Cocktail Confessions

Mark your calenders, and for good reason too.

We all know what September 11th means and stands for.  There’s no denying it’s a pivotal and defining moment in our nations history no matter what ethnic or religious background. 

While there are indeed multiple ways to show your respect, mourn, and remember your own way there is also an annual event held at Hidden Valley Park in Irvine, CA.  It’s near Wild Rivers and the old Verizon Amphitheatre where the 405 and 5 FWY’s meet.

The Orange Country Brew Ha Ha is an event to help show appreciation to our firefighters for both serving and protecting us.  It’s a beer festival where a portion of all proceeds collected will be donated to benefit The Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a non-profit organization that is leading the effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters.

There is scheduled to be over 50 of both San Diego’s and Orange County’s finest breweries.  This should include a selection of over 100 (yes one hundred) crafted beers for your tasting and enjoyment.  Hours are from 12pm to 3pm, Saturday, September 11.  I believe parking is free and the park is very nice, large, and secluded from civilization.

General admission is $35 in advance ($40 at the door, cash-only), so go ahead and buy online.  VIP is $45 and includes 2 extra tastes, VIP parking, 1 hour early entry, and a free beer appreciation seminar (?).  There’s also a $60 Gold VIP deal too, but you can go to the website to check that out and what you get.

No one under 21.  They will have designated drivers available for a $10 fee.

Some extras you can look forward to:

• Over 100 craft beers
• Commemorative festival glass
• Ten 4oz tastes (you can buy more tastes)
• Beer tasting seminars
• Free parking, soda, and water
• More, but too boring for me to list..

*Santa Fe burger courtesy of FoodTV

So I realize I’ve been a little light on the recipe’s this summer. Not much of a cocktail and grilling blog if you don’t have the content to back it up once in a while. I’m still working on some “how-to” video’s for smoking a brisket…it takes a lot longer than you think, but I made some good headway this past week and I should have the first one posted soon.

Anyway, the kids should be headed back to school soon (if they haven’t already) and summer is starting to wind down, so I think this recipe will fit in nicely. It’s relatively easy, yet looks and tastes like it may have taken some real time and effort, and could be the star of the last summer hoorah.

I give credit to my wife for finding the basis of this recipe from her own online searches. It’s basically a Bobby Flay inspired recipe that stands out great on its own, but like most things, I like to make my own adjustments and spins on discovered recipes and try and make it my own.

This cheeseburger has it’s flavors rooted in the Southwest, a favorite of mine. The queso sauce is rich and spicy and replaces the traditional ‘processed slice’ we’re usually accustomed to, and allows a platform for the roasted pablano chili’s to cling to. Some blue corn chips give the burger an unexpected textural surprise along with their salty crunch.

Ingredients

Burgers

• 1 large poblano chile
• 2 1/2 TBS canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 LBS ground chuck (80% lean) or sub 90% lean ground turkey for healthier alternative.
• 4 large gourmet burger buns, split & toasted. (Check local bakery for fresh goods like a nice ciabatta or potato bun.  Try and avoid the generic burger buns)
• Handful of blue or yellow corn tortilla chips

Queso (cheese) Sauce:

• 1 TBS unsalted butter
• 1 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole milk. (*sub 1/2 cup milk with heavy cream if available for a richer, creamier taste)
• 8 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups).  (*Sub Monterrey Jack for a slightly milder, not as spicy alternative if desired).
• Dash of dried chipotle powder for earthy, smokey flavor (*optional)
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Directions

1. Coat pablano chili with 1 TBS of canola oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on grill, medium heat, and turn every few minutes until skin begins to char and bubble on all sides.  Remove chili and place in paper bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap and allow to steam for 15 minutes.  Peel, stem and seed chili at this point, then coarsely chop and set aside for now.
2. To make queso sauce, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk/cream, increase heat, whisk constantly until slightly thickened (approx 4-5 minutes).  Remove from heat and then whisk in cheese, a little at a time, until melted.  Season with salt, pepper, chipotle powder.  Keep warm.
3. Divide meat into 4 equal portions.  Form into 3/4″ thick patties and make small depression in the middle of each with thumb.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Using remaining oil (or cooking spray), coat grill and cook burgers over medium flame until desired doneness.
4. Place burgers on toasted bun bottoms, top with a few tablespoons of cheese sauce, a few chips, some of the pablano, then of course, toasted bun tops.

