Just One More Bite, cuts from the Target's notepad.

Crusty nibblers in the fading light, 66th 'n Holidays. 10/19/2017

   We are running out of time. The end of the beach calendar is only a few short weeks away. But with a continued warm Fall we head to the beach each week seeking to have just one more bite out of the summer. We all arrived this week with the sun still above the horizon  and hurried to the waters edge. LWatt and I set the chairs in place while the Wattman made a dash into the water. With the cooler temperatures at night, the Atlantic has dropped ever so slightly into the upper 60's leading the Watt to don his spring suit. Rides this time of year need to be jumped fast. No time to wait for the perfect set up. With this in mind he attempted drops into several decent size waves that either died out or he tried to rise up to soon resulting in the wave passing him by or just sinking back down the back side. This night most of the rides were gained from thigh-high, swiftly appearing then disappearing waves. The tried and true of the OC. With light fading another small right hander was completed and maybe a small smile appeared for the Watt.

   No hurry tonight as we headed to one of Ocean City's longer standing bars...Tequila Mockingbird. It had been a very long time since I had been, and while it had taken over neighboring space it was still not a big place. Nice thing about this time of year is that the off season specials for all OC bars are the norm and TM was full. Fajita night and that is why we had come. Had to wait a couple of minutes, but managed to grab seats at the end of the  bar. Being a one-man show, our barkeep behind was really hustling. Seemed everyone in the place was throwing back either beer or margaritas with their meals but soon enough he got to us. Guess this being a Mexican bar it was all about the Margaritas and Mexican beer. While they claim to have over a hundred varieties of Tequila on the shelf (and I can attest there were a lot), not once during our time did anyone order anything other than the house margarita, the choice of LWatt. Wattman and I stuck to Tecate and Dos Equis. Now you know my feelings on how a beer should be served, but in this case the chilled bottles met their due. Especially with the warm chips and homemade salsa. Good stuff! However, we came for the Fajitas and ordered the Chicken as well as a Shrimp and Steak combo.

They do not skimp on the amount of food for each order and the two servings were more than enough for the three of us. While a fajita is best enjoyed wrapped in a tortilla, I believe the best way to really know what you are getting is enjoy the blend exposed less the wrap. The chicken was very bland even with all the fixings applied. Needed a shot of hot sauce to give it a boost.  The steak was a little tough, but combined with the shrimp had a nice  overall taste. The shrimp were well cooked and seasoned making them the bright part of the meal for all of us. With small TVs and a set up not conducive to watching a game the Mockingbird may not be the best game time experience. Nice place for the Revival to make a stop though. Decent food. Fair deal. An OC icon. We were not disappointed.

THE RATINGS-

Chicken Fajitas: C+

Steak & Shrimp Fajitas: B-

Beer: C

Atmosphere: C+

Value: B

Overall Score = 2.45

You can drink the water, but don't ya eat the ice.
Take your vitamin "T" with salt 'n lemon slice...
-Mas Tequila, Sammy Hagar

As Far As The Eye Can See, the Target's notes.

"So when you find yourself feeling like you ought to skedaddle out of it as soon and as fast as you can,
it hits you how endless and gigantic it is." -Bobby Hale, As Far As The Eye Can See
Holiday's salt churn. 66th St., 10/11/2017.

   Impending darkness, we race against it again and again each week in a match that can not be won. But the Watt is a man of action and has a plan to cure his epidemic. Get to the break early. Beat the end of the day on the beach and take advantage of a fast start. Unfortunately, the best laid plans sometimes do not pan out as the weather decided to become involved. Cloudy, windy, rainy, with a churning surf. Not fit for man nor beast. Rights, lefts, at the same time...and plenty of closing rogues. In these conditions only the truly needy, disturbed, or maybe "Eddie" would go.
Once again, Wattman is the only trooper in the water or on the beach as far as the eye can see. But LWatt and I did not pander to the rain to watch him battle the dark sea or his sickness. We didn't wait to see if the perfect rideable wave appeared or if a wipe out took the Watt out to sea. Instead we elected to remain in the car, dry, to follow her Cubs in the MLB Playoffs. As nightfall descended on the street, a single figure emerged from over the dune. Wattman survived, but could not find the cure. A couple stray shortie sorties and a fair ride to end the sesh. But, there would be no epic carve that would heal him tonight. Instead he gained just enough medication to carry him through for another week.

