Unchained: The 2017 Revival Review, notes from The Watt.

Hit the ground running...carefully. Early January deep freeze. The Rt. 90 Bridge spans a solid Assawoman Bay, 1/7/2018.

Change, nothing stays the same
Unchained, yeah you hit the ground running
Change, and nothing stays the same
Unchained, yeah you hit the ground running
                                 -Van Halen
   Like the song says. Nothing stays the same. The last couple years have seen plenty of change. Moved to Chicago to begin life with the future Mrs. LWatt in '15. After our late '16 marriage, circumstances allowed us to return to the Shore with a tad more permanence. Finally settled in by the end of May, the year '17 saw the Crew back with a vengeance. Having been in town quite a few times over the last eight-plus years (go figure), LWatt had already fallen for life along the Right Coast. Needless to say, I didn't have to talk her into joining the Target and I on a number of occasions in the past. Our game plans had no air of mystery in her mind. A natural fit, she won Target's approval with the accessories that accompanied her. Beach chairs. Good for him...he could relax (instead of pace up and down the beach) while he recorded the surf sessions. Good for me as I now had someone that would keep the Target focused on the job at hand (most of the time). 2016 saw five stops, three reviews. Not even enough to do a spreadsheet driven analysis (back and forth from Chi-town will do that). 2017 rated twenty-six total locales. Thirteen new (or like new) taverns, speakeasies, lounges, pubs, taprooms, dives, and the like. Literally hit the ground running. We likened it to a Revival. It was...

This blog started about the surf...days like this were more about the food...

fish food. Midwest rust. A season of patience. Late July nor'easter.

Sesh VI landed us in Williamsville, DE. Yellowfins
was our hidden gem just west of Fenwick Island.
Top value of the season. Late June.

We find those hidden gems, but
the diamonds in the rough often
surprise more. Beach Barrels on
132nd Street. A rough one as it
was a package store/sub shop/bar
combo. Third place overall. Last
day of August as our first  tropical
storm passed by...hurricane
season had started.

Somewhere late in the game- found that line.

 Early September...Irma's clean-up.

Abbey Burger Bistro. Been there done that...

there's a reason. Rated #1 for beer selection. Ya think?

 25 on Tap. Mid-late September.

The Berlin, MD Christmas Tour.

 Drummers Cafe in the Atlantic Hotel 

took honorable mention with the top dish...

Twin Fillet Kabobs. It ain't often we get

real life Kobe beef. Early-mid December.

   The Crew is freeing up. 2018 is going to continue to see change. More new stops. Expanding the radius of locations and surf breaks. Carving the challenges. Ripping down the walls. Unchained.

These are the conditions that make the session...the Stoke we long for. 
Green room open. Post Labor Day groove.