So now the beer pairing:  Personally, I really enjoy Mexican lagers with my Southwestern food.  For me, Negro Modelo is a no-brainer.  Maybe even Modelo Especial or Dos Equis.  Make sure you have plenty of sliced limes nearby.  If Mexican beer isn’t your thing, how about other domestic lagers or an ale?  These pair very well with summer beef dishes.  Try a Fat Tire amber ale, or maybe even Land Shark or Long Board lagers.  They all have a crisp and clean taste in my opinion.  And you can’t go wrong with any of the seasonal summer crafts from Sam Adams.

Now here’s a college art project I can get behind and study for!! 

Just enlist one weed smoking artist with unkempt hair, one mechanical engineering major that needs to get out and breathe some fresh air, and a fraternity (or two, or three) to volunteer their resources, and voila…

BOXEL was created by some University of Applied Sciences students in Detmold (Germany) over one week, tasked with the challenge of creating a summer pavilion in 1:1 scale. Apparently, the beer boxes are not merely stocked on top of one another, but “freely organized,” with slats, screws and bracings holding it all together.

Now hopefully the tear down wil be just as fun.  Maybe some extreme sports enthusiasts who like demolition stunts?

American wheat ale, or American light wheat as it’s also known, is perfect for the hot summer months

This all-American version of a German-style hefeweizen originating in the Pacific Northwest ranges from pale to golden in color and can be quite hazy if not filtered. It has a long-lasting head with a crisp and refreshing taste, and somewhere between a light to medium body.

Unlike their German weizen counterparts, you will not find the telltale flavors and aromas of banana and clove because they are fermented with normal ale yeast. Still, there might still be some fruitiness in the aftertaste coming from ale fermentation.

This style is often served with some kind of citrus fruit wedge to cut the wheat or yeast flavor but is not really needed to enjoy the style.

Its average alcohol by volume (ABV) range is 2.8-7.0 percent

Topher Tastes It

1. Bell’s Oberon Ale from Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, Michigan
(5.80 percent ABV; Available: Summer Seasonal March 30th till October. Current Distribution Area: AL, FL, IA, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, OH, PA, VA, WI Available in Bottles and on Tap)

Loved it.

I poured it from a 12-ounce bottle into a regular old American pint glass, and the first thing I noticed is that it had a nice, thick, almost eggshell-color head and stayed on the beer till the end. There was a hazy pale yellow color to the body of the beer.

Next, it had a somewhat sweet smell that reminded me of the smell of homemade wheat bread. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was there.

The taste … now, this is where this beer shines. There is a defined crispness to with a citrus flavor and a little bit of that wheat beer flavor in the end.

2. Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier from Boston Beer Co., Boston, Massachusetts
(5.50 percent ABV; Available: Year Around. Available in Bottles and on Tap)

This one’s from the kings of the craft beer movement.

I had this beer on tap, poured into a American-style pint glass.

The beer had a nice straw yellow color, with the creamy-looking head that did not last long on the two pints I had. That was OK, because I did not let this beer stay that long in the glass.

Yes, there are blackberries in this beer. You can smell them the second you get it in front of you. There is also a slight spicy scent mixed in with the blackberries, but I was not sure what spices I smelled.

The taste was a bit malty on the first sip, but again, the blackberries showed through and gave the beer a light but distinctive fruit flavor that I quite enjoyed – very light and easy to drink.

