By The_Sagest on Wed, Mar 4, 2009 2:50 pm
One of the many things RA is quoted as saying is, "Nothing is better than good Chinese food. Also, nothing is worse than bad Chinese food."
This also apparently carries over to Japanese noodle houses. At the girlfriend's whim (we'd seen the place over and over walking through downtown) we had dinner at Men-Tei (Japanese Noodle Cafe) last night. It didn't go very well at all. We both ordered the dinner special, a half serving of a rice dish paired with a bowl of noodles, and we were not impressed. I ordered broiled eel over rice with deep fried chicken noodle soup. She had roasted pork over rice and spicy beef noodle soup. We split an order of gyoza to start.
The gyoza were crisp outside and succulent inside, if a bit less packed than we've had at other places. Every other dish disappointed us. Her spicy beef noodle was not spicy (even after adding chili powder) and contained lots of gristle and beansprouts. My deep fried chicken noodle was serviceable, but the broth oddly good more flavorful the further to the bottom of the bowl I went. The chicken was copious and well-cooked, but sort of bland. And I'm pretty sure my noodle bowl had more seaweed than it needed, about 1/4 bowl.
The rice dishes were passable at best. My eels was just a weird texture, somewhere in the DO NOT WANT vicinity between sushi and cooked meat. Plus, it looked like two pieces, but was merely one cross section slice around the bone and broiled. My girl's pork was bland, and a little cold from what I sampled.
This was not at all a good experience, even the table water glasses were tiny Styrofoam cups. Do well to avoid this place.
Luckily, yesterday also gifted us with free coffee. The basement of 250 Newbury Street has become a new eco-friendly coffeeshop. Natural Bean Organic Coffee is giving away free small coffees as an intro promotion, and I enjoyed one and toured their space. I had a dark roast and a chocolate biscotti, and hung out in the small curvilinear space. It's a very small area, maybe room for twelve or thirteen souls, with a few two person tables hiding around the corner behind the distilling tank. The girlfriend and I sat and sipped, then recycled my cup and lid. The music was soft and non intrusive, the staff was helpful, and they had green tea rootbeer drink. It's that kind of place.
So, all in all, it wasn't an awful dining date, but next time we'll just head over to the new Prudential Wagamama!
The S occasionally eats bad food so you don't have to.
By The_Sagest on Tue, Mar 3, 2009 2:22 pm
So I went home to Winthrop for a few hours yesterday on family business. It was unfun. The less said about it the better. But before returning to the land of the bean and the cod for work, I got taken out to lunch by my Mom.
We went to Nick's Place, a family owned restaurant (now also in Saugus) that has been around in Winthrop for going on three decades. They moved recently... into the town's old and closed McDonald's. Yeah, they repainted the building, put in some new signage, and called it good. I thought it was hysterical to look at, but they had a working drive thru! So I went over the menu in my head and ordered a cheeseburger club (with fries). It was amazingly good, if simple. Toasted white bread, crisp bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato, and a triple-decker goodness of cheeseburger, bread, burger, bacon, garnish, and bread. It was an immense bargain at less than seven bucks, especially considering the vast amount of shoestring fries included in the price.
So, if you're ever in Winthrop, drive by. You won't regret it.
The S was a good scout, for a good long while. Thanks Mr. W.
By The_Sagest on Tue, Jan 27, 2009 12:14 am
It's been a rough week blog fans. I've been sick. I've been broke. But it sure as hell has been oddly entertaining. Between, work, family, the blizzard, illness, and odd intrusions of all kinds, I've been a busy guy.
My sister was up last weekend. She had orchestrated a massive first birthday party for her first daughter. There were three different types of homemade cookies, Swedish meatballs, catered food, cheese and veggie trays, the lot. There was even a cake specially made out of state and shipped through the blizzard by way of Somerville. It was going to be a huge shindig, and I woke up extra early to get there and be a part of it.
