Curtain Call, the Watt's notebook.

"Foam is your friend. Don't be scared of it. A little bit of extra foam here and there is good for the soul,
and your surfing."  -Rob Machado
Season's curtain call on a foamy. Every last ride, full of stoke. 66th & Holidays, 10/28/2020.

   It's always a struggle for me during the closing sessions of the season. We had to get to the beach earlier. The sun dropped quicker. The darkness spread faster. The thigh to waist waves faded into the night more rapidly. Like ghosts racing towards month end, the sets would literally close on me just as I turned to paddle into 'em. Yeah, that was the most frustrating part of the last of the October sessions. Yet, I still managed to take advantage of a few frontside runs. And, that is always a stoked way to carry out the last curtain call. I was out in the lineup until I had disappeared from LWatt and Target's sight. I'm thinking that Target was tallying up his entitlements, even while LWatt began using her cell phone light to get my attention and wave me in. Guess it was pretty dark. I was doing all I could to snag that last ride. Not to be. For now, my last rides will be relegated to the weekends. A sectioned swell washed me in, and wrapping the leash around the tail, I walked up to LWatt and Target. They just shook their heads as we headed across the dune.

   A location that the Crew had visited when LWatt and I had first moved to the Pines in 2017 was Southgate Grill. Sitting at the south entrance to Ocean Pines, including a gazebo with a water and fountain view (yes, a pond). The bar seating was well spaced out, and we found our spot at a hi-top table waterside. Our bartender/waiter was quick to take our drink orders. The beer selection out on the gazebo was very limited, pretty much all domestic. And, while cold, they were served in, that's right, plastic. A couple TVs with sports highlights and classic rock piped through their sound system made our cold beers a bit more enjoyable.

We debated on the wings then settled for the Old Bay. We also put in an order for the Seafood Skins- potato skins loaded with shrimp, crab imperial, and topped with melted cheese, and the Steak Quesadillas stuffed with steak, cheese and pico de gallo. The Old Bay Wings were well dusted with seasoning and hot, but smaller than we'd been used to. The skins were ok- a little bland, no oomph in the flavor...not memorable. The Quesadillas won the night: cheesy, the right amount of pico, chunks of tender steak. Good service, decent bar food (and that's what it was, bar food- not great, but decent), and great conversation. Another bonus was the tab...very reasonable. That's what we got at Southgate, consistent food at reasonable prices. Overall, a definite consideration for another return trip. The curtain has dropped on our weekday Crew surf; we're entering the season of goodwill and festivity. West O, and Berlin on deck to face the Crew's appraisal, again. Stay safe.

THE RATINGS-
Old Bay Wings: C+
Seafood Skins: C
Steak Quesadillas: B
Beer: C-
Atmosphere: B-
Value: B+
Overall Score = 2.50