3. Terrapin Rye Pale Ale from Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, Georgia
(5.50 percent ABV; Available: Year Around. Current Distribution Area: Ga, Fl, Tn, Al, Va, Pa, Nc, Sc Available in Bottles and on Tap)

This is the beer that launched Terrapin. Back in 2002 the Rye was the first beer John and Spike brewed…at the time it was only available on draft only in our hometown of Downtown GA. That year it won the gold medal for American Pale Ale at GABF.

They brew this beer with 10 percent rye, but it is good American pale ale all the way!

I had this poured from a bottle in to the standard American pint glass, and it had a great honey yellow color that almost bordered on copper at times. The head was a cream color and was not as thick as I would have liked.

I smelled the hops and some spiciness right off, and there was also a hint of citrus in there to round it all out.

The rye is there, full and up front in the flavor of the beer, and a bit of sweetness also. I had an ending of the hops coming through as an aftertaste, but it was all well-balanced and really a great-tasting beer.

It was a very good beer that puts a different twist on the standard American pale ale style. It’s very drinkable, and I would not have a hard time sitting around and drinking more than one in a row.

There you go, some good beer and some good info.  As always, go out and try some new beers (in moderation) and remember that the best beer in the world is the beer you like to drink!

Taken from Fox News:

A 110 proof beer, the world’s strongest, was launched Thursday by a British firm selling the tipple for $762 a bottle.

The blond Belgian ale, named The End of History, is an astonishing 55 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and is presented in a case made from stuffed animals, including stoats and squirrels.

Made by BrewDog, based in Scotland, the beer is infused with fresh juniper berries and nettles from the Scottish Highlands and was developed using an extreme freezing technique.

Hundreds of pints of beer were used during the process, which was repeated dozens of times to produce just enough for a 330 milliliter bottle — hence the record breaking cost.

James Watt, the company’s co-founder, said: “This is the beer to end all beers.”

BrewDog drew criticism last year over the launch of a 32 percent beer, which was later trumped by a German brewery that produced a 40 percent strength liquor — BrewDog then created Sink The Bismark, at 41 percent.

However Watt said The End of History was made to offer beer drinkers more choice: “We want to show people there is an alternative to monolithic corporate beers, introduce them to a completely new approach to beer and elevate the status of beer in our culture.”

He said the first two bottles were sold to a beer fan in Denmark.

Quinn's

I don’t usually do a lot of restaraunt reviews, but I thought I’d take the time to tell you about a little place in Old Town Tustin, CA that I discovered on my own a few weeks back.  Plus it doesn’t hurt to get a little extra content and broaden my wings here once in a while, especially when it’s an interesting place and compliments my own website.

Quinn’s Old Town Grill is located at 405 El Camino Real in the historical district of Tustin, CA (see map below).  Old Town Tustin is a few square blocks of early Californian living centered around restored buildings dating back to the 1880’s.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but if you really want to learn more about some of the old town highlights and points of interest on your own, go ahead and click here.  In my own personal experience, you can cover the district in just a couple of hours on foot, so I suppose it could make for a decent afternoon discovery and adventure walk on a nice afternoon.

Anyway, Quinn’s opened up in the heart of old town back in 2007, although the building has been around quite a while longer.  From the outside one would suspect it’s an Irish pub, with its green awnings and beer signs indicating Guiness and Harp are sold there.  But it’s not your typical Irish pub with dartboards and loud rock/Celtic music.  In fact, it’s kind of a throwback to earlier times with decor that looks like it was held over from a cozy bistro circa 1950, complete with period black and white photography of the area.  Inside you’ll find the rustic brick walls, large oak booths, traditional dining tables and a short wall that can seat approx. 15 patrons at the bar alone.

They have daily lunch and dinner specials, and of course have special events centered around holidays such as Mother’s Day, March Madness, Easter and of course St. Patrick’s Day (just to name a few).   In addition to the beers on tap and Guniess and Harp I mentioned earlier, they also serve wine and have happy hour daily from 3pm to 6pm, and Irish Coffee is always $4.95.  On Tuesday evening they also have table to table roaming magician (which will explain the playing cards tacked all over the ceiling).

