25 October 2010

Top reasons to visit Scranton (and some reasons to stay)

A countdown of the top reasons to visit (or stay) in the Scranton area.
I'll name a few of the things that highlight this area that you'll never forget.


5
River Street Jazz Cafe 
     The River Street Jazz Cafe seems to be the center of all things good. So many great acts come through here and it's such a great up-close-and-personal place to see them. For Steve Kimock to go from being on tour with RatDog across the country and filling large venues, to coming to this little place is almost a no-brainer. Come down and have dinner and enjoy a show... You will not be let down... This is a great place...
COME SEE CABINET USUALLY PLAYING ONCE A MONTH AND BRING YR DANCING SHOES!


4 
And The Moneynotes / Cabinet 
                                (Official Band Website)       (Official Band Website)
     And The Moneynotes: These guys really know how to put on a show. Influences from '60's hair greasers, '66 mercury sounds, '30's jug-band clickity-clack, and pirate ballads?! Come and see this extremely talented group who will most likely be playing at The Bog, or even as far as The Appalachian Brewing Co. (A.B.C.) If you don't get up and dance and laugh a few times at one of these shows, then consider me wrong. I would actually contemplate hiring these guys to play my wedding. This is no lie.
Check out their Daytrotter Sessions:
-->25 MARCH 2009
-->2008 OCTOBER 14
....after you do that, go and buy one of their albums:
Link To iTunes
     Cabinet: I don't care who you are, if you don't like these guys, there is something wrong. Add this one to the bucket list, trust me. Now sure, it might not be everyones crowd being the type of music it is... but there's no denying the influences present here. You've got Folk, Jam, Rock, Jazz, and countless others, all with a dash of the ole bluegrass dust. These guys really know how to put your shoes to work and they don't let up 'til the end of the show (which is over when THEY want it over). What a great bunch of guys too, they really are great people... Keep your eye out for them, and a new solo album by their banjo player Pappy Biondo called "Pappy Time" being released 11 / 16 / 2010. These guys are really building steam and you're either on the train or you're not, it's that simple.
-Cabinet's self-titled album can be found here: Cabinet (Ropeadope Records)
-Pappy's solo album can be found here: Prairie Queen Records


3 
The Bog 
     This place is one of the best bars going. The fact that it was mentioned many times on the TV show, The Office, reinforces the fact that it is unforgettable. Many nights, if you just happen to be walking by The Bog, you'll be drawn in by its warm and acoustic feeling. It's a constant party here and you'll most likely discover a new band or 2 while here... 
SIDE-NOTE: I am beyond convinced that The Bog has the last remaining jukebox with good stuff on it in all of NEPA. Thank you guys!



2
Goldstein's Deli 
     Well, well, well.... where to start with this place... I feel as if this place was literally ripped out of the ground in middle-class New York City and placed on the corner in Kingston just for me (or you considering they will make you whatever you want.) Their menu is all that you could ever hope for in a deli (or ANY restaurant for that matter). They have daily specials that offer up something different from the normal menu, not to mention a massive microbrew selection. You will not have a hard time finding what you want here, actually, picking just one thing is the hardest part. Ever see the sandwich from Pittsburgh that has french fries and cole slaw on it? Yeah, they have that here too...
To check out their menu and all the information to back up my summary, link to their site above...

1
Aurants 
     Number 1 is a no-brainer. Aurants in Duryea is by far the BEST restaurant in terms of everything that can be factored into an awesome restaurant review. Atmosphere, Menu, Beer, Service, People, Location, and Overall what they stand for. Anyone ever writing something bad about this place is trying to be different on their own, but there is no more room to be different. They truly are, "A Separation From The Rest". When you look at the menu, keep an open mind because this is what they are, a different take on usual items. In my mind, they are the outlaws of this area, not in a bad way, but because they can't be touched. It was a very daring move to open this restaurant in the area it resides. In one direction lies 14 pizza restaurants within 2 miles of each other, and in the other direction is a Polish heritage town. These guys almost act as the fulcrum point balancing the whole shebang. How did we survive without them?
    - These guys have run benefits including one for the Blue Chip Farm:
     -They use all "Free-Range" meats that do not include hormones, antibiotics, or any other garbage we shouldn't be eating. All food is made with care, love, and absolute madness. (Try the "Hellfire" wings!)
     Looking for something to wash all that food down? Well then... what would pair nicely with that delicious duck cheese steak? How about the Southwest Flair Ceviche Tuna Wrap? Ask one of your waiters! They will pair your food with something you may never have heard of, or something you love, just let them know. This is the place to be, and definitely call for reservations. See you there.
______________

Think something else should be on this list? Comment below...

  

19 October 2010

Today's Playlist (2010-10-19)

Someone better be listening to this somewhere...

