GOT Effing Hitched!

Photo by Brian Kemm

So that happened. Phew! Holy yeesh guys, that was really something. 

The outpouring of love? 

The dancing our faces off (almost literally in Balgavy and Timmy's case)?

Those lobster grilled cheeses?

That cake?

The weather?

The coolest officiant EVER?

The Tenenbaum's summer home?

I don't even know where to start. So I'll leave it at that for now.

Photo by Marcelo Gallegos

More photos to come as we compile and pull them from Facebook, as we know many aren't on the social timesuck. Love you all!

Allow Me, If You Will, To Cross-Post.

As many of you know, Bec (aka Future Bride, aka Shivery McPickles) also writes a food blog, Chronicles of a Stomach Grumble. And yesterday, she posted a little nugget about the wedding. Actually it's mostly about the food that will on hand. This may be WAY prettier than anything we've got, but you never know.

You can find her piece here: Chronicles of a Stomach Grumble.

Latest Poll Results and Some Secrets Revealed...

Alright food junkies, latest poll just came to an end and the results are overwhelmingly food-centric. I know, shocking.

Beach scored 2 votes. Perhaps I should have put "Nude Beach" for more interest. And yes, there is one in North Truro. And no, I don't know where. But you best believe that by this time next week, we'll possess that knowledge.

Bec delights at the thought of nude beaches.

Witnessing the Hitching and Lawn Games Bonanza also scored 2 votes each. Fair enough. Sometimes food and dancing is more important than bocce and we're ok with that. As for the ceremony part, let's be honest, it's usually not the part about the wedding that gets us going. Which is why Dr. B will be performing our ceremony. And we do mean performing. Prepare yourselves for a good time with a few surprises.

Dancing Your Faces Off came up with 4, and I can promise you, this will be happening. The "must play" list just went out and we've made some good plays. Also, it wouldn't matter if we did. This dude mashes up soul, funk, hip hop, indie rock and pretty much everything else on our respective iPods. It shouldn't disappoint.

We'll just go by Kennedy now, thanks.

Finally, Food and Drink Madness scored the win, pulling in 7 votes. So this is where I tell you the food should be pretty delightful. For the rehearsal dinner, we locked down a taco bar, which will be improved upon by some homemade guacamole and a margarita station run by Jack Gardner himself.

For the wedding, of course there need to be surprises, but I can let you know that we'll be having a grilled cheese and soup bar for dinner. There will be several types of each, stuff you've never heard of in a grilled cheese. And bar snacks to accompany these bad boys (those will remain secret, something has to, right?).

Future Wife. At least for another 12 days.

If it helps, think of it as a dinner at our house. In other words, tons of snacks, and then when you're too full for dinner, you eat it anyway. Add a signature Sean cocktail to that (Bec's personal fave of mine) and we'll be having some inebriated good times on full stomachs. See you guys in...

LESS THAN TWO EFFING WEEKS!

18 Days.

How did this happen? Summer has really slipped through our fingers, leaving us with heatstroke and sunburns.

See you in 18 days.

Oh, and a quick update on the rehearsal dinner. No longer are we bbq'ing. Instead, it's taco bar and Mexican beer night. Get your grub on, good people.

Pickle Poll.

UPDATE:

The Pickle Poll closed. And the winner is...

Spicy Sour runs away with it. 14 votes. Good thing, because they'll be making an appearance at the shindig.

Second place, and the recipient of a last minute rash of votes, was the Half Sour. 8 votes, but not good enough, little guy.

Full Sour takes third with a decent 4 votes.

Bread and Butter (really guys?) takes home 2 votes.

And in a surprising twist, New Pickle takes home just 1. I happen to agree, I think New Pickles are gross, and I'll eat almost anything.

Thanks for voting in our most popular poll to date. There's a new one up now, but all the polls with serious questions (if they can even be called that) are pretty much out of the way.

We're only a few days away from the close of the pickle poll and I felt the need to say something.

Currently, this poll is off the charts with responses. About a third of people that have RSVP'ed for this wedding have posted an opinion on the matter. Which means one of two things:

a. Some of you freaks are voting twice.
b. You freaks really love pickles.

