Hey I guess you're lonely when I gave you all it took so then Stranger than it's ever been ~~ "Godless" by The Dandy Warhols
We had an email yesterday from one of our favorite restaurants downtown, LaSalle Grill/LaSalle Kitchen and Tavern. (The Grill is downstairs and is the fancy place that has the wine dinners we occasionally go to and is considered one of the best restaurants in town. Its upstairs companion is more casual and we go there more often for dinners before a show or a drink after. They share the same kitchen, though.) They were offering a dinner for curbside pickup consisting of Wagyu beef burgers, their wonderful mac n cheese, a couple of other things, and a 6-pack of good beer. It was a great price and it was hard to say no, especially when we're doing what we can to support local restaurants. Our last night out for a meal was March 7th, when we went to dinner before a show, so we jumped on the deal. I just told Ken that I wanted to ride along when he went to pick it up. I've been out a couple of times to the pharmacy and the store, but I find that when I'm driving, I feel oddly on high alert, like someone is going to plow into me at any moment. Considering our rural area, it could even be a plow. So I feel very weird when out driving right now. I was looking forward to just riding along and seeing our beloved downtown. I didn't anticipate how utterly sad and emotional it would make me feel. I mean, I really did not see that coming. I thought it was a chance to get out and enjoy a little ride on a nice sunny day. The first hint I had was seeing a fence along the main drag into downtown where someone had woven into the chainlink "Stay Strong USA" with a heart. That's when I started getting choked up. It only got worse as we got into downtown. There were still cars out and about but they were much sparser than an ordinary weeknight evening. I saw so many familiar places and sites but everything was closed down. No one was bustling about going to dinner or grabbing a pint at Brew Werks and the marquee at the Morris was dark. Our usual haunts seemed...well, haunted. By the time we pulled up at the LaSalle, I was feeling genuine anguish. Because I was the one curbside, I put my mask on. When our server came out with our food and put it in the back seat, I said, "Stay strong! We love you guys!" and I felt a tear fall out of my eye. Then another server brought out our 6-pack and put it on the floor of the backseat and I said, "Hang in there!" and we thanked him. As we drove off, we went by Fiddler's Hearth and Madison Oyster Bar. No inside patrons. No one walking on the streets. Speaking of that, even the streets of South Michigan Street (what could be considered our small red-light district) were empty, and The Torch and Peaches were closed. I said, "Man, you know it's bad when even the strip clubs are closed!" What I thought would be a pleasant little drive downtown—and my goodness, I'd forgotten what a simple joy I felt as a kid when my parents would say, "Let's go for a drive!"—turned out to be something that made me feel really sad. It made me think of all the fun times we've had downtown, out for dinner, out to see a show, out to take visiting friends to show off our Riverlights or to have brunch with the Kansas City/Chicago Crew the morning after our annual house show, out to take in a South Bend Cubs game on a warm summer day, out for the Riverlights Music Festival, out for Art Beat, running into friends and family, sharing hugs and laughs...all the little things that make my life so enriched and joyful. I miss them. I miss them all. So tonight I'm going to allow myself to feel sad and mourn those things. I know they're not gone forever and I know we'll get back to enjoying all those things and more. We'll make new memories. But I don't know when that will happen. At the moment, things feel broken, and I feel like the repairs will be slow and sometimes painful. Will some of our favorite places survive? It pains me to say it, but I just don't know. I hope so.
