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Back Out on Wednesday!

I had planned on going to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort this Wednesday since last Friday, when Geno (the bartender) told me Matt Grainger would be playing.  Regular readers may recall that on Friday I went to the Saalty Dawg Saloon hoping to hear him but was too early.  Today I was right on time!

It was actually a little before six when I arrived at Fratello’s.  Music was to start at six.  I saw Matt Grainger in his car.  We smiled and waved at each other, which made me feel pretty good.  I have spoken to him a couple of times; he knows I am a fan.

Walking into Fratello’s,  I encountered another Matt, my niece Kimi’s boyfriend.  Kimi was there too.  I sat on the opposite side of the bar from my usual preference, just to be sociable.

This is from a different visit.

I put in a picture of them from my Media Library, because I did not take any tonight and only one I took of Matt Grainger came put.

Kimi and her Matt were sharing Chicken Riggies.  It looked good, but after much debate with myself I ordered Garlic  Parmesan Wings and Garlic Bread with Mozzarella.  The food was delicious, and the music was excellent.

He is fine, yes.

I took notes in my adventure book about the different songs he played, but I see I am over 200 words and I am tired.  Let me just say that I had a wonderful time and greatly enjoyed Matt Grainger’s music.

I think this is better than a Wuss-out Wednesday Post,  don’t you?

 

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Fun Friday

How about a late Friday post that is not lame?  At least it will not be admittedly lame, as it includes two Mohawk Valley Adventures and  couple seasonal pictures.

My friend Kim and I started our evening with a cocktail tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY.  Felicia, one out our favourite pourers, was giving samples of pre-mixed drinks in cans.

I had to get a picture of the Eastery display.

Kim especially liked the sign:  “EVERY HOUR IS HAPPY HOUR.”  I was taken with the bunny butts.  The drinks were made with vodka or tequila with real fruit juice and no added sugar.  They were pretty tasty, but not really my thing.

From the liquor store we went to Yetty’s for supper.  We were happy to find seats at the bar.  We had not been there in a while, but the bartender remembered us and greeted us warmly.  The first thing I noticed was that the head that graces the shelf behind the bar was dressed for the holiday.

It was perhaps a little dark, but you can see the bunny ears.

We both had fish and chips.  Kim had mayonnaise with hers; I got tartar sauce.  It was quite yummy.  We had a very fun evening, and I got a real blog post out of it (or do I flatter myself?).

Valley Wine and Liquor is located at  326 S. Caroline St.  Yetty’s is at 109 Mohawk St.  Both are in Herkimer, NY.  For more information,  you can visit their Facebook pages.

 

Not Much Post But Cute Pictures

I was too tired on Tuesday to make even a Tired Tuesday Post.  I would only have whined for 200 words, as I have done in the past.  It is now Wednesday morning.  I did not take my daily walk (can you still call it a daily walk when you miss a day once a week?), but I thought I would try to come up with some semblance of a blog post.

One thing I have is a couple of cute pictures I took at FarmHouse Restaurant in Ilion, NY, when I went there for a breakfast that I neglected to make a blog post about.

It looks like the creamer is talking to the cup.

I actually did not put creamer in my coffee, but it was so cute I had to include it in the picture.   I ordered a breakfast sandwich, which I did not take a picture of (I will end a sentence with a preposition if I decide to).  However, when I finished it,  I noticed the frogs on the plate.  My husband, Steve, collects frogs.  I took a picture so he could be jealous.

So cute!

Who knows, maybe the frog plates will entice Steve to join me for breakfast one day!

FarmHouse Restaurant is located at  9 Central Ave, Ilion, NY, phone number 315-895-0770.  They are open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,  8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, closed Wednesday.   However,  I noticed on Facebook that they would like to expand their hours, based on staffing.

 

Sunday Yum!

This morning I indulged in my new Sunday thing of treating myself to breakfast at Farm House Restaurant in Ilion.

It is small but mighty.

I felt I deserved the treat, but perhaps I flatter myself.  I slept in till after six then went for a run immediately.  After the run and before my shower,  I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen,  including sweeping and mopping the floor.  At the risk of making myself look even worse than usual, I will confess I had not done dishes since Friday.

With a veritable tower of dishes air drying (I refuse to waste effort on what patience will accomplish), I was disinclined to dirty anything more.  I have had a few breakfasts at Farmhouse since discovering they are open Sundays.  I was delighted to return.

The restaurant is tiny but welcoming.  Last week I was fancy and had Eggs Benedict but today I had an egg sandwich with bacon and provolone on an Everything bagel.  Yum!  I also had coffee.  Since it was a good three hours later than I usually have my first cup, the hot brew was more than welcome.

The magic elixir that makes my morning better!

I greatly enjoyed my breakfast and may return on every possible Sunday.

Farmhouse Restaurant is located at  9 Central Ave., Ilion, NY,  phone number 315-895-0770.  They are open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Wednesday.

 

Short, Late Post about Good Music and Food

Oops, I missed making my Wednesday blog post, a true Wuss-out Wednesday, I suppose. I did not have rehearsal, so naturally Steve and I went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for music and food. Stay home and study my lines, you suggest? I can do that later. Phil Arcuri was playing!

Old photo, but he still looks like this.

