Full Swing, cuts from the Target's notebook.

Seafood and Ale...perfect stop for the B-Town tour, 11/16/2017.

     Weekend surf only, and with our offseason tour in full swing we headed back to town...Berlin town. Once again, I had to wait in the cold for Wattman and wife, LWatt, to arrive. No worries...gave me ample time to take a quick tour of downtown. Not much has changed less a few updates in the last year. One of the changes was our evening's stopover. Fins Ale House and Raw Bar occupied an old house converted into a restaurant several years ago. During that time its been several different iterations; but Fins, being a local type chain and having several locations in Delaware, looks like it will be dug in for a while. The official Berlin Christmas opening doesn't take place for another week, however the deco committee had already begun decking this place out. We made the end of happy hour and a small crowd still occupied the upstairs bar. After finding a couple of seats at the corner of the bar the Watt ordered his craft brew served in a special glass while  I ordered up a Miller lite in its original Steinie that was ice cold. One has to wonder when you can have an iced Steinie why would you even bother ordering any other beverage? The original can never really be topped. We decided on the Old Bay wings with both Blackened and Grilled Fish Tacos.

 As the bar emptied out with the end of happy hour we had good music in the background, and a couple of large flat-screen TV's giving the place a nice home-town feel. The food was a little slow to arrive but it was hot. The Wings had a really nice flavor and were well prepared. Definitely in the top fiver this year. The Tacos were above average, nice sized and filled with a mild fish. Served with  fragrant homemade mango salsa. Fair to me, but both the Watt and Wife seemed to really like. As we discussed our respective weeks and upcoming Christmas lists, the evening drew to a close. Paying the tab, we headed out into the night crossing the street and into the Island Creamery.  Now I am not saying a mad dash was made to the front door, but thank goodness there was no traffic because no one bothered to look both ways. Single scoop orders were the size of three normal scoops. Must have been required for the drive home. As to Fins...while happy hour deals are reasonable, regular dining hours brought much steeper pricing. Had a nice time though. Good stop for the Revival's B-Tour.

THE RATINGS-

Blackened Fish Tacos: B

Grilled Fish Tacos: B-

Old Bay Wings: B+

Beer: B

Atmosphere: B

HH Value: B+

Overall Score = 3.04

Offseason swell. Choppy closings off Assateague Island, 11/18/2017.

Left Behind, cuts from the Target's notebook.

The winterization effect. Empty back bay canals signal the start of off-season.
Assawoman/St. Martins, 11/9/2017. 

    The crash of the breaking waves has been left behind. Too far in the distance to be heard. No matter, the cold nights have been taking their toll on ye olde Atlantic. Water temps now into the low 60's. Days end winds hyperventilating as if fatigued by the incoming chill...tend to chop up late in the day. We turn to face the cold of the coming winter, preparing for the long dark days that lay ahead. With this in mind we headed to the Coolest Small Town in America to begin the Revival's Berlin Tour for this week's review. 
   Our choice for the evening's destination was stationed on the outskirts of the town proper. I found myself driving all the way through downtown and out the other side. Just as I was about to meet old Route 113 there was the Crush N Crab. The place was an old converted Tastee Freez that had seen several iterations up to it's current as a small seafood/crab joint. With only a couple of cars in the parking lot I wondered what the Watt had gotten us into tonight. As we enter the five seat bar was filled with real locals so we knifed our way into a booth and settled in to reggae music playing on the sound system. The place was staffed by one barkeep, one wait staff and one cook so the service was not the quickest we had seen. With a limited but sanguine selection of beer we were happy to report it was cold and in a large glass. LWatt's Orange Crush was a tad on the weak side, perhaps due to conservatively measured ingredients. 

The happy hour specials were still available so we went with the Crabby Pretzel, Steamed Shrimp, CnC Old Bay Wings, and the Fish Tacos. The pretzel was doughy but the topping had a nice crab favor with rich crab imperial. The steamed shrimp was well prepared and was nice sized; the highlight of the meal. The wings had little or no old bay seasoning, were lightly breaded, and their small size left me very disappointed. The fish tacos, a last moment addition by Wattman had mixed reviews. A large piece of fried fish with lots of fixings on the taco that I thought was good however the Watt wasn't a fan, finding them "fishy" tasting. This place may be hopping during the summer months, but in the cold of winter it is a down home local dive. Worth another look next season. The Berlin Tour rolls on.