And then, it snowed and all but three of the forty guests cancelled. So we were stuck there with hot food and no one to enjoy it. Some of it was tasted, but the majority was put on ice for tomorrow. Of course it snowed that day too, and our guest total, outside of family, was ten. There were trays and trays of food that were going to go to waste. I took about a dozen pieces of pizza from Letterie's (a local caterer) just to whittle the amount down. I figured I'd have lunch for the week.
I brought some on Tuesday when I met up with the girlfriend, who handed me... MORE PIZZA. Her office's inauguration party was under attended and they had a bunch left over. So I got a few more slices (this was Viga Pizza). So, after eating lunch, I had about 18 slices or so of the stuff. I got home, and watched a little TV with one of my roomies. The doorbell rings, and it's pizza delivery. He had ordered from this particular pizza place just to get them to deliver cigarettes, because he didn't want to leave the house. The pizza, he said, was MINE if I wanted it. So that was about 2.5-3.0 free whole pizzas, which I worked on over the course of a week. I can tell you all right now, I'm good on the pizza until Groundhog's Day at the very least.
On Tuesday (or was it Wednesday?) the girlfriend and I went on an errand to pick up some gum for her mom at the Asian market in Porter Square. We procured a few packs. On the way through the checkout, I noticed they had BLACK BLACK gum. BLACK BLACK (a product of LOTTE, a Japanese company) has caffeine as well as nicotinamide and ginseng. I'd seen it featured on thinkgeek.com, so of course I bought a pack. It's nine sticks, with hysterically bad English promo written on it like. "HI-TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AND FLAVOR" as well as a nifty noir black and white cityscape printed on the pack and some of its sticks. It's a pretty neat treat actually. It tastes like an odd combination of mint and black licorice, and the mental stimulation that results from chewing it is immediate and intense. It's not a really tasty gum, but it's got a real kick and will win you instant geek bonus points. So be advised to try some should you run across it.
And I was attacked by a midget last Friday. Yes, it is too funny. He was maybe 4'8" tall. I was at work and he was blocking our handicap ramp. I told him he should move, and he gave me lip. I was amused by his threatening and angry behavior. I pointed out that other seating areas were available, and didn't leave his side until he'd moved. He then threatened to punch me in the face. Ladies and germs of the interweb who have never met me, I'm 6'3" and 220 pounds. I thought the threat ludicrous, and perhaps a better man would have just let the remark pass. Alas, I am not that man.
Snickering ever so slightly, I told him he'd have to hop for that. He didn't like the remark very much, but since he had moved, I thought I was done with him and began walking away. He jumped up, and hit me from behind in the upper neck. This went from a sad spectacle to a goofy exhibition. I stood there, perplexed. I hadn't been hurt, and I started to guffaw. In defense of my own impoliteness, I have nephews that can hit harder than this guy. It was stupid for him to try anything.
The laughing made him angrier. He tried and failed to put another fist to my face, making it to the left side of my jaw, and due to the leap required, not putting any oomph into the blow at all. I'm sure I said something disparaging. It might have involved the words kid, kidding, tyke, or the phrase, "like a girl". I was unharmed, and more amused the longer the altercation continued. Then he slapped me like you see high school girls on bad reality TV slap each other. Laughing, but with a bit less dignity than when the bout started, I shoved him away, gently. He travelled about four feet. My boss and a couple of cops came rushing over and led him from our building. I literally laughed all the way home.
The S has had some strange things happen over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully the weirdness leads to better events down the line.
By The_Sagest on Wed, Nov 26, 2008 5:39 pm
Hey there blog readers,
It's my anniversary TODAY! Woo hoo, I've been hitting the bricks for your culinary benefit for one full year TODAY. Many restaurants have been discussed. A few movies and books were mulled over. And the fun won't stop there....
Yesterday, amid a mini-cyclone of pre-Black Friday Shopping, the girlfriend and I had free lunches at Chipotle. We had a coupon for two free burritos, plus chips and drinks. It was given to us at a salsa/wine tasting at the Best Cellars at Copley in an ingenious feat of cross promotion.
