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One Rainy Night at McGreevy's
By The_Sagest on Thu, Jul 24, 2008 1:30 am
del.ico.us
reddit!
I was impressed on our first trip. Even though they were completely out of a certain beer I really like, the food and ambience totally made up for it. This place is a sports bar without putting TV's every damn place and actually possessed comfy lounging no pretension furniture. Between that, beautiful real/faux antiques, and not having enough people crowded into it to be obnoxious, it was a good place to hang our collective hats.
Last time, we ordered the Irish Boxty with steak, and it was filling enough for two people. If you can imagine a quesadilla stuffed with mashed potatoes, meat, cheese, and a bit of veggies, it's close enough. This time we tried the corned beef and potato croquettes, which was a much smaller bit of business (two to an order) and just not as much meaty fun. I think I prefer wholesome goodness to presentation, though the croquettes were over a bed of Irish bacon and fried onions that was tasty and a bit fatty.
For an entree this time out, I went with the fish and chips and my girl ordered the whiskey chicken. The fish and chips were good, the fish dense and a bit oily instead of flaky, and there was a mountain of skin-on fries underneath. I could have done without the sorta-salad on the side, but as a plate goes, it was above average in quality and more than adequate in quantity. My girl's whiskey chicken was well done also. The whiskey cream sauce was more delicate than you'd guess, and the chicken breast was thicker and more succulent than I would have expected. Their mashed potatoes were dense, had a few well-placed lumps, and no skins. If I had to give the spuds a letter grade, it'd perch right on the B+/A- border. It would've been an A- if they'd put black pepper in them.
We each had a Magner's cider (20 oz bottle for $6, fair value indeed) and I finally had a Harp with my dinner. We watched the game start to slip away in the 6th before we left. I'm glad we scrammed when we did, because watching the tie extend another six innings would have been too much, um, downtime.
Still, if you want authentic Irish pub grub in a downtown locale with great HD Sox presentation, this place would seem to be tough to beat.
The S likes his chips crispy, his mashed with skins, lumps, & pepper, and his cider straight from the bottle. He might not be a man's man, but he sups like one!
The Greening Monster
By rhadad on Wed, Jul 23, 2008 2:01 pm
Last Thursday morning, approximately 50 people met to discuss the Green Communities Act of 2007, led by Sen. Michael Morrissey, D-Quincy, and Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Philip Giudice. The Act projects goals for 2020, including “meeting at least 20 percent of the Commonwealth’s electric load through new, renewable generation,” and “reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from the 1990 levels." The act also requires companies to consider all energy resources when buying power. It creates a new Department of Clean Energy in the state government, which will oversee loans and grants given to municipalities to fund the cost of energy efficient improvements and improve utility safety. The act also creates a tax deduction for alternative fuel vehicle owners and gives $3 million annually to hydroelectric facilities for upgrades. Both the House and Senate approved the bill unanimously, and Gov.Deval Patrick signed the bill on July 2nd.
Sue Reid, staff attorney and director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Change Initiative at Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, thinks this a good start. “The summer of 2008 will be seen as a turning point," she said. "We are at a time where environmental and economic concerns are coinciding, and though this is something that will start small and gradually grow, I think it’s a terrific start.”
Reid isn’t the only one noticing the economy’s influence on environmental action, however. Jack Habib, Chair of Environmental Business Council of New England Energy Committee, was one of the first at the meeting to mention the economic benefits of using our own resources. “Broad expansion of energy funding and programs will reduce reliance on foreign resources,” he said. “As an added bonus, the Green Communities Act will help to aid our economy.”
Penni McLean-Connor, vice president customer care for NSTAR, couldn’t have agreed more. “With the increasing demand and rising environmental crisis, there is a lot of pressure on consumers. We want to both help the environment and aid the rising costs,” she said. But she still harbors concerns, including the demand for a larger workforce for the upgrades and installation of power systems. “We need rapidly expand the programs in order to prepare for the 2010-2012 goals. How will we expand our workforce by then?”
The need for a larger workforce presents an opportunity to jumpstart the economy and decrease unemployment rates. And the connection between the recession woes and clean energy doesn't end there. As gas prices soar and reliance on air conditioning increases with the summer heat, using cleaner resources, saving money and opening job opportunities are gaining more and more political popularity. [REBECCA HADAD]
Big Waaaa
By Dargus on Tue, Jul 22, 2008 1:46 pm
So, news reports—actually, just US magazine—is reporting that Jessica Simpson was booed at her debut countrified concert at Country Thunder in Randall, Wis. this past weekend when she opened for Sara Evans.