It’s very relaxing inside and dress is casual, although during lunch hour you’ll see people in business attire from the surrounding area.  On the few occasions I have been there the staff have all been very friendly and personable.  Often the bartender will also serve as a waiter to some of the closer tables and each time they have engaged either me or someone in my party to friendly conversation.

The variety of food is decent and not limited to Irish fare, although if you are looking for that, there are somewhat re-interpreted classics there.  For instance, I had Shepard’s Pie the first time I was there and it was more like a hearty stew topped with mashed potatoes than the more traditional means.  The Shepard’s Pie was good, with fresh ingredients, distinctive lamb, and was served piping hot…however, my carrots weren’t fully cooked that time and were a bit on the raw side, but that was my only real complaint.

The sandwiches are a good portion and fresh as well.  My friend Brian recently tried the Reuben and said it was one of the best, if not the best, Reuben he has ever had.  It did look good and the meat was piled on.  I myself tried The Royal Dublin, a chicken salad like concoction with fresh apples, pistachios and golden raisins blended in on squaw bread.  Served with a little hot mustard on the side (had to have horseradish on it), it was very fresh and good as well.  Brian also tried the soup of the day which was a fish medley that he said was enjoyable as well.  It had fresh prawns, and scrod in it as well as many other ingredients.  Who uses scrod these days?  I just like saying ’scrod’.  Scrod.  There, I got it out of my system.

Reuben *pic taken by Brian

They have a decent variety of sides as well, including fresh fruit salad (it was fresh), shoestring fries, and salad.  I was disappointed with the steak fries.  They weren’t anything special or seasoned, they just seemed like typical frozen fries.

Of course they have various other foods including Napa chicken, Sand Dabs, Halibut fish & chips, prime rib, and plenty of steak cuts, chops and other selections.  I can’t really do it justice here, so I recommend going to their website

If I were to make one complaint, it would have to be about the appetizers.  They just seem too standard and run of the mill for the rest of the menu, and somewhat pricey for appetizers.  Sure, they are discounted during happy hour and a few of them might seem fine at home, but only at the bar as finger food.  While at the end of the day, it is a just a bistro with an air of Irish flair to it, but just seems odd to have Thai chicken skewers and shrimp won ton present.  I suppose the fresh oysters on the half shell and jumbo shrimp ($ .75 ea. happy hour) may make up for it though.

I also judge places on their ice tea.  A lot of places say they have fresh ice tea, but in reality if the tea is served cloudy it really isn’t fresh.  Also I can always tell if it is from a syrup, concentrate, cheap tea powder, or stored in a metal or glass decanter.  While Quinn’s ice tea isn’t the best I’ve ever had (fresh filtered black Ceylon leaves), it is definitely fresh (i.e. clear) and superior to most establishments.  Always a good sign in my book.

Overall I’m kinda struggling on how to fairly score the place and on what scale.  Taking all things into consideration; friendliness of staff, decor, atmosphere, main dishes and selection, portion size, appetizers and sides, freshness, and bang for your buck I’d think Quinn’s Old Town Grill is a 3.75 out of 5, but easily one of the spotlights in Old Town Tustin.

My empty glass next to my growler of Stone IPA

Yesterday was a tough day.  Hell, it’s been a rough past week.  My job has been down right silly on occasion with all the ‘busy work’, trying to keep aging systems alive that are well past their prime that should have been retired a few years back.  But in the mindset of squeezing blood out of a turnip, my employer (in their questionable wisdom) would rather spend more money in labor costs and time farting around jury-rigging limping equipment  than to actually buy something that was built within the last few years.

In one aspect, I shouldn’t get mired down too much in this backwards thinking.  Their continued inefficiency equates to a certain level of personal job security.  The flip side, however, often leads to long days, frustrating moments and colorful metaphor’s aplenty spewing from my pie hole.  I continually cross my fingers to the deities of abandoned tech should that they smile upon me this day and things start up without a hitch.

