Out Of Time, from the Target's notebook.

Sundown, swell down. Mushburgers on 67th and Holidays. 9/19/2018

   Once again I waited. While it may not matter in mid-summer, this time of year every minute counts. Before you know it the sun is down, and you are out of time. Too make the whole waiting game more elevated, this week's event had been changed to Wednesday to help with the Watts' conflicted schedules. So I waited, and paced as the sun sank ever quicker into the bay. Once they arrived Wattman was quickly into surf mode, and as we crossed the dune he was paddling out into the mush that would make up the majority of the evening's surf conditions. As me and LWatt set up our chairs I could not help but notice that no one else was even trying to catch a wave anywhere within our line of sight. In fact, it may have been the most junk we'd seen all year. It was fortunate that I had brought the M&Ms. It was that time of year again, and those small individual packages of colored, candy coated chocolate helped to ease the pain of watching Watt's struggle. The search for any kind of ride; with the light quickly receding, Wattman's urgency was apparent as he tried his luck with any wave that even looked like a possibility. A quick backside turned into a nifty little juicer, and then a few small rights that closed out the night. The M&Ms worked. At least for the spectators.
   Tonight, a new local place. Albertino's on 131st street. After last week's daft folly, I was looking forward to a better food experience. Upon entering we took an instant liking to the look of the place. A nice bar in the front with tables filling the rest of the place. Now this being the off season and all, a Wednesday to boot, the place was pretty empty with just a few customers scattered out and about.

Aaay, Mikey!

Our barkeep Mike, was very attentive and talkative as we settled in. Watt ordered a local brew and I got an ice tea. The negative point here is the glasses they were served in were at room temperature. And no attempt was made to chill 'em before the pour. Our barkeep gave us a complete run down on the menu, homemade items from scratch. We sided with the Crab Balls and a Chicken and Banana Pepper Brick Oven Pizza...all with fresh and/or house made ingredients. As we waited for our food our barkeep, bored with the slow evening, kept us entertained with a variety of topics. During the conversation Watt noticed some serious classic one and done Rock playing in the background. Soon enough, we had the groove goin' on as the food arrived. I went straight for the crab. LWatt wasn't much for the sauce provided, I always judge crab first naked without any additions (these had a nice flavor but could have been slightly larger), and Wattman...he downs most anything. I believe he enjoyed them also. The pizza was the house specialty, and it showed. While we ordered the small, it was a large that was delivered. It was unanimously agreed...this was one of the best pizzas we had ever had in this area.
The crust was thin, but not too thin, and baked to perfection. The fresh slabs of mozzarella cheese and red sauce made in house were a fantastic mix. The chicken we was cut to just the right size, a perfect balance to the rest of the ingredients. In addition, we had three types of dipping sauces for the crust. Though a large, it was not difficult to finish off. Albertino's was not cheap, however with off-season specials starting up over the next week it will definitely be on the Patrol's radar to revisit. And, we are sure in-season will provide opportunity as well.

THE RATINGS-

Lump Crab Balls: B

Brick Oven Pizza: A-

Beer: B

Atmosphere: B+

Value: B

Overall Score = 3.20

Off-set, the Target's notes.

Finally, more than low level chop. Waist-plus front and back jam sesh, 47th Street break. OCMD, 9/12/2018

Spread the word around 

Guess who's back in town

                            -Thin Lizzy

   Once again, the Boys are back. LWatt was out of town on a business trip. The dynamic duo had returned to the beach. Batman-Robin, Green Hornet-Kato, Dean-Jerry. I could have gone on, but with the light this time of year fading fast we had to get to the beach as quickly as possible. I had been given strict instructions by LWatt not to let Wattman kill himself this session. Off-set of the path of Mega-Bitch Hurricane Florence approaching the North Carolina coast, the wave action was plentiful but surprisingly, not overly rough. Amidst a declining low tide, aided by a rip Watt quickly joined twelve other surfers in the lineup, all watching the incoming sets for that next wave as I grabbed a seat. Yeah, sitting and not pacing the beach. It's easier to send text updates of the surf. That is the story I am sticking to. Watt managed to find and charge into a couple front-sides, seemed like one right after the other. Then a lull, and the surf started jacking left as the light quickly receded. Most others had left the surf as the tide continued to come in leaving easy pickin's for the Wattman. A short left later, and he closed out a respectable jam.

   As the sun disappeared over the horizon, Wattman's offseason magic returned strong as we found his choice of bar, Anthony's, was closed for the season. Not my first choice. Obviously not doing his pre-meal check, we were forced to head somewhere else. I had suggested Bad Monkey but as we passed Johnny's Pizza we saw a crowd and thus made a detour and headed inside. The place was packed with seniors and we got the last seats in the house in the back. It seems tonight the music was another jam, an open mic combo session featuring Randy Lee and the Cowboys as the house band.