THE RATINGS-

Crabby Pretzel: B-

Old Bay Wings: C-

Steamed Shrimp: B

Fish Tacos: C+

Beer: B-

Atmosphere: C+

Value: B

Overall Score = 2.54

Last Chance, cuts from the Target's notes.

Leaving it all behind, Holiday's & 66th. 11/2/2017

Gonna hitch a ride, head for the other side
Leave it all behind, never change my mind
Gonna sail away, sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind, carry me away for the last time
-Boston, Hitch A Ride
    As I drove towards the beach Thursday evening, I noticed the trees filled with color. Cooler nights have brought Autumn in full swing and Winter is coming. This night we made our last stand. The session would not end 'til we said we were finished. As I approached OC I saw a sign. The reflected light of a big full moon filled the sky lighting a line to the sea. Wattman was running late and LWatt would miss the session due to work.

Upon my arrival the sun was already starting to fade. Shortly thereafter Watt pulls up. As we cross the dune an evening of pure Stoke awaits. Everything has aligned. The warmth of the day still carried over and purple-red clouds colored the sky. Water was still in the upper 60's. Only a slight breeze could be felt and a low tide provided knee high swell. Short rides. Some lacking power. Others closing out. Didn't matter. Tonight was the last chance to hitch a ride. Our last chance to get our fill of the Atlantic. So Wattman caught the quick rides. Some rights...a few lefts...feeling his way as dusk quickly set in. An entire season now in the past, the Revival was incomplete. The Sea was not done with us. A full Surfer's Moon filled the sky. So bright  you could read a book.  With a shimmering ocean reflecting colors only the right combination of elements coming together could produce, the Watt would continued to surf late into the dark.

   As I paced the beach the only sound that could be heard was the soft caw of a distant seagull and the crashing of cascading  waves against the shore.  The ocean's quiet call of good-bye until next season. Eventually the session had to end. As we walked off the beach for the last time this year I glanced back to see the empty waters and could only hope to make it back next year.
   We headed north to High Stakes Bar and Grill after several years absence. This locale had scored well previously, so we were looking forward to our return. LWatt was able to finish her work and join us for the post-surf meal. Since our last visit the place had gone through a complete re-model. Now one large bar instead of an unusual two room/two bar set up. Open concept. But the more things change the more they remain the same. We managed to catch oldies night I guess. When I am one of the youngest people in the joint, well, you get my drift. That doesn't mean the place was not jumping. A one man band set up got the music in these blue hairs. And the packed house was calling for more. The three of us grabbed the only seats at bar and the bartender soon found us. The beverage selection was small; served in a room temperature glass but the liquid refreshment was cold as we settled in for the night. We ordered up,

deciding to go with the BBQ Wings and the Chicken Cheese Steak sub. As we waited for our food LWatt could not decide what to make of this place especially as Wattman seemed right at home. The old guy finally stops playing and the crowd quickly disperses. Let's face it, it was most likely bed time for many of these people. The wings and sub arrived and we dug in. Crispy, tangy, with a sweet BBQ flavor. We all three agreed they were in the top 5. Both Wattman and I wondered if the recipe may have originated just down the street at that Irish pub. The cheese steak, while large and filled to the brim with chicken, seemed bland. To me it seemed to be missing the special seasoning all sub type sandwiches are suppose to have. In addition, paper plates. Not that we expected good china, but paper took away part of the dining experience. Prices however, were very reasonable. Decent food, good value, and a welcome-all attitude went a long way to capping off the session and making this night a nice experience for each of us. Well worthy of the Revival.

THE RATING-

BBQ Wings: A-

Chicken Cheese Steak: C+

Beer: C

Atmosphere: B-

Value: B+

Overall Score = 2.80