By the time I got home from work last night to see my step-daughter once again doing absolutely nothing, (par for the course) I couldn’t have craved an ice cold one anymore than I was at that particular moment in time.  I recalled earlier in the week, my neighbor was gracious enough to offer to fill my growler with Stone IPA as he had toured the brewery with some potential clients.  I pulled a pint glass from the cupboard and poured myself 16 ounces of amber elixir.  Like Pavlov’s dog, I began to salivate.

I can’t recall the last time a beer had tasted so good and gave me so much satisfaction. I sat before my 42″ plasma TV, remote in hand and allowed myself to sink into my suede recliner until it seemed my phyiscal form melded to every nook and fold offered up.  My IPA was so cold, that even in the room temperature pint glass, the head seemed to be on the verge of crystallizing into a frothy slush. 

The first sip was pure heaven.  I closed my eyes in anticipation and to help block out all offending distractions, (including my daughter).  As the freshly brewed IPA cascaded over my tongue, the distinctive taste of hops danced across my palette and it seemed as if the stress of the preceding days began to dissipate from my body like the morning fog loses to a rising sun. 

The second and thirds sips were just as good.  Hell, the whole glass was fine.  And what made it even better?  I drank it as I watched the season premiere of Friday Night Lights.  It just happens to be the fifth and final season of the show, and I personally think its one of the best and under rated shows on broadcast television. 

And better yet, it’s actually about something other than the 100+ crime, medical, and legal dramas that saturate our airwaves.  It’s about good old fashioned Texas high school football in the good ‘ole all American town of Dillon.  They are able to keep it fresh by bringing in a partial new cast (as many of the students graduated last year), and the head coach has moved to a rival school on the other side of town, better known as East Dillon and their team, the Lions.  It really is a fabulous show, and I am so bummed to know this is the last season.  I’m not super big into sports, but this show offers up enough action and story to feel like you’re actually rooting for your own home team

But can it get any better that beer and football?  Well, yesterday it couldn’t, and I tell you, once in a blue moon a nice cold hand crafted beer can really turn your mood around.  It did mine.

I received a pleasant surprise today; I got a call from my good friend Brian who wanted to see if I was up to meeting him for lunch since he was going to be in the area.  Knowing that the only thing I had with me today was a microwaveable cup of soup and a very generic roast beef sandwhich I made myself this morning, there was really no arm twisting involved.

We agreed to meet at Beach Pit BBQ located in Old Town Tustin.  Years ago the location was known as the Tustin Garage, and as the name suggests, was a place for auto and tractor repair.  Its been since retro-fitted and now sports a restauraunt that’s decked out is something akin to Texan and Route 66 decor on the inside.  The menu is a bit limited in choices for they only really serve ribs, pulled pork, sausage, salads, cornbread and sides, but then again, it isn’t meant to be a huge dinner place.

It’s fairly sizeable inside and open.  They have a small bar with a few flat panel televisions that usually are tuned to a sporting events.  It’s basically a beer bar only, with a few domestics in either bottles or cans, but also some craft beers on tap.  Today we both partook in a pint of Karl Strauss amber lager.  I normally would never drink during the work day, and haven’t in many years, but when the boss is away…..Anyway, the lager was very nice and somewhat light tasting with no bitter aftertaste.  It clocks in at 4.2% as well.  For those that are interested, they do indeed serve a standard fare in wine.

My lunch was the special: Grilled cheese sandwhich with pulled pork on Texas toast.  It comes with a side of seasoned fries for $6.95.  It was pretty darn good, and don’t think I didn’t slather on a little spicy BBQ sauce to boot.

Brian had a small platter of ribs, and although they counted five, they were huge.  He only actually ate four.  We also shared a basket of fried dill pickles.  He took the rest home with him with the left over rib.  Now I’ve had better fried dill pickles elsewhere, but these weren’t bad, they were actually just right and hit the spot.  They come served with a side of ranch.