    Since the Cubs game was still in progress we needed to get LWatt to a bar...any bar...with the game on. First stop was the new Crabcake Factory Seafood House. As we pulled into the plaza it was easy to see yet another bar that had closed early due to off season decline. So, we continued northward and hit the Northside Pit and Pub at 127th street. Site of the old JC's Northside we visited several years ago and not much had changed on the inside. The small bar was filled with locals so we settled in at a table by the door with a view of the game. There were two bartenders and no wait staff, but that was no problem for these two guys. They were quickly at our table and even lent Wattman some glasses to read the menu. A nice beverage selection and a good pour in a real glass can go a long way anytime we visit. Then suddenly the game gets out of hand and the Cubs lost. So we turned our attention to some good music being played via the internet and made our dinner selection. LWatt opted for the Crabcake Special and the Watt and I selected Pulled Pork/Chicken/Beef Sliders and Smoked Honey Old Bay Wings. While the crabcake was all lump, no filler, it was dry and seemed to lack that something to make it a special. A bit bland. I did not care for the shredded pork, beef or chicken sliders. The vinegar based sauce overwhelmed all three types of meat. Wattman liked the chicken sliders. But once again, it was the wings that provided the evening's surprise. The slight taste of honey enhanced by the spice of Old Bay on a smoked wing was very good. The fact that the wing was not wet or even sticky, but had a nice crust from the frying, surprised all of us. This second location for the Pit and Pub definitely has more of a local vibe, however it is the friendly staff that ensures you  (and the Revival) will always be welcome.

THE RATING-

Crabcake Special: C+

Pork/Chicken/Beef Slider Trio: C

Smoked Honey Old Bay Wings: B+

Beer: B+

Atmosphere: B+

Value: B

Overall Score = 2.83

Lost From View, the Target's notes.

She moves like she don't care. Smooth as silk, cool as air.   -Blondie, Maria
Dark sets rollin'...guessing game in the lineup. Holidays, 10/5/2017.

   Off-season. Night has come faster with each passing day and the Watt had been running late. By the time we crossed the dune, the sun had set and any leftover light was almost gone. I had hoped the full moon would light the beach but no such luck with all the low hanging clouds. None of this deterred  Wattman. Into the water and soon lost from view; disappearing between the fast moving waist high sets against a gray horizon as LWatt and I watched a red moon rise in the cloudy evening sky.
Hurricane, now Tropical Storm Maria's goodbye song. 70 degree night. 69 degree water. Wattman still braving it in a rubber top. Less the clouds, the night could have been great for some night surfing. For as the moon rose it exploded from the horizon like a fireball into a great white light that could have put a shadow onto the beach and the chest high swell. As it was, Wattman tried to jump any wave he could barely see... rising dark images that closed out in a straight line spray of white, each attempt against an ever growing dark sea. The Atlantic had seemed to churn into an ocean of stealthy chop by the time he was done.

   We finally left the pitch black beach and  headed to the Big Easy on 60. Formerly the old Hall's Family Restaurant redone with a New Orleans flare. Considered sitting outside due to this being Endless Summer Cruisin' weekend. The constant throaty roar of street rods was everywhere. To be honest, for a Thursday we had seen bigger crowds, especially those sitting street side watching the continuous parade. So, instead we headed inside to the bar and grabbed a seat. Our bartender greeted us as soon as we sat down and in the immediate had the beverage of our choice served in a large glass. A point to be made: while the glass may have been washed and a professional pour was completed, I still wished it could have been chilled a bit (iced even) instead of pulled from a room temperature stack in the front of the bar. Grub-wise we decide to go with Tuna Tacos and the Jerk Chicken Tacos along with some Steamed Shrimp.