Chipotle wasn't the greatest burrito ever, but for fast food, it was fine. I had a barbacoa burrito with black beans, salsa, sour cream, and pico de gallo while the girlfriend opted for a steak burrito sans beans with sour cream and salsa.
My burrito did pack the one two cumin punch of the franchise's chipotle sauce and was enough meat for the money. They skimped me a little bit on the sour cream, but I didn't have to pay for it, so I don't mind too badly. My girl's steak burrito was a bit tough and dry, but with large pieces of steak and its flavor was well-balanced despite being beanless. The place also had multiple bottles of multiple tobasco sauces on hand, which I found wonderful. The salsa we got with our chips (the medium ws a bit heavy on the cilantro, but was as fiery as advertised, if thin. It was an overall OK experience, but I'm glad it was free. Casual addition tableside revealed that the meal would have cost us $20 if we hadn't had the coupon. So, in the land of the bean and the cod, it's still a thriftier and more satisfying option to go to Boca Grande, Anna's Taqueria, or even U Burger.
You have been warned.
The_Sagest needs money; know anybody looking for a man of odd talents to do some creative work?
By The_Sagest on Fri, Nov 21, 2008 3:44 am
Well I've been doing the try-to-survive thing lately; looking for a second job (or a better job since my old gig doesn't pay what it used to) to stave off the broke-ness. It sucks, pretty much. I've been too wound up to sit down and write much of anything. And that's lame, especially since I'm less than a week from my blog's one year anniversary. That can't be allowed to stand.
So, onwards! I'm not usually one to knock about something. I don't look to give publicity to things I think suck, but bad coffee is an exception to the exception. Long story short: Starbuck's Thanksgiving Blend is horrific. I have had all kinds of coffee in my day, from barely there diner fare to the deepest darkest art house mud. This was the worst cup of coffee I'd had in years. Then, to make sure I didn't get a bad batch or something, I tried it again, for you out there. It was still awful. So, perturbed and upset, I did the tiniest bit of digging. STB is made from Sumatran and Guatemalan beans. This explains everything. That's like trying to mix chocolate cake and gravy. Separate, they can work with their respective things (frosting and meat respectively) but together they're a retch-inducing train-wreck. Avoid it at all costs.
Still, the Seattle based company ought to get space aged points for their new Clover system, which delivers a wacky cup-by-cup of goofily brewed joe. I like innovation, even if it just looks cooler than pulling my grande no room out of a spigot. The coffees I have had via the clover method were equal to home brewed, maybe a slight bit grittier. But it's worth a try, just to watch the process. In the future, we'll all have disposable coffee grounds hockey pucks to play with!
Also during my inter-silence, the girlfriend and I tried the new takeaway in Brighton Center, The Battery. Yes, it's very greasy food. But it's a lot of starch for the money. The fries are thick, while being crispy outside and fluffy inside. The fish portions are BIG, a whole fillet, piping hot in a crackling thick batter. The curry sauce goes great on either fish or chips. The hamburger my girl got was sort of meek and petite, not a good match for the place or the price, but otherwise unobjectionable. And the garlic mayo we got on our fries almost made up for it. It's a small friendly place, well worth a try.
We also returned just recently to McGreevey's. It used to be the Foggy Goggle but is so much better now. I had an indifferent baked fish dish, with yummy sauteed veggies. My girl finally took the plunge and ordered shepherd's pie. It was way more than she could eat after we split another veggie boxty. So I helped. Good mashed potatoes, ground beef gravy a bit too salty, and not enough carrots, but still just the thing to fill you up on a cold day when the B's stomp the Sabres flat. The real surprise of the meal was the deep fried ice cream and brownie sundae. Imagine a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Coat it in a batter fortified with McCann's Irish Oatmeal and fry until crisp on the oatside. Drop that still warm treat on top of a rich fudgy brownie, coat both with whipped cream and chocolate sauce drizzle, and go nuts. It was the surprise dessert we almost didn't order. It made two nitpicky diners very happy.
And that's what's new. If you need someone at your place of business with a flair for dramatic phrasing, boundless appetite, and strong coffee customer skills, drop me a line. I could use the money.
