19 August 2008

Where I've Been

by Dan Phillips

This is just a really-brief space-taker, because that's all I've time to do. My wife packs our days with brilliant plans, and today's no different. Nut sure when I'll manage a more "substantial" post, since everything will continue to be a bit of a whirlwind through the weekend.

We walked the Freedom Trail in Boston, about which I'll say more, later, somewhere. But the most exhausting part was this: the Bunker Hill memorial obelisk.

Rachael and I climbed 294 steps that spiraled straight up, and straight down. The narrow stairway barely accommodates the two-way traffic, and there are no real areas to rest. You just stop, try to make a narrow profile, and gasp until you can hear something other than your thundering heart, then move on.

At the top, forty-eight gazillion feet in the air... there are coins on the sill. No idea how.


Then after an exhausting day and at Frank Turk's recommendation, we dined at Legal Sea Foods. Yum.

So glad not to be under the law of Moses.

Dan Phillips's signature

33 comments:

Sam said...

"So glad not to be under the law of Moses."

I hear that! Legal Seafood is great, but make sure you never visit its bad knockoff: Legalist Seafood. All they have is grilled tilapia and they cast you out if you aren't ritually clean. Worst dining experience of my life! Anyway, glad to hear you had a memorable time.

Mike Westfall said...

SKO had me laughing with that Legalist Seafood stuff.

On the other hand, Dan, it looks like you're an antinomian when it comes to seafood.

Solameanie said...

Eating scavengers. Yum?!?

Did you see the advisory not to eat that green crud inside of lobsters? I guess it's pretty toxic.

I'll stick with a good old Porterhouse.

Kay said...

oo, yes, give me dead cow over dead sea-cockroach any day.

Matt said...

You should also try the restaurant down the road - Illegal Seafood. Make sure you go under the cover of dark.

Strong Tower said...

You killed Larry Lobster, wahhhhhhh!

Udarnik said...

Okay, Dan... did you visit the Park Street Church on your walk? Be sure to head over to Faneuil Hall...

We're heading out to Maine today, where we will join you in celebrating the triumph of Jesus over the elementary principles:

Colossians 2:20 & 21 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

I hope to handle a crab roll as soon as I can... then, taste some haddock down to Helen's and cap it all with a touch of fresh blueberry pie. Finest kind!

Suffering for Christ downeast!

donsands said...

Did ya "Pack ya cah in Havud Yad"?

BTW, the Bosox are playing the Orioles here in Balmer. And there are actually more Boston fans at the game. Amazing people these Bostonians.

Nic pics. May the Lord bless and protect you and your fam.

beachbirdie said...

Ugh...eating things that you boil alive? Not for me!

But glad you had a good time. My husband has traveled to Boston for business a few times, loves it and loves the people he worked with there. He eats dead sea creatures at Legal Seafood too (sigh...)

Solameanie said...

"Sea cockroach." ROFL. Now THAT's one to remember. Good one, Libbie.

Bo,

As to "haddock," the very word nauseates me. I imagine it's because I read Herman Wouk's "City Boy," where Herbie becomes very, very ill from eating boiled haddock in a New York restaurant.

This is quickly becoming an offshoot of one of Phil's "I ingested this exotic [read that, gross] fare today" metas. I would make some sort of vegetable remark, but now I see that eating veggies is no longer safe because of nasty critters they soak up through the ground. Salmonella sandwich, anyone?

Udarnik said...

Oh, solameanie, you must be brave and request haddock for your next mess of fish and chips. 9 out of 10 Mainers and 10 out of 10 Brits agree that haddock rules... halibut or cod are the second choice.

Haddock is as an excellent source of dietary protein. It also contains a good deal of vitamin B12, pyridoxine, and selenium, and a healthy balance of sodium and potassium, with very little fat.

And, for those who call lobster and other delights from the sea "unclean," I offer the same exhortation Peter received:

And a voice came to him, “Arise, Peter, kill and eat!” Acts 10:13

Mike Westfall said...

Healthy fish and chips?
You're kidding, right?

I mean, what's the point?

Solameanie said...

Bo,

I have a better suggestion . . .

Especially when caught from a spring-fed lake such as Lake Charles in Arkansas. Deep fried with hush puppies and fried potatoes.

Yum.

Susan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susan said...

My link in my first post doesn't open, so I deleted it and am trying again (why can't they add an "edit" function on Blogger??):

"On the other hand, Dan, it looks like you're an antinomian when it comes to seafood."

Come on, Mesa Mike, I thought you already knew that when Dan took that picture of that teeny-weeny octopus on his plate last month!!!

As for Libbie's comment about sea cockroaches, I have never heard that before. So I did a search on it--and guess what I found? (WARNING: POSSIBLY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR THE QUEASY OF STOMACH.)

Udarnik said...

I'm game for some crappie with hush puppies. Can you get slaw with that and, if so, green or red... what works the best?

lee n. field said...

Ahh, Cockroach of the Sea!

"Legal Sea Foods"????? Whasup wit dat?

Anonymous said...

Maybe you could also try Paralegal Seafood. That's the place where they sit down beside you and help you eat all those... sea cockroaches.

Or perhaps Legal Beagle Seafood, where you first must sign a waiver of liability before cramming the calimari.

I have to say, being a native Nebraskan (you know, out here where all the real red meat is grown?) I am partial to a good chunk of bovine flesh. But anytime I get near a coast I have to get some good fresh seafood. It tends to lose something on the long truch ride to the great plains where I live.

Barbara said...

Y'all are reminding me of a little ditty from way back when...

...I walked over to a place called the Oyster Bar
A real dive, but I knew the owner
He used to play for the Dolphins
I said "Hi, Gill!"
You have to yell, he's hard of herring.

Gill was also down on his luck
Fact is he was barely keeping his head below water
I bellied up to the sandbar, he poured me the usual
Rusty snail, hold the grunion, shaken not stirred
With a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich on the side, heavy on the mako
I slipped him a fin, on porpoise

I was feeling good
I even dropped a sand dollar in the box for Jerry's squids, just for the halibut


Well the place was crowded
We were packed in like sardines
They were all there to listen to the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsal
What sole!

Tommy was rockin' the place with a very popular tuna
"Salmon Chanted Evening"
And the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers
Probably there to see the bass player...


...and so on it goes. ;)

Susan said...

You know, Doulos, I was thinking about Paralegal Seafoods--I heard that place has the largest lawyer clientele in town!

Mike Westfall said...

Then there's Barely Legal Seafood where the Lobsters they serve are a bit small (but not too small).

Susan said...

Salmon enchanted evening,
You can see an angler....

One of my favorite tunes, Barbara. Anyone out there who can possibly finish the rest for me???

Susan said...

Oh, sorry. That's "salmon chanted evening".

CR said...

Did you try the Boston Creme Pie

Solameanie said...

Where's a good case of ptomaine when you need one?

Stefan Ewing said...

Libbie and Solameanie are singing my tune.

Anonymous said...

Just remember what that old REO Speedwagon album said:

"You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish."

Anonymous said...

Or Jimmy Buffett's immortal album:

"A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean"

bassicallymike said...

The blackened crappie are healthier, especially over rice and ooohh so delicious too. Cook em outside or inside only with a strong vent fan. There will be smoke!

Gilbert said...

This meta has made me completely lose my appetite.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

What's not to like about food you need a bib to eat?

DJP said...

That's what I'm sayin'.

Susan said...

I love seafood--but I refuse to eat those REAL sea cockroaches that I found on Youtube!