One spot must be the neighborhood "Cheers " of the former Singer plant locale, only with the absolute best bargain on fresh lobsters, steamers and pasta. It its called Floramo's. And it is in Everett. A foot high draft of Stella was $3. Lobster was $14 ( with choice of pasta and salad ); garlic bread $1.50; and steamers ( $8.95).
And the menu is huge ( ribs, haddock, anything your arteries and taste buds call out for), with great desserts as well. I could live there.
Then, there is the breakfast joint for the workers in the few factories still operating. Mostly, Brazilian. And one cookie plant. Breakfast choices are written on a blackboard in chalk, and you walk up steps right off the street and open a door to a different world.
Due to my pork-pie hat and gold bling, not to mention the rented black Cadillac parked outside, they assumed I was from ICE. However, after I blurted out my order they stopped the suspicion. No one from ICE likes hot sauce on his breakfast sandwich, or eats in a place that says, " cash only" on the door.
There is a Marina Bar on Revere Beech road ( guess which city?) that is equally good for lobsters and steamers, but is far more pricey. However, the manhattans are exceptional. No place to park, but you are allowed to improvise.
Shortly after two days of this vacation eating fun, I returned to my motel 8 and flipped on the Yankee game. Only thing is; I think it is a state law not to ever allow Yankee games on TV in Boston territory. So I had to watch, " List It or Blow it Up," which is a real estate show from Waco Texas, apparently on tv 24/7.
Luckily, I could still get play-by-play from Mustang ( and sometimes Duque ) on the I-phone. Here is what I have concluded after the last three weeks of the season;
1. Tampa Bay has our number.
2. Chassen Shreve would be a toll collector on the Bay Bridge were he not left-handed.
3. Bird has proven to be a huge disappointment, although I gather he has hit a single or two lately.
4. Sanchez is having the worst year of his career. Rather than practicing diligently in the off-season, he might be better off on a party boat.
5. I read somewhere that he has been "great defensively," despite Mendoza-line hitting. "Great defensively" for whom, is my question?
6. Sorry he is injured, though. He and Tanaka must have the same conditioning coach for running the bases. The walrus hustle.
7. The depth of the Yankee farm system, which earns high praise from numerous anonymous talking head cases, is barren with respect to catchers, first basemen and starting pitchers. So there may be depth, but not balance.
8. Duque is right to be cautious about growing optimism for German. Remember that Severino was 1-9 or 0-9 in his first full season.
9. Lasagne is still a mystery to me. I have missed both of his games due to geography and lack of modern TV communications. His stat line is great. Yet, Duque thinks he has already logged too many innings.
10. The trade is coming. The only question is; how bad will it be?
11. Without the contribution of our rookies, we would be no where.
12. I loved the video" clips" of Betances and Servy swinging the bat. I would imitate Stan Musial, myself.
See you in Philly.
There's nothing quite like the heady atmosphere of half-dead old industrial towns to work up your appetite. I appreciate your dining and breakfast suggestions, however, I will not be in Massachusetts, ever, if I can help it. You know why.
ReplyDeleteMyself, I'm with the missus in Palm Springs, the lovely desert oasis in California. Every day is hot and dry, but thankfully the town isn't, and I'm working my way through the vacation half-gallon of Ketel One by the pool.
I like the kid pitchers, and I'm not really worried about them. Let's bring up a couple more when these two wear down. Ideally, we don't make a trade, though I know that's unrealistic. But we already have a Sonny Gray, and I'd rather stick with home cooking. Shef and Co. will, I think, come through. But it's a moot point with Cashman at the helm.
Bird is getting a few hits, and Stanton is getting a few more than that. Maybe the big guy is entering his fabled hot streak, where he hits 25 home runs in the month of July. That would be good.
Jack Curry, on Twitter, made some kind of statistical argument for why losing Sanchez is bad news and a big deal. Something about him being first, second and fourth in key hitting categories among all catchers in the AL. This just shows how bad everyone else's catchers must be offensively.
Are Shreve and Walker related? The ability to be a lefty seems to be the only reason they're both still here, as you said about Shreve. But why? Is having bad lefties considered mandatory when the alternative is good righties?
Baseball logic escapes me.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that Shreevie is out of options. If they want to send him down, they have to DFA him. Anyone can pick him up, apparently.
I guess that's the fear among the Yankee braintrust. My question is: Which team is gonna pick him up (even if he comes cheap)...?
I caught Crabs off of Revere one summer many moons back. Sadly they were the kind that don’t require Old Bay.
ReplyDeleteIf you are ever in a Massachusetts bar during the summer and look down, and wonder exactly why all the women in the state paint their toenails black - the reason is they aren’t toes...
They’re hooves
I said this here during Spring Training: Can we finally be over with the Luis Cessa experiment??? He sucks now and always has. Yeah he throws 97 mph....so what. Who doesn't now?
ReplyDeleteDFA the guy once and for all.
I think it's safe to say this was the Cessa farewell game
ReplyDelete"Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI caught Crabs off of Revere one summer many moons back. Sadly they were the kind that don’t require Old Bay.
If you are ever in a Massachusetts bar during the summer and look down, and wonder exactly why all the women in the state paint their toenails black - the reason is they aren’t toes...
They’re hooves "
You could see their toes????? Must have been from a wide angle lens.
You didn't mention it, but their teeth aren't painted black. It's their natural color.
Fonzie, I'm disappointed you didn't try Redbones.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, has anyone else noticed that Scranton's stance is a little bit less closed lately.
Not sayin' that he normally has a "wide stance". At all.
Another fine showing by this limp dick offense.
ReplyDeleteKay just did his best Bob Eucker impression.
ReplyDeleteAnother day, another anemic offensive showing.
ReplyDeleteWahoo.
Completely agree, John M.
ReplyDeleteBut you know, that Stanton streak never quite seems to materialize.
The one thing to be said for the lack of hitting? It may be precluding an awful trade for Happ or Hapless. I mean, really, how can you seriously argue the problem with the Yankees is pitching when you have a game like that one?
Granted, for once they got shut out by a real pitcher, as opposed to Tampa Bay's June Taylor Pitchers, or some schmoe with a 9 ERA.
But c'mon already. What was that? The meltdown of the hitting continues to alarm me—and what alarms me more, is how little it seems to alarm the Yankees.
I have to say the same for the effort level. You have a team this young, and they turn in a performance this listless while it's still June? We're now talking 31 straight games with scoring more than 8 runs, fewer than 4 runs a game in June, etc.
To quote the great Paula Cole, Where have all the cowboys gone?
And good to have you back, Dauntless Leader.
ReplyDeleteI do have to question you on Point No. 7, though: exactly where else is the great Yankee farm club depth?
As far as I can see, with Frazier and Higgy now in the show, the Yanks have exactly one infielder who might be promising call-up this year—and that's a guy who was already in the big leagues, and who we made our major contribution to developing by solving his migraine problems.
That's it, really. Oh, I suppose Tyler and Tyler Too might be all right in a pinch, though their stock has plummeted. But Florial, the leading outfield prospect, is on the DL, Thairo the Pharaoh is still having lead pulled from his body, and everybody else looks at least a year or two away.
Where exactly is this magnificent minot league system we keep hearing about?
Telemundo!!
ReplyDeleteHey John M. We love Palm Springs and go there about 4 times a year.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you are a regular, and when you might next appear there.
We could have some grog and gaze at the snow capped mountains from the safety of the hot tub.
cousin alphonse is clearly the breakout star of this blog. we love you cousin A!
ReplyDelete
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