The S isn't broke ... today.
By The_Sagest on Mon, Oct 20, 2008 4:42 pm
Well, the girlfriend and I went back to Cambridge Common last week. It's a short walk from the Asian marketplace in Porter Square, and the food is always reliably good. We sat down on a busy Wednesday night and reread the menu. She ordered the Middle Eastern Platter with a side of sweet potato fries. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast special. She chose a woodchuck cider to compliment her meal. I went over the ever-changing draft list, and saw a pumpkin beer I had never had before: Southern Tier Pumpking Ale.
This beer was marvelous. It was a forceful 9% abv, and warmed the insides accordingly. Served in a tulip glass, it poured a brassy orange. It tasted more like pumpkin spice (nutmeg, cinnamon) than the fruit itself, which only added to the dessert feel of the drink. It had a nice biscuity finish, which kept it from being too sweet to really enjoy.
My meal was quite good. The apple and sausage stuffing stole the show from the merely average chicken breast. The applesauce covering both was thin but flavorful, maybe one step up from a glaze. The potato pancake was really just a loose-goosey hashbrown with an air of superior dignity, but the asparagus spears were fresh and crispy enough to snap. Overall, a daily special that was special, but not filling enough to be A-list. I'm glad we split the sweet potato fries.
My girl, a nut for Middle Eastern food (a cuisine I'm slowly warming up to), really enjoyed her platter. I got to steal her pepperocini. It was enough different stuff to dig through to satisfy her.
Overall it was another great dining experience at the CC.
The S has a thing for spicy food, pumpkin beer, and purple garnishes.
By The_Sagest on Thu, Oct 2, 2008 3:23 am
Tuesday, the girlfriend and I took a much needed breather. Her work had her hopping so hard over the last week or so that she'd earned a vacation day. I wholeheartedly agreed to accompany her to Newburyport, what with their website hinting about a jillion and one restaurants, and never having been there.
So I was waiting for her at the appropriate end of the Blue Line at 9 AM. We got there relatively quickly, stopping for Starbucks and an oil change. The place has free parking once tourist season ends. We got out and rumbled around town. There was a lot to see. Restaurants crowded every corner. There were two bookstores, clothing boutiques for both him and her, and quite a few specialty stores. Downtown had a quiet, secure, not-quite-bucolic feel. And practically everyone was walking their dog. It was my kind of day: cool for the time of year, breezy, and cloudy enough to make sunblock a moot point.
We probably should have stopped for a bona fide meal before we actually did, but we were comparing menus and prices for a good hour and change. When we decided on Szechuan Taste & Sushi Yen Thai Cafe I was so hungry I could barely sit up straight. The place had a huge menu, with great lunch specials. The place was much fancier inside than the view from the street would indicate. Large leather banquettes and a powerful visible ventilation system gave everyone their own private head and airspace. I could see brokering a deal in here between courses, but I was far too famished to really appreciate its ritziness.
Our hot and sour soup arrived promptly, and was savory and spicy enough to pass muster. It didn't have a lot of shrooms or noodles, but it partially revived me. Desperate for carbs and proteins, I drained the bowl in short order and was rewarded with that singed throat sensation one receives when eating spicy liquids too quickly.
My girl wandered off to the bathroom before my sushi arrived. By the time she got back, both buttery pieces of yellowtail and one savory and substantial slab of smoked salmon were gone. I offered her a bite of the remaining piece, and she reminded me she wasn't a big fan of the pink fish. I must confess, it wasn't the most flawless sushi I have ever had. The rice wasn't uniformly moist, and the fish had a dull sheen from either a hack job or too long a wait from prep to table. But for taste, it won points. After it was inside me, I wasn't homicidally ravenous anymore. This was good news for the whole town, really. Rampages are bad PR.