It's amazing what  some people will do in public and tonight we were there to watch. Our server arrived and though the selection was limited, cold beverages soon followed...in iced glass no less. However, we are informed with only one guy in the kitchen the food will take some time. That in mind, we ordered up some BBQ wings and Pizza with Chicken, specifically calling out "no pepperoni."

Now, you would think this would not be that hard of an order, but both came out wrong.  Our wings were Buffalo and the Pizza was covered in pepperoni. What can we say, it was the off season and help was hard to find, and green at that! This being said, the wings were decent and while the pizza was okay, it left a residue of grease everywhere. Have to say that live music is always one of our top requirements, yet sometimes I must draw a line in the sand. Randy was not at his best, struggling with the high notes. The open mic brought some talent...some fair, some not so...at times it was a tad much for me. Johnny's had always been a good place to catch a game with a beer but for future reference, we'd advise to skip the jam unless you are planning to join the band.

THE RATINGS-

Buffalo (WRONG!) Wings: C+

Chicken and Pepperoni (INCORRECT!) Pizza: C-

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: B-

Value: B-
Overall Score = 2.35

Answered!

Seasonal Transition, the Target's notes.

Short rides, shorebreak, and a closeout here and there. Quiet evening off 65th street, 9/6/2018.

   Summer: no matter how much we try to extend the season, it always comes to an end. Science tells us that as we get older time seems to move faster and this summer raced bye. With the cold start, the rain, then the never ending humidity and heat, it seemed summer only lasted about four weeks. If not for a few stoked wave sessions and the last of August being pretty decent we would have scored the majority of the season a loss. But we have transitioned into September, and with the off season we have felt a new vibe. Could be that all the tourists are gone and the beach is once again ours. Or, perhaps that we are at the juncture of prime Hurricane season. I believe, however, that we have found the essence of summer and carried it into the fall. This past week started as the last couple. Small surf, to the point of shorebreak. As LWatt and I began setting up our perch, Wattman strongly suggested we move closer. Not that the tide posed any real concern, but as keeper of the cam I usually have the last say on seating. I have a rep to uphold. The epithet Hard Target must be earned. Watt, relented and waded into the slack surf. Tonight there is a slight breeze but the air is warm. Humidity was a bit less by the shore. Though the waves are breaking near the beach, Watt manges to hunt down several sets with just enough punch to indulge him in a few nice frontside slides. Considering the sluggish conditions, a modest, almost relaxing night for Wattman. But as we have mentioned recently, night comes ever quicker, September becoming more noticeable, and our Patrol headed north for the next victual inquest.
  Just Hooked in Fenwick Island, is part of a small chain of local eateries that feature farm to table, and sea to table ingredients. Of their five restaurants this is one of the more upscale places that caters to foodies, not just a bar crowd. Regardless, we grab seats at the bar and soon have liquid refreshment sitting in front of us. Served icy cold, not only is my Stella in its proper, as advertised glass, it has just the right size foam head that must be appreciated before drinking. We went all out this evening starting with a Corn & Jalapeno Crab Bisque.

I believe most bisque's have too much sherry which over powers the rest of the ingredients. Tonight's bisque had none and the not too spicy flavors were melded nicely. We all dug the dish though it could have used more crab.

 




LWatt, still on her healthy eating kick, had the Cobb Salad that was asparagus based; no lettuce. It was a nice change that she really enjoyed. Also included in our order were the Boom Boom Shrimp and the House Brine Wings.  The wings were a concern. While the flavor was very good, the parts of the wing were still attached together and had to be manually cut apart, wing tips included. I do not care for wings served in this fashion. In my mind it's like breaded wings...unnatural and should not happen.

Finally, the Boom Boom Shrimp were a nice surprise. Not so much battered as simply dusted with a delicate covering that flaked off at the slightest touch, the prawn, being perfectly cooked and not over seasoned, became an instant favorite.

But even with classic tavern style accoutrements, good music playing all night, and well placed screens to view the NFL's opening day, we soon left and headed back out into the night. Another return for the Patrol? The answer was a resounding yes. This locale was our favorite of the Group. Myself? Their style appealed...I would most certainly return. Maybe I am just a foodie at heart. Who knew?

THE RATINGS- 
House Brine Wings: C+
Boom Boom Shrimp: B
Cobb Salad: B
Corn & Jalapeno Crab Bisque: B
Beer: B+
Atmosphere: B+
Value: B
Overall Score = 2.96