Either way, word. There will be pickles. From NYC. We'll be bringing our favorites with us and eating more pickles than is recommended or, frankly, healthy. One trip on this pickle filled merry-go-round, that's what I say! Actually, a pickled merry-go-round sounds amazing. Does anyone have one? No? We'll just settle for this:

Anyway, if you haven't voted on this one, do it now, only a few days remain. Not as though we trust you. After all, you all decided that I couldn't beat up an infant. Ridiculous.

Flash Forward.

Imagine yourself one month from today.

You spend the day traveling.
Or hanging out on the beach.
Or antiquing.
Or sailing.
Or eating fried seafood.
Or chowder.
Or lobster rolls.
Or roaming the streets of P'Town.
Or combos of the above.

As that day winds to a close, you swing by 3 Edgewood Way.

Find yourself at a relaxed BBQ in the backyard.
Rehearsal dinner.

They'll be people there.
People you recognize.
People you don't.

Drinking.
Eating.
Listening to music.
Dressed casually.
Enjoying the late summer sun.

This continues into the evening.

You meet new people.
Chat with old friends.
Play some lawn games.
Eat too much.
Drink too much.
Drink too little.
Sit around on picnic blankets.

When it's all winding down, you go to wherever you're staying.
Think about what beach to hit in the morning.
Whether surfing is a good decision.
Or if you should just look for the best salt water taffy instead.

Get some rest.
Tomorrow night, it starts again.
Same thing all over, only this time, we're getting effing hitched.

See you then.

Seven Weeks...

And things are rolling right along. Some of you have discussed the details of the wedding with us. However, what many of you might not know is just how collaborative an event this is.

You know by now that Marcy Gallegos was the mastermind behind the invites.

But did you know that our friend Alex Bliss is baking the cake?

Or that Lauren Gardner (no relation, oddly, or is there?) is in charge of the photos? With some assistance from Jim Flood, no less.

Also, we're proud to announce that none other than Beth Manchester will be in charge of the officiating. This could be the beginning of a long, successful career as an officiant. Or it could just be a once off. Either way, it's gonna be sweetness.

Marc Balgavy and Erik Courson are masterminding a custom-made cornhole set. Marc has also expressed interest in honing his flower arranging skills. We'll be taking him up on this offer.

Dan Raphael, Sujan Hong-Raphael, Luke Tucker and Jennifer Suh are providing assistance with pickles and flowers, not to mention D&S have provided us with the ringbearers in the form of their offspring, Sam & Otis (see STD post for photographic evidence). Also, Luke will likely show us funny Werner Herzog videos during the lead-up.

And we're sure this won't be all the help that'll be provided by friends. There are many others that will be hanging during the week, assisting us with drinking, lawn and board games, going to the beach and listening to copious amounts of music.

Our friends rule.

*Photos by Sean. Except the one with him in it. Not sure who took that, someone in the Cape.

About That Rehearsal Dinner...

In line with the rest of this event, the rehearsal dinner is going to be a hangout. It's an "if you're in town on Friday the 27th, come over for some grilling in the yard" type of event. 

No big to do. 

Shorts. Tees. Sundresses with pockets. Flip flops and floppy socks (not literally, it's a poor choice).

We'll make a bunch of food, play some games, break in the house and yard for the wedding the next evening.

There's a good chance we'll be spending a portion of that day at the beach by the house, so come over early if you want to go with us.

Food will be served around 7:00, so come a bit early if you want to get some sunning and beering in. Veggies will be taken care of as well, so no stress for the non-meaters in the mix.

Registry and All That.

Ok, so we've been getting asked by folks about the registry; where it is, what we want, if there are guns on it, that sort of thing.

How cute! They can all be classified by what they buy! Note that only the hipsters are "happy".

So I'll kick this off by saying that the registry is kind of a weird thing. Anyone that's done this has likely thought this. We're no different. It's strange. But we figured doing one is easier for guests than not doing one.

Considering the size of our apartment and our having lived together for some time, there's not a ton of stuff we need. There are several items on Williams-Sonoma under our names, the date of August 28, 2010. It's a pricier website, but for the sake of allegiance to my mom's job, we went with them. I used to work retail and can tell you that if you find the item cheaper somewhere else (likely), then go for it. You can contact someone at Williams-Sonoma and have them mark it off the registry. If they don't, eff them.