One concertgoer was quoted as saying, "I'll have to drink a lot of beer to sit through her concert."
Through Jessica's set? I'm sorry contemporary country, but you've gotten your just deserts with your Kenny Chesneys, Gretchen Wilsons and Toby Keiths (among other no-talent hicks) that do nothing but personify an ugly stereotype. When you start appreciating the alt-country musicians in your midst, then, then you can complain about hacks like Simpson becoming country stars. Until that day, you have no sympathy from the Americana fanbase who are waiting for the rest of y'all to get a fucking clue.
http://www.usmagazine.com/jessica-simpson-booed-at-first-country-concert
!ay dios mio! I h8 mundaiz.
By can_I_haz_new_job_plz on Mon, Jul 21, 2008 3:52 pm
Day #2 at Tales...
By pinklady on Sun, Jul 20, 2008 2:09 pm
(Posted post-humously, after reading thru you'll understand why...)
Our first class of the day was titled "Juniperlooze: A Journey Deep into the heart of Mother's Ruin," hosted by Ryan Magarian of Aviation Gin, Simon Ford from Plymouth, Phillip Duff of Genever, and Desmond Payne from Beefeater. The three of us (Pink Lady, Mimi, and Em) started researching the topic – very heavily, I might add – the night before. Let’s just say it was a little touch and go for Pink Lady in the morning, and the last thing I wanted right when I got up was more gin. Mimi went foraging for coffee and some pastries, and after downing a few bites of a croissant and about a gallon of water, off we went to our second day of Cocktail School.
Class was packed to the gills. Mimi had a problem with her tickets, and by the time we arrived, we had to crawl through rows at the front of the room to make it to our seats. We were totally those people. Once seated, we learned so much. All manner of gins were sampled, from a Genever style (not widely available in the states but closest to the kind our forebroads would have sipped in the 19th century), to Old Tom (most popular pre-Prohibition, much sweeter than the prevailing modern styled London Dry Gin), to all manner of modern dry gins. There was also lengthy discussion about the as-yet unnamed emerging category casually referred to as “New Western gin”, which balances essential juniper with other botanicals, making for a complex and savory expression of the spirit. Think Aviation, Martin Millers, and Hendricks. We left excited about the future of gin, and about the free swag provided compliments of Plymouth, which included a portable bar.
Miraculously, we muscled through our own gin-iness and consumed the gin samples and the sample cocktails on offer during Juniperlooza. Croissant notwithstanding, this made for a pleasant buzz and a deep need for lunch, but not without stopping by the tasting rooms where two very different rums were one offer. First we checked out at the Cruzan tasting room where none other than Wayne Curtis was pouring samples and educating guests, then the Clement tasting room, where we made friends with some nice San Franciscans, including Neyah White from Nopa. Rum…yum. Then it was off to the Acme Oyster House for some more fried food because that seems to be all we ate to eat in New Orleans.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel for a quick catnap and to freshen up before the Cocktail Hour, where LUPEC Boston’s president and founder would be pouring a cocktail called the Ninth Ward on behalf of Boston’s Brother Cleve, who fell ill and had to cancel for the conference this year (our healthful thoughts are with you, Brother Cleve!) Cleve’s Ninth Ward is a variation on the classic Boston cocktail, the Ward 8, named after the famous NOLA neighborhood that was devastated during Katrina.
LUPEC also made our Small Screen Network debut during the cocktail hour with a brief spot on a webisode for The Liquid Muse. Rock on ladies!
Mimi, Em, and I met Barbara West for a Vieux Carre at the Carousel Bar before heading to Cochon for our 9:30 dinner reservation. Everyone at the conference was raving about this place, and a quick glance at the menu upon arrival explained why: fried boudin sausage, fried alligator, ham hock with lima bean hoppin’ john & mustard onion jus, smoked beef brisket with horseradish potato salad, and red fish left us mighty full. We also ordered a million sides, a salad, and dessert. The amount of food left over was frankly embarrassing, but we couldn’t resist.
Then it was off to Vaughn’s to check out the Kermit Ruffins band – minus Kermit Ruffins, plus our favorite sax and trombone players from Rebirth – along with a few other LUPEC gals and the boys from Eastern Standard. Boston showed up strong at Vaughn’s, and let’s just say we were never at a loss for beer. Leave it to a bunch of bartenders to keep the drinks flowing, and after an hour we’d drunk the bar entirely out of $2 Miller Hi Life. Guess that’s what happens when you order beer ten at a time. The Beija boys showed up during the second set, as did the Brandon from Diabolique, and our new best friend Jeff from New Hampshire, Liza from the Globe, and a ton of other Tales folks.