[View with PicLens]

They have all the traditional BBQ sides, including cole slaw, mac ‘n cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob, potator salad and blueberry cornbread to name a few.  Deserts include ice cream sundae’s and banana pudding.   Additionally they have fried okra bits, sweet potato fries, pulled chicken, and more.

It’s a decent place for lunch with the guys, having a beer after work, or maybe a casual meal with the family.  They have four locations in So. California I’m aware of and its a fine little place.  Now, is it 100% lip licking traditional BBQ?  Not really, there are other venues like Bad to the Bone (SJC) and even Lucille’s I personally think is better, but overall, if you’re looking for a simplistic BBQ experience then Beach Pit is just fine.  I’d give it 3.5/5 stars, and 1/2 of those stars is based on teh decor, otherwise I’d give this place a 3/5.

Living in southern California has afforded me the ability to try a lot of various cuisines, especially those of ethnic design, and living so close to Mexico, you can assume I have tried quite a variety of south of the border dishes.

One of my favorites, especially when it comes to the fast food or snack like varieties comes in the form of fish tacos.  There are numerous styles and ways of preparation and there is no really wrong way to make fish tacos, it’s all about personal taste.  The recipes and ingredients can be very diverse, and everyone seems to have their own spin.  I have had beer battered, grilled, rubbed, and fried.  Fish can be anything from swordfish to cod to halibut or any other white fish…(even salmon), and I’ve even had calamari tacos.  Styles include Baja and Sonoran as well as Tex Mex, or just plan ’straight up’ tacos.

Here on the west coast are two popular chains, Rubio’s and Wahoo’s.  That’s not to say they are the only chains or providers of fish tacos, but as far as consistency and brand name recognition, they are the dominant players.  Each has their own fans and detractors for various reasons, and their own unique signature recipes (which are quite different in fact), but I for one just seem to prefer Rubio’s.  You can check out their websites for their interesting “How we originated” stories, and colorful histories.

Anyway, in my quest for trying to obtain fish taco recipes via Twitter pleas, neighborhood inquiries, cookbooks and more, I’m pretty excited that I found a knock-off recipe for Rubio’s tacos on the web.  As I’m a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due, here is the site link which I took this from.

Of course, like most recipes, feel free to experiment a little to make it your own.  Here, I plans on adding a little adobo sauce and cilantro to the white sauce, maybe a little extra spice (say cumin or chipotle powder) to the flour, and maybe some heart healthy substitute for the mayo…..just to begin with.  And pick your own craft beer for flavor.

Also, instead of frying in oil, an even healthier option is to just grill the fish on the BBQ using the appropriate flat grate or tin foil (so as the fish doesn’t fall through and get lost).  I may also add some pinto or blacks beans and top off with a little bit of mexican cojito cheese.

Rubio’s knock-off Fish Tacos:

Ingredients

(6 servings)

-12 Cod or favorite whitefish fillets (1-1/2 oz ea.)
-12 Tortillas, corn, as thick/fresh as possible

BEER BATTER:
1 c Flour
1 c Beer
Garlic powder, pepper to taste

WHITE SAUCE:
1/2 c Mayonaise
1/2 c Yogurt

SALSA:
1 Garlic clove, peeled and minced
6 Tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 Onion, minced
2 tb Cilantro leaves, chopped, stems removed
2 Jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Pepper
Oil for deep frying

GARNISH:
1 Head cabbage, green, shredded
1 Lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

-Mix flour with favorite spices such as garlic powder, red or black ground pepper. Stir the flour mixture into the beer and mix until well blended. Wash fish by dipping in cold, lightly salted water or water with a little bit of lemon juice added. Be sure fish is completely dry before dipping into batter.
-Prepare salsa; reserve.
-Put the vegetable oil into a deep skillet and bring to 375F. Place fish in a single layer–do not let pieces touch each other. -Cook fish until batter is crispy and golden brown.
-Heat corn tortillas lightly in a skillet or grill until they are soft and hot.
-To assemble, on each tortilla layer the fish fillet, white sauce, salsa and cabbage. Top it off with a squeeze of lime. Fold tortilla over to serve

I’m a big fan of lime juice, so I know I’ll have plenty of limes nearby.  I also like Negra Modelo mexican lager, but go ahead and have a Tecate or Corona beer, or even a nice margarita to go along with it.

