Monday, September 18, 2006
CRABFEST REPORT
The Maryland Crab and Beer Fest looked like it attracted more people than it did last year, which is to be expected. Rain had made the place into a soggy minefield of puddles in between the loose stones on the ground, but it wasn’t too bad. It was cloudy with intermittent sunshine, but there was a constant breeze that chilled things considerably. I’m glad my wife had the foresight to pack an extra shirt and vest in our bag, because my teeth were chattering at one point. Aside from the beer stand, there was also a cigar vendor, a salsa stand (Grenade, I think), a Cabot cheese stand, and a clothing merchant. I forget who was selling the shirts and hats, but the shirts all read “Peace” or something, and they donate their profits to organizations that are dedicated to global social consciousness or something like that. A friend of ours is an anarchist, and I told my wife we should buy one for him and say, “Here’s a shirt, now shut up!” The live bands were good, but maybe they had their amps turned up louder than last year, as it was very hard to have a conversation with the person next to you. Unfortunately, the boiler they were using for the crabs broke down, so they had to truck the crabs in (presumably from HarborPlace). There plenty of crabs for everyone, but it made for a lot of standing around and waiting. We eventually left after we ate our fill, around 4:30 I guess. Maybe better weather would have made for a more enjoyable day or better emergency planning, not that either is really in the control of the event organizers’. Just bad luck.
After regrouping at our house, we drove to Hampden for a friend’s mud wrestling party. One of the women we met in the Fluid Movement show decided to get her lawn re-sodded, so I guess she decided to get rid of the old one in the most creative way possible. She made a mud pit, invited everyone to come in costume, and everyone who wanted threw their names in a hat to throw themselves at each other in the mud. It was absolutely as zany as it sounds. All in all, though, it may not have been the best idea for me to go from a beer festival to a keg party in the same day.
The next day my wife and I attended a meeting of the Greater Columbia-area Fantasy Costumers Guild at the Brooklyn Park library. We aren’t active members of the Guild these days, but we were there to help plan the haunted house to be held at the library October 28. We helped out last year, and it was a lot of fun and the community really appreciated it, so we’re looking forward to helping out again this year.
After the meeting we all went to Bill Bateman’s Bistro II in Harundale Plaza in Glen Burnie. I like Bill Bateman’s mainly because it is so nicely unpretentious. They are known for their buffalo wings, and the table ordered two trays full to share. The garlic wings are very pleasant for the garlic lover, and the regular style is nicely spicy without being too hot. We showed up very hungry, which is a good idea for Bill Bateman’s. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which while very basic was still uniquely theirs. It was large enough on its own, so much so that I tragically did not even notice the bacon, but the regular burgers are almost hidden on the menu page with their specialty burgers. I nearly ordered the super bacon cheeseburger, and I’m glad I didn’t because that’s exactly what it sounds like, a plate-sized burger on a bun to match. I normally skip dessert, but the table ordered coffee and tow pan-fried cookies. These treats are chocolate chocolate-chip cookies that come out in the small frying pans, topped with ice cream and whipped cream. Decadent is the word. Our waitress was a dream, and the whole experience was enjoyable. One thing to keep in mind is that the sodas are not bottomless as some restaurants are, not necessarily an issue but I was surprised as we were tallying up the check.
After regrouping at our house, we drove to Hampden for a friend’s mud wrestling party. One of the women we met in the Fluid Movement show decided to get her lawn re-sodded, so I guess she decided to get rid of the old one in the most creative way possible. She made a mud pit, invited everyone to come in costume, and everyone who wanted threw their names in a hat to throw themselves at each other in the mud. It was absolutely as zany as it sounds. All in all, though, it may not have been the best idea for me to go from a beer festival to a keg party in the same day.
The next day my wife and I attended a meeting of the Greater Columbia-area Fantasy Costumers Guild at the Brooklyn Park library. We aren’t active members of the Guild these days, but we were there to help plan the haunted house to be held at the library October 28. We helped out last year, and it was a lot of fun and the community really appreciated it, so we’re looking forward to helping out again this year.
After the meeting we all went to Bill Bateman’s Bistro II in Harundale Plaza in Glen Burnie. I like Bill Bateman’s mainly because it is so nicely unpretentious. They are known for their buffalo wings, and the table ordered two trays full to share. The garlic wings are very pleasant for the garlic lover, and the regular style is nicely spicy without being too hot. We showed up very hungry, which is a good idea for Bill Bateman’s. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which while very basic was still uniquely theirs. It was large enough on its own, so much so that I tragically did not even notice the bacon, but the regular burgers are almost hidden on the menu page with their specialty burgers. I nearly ordered the super bacon cheeseburger, and I’m glad I didn’t because that’s exactly what it sounds like, a plate-sized burger on a bun to match. I normally skip dessert, but the table ordered coffee and tow pan-fried cookies. These treats are chocolate chocolate-chip cookies that come out in the small frying pans, topped with ice cream and whipped cream. Decadent is the word. Our waitress was a dream, and the whole experience was enjoyable. One thing to keep in mind is that the sodas are not bottomless as some restaurants are, not necessarily an issue but I was surprised as we were tallying up the check.
# posted by Renfield @ 1:33 PM 