After the sushi was gone, the waitress brought our actual lunches. I had my favorite Chinese eatery measuring stick, General Tso's chicken. The girlfriend had her favorite Thai staple, Crazy Noodles. They were both serviceable, but not A-list. Neither dish was as spicy as we'd have liked. Her CN didn't have enough veggies, but had heaps of delicious noodles. My chicken pieces were larger than average and had a thick crispy breading, but the fried rice beside it just wasn't quite right. Even the sides were plus and minus. My beef teriyaki was thick and flavorful. The waitress forgot my girl's side salad- and then its thick peanut dressing had too much coconut flavor. It was a good lunch, and their specials are well-priced, but it was a very uneven experience.
The portions at ST&SYTC would leave little room for most people. I, for starters, am not most people. Second, I had been cruising the town on foot for hours with just coffee, an apple, and a cup of oatmeal in my belly. So when we passed a clever little eatery advertising the best darn chili you ever had, I had to go in. I got a small portion (8 oz.) to walk through town with. It was great chili. Between two small types of beans, succulent ground beef in large chunks, and heat that came from both spices and chilies, it was a successful non-Texas recipe. Eating it through the condiments topping it proved annoying, so I mixed them all in ice cream soup style. To the bowl of red's credit, it didn't hurt the flavor a bit. And as my girl can tell you, I enjoy both raw onions and purple garnishes. This chili was a mid-high 8 out of ten. It filled me up nicely for the rest of the day's sojourn. For local parallels, think a more delicate version of Jacob Wirth's chili, or a less salty and more vibrant version of cottonwood's.
We did some window shopping; I eventually bough two used books. As our afternoon slid past, the question of coffee arose. I am always pro caffeine, so we found ourselves a cafe and sat down for a breather before the trip back. The Caffe di Siena looked the part, with its understated furniture and edgy art on the walls, but the product left us a little underwhelmed. My drip coffee was fine. My girl's cappuccino was topped with enough cinnamon to use on toast. Her chocolate covered biscotti was neither crisp nor thin enough to munch on without distending a jaw. But the server was nice to us and answered our nosy canine queries.
Luckily for me, my dessert had been bought before lunch. I had a toffee square from Greta's Great Grains, a neat old school local bakery. It was a tiny thing, maybe an inch and a half on each side, but rich and complex enough to satisfy all by itself. It was a fudgy brownie, topped with a dark chocolate mousse with Heath chips, topped with caramel drizzle and a whole pecan. It was a symphony of tastes and textures, a rich delight. I almost went back for another before we left around 5 PM, but secretly I thought I'd have to buy them all. My girlfriend might have understood, but she could have laughed at my expense all the way home.
It was an adventurous day well spent. We didn't even need dinner. I recommend the bakery, the bistro, and the town to anyone who wants to get away on far less than a tank of gas. Just make sure you follow the detour signs on the return trip. Newburyport is tough to leave, for more reasons than one.
The S had adventures this Tuesday- How about you?
By The_Sagest on Wed, Sep 10, 2008 4:38 am
Yesterday the girlfriend and I returned to the West Newton Cinema to view Frozen River. The trip was prompted by my fascination with actress Melissa Leo, the overall mystique of the venerated movie house, and a desired rematch with thin crust pizza palace Sweet Tomatoes.
The trip was complicated by a traffic glut on the way through Boston due to Red Sox traffic. It's just no fun to be delayed twenty minutes driving through the city after rush hour because some Yahoos can't be bothered to use the T. I'm not saying the city ought to reroute everything to spare its citizens the delays caused by the Olde Towne Team, but it was damn inconvenient, and just plain ornery. Lots of bad drivers trying to jockey ahead of their co-commuters does not a stable situation make. My girl is absolutely marvelous in many situations, but driving around/through troglodytic morons isn't one of them; she gets angry. So we had to settle for the 8:45 show instead fo the planned 6:25 one. It gave us an hour and change in West Newton... a place that really tends to close up pretty early.
We ended up going to artitudes for a spell, just because they had finally finished their end of summer inventory. It's a cool place, with really friendly staff, and some of the stuff was neat. There were wristwatches done in wood and leather, designer water glasses, some fun kids things, and lots of handmade tableware. It was pricey by my standards, but I could see splurging for the perfect small thing to put in a jewelry box come Christmas.
