BEACH VACATION, Day 4

Norfolk Tides, Harbor Park

We’re up by 8:30am and CA makes a pot of French Press with Conscious Cup Sunrise Blend. I forgo breakfast as I’m headed to a 10:00am Yoga Stretch class across the street at Oceanfront Yoga. By 11:10 I’m showering and as I dress for the day CA realizes that the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore’s AAA team) baseball game is a DAY game that starts at 12:15pm rather than the night game we were planning to attend.

I quickly make the tuna salad I’d been imagining, and by the time my brunch is complete it’s time to leave for the Harbor Park site. It’s a partly cloudy day and very windy, so the ballpark is cool. And, we’re a bit under the overhang, so I don’t have to worry about sunburn today.

The Tides are playing the Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins AAA) and just manage to pull a victory in the top of the 9th. We have a great afternoon—there are about 5-1/2 thousand fans here today—lots of special needs and school groups. It is impolite to laugh, but two of the special needs young adults in front of us are quite entertaining. One tiny black girl makes the strangest noises—not totally unfitting at a sports event; fits in with the crowd—that sound like Mayna birds and various other unidentifiable wild animals.

Because of the wind there are many foul balls into our seating area—behind first base—and one poor young man is hit twice! The first time in his shoulder and the second tragically hits him in the eye and he’s led out of the stadium in tears. They say lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place…

As we leave the ballpark, CA voices a desire to go to the brew pub we’ve seen advertised at 11th Street and the beach—11th Street Taphouse Bar & Grille. I suggest we drive back to the resort, park the car so I can change into walking shoes, and then speed walk down the Boardwalk from 34th Street to 11th—approximately a two mile walk.

It’s a hike! But, the weather is lovely and the ocean is just over our left shoulders looking fierce and glorious. The life guard’s have their red flags out, so no one should be in the water although we see a few surfers and also a few swimmers.

As we enter the brew pub we are impressed with the décor, although it’s clear that they’re just opened as their patio areas aren’t yet complete and we soon find that they aren’t yet brewing their own beer, but they have 28 beers on-tap! The room has a sophisticated urban vibe and clearly no detail has been spared. Our waitress tells us that these tables are on loan, as the custom tables came in wrong. And, in order to serve alcoholic beverages on the beach a fenced-in enclosure is required and the fencing was sent back for adjustment, too.

We immediately like this restaurant, and are forgiving when there are a few glitches with our service. The hostess and our waitress tell us that they’ve been open just four days. We say many encouraging things, expressing our appreciation for all the detail in the décor and the menu. The menu is particularly creative, along with the standard pub fare. I’ve got lots of ideas for summer menus:

SALADS
The Boarder
Romaine
Cranberries
Mandarin orange segments
Walnuts
Goat cheese

Siren of the Shoals (I ordered this one along with a cup of She Crab Soup.)
Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Fresh basil, slivered
Red onion, thinly sliced
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Lime juice, drizzled over the top

Lifeguard Lettuce
Romaine hearts, seared on a grill until the outside is slightly charred
Roma tomatoes, finely diced
Gorgonzola, crumbled
Balsamic vinaigrette

SANDWICHES
Aloha
Chicken tenders, grilled
BBQ sauce
Pineapple
Wrapped in a flour tortilla

Jetty Veggie
Avocado, diced
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Mozzarella, shredded
Lettuce
Tomato, diced
Red onion, diced
Vidalia onion salad dressing
Wrapped in an herbed tortilla

Gnarmax Burger (Acid Reflux on a bun)
Jalapeño strips, crispy fried
Pepper jack cheese
Habañera mayo
w/ 2 Pepto Bismal on the side

Chicken Tenders, your choice of toppings
>Nacho cheese (dipped in ranch salad dressing)
>Tequila, lime, & cilantro
>Pineapple & jalapeño salsa
>Coconut milk, green onion & green curry sauce

Shark Biscuit (burger)
Bacon
Cheddar
Onion
Tomato
Fried egg
Habañera mayo

ENTREES
Boardwalk Boil
Shrimp
Crab
Clams
Red potatoes
Andouille sausage
Corn cobbettes
Seafood boil spices

Steak w/coffee & chili rub
Black bean & corn salsa

Breast Oscar
Chicken breast, grilled
Topped w/béarnaise sauce and crab meat

Pork Chops
Mango salsa
Caramelized red onion & bleu cheese orzo

The Man in the Grey Suit
Tomato, stuffed with lobster salad

Lobster Ravioli
Lobster
Crabmeat
White truffle butter sauce
Sprinkled with jumbo lump crab

Dessert Egg Rolls
Egg roll skins
Cream cheese
Ricotta cheese
Powdered sugar
Seasonal berries
Vanilla bean ice cream

Wrap egg skins around cheese and powdered sugar mixture. Deep fry egg rolls.
Scoop berries over ice cream and top with two egg rolls per serving.


And finally, we heard this one on Mario Bosquez on Martha Stewart’s Sirius Radio program today. Mario’s guest was John DeLucie of Waverly Inn. John said he likes to have this salad served to him at 6:00pm every day just as dinner service is kicking into gear.

Beef steak tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hearts of palm
Red onion, sliced and soaked briefly in ice water
Haas avocado, sliced
Sprinkled with fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil and topped with some chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

I’m looking forward to reading DeLucie’s book, The Hunger.

Naval Aviation Museum

After dinner we stroll more leisurely back to the Ocean Beach Club, stopping at 25th and Atlantic to pay homage to our Naval Aviation history. There’s a grouping of granite and bronze statues, with phenomenally poignant photos of 21st century troops returning from duty and greeting their families—brand new babies, toddlers, children, wives, and loved ones. I confess to tears.

One granite slab portrays the history of American bomber planes, and we find the PMBs that CA’s dad flew over the Pacific in WWII. He wasn’t actually a pilot, he was a gunner’s mate and he crouched in the belly of that plane in a glassed in cage. Hazardous duty, for sure. He was a proud crewman on the U.S.S. Hamlin and attended their reunions rigorously until the last couple of years of his life when he was so ill with emphysema.

It’s just after 6:00pm when we walk past the outdoor music pavilion on 31st Street. We’re tempted by the music, but decide to go to our studio for awhile and dress more warmly before we find a place near 31 Ocean’s outdoor fire pits.

After an hour or so in our studio, we surrender to fatigue and snuggle in for the evening. There’s a lovely sunset out our no-view window. So, no ocean views from our room but we’ll look forward to admiring the sunsets at dusk.