We chatted up our favorite bartender, Toni (although we like all the bartenders), and enjoyed a shrimp basket (Steve) and a Cuban wrap (me).

Another previously used photo.

I don’t have time to make a proper blog post (that is, 200 words) (by my rules for me), but for a late Wuss-out Wednesday Post, I hope this will do.

Fun with Friends at Salvatore’s

I missed making my Tired Tuesday Post for a good reason. We were meeting friends for dinner. Oh, OK, I could have come home and made a blog post before bed. I did not. Judge me if you are so inclined.

Our good friends Bonnie and Marty were up from Florida. They attended a wedding elsewhere in the state and took the opportunity to visit other family and friends, including us. Yay! We were happy to introduce them to one of our favorite places, Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Herkimer, NY.

We were invited to sit where we liked. We selected a table near the window but almost immediately switched to one across the room, more in the shade.

“They will not mind if we switch tables,” I said. They did not.

On looking at the Specials board, I had immediately decided on the Chicken Wrappini with spinach, feta, and raspberry vinaigrette. It was as delicious as I had hoped. Bonnie got a calzone, which I may have to get next time. Marty had a Meat Lover’s Pizza, which also looked good. Steve had chicken tenders. I may eat his leftovers.

We enjoyed catching up while we ate, and we had a lot of laughs. I love taking my far away friends to our local treasures!

Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-2600. They are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Another Good Place to Eat

We’ve driven by Dibbles Inn in Middleville, NY many times. Our friend, Phil Arcuri, a talented local musician, plays there on occasion. One day recently, we decided to stop for a weeknight dinner. There was no music, but we had a fun time and an excellent meal.

It was a lovely May evening, and several people were sitting at outdoor tables. I was highly amused to see half a mannequin sporting brightly patterned leggings.

We opted to go inside and sit at the bar. We admired the rustic decor (why is my computer underlining “decor”? That is so a word!): lots of wood, a few humorous signs, and another half mannequin with similar leggings. There are also a lot of windows, letting in the bright sunlight, which to me is a lovely thing.

In addition to the regular menu, several specials were available. I was tempted by Taco Tuesday but opted for a Black and Bleu Burger. Steve got clam strips from the appetizer menu. The bartender warned hi that it was not very big, but Steve has a light appetite these days (as an added note, my computer did NOT underline the typos “stirps” and “ut.” What’s that all about, computer?).

While we ate we enjoyed a little conversation with other patrons. I love it when that happens. A man we didn’t know won some money on Instant Lottery and bought the bar a round. We were so pleased he included us. He could have just bought drinks for his friends and we wouldn’t have thought anything of it. We made sure to thank him.

When we left, another patron we had never met encouraged us to come again. We will!

Dibbles Inn is located at 25 Bridge St., Middleville, NY, phone number 315-891-7789.

Yes, Wednesday is Still a Thing

So I had a true Wuss-out Wednesday yesterday and did not post at all. These things happen, of course. What happened was this:

I came home from work and said to my husband, Steve, “Four words: Phil Arcuri at Fratello’s.” That was all it took to get him off the loveseat and into respectable clothes.

Since the music would not start till six, I took the time to go for a run. At no time do I run either very far or very fast, but yesterday was even worse than expected. For one reason, I had underestimated the wind chill and not dressed appropriately. Yikes! But I persevered for what I considered the bare minimum. Then I showered and put on a cute outfit. It was time for fun!

We found a handy parking space and seats on the bar. Phil came over and said hello. He is such a great guy! The bartender, Gino, took good care of us. Steve got popcorn chicken and we split a 12-inch garlic bread with mozzarella. I hesitated over which chicken salad I wanted.

“Grilled chicken is more sensible,” I said, “but the Buffalo chicken is so delicious.” Gino suggested I get the Buffalo Chicken Salad with grilled chicken. Genius! I added black olives and asked for parmesan-peppercorn dressing. The beauty part is I would have leftover salad for lunch on Thursday and Friday.

We did not have long to wait for the music to start, and did we ever enjoy it! We chair danced, sang along, and applauded each number. Phil sang hits from Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Cash, the Beatles and more. I was delighted when Gino requested “Mustang Sally,” one of my favorites.

Sing it, Phil!

I suppose I only could have written this last night, but when we got home I watched Dateline instead. Sue me.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484. They are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to p.m. Sunday. You can follow them on Facebook to find out their music schedule. It’s not just on Wednesdays!

Food, Music, and STEVE!

Yesterday, Steven got sprung from the pen, and by pen, I mean nursing home. In celebration, and since it was Wednesday, we went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort to enjoy food and music.

We got there before the music actually started. I introduced Steve to my favorite bartender, Toni. We pored over the menus, pondering.

This is actually a picture from a different visit, but she is still this cute.

I finally decided on a burger, which was a recent addition to the Fratello’s menu. Yum! Steven opted for a shrimp basket.

Yummy! The food was good, too.

Music was by Matt Migliore. We had not heard him before. We enjoyed him very much.

I don’t know who the guy in yellow was.

I did not make notes on what songs he played. Steven especially enjoyed a Beatles tune. We danced our way out to Billy Joel’s “My Life.” Matt waved us a friendly good-bye.

Nice!

We enjoyed our food and the music, and I was delighted to introduce Steve to my Wednesday night thing.