass on the tail of the stick and a missing center skeg void of the finbox as well, told the rest of the story completing a bummer night in the surf.  A quick trip to the surf shop to leave the wounded board for repairs, and we turned to food and beer to take our minds off our misfortune.
   Anyone who has been in OC for very long knows about Buxy's Salty Dog Saloon. Well, buy up the rest of the space, convert a twenty-five foot Chris-Craft into a bar and that is Dry Dock 28. While you can wander between the two bars, Dock 28 was set up to be more of a restaurant and less of a barfly hangout. The place was covered in TV's and seemed to have a decent sound system as we could hear the music in the background. Place seemed to be dedicated to old boats and marine motors which covered the walls and ceilings (even looked for the Watt's missing skeg).  One would expect during football season this place could be rockin if you are a Pittsburgh (Buxy) or just about any kind of football fan. Wattman quickly consumed  a local craft beer from our friendly waitstaff. And, for one of the few times this year it arrive cold and in a large glass (may explain the fast disappearance). What we would find out later was you pay for it here...to the tune of seven bucks a glass.  I do not care what damn micro brewery it was from, that was the highest price so far this year.  We ordered the Mild Buffalo Wings. Small tasteless creatures that had no flavor and left no one wanting that last wing. Lisa decided to go healthy with a Chicken Cobb Salad and was disappointed...who puts breaded chicken on a salad? You can't maintain that beach physique if you go fried all the time.  

Dwatt and I tried a Cheese Steak Pita that had plenty meat...Watt enjoyed it. I believed was over peppered and needed more veggies of some kind. Thus we had a perplexing problem. On which side of the house do you sit? For me the answer was easy. While new the  Dry Dock 28  was aesthetically interesting, I saw no reason to tie up to this dock for an extended period. The Revival pushed off to the next port-of call.

THE RATINGS-

Mild Buffalo Wings: C-

Chicken Cobb Salad: C+

Nautilus CheeseSteak Pita: B-

Beer: B

Atmosphere: B

Value: C-

Overall Score = 2.42

Humidity Cycle, from the Target's notes.

Pinched. Dissolving sections that slapped shut. Holiday's 66th Street. 7/13/2017

   Hot in the City once again. The kind of heat that will melt you in your socks. We seem to be in some type of humidity cycle. Five days of heat and humidity. Five days of cloudy, it wants to rain weather. The beach brought a level of relief as we found the familiar on-shore winds were still in attendance. Wattman tried his best to catch anything that even looked like it could be riden. But wind, tide, and sectioning surf seemed to work against him. A few nice skates, and a faceplant here and there. Nothing worth a cover. In addition, this week we had a larger crowd. Watt's fourth Bro his kids from the Zone were on hand. With family present, a little more effort to pull out a couple short rides to lift the spirit. Enough to hold the Stoke until next week.

   With kids in tow we headed to Dead Freddies Island Grill.  Honestly, this place can't decide if its an adult dive or family joint just from the whole set up. Three or four bars, corny pirate props, and an outdoor kids play area. However, the six of us were seated at a surf board table in one of the inside dining rooms because a half hour wait for outdoor seating.

At this point I need to take a minute to say the kids were great. After being pulled around by Dad all day long then watching Uncle wait it out for a few short rides (although they caught the smashmouth endings too), they could have been monsters but they interacted and were well behaved. Yes they're Watt relations, but you have to give credit where it is due. Dead Freddies however, still needs a lot of work. Our previous reviews were not kind and not much seemed to have changed. My shandy was served in a plastic cup and was only slightly cool. Sitting inside... why am I drinking from a plastic cup? If you are going to be a bar, learn how to serve a beer. Wattman and the Lisa's not cold either. We put together our orders of BBQ Wings, Chicken Quesadillas, and breaded Rock(fish) Tacos. WINGS were small and barely warm to the touch.  Both the Tacos and Quesadillas were loaded with cheese, little meat/fish, and few other toppings other than light sauce. The redeeming elements were a nice selection of music in the background and prices slightly below OC tourist average. So...family and kids in town? Maybe an option. As a prime OC watering hole for the Revival? Better alternatives await. 

THE RATING-

BBQ Wings: C-

Chicken Quesadilla: C

Rockfish Tacos: C+

Beer: C-

Atmosphere: B

Value: B-

Overall Score = 2.25

The Revival going strong through the hot summer nights.

Rain Check, from the Target's notes.