Since we had plenty of time before the flick, we strolled over to Sweet Tomatoes, no hurry. We debated pizza choices, and the girlfriend, in her wisdom, acquiesced to my request for a Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon, pineapple, and red sauce. We were smart enough to order an 18" large this time. It was wonderful. The pineapple was sweet without feeling like processed fruit, the bacon crisp around the edges and chewy in the center, and the sauce was simple and delicious (with chunks of tomatoes appearing erratically on the edges of the crust). Because I was smart enough to eat a yummy burrito beforehand at lunchtime, There were even three slices to take home. For those playing at home, that means we disposed of 13 pieces at dinner. The pizza chef actually praised our pizza-eating prowess. I think the accolades were well-earned.
We shuffled on over to the West Newton Cinema and watched a near empty performance of Frozen River. It's the kind of drama where the realism/magic ratio is probably a high number. A few magical things happen, it's true, but lots and lots of depressingly human failings present themselves. Greed, weakness, deceit, and violence all make appearances, though never in an overdone way. The characters are believable, if sketched instead of painstakingly crafted. People grow and change through the movie organically. The movie's theme and message were both extremely well-delivered. I had thought it a great treatise on mothers and sons, while my brainy girlfriend pointed out that trust was also central to the film. She also noted that the cinematography was very inconsistent in places, and I'd agree, but I was too involved with the struggles of the characters to be brought down as much as she was. But I love movies where people are put through the wringer, and that's not really her favorite celluloid style. And of course I knew that the movie was made on a shoe string budget, so perhaps I had lower AV standard going in. But it was a powerful rewarding film, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves to watch the average folks hang on as best they can, even if it involves popcorn, tang, a blowtorch, and an untowable car.
The S had fun in West Newton last night, despite car alarms repeatedly activated by rat dogs, way too much free time, and sluggish traffic.
By The_Sagest on Wed, Aug 27, 2008 12:52 am
So, I've been overworked lately. Not so much too many hours, but bad scheduling (who schedules someone until 11:30 PM one day when you work a double the next day every week?) and a few extracurriculars taking up my time. So it was a relief on Tuesday to get a haircut, catch a flick, and finish up with good pizza.
The movie was Transsiberian, which the girlfriend and I saw at the West Newton Cinema. It's a great thriller, the kind of film where after twenty minutes you can't sort out the normal people from the psychos, and so every single movement by the characters is imbued by drama and malicious suspense. It's got great ensemble casting, with odd and yet well-developed turns by Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingsley of all people. I wish people who keep casting Harrelson in these dumb, gonzo or slacker parts (Monix in Semi-Pro for example) were forced to watch this. The female leads are no slouches either considering one was the kick-ass female killer in Formula 51 and the other was in the Tim Allen superhero film Zoom. Combine the great story with a novel sense of scale, where either everyone is crammed into one small room or wandering through the endless Eurasian wilderness, and I'd call it art.
We ate in West Newton as well. It was our second trip in from nearby Brighton, and dinner the first time out didn't go too well. Inedible coffee and blander than average BBQ do not happy foodies make. But while we were there last week we saw like 30 people leave a certain pizza joint in as many minutes and we were curious. So, we went to Sweet Tomatoes and split a 14 inch pie.
I'm not a thin crust guy usually, as my apetite is far too hardy to compete with Neapolitan style crust, but this place was spectacular. Our no sauce 1/2 sausage and diced tomato 1/2 goat cheese and spinach pie was delicious. The crust was crunchy without being dry or flimsy. Both halves were topped generously. Her goat cheese tasted wonderfully salty and smooth. My sausage and tomato balanced sweet and savory. I give them double bonus points for putting basil and parmesan on my tomatoes, even though the pieces were much too large to be called diced. And it wasn't a long wait for table service. Other than making sure to order a large pie next time, I couldn't fault the place at all.