The band stopped playing at around 2:30, but the party continued. A group of us ended up back on Decatur in search of more music. We danced at a reggae club for a while, drank more Hi Life and bourbon, and then moved on in search of more fun. We stumbled upon some beignets at Café Du Monde, for which we now had room after hours of dancing.
Our final stop of the night was the Old Absinthe House, which was as packed as Eastern Standard on a game night in spite of the late hour. When they finally locked the doors at 5 a.m. we stumbled back to our hotel for a quick, totally illegal dip in the pool before heading back to the room to pack for our 11:10 a.m. flight. We’d be leaving NOLA as we arrived, with eight hours of sleep between the lot of us.
But the never-ending party was so, so worth it.
Day #1 at Tales...
By pinklady on Fri, Jul 18, 2008 7:15 pm
Began late with a perfect Pimm's Cup and breakfast at the Napoleon House. YUMMMM...If you've never had a Pimm's Cup do yourself a favor and check this cocktail out, especially if you happen to be in the quarter, near the Napoleon House. We also sampled a Roast Beef Po' Boy, since evidently the deep fried version we had the evening before just wasn't enough for us, and a Muffaletta, which comes portioned as a whole, half, and quarter sandwich. We ordered the quarter size, and it was still as big as my head.
Registration at Tales was exciting/overhwelming, the lobby of the Monteleone literally swarming with cocktail types of all stripes. Our first class was a panel led by none other than LUPEC's Barbara West, on "How to Get Your Drink, Bar, or City More PR", featuring writer Jenny Adams, PR maven Jennifer Baum, Food Arts wine and spirirts editor and Men's Health contributor Jeffrey Lindenmuth, and of course, Babs. It was awesome and informative and is going to help me help LUPEC Boston become WICKED famous. Um...do you know who I am?
In a late binding decision we also decided to attend a seminar called "Emerging Spirits: What's the next big thing?" featuring the editor of Cheers magazine Donna Hood Crecca, Cuff & Buttons founders and general mixology badasses who we kind of want to be Christy Pope and Chad Solomon, cocktail consultant and Aviation gin maker Ryan Magarian, spirits writer and author of THE BUSINESS OF SPIRITS Noah Rothbaum, and Beverage Information Group statistician Eric Schmidt. Wow, did we learn a lot. Here are some highlights: vodka is still the biggest spirit category and growing (how is anyone still drinking this stuff?), but some of our fave categories (gin, rye) are seeing unprecedented growth. Rum is actually totally hot right now, too, especially cachaca. An interesting conversation overall, though it did feel a little weighted by our cocktail nerdiness and knowledge. Even in Boston, where we have a small but vibrant cocktail scene, I'm constantly taking orders for Cosmos and Pomegranate martinis. There is no rest for the weary prophet of the endangered cocktail, is there?
Off to the hotel to freshen up for dinner, where we suddenly realized we were famished. We grabbed a bite of some more fried things, Campari & soda, and were off, drinks in hand since you can take cocktails to go in NOLA. Isn't is a glorious place? Next stop: welcoming reception at The Palace Cafe. Schmooze fest. Tom Collins' were flowing, and we downed them like it was our job. Before we knew it the place cleared out and off we went to meander along Decatur Street in search of dive bars and live music.
After wandering in and out of a few places, the familiar strains of brass lured us into a club. On stage were the saxophonist and the trombone player from Rebirth! We danced our asses off once again, then wandered down the street to hear some blues and indulge in our very own Juniperlooza. Much gin was imbibed by all, much more dancing ensued. Oops! We forgot to eat dinner, meaning the finer details of the evening past oh, say 2 a.m., get a little fuzzy. There was some late night pizza, some drunk dialing to our Boston compatriots, and some passing out. Only to rise and shine and live the dream once again on Thursday!
Check out the pictures to prove it all at lupecboston.blogspot.com.
Ole!
A week later: Tales of Maine and chili mishaps
By The_Sagest on Wed, Jul 16, 2008 3:11 pm
After our visit to the Maine Diner (located in Wells, across the street from the Bull & Claw) we decided to just explore Maine a while. We first travelled to Ogunquit. There was a decent amount to see, in terms of cool stores and whatnot. We waded at the beach. We patronized a local coffeeshop. It was very hot and very sunny. I was enjoying myself too much to notice this; as a pale, pale, man I would pay for that later.
After that, I mentioned York Beach to my girl. She had never been. I was aghast. Between The Goldenrod, the beach itself, and the Fun-O-Rama arcade, it's a great take in. I sort of talked her into it. It was my unbirthday, after all. We got to watch the taffee puller in the Goldenrod's window, frequent the penny candy shop, and even hit the arcade.