Aside from the Williams-Sonoma (I said it three times, we collect on that advertising money!!! jk) thing, we're also putting together some funds for the honeymoon. It won't be until 2011, so we've got some time, but are planning a trip to Spain!

 

Yes, there were many pictures of Spain online. I prefer this one.

This trip is rooted in food, as you probably guessed. We could have employed this site where you have people give money for certain aspects of the trip. Like a cab ride. Or a hotel for a night. But that seemed really complex and required some planning of the trip already. And we're planning enough for now. To be honest, we haven't really thought about the trip yet. We can do that next.

ANYWAY, ramble over. If you'd like to add something to that fund, fantastic!
At the end of the day, none of this is important. Let's just have fun and hang out with each other.

And thanks in advance for the presents. And more importantly, for being our friends.

A Weekend in the Cape.

This weekend, with McPickles riding shotgun and JSuh and Luke in the backseat, we ventured out to see what the caterers had to offer.

Long story short, the food part was a success. You'll find out in August. 

Perhaps more importantly, we had an amazing (albeit short) weekend trip. Beach, bocce, mint juleps, high 60's, sunshine, antique perusing, plenty of eating and leisurely drive down 6A.

Spring doesn't suck.

P.S. I did not take a single one of these photos. That's what Flickr's for. But when we or someone we know takes one, it'll be noted. Pretty, aren't they?

I'm Hungry. What Do We Eat Here? (Vol. II)

Let's talk more about food!

For those who don't know, one town north of Truro lies Provincetown. North of Provincetown? The end of the earth. See what I mean?


There are lots of great things about Provincetown. Beautiful beaches, lots of fun places to shop, delicious things to eat and there are the men. Oh the men. Ladies and gentlemen who are not of this particular persuasion, please allow those of us gentlemen and ladies who are a moment to indulge.


There's something for everyone, folks!

Anyway, food. Say you spend the day in Provincetown and get hungry. Because you are human. And we like to eat.

Breakfast.

The Post Office Cafe is a delightful place for breakfast or brunch situated conveniently under a cabaret.


I have definitely had a medicinal mimosa here a time or two. They make great omelets, have an interesting menu of options and your server is sure to be extra witty as he or she prepares for the cabaret show that evening.

After strolling down Commercial Street, popping into the t-shirt shops (for heaven's sake do NOT buy that Irish Yoga t-shirt for $30, trust me) and taking in the sights, you're probably hungry again, right? Is it just me?

Snack.

The Provincetown Portuguese Bakery.


To quote one Yelper: "Oh. My. EFFING. God. Malassadas." A malassada is a hulking chunk of fried dough that is sort of like a french toast donut. Highly recommended piping hot out of the fryer. And don't stop there. They have a case full of sweet and savory delicacies.

After you've sifted through the Army/Navy Store, you're likely getting thirsty. Just a few minutes in the other direction, you'll find The Pig. A great, divey place for a cheap beer and some curry fries.


Now. Sit on the beach for about an hour. Or, if you're crazy like that, fly a kite! Get hungry again. Because you have dinner reservations.

Dinner.

One option: Ciro & Sal's. Guys, I won't lie to you. Ciro & Sal, post breaking up, have had some tough times at their eponymous restaurant. I'm told that it was once a Provincetown institution. A gem that could be counted on time and time again for a delicious, homey, Italian experience. When I went there, the food was totally fine, but nothing I would jump up and down about. But sometimes, you just want to eat some pasta in a dark, cozy, really cool basement with cheese-graters for light fixtures. Because sometimes, just sometimes, you feel like history, atmosphere and a good story are worth a slightly unspectacular rigatoni. If this is how you feel, go to Ciro & Sal's.


If that is not how you feel, go to Devon's.

I repeat. Go to Devon's.


Be prepared to wait a few minutes (no sweat, the shops next door are practically BEGGING you to walk into them). We went with a reservation and still had to wait a cool 15 minutes for a table. It's worth it. I once ate a pork chop here the size of my head that was improbably juicy and tender, paired with perfectly ripe peaches seared white hot on a sizzling grill. I hear they also do brunch (for those of you who like that kind of thing). Like lots of the restaurants in P-Town, it's a little pricier than most places on the Cape, but you really get what you pay for. Lovely water views, sweet and knowledgeable service, great food and an open kitchen to watch and enjoy.