This being the off season and all the kitchen was a little slow. Okay with us. But for the first time this year, I notice our neighbor at the bar was really toasted. He sang with the music, ate with the fork he dropped on the floor, and seemed to ramble on to himself. Then suddenly leaving money on the bar he just disappeared. Our entertainment gone. We could only hope he was walking or taking the bus. While all this was going on our food arrived. I unsuccessfully tried to cut the tacos into thirds and only made a mess. The Jerk, which is not my favorite, was only average. The Tuna was plentiful, but was a smidge bland. In both cases the sauce they put on top seemed to dominate. The shrimp were nice size and had been butterflied nicely. Served 'Nawlins style, the sauce could have been spicier and had too much of a garlic after taste. Thus, we ended the night and merged into the traffic of custom street rods as we headed our separate ways. Deserving of a return chance? Maybe. But, not the New Orleans experience we had hoped. The Revival Tour continues.

THE RATINGS-

Jerk Taco: C

Tuna Taco: C+

Steamed Shrimp: B-

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: B-

Value: C+
Overall Score = 2.38

Don't 'cha wish it was an Endless Summer?

Dig. Fall. Get Up. Repeat, the Target's notes.

The tireless, endless energy of a child of the beach, 66th St. 9/28/2017.

   Fall, the time of year for harvest; pumpkins, apples, hot spiced cider. This week the Crew welcomed its own little autumnal special. We added the three year old granddaughter of the Watts as a temporary member tonight.  While the weather was slightly cool for us, it was perfect for her. The beach is always in a state of perfection for the small ones. The opportunity to dig, run, fall, get up, and then repeat, endlessly. Fun to watch. On shore entertainment as Wattman focused on the pounding din of the horizon.  The latest Hurricane (now tropical storm), Maria, was headed out to sea leaving behind contrary lefts, a retreating tide, deteriorating surf, and an increasingly shortened light span. It was obvious the vigorous southbound current made positioning difficult. With waist or so semi-clean embankments, Wattman was able to jump on 'em soon after getting into the lineup. A nice, fast, backside drift for his first attempt of the night.  However, Maria's fickle surf would not be kind to him today. As the sun dropped, the waves degraded into sectioning debris while Wattman struggled to hold position and get one more decent ride. There would be no more. For the first ride was the best ride of the night. Thus the night ended quietly and darkness fell around us.

Digging into one of the few opportunities of the night. Holidays and 66th in the OC, 9/28/2017.

   With the small one in tow there was a quick change in plans and Vinny's Pizza on 25th street became our destination. A small pizza joint/bar trying to find a niche in the OC market. Upon entering our senses were confronted by a giant projection TV in an endless loop of extreme surfing while the other two flat screens had the NFL and MLB rolling. With the place being so small everyone had a view of the action. The beverage selection was very small and only DWatt ordered a beer. As it was a pizza joint, we went with the Mild Buffalo Wings, Old Bay Wings, and a custom Bacon & Chicken Pizza selection. The mild wings were the surprise of the night. More like on the spicy side of mild with a nice kick on the back end. The Old Bay were also meaty and well cooked and were actually a bit tame. However, we felt the pizza was the disappointment. Over sauced and strips of bacon instead of pieces (didn't work at all for me). To be honest I didn't see or taste any chicken at all. As a Pizza joint, disappointing. There are better options for a good pizza in OC. But, the place had good service, very good wings, and was fair priced...and also accommodating to kids.  Not a bad stop for the Revival.

THE RATINGS-

Bacon/Chicken Pizza: C

Buffalo Wings: B+

Old Bay Wings: B

Beer: C

Atmosphere: B-

Value: B-

Overall Score = 2.63