My immune system is occupied with trying to fight off a cold, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do an entry. I’ll busy my brain with this while my immune response kicks in. Do your thing, immune system! You rock! Last night we went to the newly renovated and renamed LaSalle Kitchen & Tavern (née Club LaSalle) for a beer dinner featuring Boulevard Brewing Co. out of Kansas City, Missouri. We had been to one of these before and really enjoyed it, so when Ken get the email that another one was coming up, we thought we’d do another one! This was also our first opportunity to see the renovations at the place. I really didn’t notice much in the way of changed decor, although the sectional couch seems to have been replaced with tables. I’m guessing it’s more about revamping the menu then the decor. It was a cold and blustery night, and the snow was really flying by the window of the third-floor restaurant, but the place is warm and inviting, and we were happy to enjoy a four-course dinner of yummy food paired with various Boulevard brews. The area rep for Boulevard was there and came around to talk about the brewery and the different beers. Really enjoyed talking to him, even though he didn’t know who the Rainmakers are. (Yes, we asked.) We started with appetizers, paired with the 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer and the Bully Porter. I’m a big fan of wheat beers, so I really liked that one. The appetizers were grilled ham/provolone/Swiss sandwiches, mashed potato balls, and macaroni and cheese. The mashed potato balls sound weird, but they were pretty tasty, with some earthy mushrooms in there, and a good flavor. The sandwiches were also good, but I stuck with one, because I didn’t want to eat too many appetizers! I made an exception for the mac and cheese, which was the standout for me. Nice and creamy, with a hint of garlic. Delicious! I would eat that for a main course. The first course was Jerked Shrimp & Scallop with a black bean empanada and mango & papaya salsa. This was paired with Pop-Up Session IPA, a nice smooth, low alcohol IPA. The scallop was wonderful and tender, and the salsa was a fresh, sweet addition to the spiciness of the seafood. The empanada was also very tasty. The second course was Smoked Rainbow Trout with grilled brioche, fennel & apple horseradish jam, and Bull’s Blood micros. I wasn’t sure what that latter thing was, either, but turned out it was microgreens on top of the other stuff. We had Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, which was a little heavier than the previous beer. I loved this trout...it was moist and flaky, and the horseradish jam wasn’t spicy at all. It all combined really nicely for a great flavor. Third course was Braised Short Rib with parsnip purée, thumbelina carrots, and mustard & raisin jus. The beer served was Sixth Class Quadrupel Ale, and yes, that is the way it was originally spelled, so they kept the spelling. Of course, I had to make jokes about quadruped ale and quadriplegic ale. Inppropriate? I don’t know, but I amused myself, if not Ken. I thought this was the weakest course, but maybe I was just getting “fooded out.” The short rib was nice and tender, but I’ve never been a fan of short ribs...I find them overly fatty, and I can’t abide blobs of fat on my meat. [shudder] We both thought the parsnip purée was bland, and the carrots were nothing to speak of. The flavors just weren’t as interesting as the shrimp and scallop, or the trout, in my opinion. However, it was perfectly cooked, not dry at all. The Quadrupel was also a little heavier, but I didn’t find it as one that stood out for me. The fourth course was dessert, and oh MAN, was it ever good!! It was a chocolate & stout flan with a coffee candy chard. I don’t know if that was a typo and it was supposed to be “shard,” because I know of chard as the leafy greens. This was a chunk of what was basically rock candy, with apparently a little coffee in it. This dessert was absolutely delicious...smooth and creamy, almost mousse-like in texture, with a nice chocolatey-coffee flavor. The beer served was a 2013 Special Limited Release Imperial Stout, and it was perfect with the dessert. Some stouts have a definite mocha flavor to them, and it went well with this. Mmm, thinking back to that flan, I wish I had some more right now! This was a very pleasant experience for the middle of the week, and we both enjoyed it a lot. I’m sure we’ll do more in the future, when we’re in the mood for a special treat. Club LaSalle may have changed its name, but as LaSalle Kitchen & Tavern, it will remain one of our favorite places in downtown South Bend. It’s a great place to go for a drink after a show, and they usually have musicians on the weekends. I think we’ll keep it in mind for dinners before the show, too. It’s a little more reasonably priced than its downstairs sibling, LaSalle Grill, but the food is also very good. Approved!
Tomorrow is going to be a good time, because we’re getting together with Shane and Matt. And that’s always a good time! FIrst, we’re heading to their place to have our Christmas exchange. YES, I know it’s June! We didn’t quite make it to the point where we could say it was Christmas in July, but it was pretty damn close! Based on everyone’s schedules and activities, we just haven’t managed to do this before now. We’ve seen them a couple of times since Christmas, but it was going out and to a show where we couldn’t exchange gifts. It will be fun! Merry effin’ Christmas! Then we’ll head to fabulous downtown South Bend and grab a bite to eat at CJ’s Pub (great burgers!) and hang out there until it’s time for the midnight showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the equally fabulous State Theater. It’s been about thirty years since I last saw Rocky Horror, guys. I saw it in college at a midnight movie with my friends Barb and Babes. It’s going to be fun to see it at the renovated beauty (work in progress) State Theater! Thanks to Drew for reserving four tickets for us! You can count on pictures! I’m breaking out the fishnets!