By the way, if you have a killer fish taco recipe you want to share or have a suggestion on the one above, feel free to email me.

Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, one of those pseudo holiday’s that we as Americans have hijacked as one of our own in order to justify the act of getting piss ass drunk for no real reason at all and kid ourselves we really do indeed look good in green.

Where as Cinco de Mayo is to tequila body shots and garish ranchero music, St. Patrick’s day is about kissing strangers, copping feels and pinching.  You don’t even need to be Irish or red-haired, just some green accessories such as old Mardi Gras beads, paper top hats, and the requisite “Kiss Me…I’m Irish” shirt…even if you’re more Indian than a tech-support call center employee.

This year, it happened to be on a Wednesday, and I did pretty good job of surviving.  In years past when I lived in Huntington Beach, CA (I was in my mid to late 20’s) the ‘it’ places to be on March 17^th, was the ever popular Malarkey’s, known for their Sheppard’s pie and cheap drinks.  If you were near Costa Mesa, then it was The Harp Inn.  Hennesy’s Tavern of either Dana Point or Laguna Beach were other local favorites. 

All these places had a few things in common: 1) they were ridiculously over-crowded, 2) they often shook you down with a $5-$10 cover charge for no other reason to get a few more bucks out of you, 3) and usually offered some sort of live entertainment in the form of an Irish band.  I remember seeing The Finnegans a few times before they got as big as they are now.  I also drank copious amounts of Guinness or Harp beers, and danced the night away to bag pipes and folk music and was still able to bounce back the next day and make it to work.  I even hooked up a few times as well, but those are stories for another time.

This year I happen to meet some friends over at Rudy’s of Foothill Ranch.  It’s current incarnation is that of a sports bar and it seems to be doing fairly well.  It’s changed names and management at least four times in the last eight years, but I have a feeling Rudy’s may be around a while. 

It was decidedly un-Irish, other than the fact they added food coloring to their beers and cocktails and had reduced pricing on Guinness.  No real decorations, no Irish swag given at the doors, no corned beef and cabbage plates, and the music was satellite radio classic 80’s and 90’s mix.

They happen to have a fairly sizeable patio area, and it was so warm yesterday (I think the high was 88) we chose to sit outside and gab.  I guess you could tell we’re all in our late 30’s and early 40’s now as we were noticeably much more subdued than I can recall from years past.  I had a total of 4 green pints of Bud Light.  Yup, that’s it.  I didn’t hit any hard stuff like whisky or cocktails, although my wife did actually have green Crown Royal on the rocks.  By the way, that green die they use is nasty.  After a few drinks, everyones lips, tongue, and even teeth had a sickly greenish hue to them.  Not appealing unless one has beer goggles I suppose.

Our appetizers included chips & salsa, French fries, and Kobe sliders.  Doesn’t that just scream Irish to you?  Just to let you know, Rudy’s fries are indeed some of the best French fries I’ve ever had in my life.  They are always perfectly cooked, crunchy, and golden.  Their sliders are pretty damn good as well as they use Hawaiian bread for the buns.

Whereas in the past St. Patrick’s Day would keep me out to the very late hours or closing time and begging for a hangover, this time around I was in and out after just two hours.  No, I looked forward to going home, taking a nice hot shower and sitting my duff in front of the boob tube with my dog on my lap.

I think I’m saving myself and my energy for this upcoming weekend.  We plan on having a large BBQ at my house with neighbors and friends to mark the passing of myself into the realm known as being ‘middle-aged’.  The weather has been very nice and I look forward to grilling and sipping on beers with my closest friends.