Are you hungry yet? Go! Go!


Post Office Cafe & Cabaret
303 Commercial St
Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-3892

Provincetown Portuguese Bakery
299 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657-2202
(508) 487-1803

The Squealing Pig
335 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657
(508) 487-5804

Ciro & Sal's (which might just be called Sal's place now)
4 Kiley Court
Provincetown, MA 02657-2435
(508) 487-6444

Devon's
401 1/2 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657

Make This! Vol. III

This one is off the books, since I just made it up. Or didn't. It might exist somewhere and is called "Dark and Blah Blah Blah", but I didn't use The Google, so we'll never know.

1 1/2 oz. dark rum (Rhum Barbancourt is perfect)
3/4 oz. grapefruit
1/2 oz. Applejack*
3 dashes Angostura bitters (Go get some, the shortage is over!)

*Applejack is really something special. While I've mostly moved on to Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy (100 proof, suckers! Plus, it's maybe my favorite bottle ever, see below), Applejack holds a spot near and dear to my heart. It's a crucial component to the mighty Jack Rose, a cocktail that Rachel Maddow has a crush on. And since we have a crush on her, enjoy:



Anywho, she also goes for the boozy version. But the 80 proof Applejack works wonderfully and will keep you hanging on a bit longer during an evening of drinking.

Talk about a digression!

Back to that thing I made. I don't know what it's called, but it's great (I would know, I'm sipping it right now). So go make it and stop taking my word for it.


Yeah, I know. It's hot.

Of Course I Will.

And now, for some answers that everyone wants to some questions that everyone has.

How to get your girlfriend to become your fiancée:


Buy her a record she's had her eyes on for years. Put on her favorite song.

Make this.


Actually, just make that anyway. It's amazing.

Act nervous. Sit down to dinner. Smile at her how you usually do because she is stuffing her face and bobbing her head to her favorite song - until she notices you slip these off, nervously under the table, so that you won't propose to her in them:


Get down on one knee, adorably.

With her mouth full, she will say, "Oh my gosh! Right now?"

She is a huge nerd.

Hold out something that looks an awful lot, but not quite like this.


Say some really amazing stuff about proposing at home because THIS is the good stuff, the stuff that you want to get married for. She won't be able to tell you right then, but she will think that this is the best way anyone has ever proposed to anyone.

Don't be alarmed when she starts to cry. She is doing it because she is super, super excited.

She will say, "OF COURSE I WILL!"

Then, just plan a wedding.

Easy, right?


See you August 28th!

Make This! Vol. II

Cocktail #2: The Brooklyn.

What could be more fitting? Or upset our friend Byhoff more than me talking about our hood yet again? In drink form this time!

Anywho, it's delicious and fairly simple to make. The key here is the maraschino liqueur, which is not only an amazing booze culled from cherries (not those disgusting neon red things, it's actually Dalmation Marasca cherries plus their pits, stems and seeds all crushed up, creating a delightful clear liqueur), but the bottle for the Luxardo brand is stunning. Don't trust me?

See? Told you. No need to apologize.

Get some of this for your bar. You won't regret it. Not only does it taste amazing in the Brooklyn, but it's also a necessary component in the Hemingway Daiquiri, not to mention The Aviation (which, simply put, is one of the best cocktails in history).

Ok, enough about other drinks. Make this!

1 1/2 oz. rye (nothing fancy, Old Overholt works just fine)

1/2 oz. dry vermouth

1/4 oz. Amer Picon

1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur

Stir together in a mixing glass and strain into a coupe.

Also, I have a book that has the recipe totally wrong, yet it's still delicious. So I figure I'll mention it, especially since you might not have Amer Picon.

1 1/2 oz. rye

1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (as if they're just interchangeable...)

1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur

Stir together in a mixing glass and strain into a coupe. Garnish with lemon twist.

Don't stress the details. Sure, they're remarkably different (easy to do when the latter is just plain wrong), but they're both amazing. So make one and pour it down your gullet.

Cheers.