At the Fun-O-Rama, air hockey was played (I lost, very predictably). They still had the vintage Q*bert stand-up that I played as a teen when my family visited; I made the top 10 high scores with one quarter once again. We played some imported Japanese side by side target shooter game (which already had three free games worth of dough in it) where I very uncharacteristically took vengeance and won something like 10 of twelve rounds. I usually suck at FPS games.
After that, it began to get late in the return traffic sort of way, so we began the drive home. Somewhere north of the MA state line, I began to feel awful. Not queasy or carsick, but hot, sluggish, and leathery. It took me a bit to realize I had overdone my sun exposure for the day and was paying for it. When we stopped for dinner on Route 1 at Sake, I knew I was in for it. It hurt to touch the back of my neck and I was wobbly getting out of the car.
At Sake, I had two glasses of ice water and two Sprites in about 20 minutes before I began to feel myself again. Then I actually had some food, a bit of idaho maki, some eel, and tuna wrapped in scallions. It wasn't a large meal, but between the MD, the Goldenrod, and my internal state of affairs, I didn't need one. After that, I was dropped off in Brighton, a very well-spent day concluded.
Fast forward to yesterday (my actual birthday) and the night before that (birthday eve?). I had planned to make a lamb and rosemary chili, and stopped at the Shaws on Comm Ave to pick up the ground lamb and other ingredients I needed. Unfortunately, their MASSIVE RENOVATION is still ongoing. The coolers with the meat in them were almost completely roped off. The floor was being replaced. There was no real way to get to the lamb. I vented about this to the girlfriend over the phone, who suggested I just duck the cordon, get what I needed and go, but because I had already asked one the beleaguered workers a few questions (which he was happy to answer) I just couldn't do that. Luckily, I had my chili cookbook with me. The reduced sales meat counter wasn't roped off. There were some ribeye steaks there marked way down. So I grabbed them and made a BBQ rubbed ribeye and beans chili instead.
I had to marinate the rubbed steaks overnight, so I grilled them first thing B-day morning, and prepped the other ingredients while the steaks cooled. My new pot worked extremely well, heating quickly and evenly. By 11 am or so I was enjoying a bowl of birthday chili, which I then shlepped downtown to bring lunch to my girl.
After lunch, I had to go the RMV to renew my ID. That took almost two hours. After that, I met my girl at the close of her workday and we relaxed and had dinner and dessert at a new sportsbar in Back Bay. Where did we go? What did we have? Where did that parsley come from? All these questions will have to wait for another installment. This one has gotten too long already.
The S tried caffeinated soap this afternoon. It was a tingling experience.
Open letter to the Fug Girls
By Dargus on Wed, Jul 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Tales Pre-party
By pinklady on Wed, Jul 16, 2008 12:24 pm
Before dinner MiMi, Em, and I (Pink Lady) head down to the Carousel Bar for Vieux Carres and to meet up with Hanky Panky and Barbara West. The Carousel Bar spins in the center of the room, so to chat with these seated gals, we have to march slowly around the room with them. We're doing the "Carousel Crawl." It looks impossibly silly. The bar is crawling with famous cocktail types, many of whom Hanky Panky & Babs know. I have a total OMG I LOVE YOUR BOOK Movie star moment when I am introduced to "David", but manage to keep it together.
There are nine Bostonians we love to hang with in attendance. The good lot of us head to Jacques-Imo's in the Uptown Neighborhood. For this Northern girl, it was a real treat, featuring the kind of Cajun-Creole fare I've only ever read about. Highlights of the menu included: shrimp and alligator cheesecake, a multitude of "smothered" items (smothered chicken, smothered cabbage), and the piece de resistance: the Fried Roast Beef Po' Boy. As in the entire sandwich was battered and fried. Truly a site to see. With it we drank -- what else -- some bubbly!
After dinner, we head next door to the Maple Leaf Bar to danceand listen to the Rebirth Brass Band. We dance and drink PBR & bourbon (I tried to order a double Malibu splash pineapple, splash sprite with a lime wedge but John Collins dissuaded me) 'til 2:30 a.m. before calling it a night.
Impossible to find a cab, we hopped on the last trolley of the night and it was one of those perfect, truly magical decisions. Imagine a pretty, old fashioned looking version of the green line. With all the windows down we cruised through the gorgeous garden district with all its antebellum looking houses, then walked down remarkably quiet Bourbon Steet to our hotels.
G'night, NOLA! Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