On the way home, I passed one of The Weekly Dig's boxes and it had the new (8/27/08) issue inside. There was a new Oh, Cruel World! cartoon caption by Mark Poutenis! Woo-hoo! I really missed those. He does visual lampooning better than anyone I know. Glad to see it return to these pages.
The S had a great stress free day Tuesday. Thanks to those who made it possible, especially M and D!
By The_Sagest on Wed, Aug 20, 2008 12:11 am
Sunday was my first weekend day off in a year. Yes faithful readers, I work every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Every week. With a double shift almost every Friday.
I took Sunday off to celebrate my pseudobirthday. A pseudobirthday is a day of celebration that stands in for your actual birthday if scheduling does not permit. My entire family was out of state this year, for starters. I didn't have a traditional birthday, but I still have a really cool girlfriend. She bought two tickets to the Buddy Guy/George Thorogood concert at the Bank of America Pavillion Sunday night. And, due to circumstances more complicated than triple bypass surgery, we also wound up with box seats in right field for that day's Red Sox game. So it was a double event day...
The Sox game was horrible. I know they haven't done well against the Jays this season, and I expected a loss, but we left when it was 12-2. That's not just a loss. That's not even a blow out. That's a slaughter of epic proportions. Other than Youk's homer there was nothing positive to say about it. Our starter didn't even last three full innings. It was horrific. I'm glad we left when we did. Watching another 3 runs score would have been self-flagellation of an order even I am not capable of.
After we left the game, we headed to the waterfront to grab a bite and find our seats for the 6:00 PM show. We ate at the pressed sandwich place next to LTK. My roast beef panini was... sparse. It had all the listed ingredients, but the cheese wasn't distributed well and there was a lot less meat then I'd normally pay $7-8 for. My girl's cobb salad was both much heartier (a nice big bowl with hardboiled egg and bacon for the same price) and other than one small chunk of withered lettuce, better executed. But since I ate at Uburger before the game, and I knew there'd be concessions at the show, the experience didn't ruin my day despite their sticky tables.
My girl came through big time. We had seats on the left side of the stage about 12 rows back, if that. The BoAP isn't stadium seating, so the sightlines weren't perfect, but I am a tall tall guy. I could see just fine. My sweetheart is much more a shorty, and had to watch the projected image for parts of the show, but she didn't mind that.
What we both minded was the bait-and-switch we got dealt. The show was billed as Buddy Guy with George Thorogood and the Destroyers, meaning Buddy had top billing. What we got (excusing the Peter Gammons crew for their fundraising outright, because they tried hard to rock and were out there for charity, even in sweaty orange dress shirts) was Buddy Guy opening for Thorogood. Buddy played just over an hour (and even mentioned wanting to play more!!!!) and then there was a break, and then GTatD played ninety minutes. That wasn't what we'd signed up for at all. That was backwards, and bordered on a dirty cheat. If Buddy weren't such an amazing act to see live, I think I would have been upset the second he left the stage.
Buddy was amazing. He played quite a few tunes from his new album which runs the gammut from traditional blues tunes to ballads, left the stage to circumnavigate the huge crowd, and even jammed with a nine year old guitar prodigy (whose parents videotaped the whole thing from our side backstage). It was intense and joyful performance. He didn't need a gimmick, just solid chops, a spotlight, and a back-up band of less than six guys who knew what they were doing. Buddy was having fun and it was infectious. It was so well done it didn't feel like an act or an ounce of phony showbiz patter. Buddy didn't need it. He was just damn good.
George Thorogood's performance was the opposite. It didn't have the range Buddy had. It relied more on theatrical tropes for momentum (flashing signs, rotating lights, smoke) and it just wasn't tight at all because many of GT's songs sound pretty much the same. It was rockin', and energetic, and all that, but it was one mood, extended until the wave crested and then broke. Then he kept playing for another half an hour. It may not be completely fair to compare the two artists; they cater to different genres and different crowds, but Buddy's had the superior heart, soul, and artistry. It was a great concert, and we were lucky to see both bands on one bill, but George really should have opened for Buddy.
The S is a blues man, but a good man, understand?