Make This! Vol. I

Cocktail #1: The Jungle Bird.

When I "The Google" this drink, I get:

Which makes me think of Best Man extraordinaire Matt Gardner's 2009 Halloween costume:

Sorry ladies, he's taken.

Yeah, that just happened. Anywho, The Jungle Bird is a drink. And a lovely one at that. The link there will give you the traditional beverage, but I prefer my version, which cuts the sugar completely and adds a bit more lime. How else you gonna fight off the scurvy? 

To make one, get out a shaker and some ice cubes. Add:

1 1/2 oz. dark rum (I use Rhum Barbancourt)

3/4 oz. Campari (Don't like it? Try it in this. Trust, fool.)

4 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice (the stuff in the can is unsweetened)

3/4 oz. lime juice

Shake, shake, shake it like a bottle of ketchup. Or that other thing.

Pour into a loaded rocks glass. It's like a boozy, exotic latte. Or a less sweet Mai Tai. And there's not a damn thing wrong with that, is there? 

There is? Fine.

For those argumentative folks among us, I present you with this Jungle Bird.

Needed: One lady to wear this hotness. Must love mustaches, chest hair, Detroit Tigers, British sidekicks, Ferraris and inquisitive men.

Kream 'N' Kone.

Remember when McPickles told you that she'd have a food post for those of you afraid/unwilling/allergic to creatures of the sea?

This isn't it.

Actually, if you care about your body at all, you might want to skip this post.

(Are they gone now?)

You made the right call. Are you seriously going to turn down "The Finest Fried Seafood Anywhere"? Didn't think so.

Don't get me wrong, it's kinda gross. And offensive to anyone with a desire or ability to participate in the rules of grammar. Once you're over that, this place is delightful. There's one in Chatham, which is dingier than the other one somewhere down Route 28 (I scoured for photos of the Chatham exterior and I've come to the conclusion that the "Kream 'N' Kone" executives have scrubbed the internets clean of any and all such images. To be fair, they're all potentially damaging).

Now, I realize I just tossed out some aggressive language that would scare most people off. But tell you what, if you're looking for a plate of fried sea critters, look no further. They'll give you shrimp, fish, scallops, oysters and clams (Are you eating strips? Really? Get the belly, dude.) all stacked together on a bed of fries and onion rings. Sure, they won't win any points on Iron Chef for creativity or, God forbid, plating (it's all one hue). But boy does it look golden brown and taste fried.

Get the ketchup, vinegar and extra tartar sauce ready, it's on!

Also, I guess they have ice cream (hence the "Kone", but I never bother).

Look who's back.

I'm Hungry, What Do We Eat Here? (Vol. I)

We're obviously going to have a few of these.

So you've found yourself in Cape Cod with a grumbling stomach. What to eat?

First rule: Do not - I repeat, DO NOT - eat at any establishment named after either any device used to trap lobsters or parts of their anatomy. The Lobster Pound. The Lobster Pool. The Lobster Claw. Don't trust me? Check this out. Is your sound on? Good. Hold onto your effing hats!


There are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between. Actually, just to be safe, try not to eat anywhere that has a combination of nets, traps and buoys hanging from the roof either. Trust me. It will be overpriced, watery and disappointing.

Remember those exceptions I mentioned? Here's one:


This is Mac's Shack in Wellfleet and (in my opinion) one of the best places on the Cape to eat. They have a lovely outdoor bar with lots of great cocktail options, a lightning fast raw bar and an inventive oyster shooters menu.


Their menu is a mix of fresh takes on Cape Cod favorites (you can still get a wicked bucket of steamers, as well) and some of the freshest sushi I've ever eaten in my life. It is also one of the only places in the US that I've ever been served fresh, raw, grated wasabi with my meal. Swayze ate his first hamachi collar here and has never been the same since. (For those of you who've never had the pleasure, it's basically the chicken wing of the ocean. Usually glazed with sweet soy and grilled to a crisp. Delectable.)

Actually, does anyone want to go RIGHT NOW?? I love this place.


More wedding-oriented stomach grumbles to come! (Including some options for those of us who are physically or mentally allergic to shellfish. You'll still be able to eat things!)

Mac's Shack
91 Commercial St
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 349-6333