Seriously...just stop being so fun already! Stop tickling me! hahahaha Not one, but TWO more things to add to the calendar. I mentioned “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” coming in November. I was able to obtain some VERY IMPORTANT insider information (okay, it’s available to anyone who is paying attention to this), and I will be getting tickets in the presale tomorrow morning. In fact, I need to get to bed soon so I can get up and get the password and get the tickets. I also learned tonight that the fabulous State Theater in downtown South Bend will be showing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on June 8th, doing an earlier show for teens and young adults, and then a midnight showing for the rest of us depraved individuals. We had heard rumors of this, and we (Ken, Shane, Matt, and I) agreed that we wanted to go. To give a little background, the State was built in 1919. It was the premiere theater in downtown South Bend, and when downtown sort of dried up and died, it entered a period of decline. It operated as a nightclub for a while, then was sold to some religious group who didn’t have the funds to rehabilitate it, and...finally! A Notre Dame graduate, Andrew Elegante, saw the potential there, and has been working like a bastard to develop it, renovate it, and once again make it a happening place. Downtown has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately, with lots of great restaurants and nightspots opening. The Morris is doing great business, and people seem really interested in seeing the State once again being a downtown destination. We are proud supporters! I haven’t seen Rocky Horror since college, and Ken has never seen it, so this should be a blast. Look out...I’m breaking out the fishnets!
Last evening we headed to fabulous downtown South Bend for a fun evening. We met Shane and Matt for a bite to eat at Madison Oyster Bar and had a few pitchers with our yummy dinners. I really like MOB (or as Shane and Matt and I like to call it, MadOyBa). The owners and staff are always so nice and attentive and the food is reasonable and good. It’s kind of dark and atmospheric and just a fun downtown place. I saw the server who attended to us last time we were there and bought our table of eight a round of shots. I asked her name, and said she was so great when we were there last and she said she really appreciated that. Samantha, you rock! After she walked away, Shane looked at me and said, “You’re such a whore.” We all totally cracked up. This came from some recent nasty comments I’ve gotten from She Who Shall Not Be Named. Of course, she left a comment on my flip-off picture, so I guess she named herself, huh? More about that in a moment. Anyway, we had a fun dinner, chatting about that whole ridiculous mess and plenty of other things. It had been a while since we’d been able to get together, so it was great to see them and get caught up. Shane and Matt, you guys rock, too! Then we headed over to the also-fabulous Morris Performing Arts Center, where the final show of this season’s Broadway Theater League is playing: “Wicked.” I wasn’t quite sure that I would completely enjoy this...I tend to prefer shows that have harder-edged music, like “Rent” or “Rock of Ages.” But I’m happy to say that I was just blown away. The set visuals were just stunning. The scene in the picture I’ve posted here came at the end of the first act, and I was like, “Oh my goodness, this is so cool!” The performances were fantastic, and I loved the whole storyline of how the wicked witch got that way. I’m sure many of you have seen this already, so I’m not giving any spoilers away when I say that she was more than a little misunderstood. The interaction between her character and that of the good witch was sweet and wonderful. This was really top-notch, and a great way to close out the season. Great job, Broadway Theater League! I’m so glad we got season tickets, because these shows have really been a blast. Next season will also be great: “Bring It On: The Musical,” “Jersey Boys,” “Million Dollar Quartet,” “West Side Story” (I have always wanted to see that!), and although it’s not part of the season ticket package, Green Day’s “American Idiot.” Wow! I also just found out that the tour of the John Mellencamp/Stephen King collaboration, “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County,” will be making a stop at the Morris in November. I am very intrigued by this, although I have few details yet. My sisters got season tickets for BTL next season, too, so that will be fun. Oh, and we upgraded our seats, so we moved up nine rows! We’ve also got Cubs tickets for August, concerts coming up for Smash Mouth at one of the casinos in Michigan, the Dropkick Murphys here in town, and I believe I’ve mentioned that we have tickets for a this little band out of England that some of you may have heard of. [wink] It’s shaping up to be a fun and busy year! There will be a couple of vacations and some Notre Dame games in there, as well. Whew. No rest for the wicked. Hey, nice callback, Beth! We had a very pleasant lunch with both of our moms today, and when we got back to our place, Ken’s Mom stayed and chatted for a while. She got to see our orioles, the hummingbirds, several other birds, and we saw two baby raccoons out back. I was happy she got to see a little of our wildlife, and she really enjoyed it! As for the recent “unpleasantness,” SWSNBN seems to have crawled back under her rock...for now. All I will say (some of you know the details from Facebook, but I’m not going to post them here) is that it must be a real bummer to be so bitter and joyless, and to hate someone as much as she seems to hate me. What a way to go through life. I hope I never get that way, but I don’t think I will, because that is just not in my nature. Thank goodness!