"There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only the wrong clothes."  -Bill Connolly
Storm rollin' in over the St. Martins. 7/6/2017

   Every week of the summer is important. Missing just one single week can mean the difference between having a great or just average season. Memories needed to get through once winter comes. Because of this fact we hardly ever cancel a session until after we hit the beach to actually lay our eyes on the true local conditions.  That being said, this week we cancelled early. While Salisbury was had sun breaking through the clouds, the beach was under a monsoon rain of Biblical proportions. So I headed to DWatt's new home in Ocean Pines to check out current living conditions. I had previously done a drive by, but this was my first time actually in the house. I must say this is a serious upgrade to his previous abodes. Perhaps I gave the Watt too much credit. Should be saying kudos to Lisa as it was much too nice for him to have picked out. After getting the complete tour we headed out to grab a bite to eat.

   With the weather still a problem we stayed local in the Pines  and headed to Southgate Grill. Couple facts: 1) in a strip mall at the OP South Gate, 2) same management as Backstreet Grill here in the Bury. For a rainy Thursday night there was a good crowd and the only open seats were at the bar. Fine with us. With the crowd the lady barkeep was busy filling orders and our initial wait time did seem to drag. Lisa ordered a Lemon Drop Martini, Wattman his beer, and I my Shandy.  It seemed my beverage got lost somewhere in the delivery process and was only cool not cold when it was finally delivered several minutes after everyone else was served. For our meal we started with Lemon Pepper Wings. While they were special priced, crispy, and well cooked, they lacked any favor at all. We might have been eating naked wings because neither of us could detect any real kick at all. Our second choice was the Blackened Shrimp Quesadilla. Also bland... nothing other than a little shrimp and cheese on the inside. Our final choice was the Turkey Gobbler Sandwich with bacon and cheese. This was the best part of the meal for all of us (sounded a little like a culinary fable...just waited for the monsoon outside to blow our Grill down). 

The bar did have a nice arrangement of flatscreens and decent music in the background.  Also had front row entertainment by the couple sitting two stools down that were having a fight at the bar. Nothing like getting to hear a marital spat slinging dirty laundry to add a bit of spice to the evening. Nice place, but nothing exciting here. The prices were great for being so close to OC. Easy stop on the way out of town. May be worth a return in the future. For now...the Revival needs to get busy!

THE RATINGS -

Lemon Pepper Wings: C-

Shrimp Quesadilla: C

Turkey Gobbler: B

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: B

Value: B+

Overall Score = 2.54

First Dibs, from the Target's notes.

47th Street foamies. Summer's un-limited edition. 6/29/2017

   It started like every other night this year. Sunny and nice while standing on the streetside. But, as soon as the dune line was crossed a whole new evening of wind, sand and cool temperatures were there to greet us. I use poor Lisa as a wind block this week (maybe  should not tell her that) so she took the blunt of the blowing sand that swept across the beach. Any time at the beach should be enjoyed, so we did our best while Wattman jumped the surf.  Typical summer swell...small waves caused by the high pressure fronts. The water is warming though. The spring suit is gone. Kinda believed it helped the Watt to tap into several quick rides. Again, is summer at the beach so strange things are going to happen. Just as Wattman got into a rhythm a large (in many ways) family rolls in and starts a photo shoot session...directly in front of Lisa and I no less. There was a whole freaking open beach for several blocks but they stayed directly between us and the Watt so no pictures were possible. Now Lisa being a kind person asked me if we should move. My response: "Never! We were here first." The rule of "First Dibs." Now I have no problem with family memories, but wouldn't it have been nice to say something or move down the beach when you see others are already there? Not soon enough their photo album was full and they left us in the peace of the waves, which had begun to digress. No peace for Watt. Not much of a final ride.

   With the limited surf session over we headed to the Parched Pelican. Dwatt had choose this bar earlier in the year only to find it had not opened yet. Tonight, open. But not busy. The  location was the the previous Hooters Restaurant. Separated into several different bars and seating areas, we tried the outside upstairs bar only to find it was not open so we retreated to the small canal side bar. Our original bar keep was new to the job and had to refer to notes to tell us about the craft brews on tap. However her service was good and from a fair selection, we quickly had drinks in front of us.

Ordered both the Battered Fish and Shrimp Tacos along with Jerk Chicken Skewers with a mango salsa. Two tacos per order and a price of $13 plus, we had hoped for something special...only average at best. The Jerk Chicken was a surprise due entirely to the mango that really picked the flavor.  With so few people in the place there was no vibe at all and thus, we quickly called it a night. Deserved of another fly by? Maybe as a family mealtime excursion as they do have a play area open for the kids. But, it's full on OC prices here so be prepared to leave a little lighter in the wallet for only an average adventure. Hey! This is the Revival. More to come!

Jerk Skewers 'n Fish Tacos

THE RATINGS - 

Shrimp Tacos: C+

Fish Tacos: C+

Jerk Chicken Skewers: B+

Beer: B-

Atmosphere: C+

Value: C-

Overall Score = 2.42