A tale from another life


Guy pulls up next to me smiling and rolls his window down. Says, “I just drove up US 1, saw my ex-girlfriend, who I haven’t seen since probably the 3rd grade! She crossed over from the opposing lane, across my lane and down some street I’ve passed dozens of times. I wonder if she lives there?” 
I said, “Did she see you?”
He says, “Ya, she was all smiling and waving before I even had a chance to return the same, and kept driving. I knew that we were both right in the place we were supposed to be, at that given second”
I said, “Well, it was either you or her in that position. If everyone was in the right place at the right time all the time, then there would never be any problems or confrontations.”
Silent, he rolled his window up and drove away. I never saw him again [ELLIPSES]

17 October 2010

Conclusions


A list of conclusions: 
  • A Taco Bell cup in the park is absolutely the complete opposite of a diamond in the rough.
  • The only thing we truly give birth to is old age.
  • The red and white stripe straw in Hershey's syrup commercials is not sold anywhere in the continental U.S.
  • Everyone who has loved, claims that they're love is different, and therefore the best.

...and well, I don't know where the conclusion is in that last one but, let's just say the conclusion lies in the first word.




15 October 2010

A not-so weak-end

What a crazy weekend that was... 
...found a tie-dye leaf...
...but never did see that other mountains, other side...
...but go pretty damn close to seein' this mountains other side!

Good stuff.... do yrself a favor and go to Hunter Mountain...


     

08 October 2010

T'nite

It was crazy... Orange masses mixed with hues of brown and past-greens, yellows and reds. I was shrunk down to nothing but everything and drove along the snakes back around a dancing mirror as it licked the coastline. Why not build a bridge? Then the bridge came... what was a nice addition.

Marriedtothesea.com
We arrived unsure for sure, but it was very nice. Shortly after, we appeared on some street, indecisive. Then, in an antique accented [HI :D hehehehehehe] tavern (and that's because it was saturated in "over 300 beers", people spoke of Genghis Khan and teenagers. Hobgoblin Strong Ale and Tres Pistoles were flowing at some point, and then we floated out, with the same speed, impeded by 300ms, onto the sidewalk and down apiece to "The Spinning Room" for a Hex and Fire Rock; courtesy of Hawaii. There was a pole to the right and a couch behind it? This was not by any means the highlight of the night, but rather the low point. We will be returning shortly for sure.

07 October 2010


This week, its:


I am a HUGE fan of Southern Tier and this is just one that I haven't had... ITS AWESOME.
More notes soon..! Too busy drinkin' it!

05 October 2010

STOP EATING GOD DAMN MCDONALDS

Happy Meal Project 2.0: This Is What Chicken McNuggets Are Made Of

By: Kristian Laliberte

chicken-mcnuggets-ingredients-big.jpg



While health advocates, foodies, and members of the public have known for a while what was inside the venerable Chicken McNugget, we have not until we peeped this Gizmodo article. So, please bear with us if you're already well acquainted with this information, and if you're not, well, we hope you have a barf-bag handy. In laymen's terms, what you're seeing is a mechanically separated chicken, which is what all fast-food poulet is made from. The entire chicken is pressed through a sieve (bones, guts, etc), and the end result is the pink, goop-like substance (sorry Gwyneth for tainting your word) you see above. Plus, because our feathered friends are covered in bacteria, they'll be soaked in ammonia before being reflavored artificially, then dyed with artificial color. We're sure there's a much more scientific way of making sense of this all, but we actually have no interest in learning more. Next time you're at Mickey Ds, we suggest ordering, well, nothing. Haven't you seen the Happy Meal project?


*Thanks again Sally Davies for leading us on the trail of finding food we will never, ever eat again.



From: http://www.refinery29.com/happy-meal-project-sequel-chicken-mcnugget-ingredients.php




I think i'm safe, I haven't eaten fast food in approx. 2 years. :)

02 October 2010

Todays Playlist (2010-10-02)

NO! The beer is not the playlist... 
                       ...but rather the playlist, is the beer! 

Miles Davis' Bitches Brew
-"SOCK IT TO ME!" 
-"AH PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT..."

I didn't realize, nor know, but the 40th anniversary of it's release was on the 31st of August [Orig. released in 1969] Good stuff....
Follow this link to read up on it... you might even want to order the 40th anniversary edition of the album... You can be damn sure that I am.
Also, check out the beer if you like a nice hefty Russian imperial stout. AMAZING. It's by Dogfish Head and it's limited, so... 

     So go on and buy yrself a bottle or 3, dust off yr record player, phonograph or what-have-you and sit back and enjoy... 
Listen to the entire album, and even better if you have The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, when you hit the sitar in "The Little Blue Frog", that's right about when you'll be liquified and vibratin' from Miles' horn; trying to tear you apart. But fear not as John McLaughlin's guitar will be there to rattle yr bones and shake yr walls makin' you invent the newest kind of dance this side of Mars.   BUY HEADPHONES!


Todays Playlist (2010-10-01)

10 more... and we're left to delve; movin' slow when it was movin' too fast...

I don't know what to write anymore... as of now, I am feeling the pull of gravity... I am fighting it as best I can, I will ultimately win, oh yes I will; the keys are also being pulled down and my words make nonsense...

Wilco