LJ as a message center

It appears as though the trained monkeys who run my mail server are all hungover from banana daiquiris or something.

I cannot get to my e-mail.

Leave any message here or call the cell, if you have it, after 2 p.m.

Love ya's all.

Liam

So what the third piece of good news going to be?

Yestreday's news: John Kerry's not going to run for president (and announces it in an eloquent speech on the Senate floor).

News flash: A resolution has been reached on J.D. Drew's contract with the Red Sox, and an announcement of his signing of a five-year, $70 million deal is expected tomorrow.

What's going to happen tomorrow?

PS: Just 24 days until pitchers and catchers.

Better than the Publick House?

No, not quite, but it's pretty close to being almost as good.


I wrote this review for b0st0n because a couple people asked me about a comment I made about this place.

Deep Ellum opened several weeks ago in the old "Reel Bar" (and many other places) site on Cambridge Street in Allston.

I mentioned that I had really liked it, and people asked me why.

Understand, this is a beer bar on the order of Bukowski's or a trimmed-down Publick House of Brookline. In other words, it's a "Liam kind of place."

A few folks from Bukowski's Cambridge set this place up, and I think they hit the mark. I have been there three times in the last week, just to scope it out a couple more times for you folks.

Long narrow room with a skylight. Gorgeous dark-wood tables, chairs, stools and bar. Table on the right, bar on the left. Custom-built tap like (24 or 28, I cannot remember). Similar to the choices at the aforementioned places, but with it's own vibe. They have a cask engine and two beers on nitro. (Yeah, I am a geek). Lots of local and national micros, some Belgians and a lonely Miller High Life tap. Really good selection. Bottles look good, but I am a draft guy. Very knowledgable bartenders.

Excellent pub-style food out of a small kitchen.

But here's what's gonna set it apart: A much stronger focus on hard liquor and mixed drinks. Excellent bourbon selection (and the bartenders seem to know they stuff). Good Scotch selection, and I am told the tequila selection is good. They also make the fancy mixed drinks.

As I said, it's new, but we'll see what happens.

Please note, I have mainly been going for the food. I am taking it a bit easier on my beer hobby right now, but the place is worth checking out.

My meals have included home-made (there) Italian sausage and three hug hunks of polenta, a prime rib sandwich (not great) and a cheeseburger (very good). The fries are excellent.

By the way, those of you who know Jimmy The Chef from the Publick House shoudl know that the new Beer Advocate magazine has a feature on him, and a recipe for his chili.

Protege ceremony at Birka

I am extremely excited and honored that my friend Bjorn Blundr (thumper_montoya) will accept a yellow belt from me and agree to be my protege this Saturday at Birka.

(I could make a joke about his sanity here, but I take these things pretty seriously)

We will be having a brief ceremony at 3:30 p.m. It will be in the merchant's area at the Carolingian Merchants Co-op table (Luke's table). This was a number of folks dear to us will be able to see it.

You are all invited.

Master Liam St. Liam, OP

Let me make this clear . . .

Despite what my proteges are cooking up, neither the peer-student panel nor the protege ceremony will be held in the hotel hot tub.

That is all.

(PS: I apologize to all my non-SCA readers. It's one of those nights (knights) ).