Ireland’s 4Ps
Ireland’s Four Provinces is one of my favorite spots in FCC. Irish restaurants/bars are ubiquitous in this area (and most areas). What makes the 4p’s different is authenticity. I’ve been to bars in Limerick, Galway, Cork, Killarney, Feakle, etc, and I’m not saying the 4p’s is the same as being in Ireland. I’m saying that when you go to the 4p’s, more often than not, your server has an Irish accent, and you can get a proper pint with good fish and chips (see pic above). There are plenty of Americanized items on the menu too (I had she crab soup (amazing) and a caesar salad for lunch today), but as an overall experience, you’ll be hard pressed to find another Irish place thats more authentic (maybe try the Dubliner in DC). One of my favorite parts about the 4p’s is the music. On Tuesday nights (sometimes Monday), you can find a large group gathered round a large table in the main room, playing traditional Irish music. They don’t get paid, and don’t perform, but if you’re there, you can enjoy their music. For a low quality video of a vine, but a taste of the music none the less:
The 4p’s has a decent St. Paddy’s Day party, but if you’re looking for a crazy time, you’re better off at Murphy’s in Alexandria. The best Irish musician I’ve ever heard live was at the 4p’s one night. I requested the song found below, and it did not disappoint.
If you’re looking for more info on the 4p’s, or FCC restaurants in general, check out this blog I just came across:
http://www.littlecitylegend.com/2014/01/exploring-happy-hour-2-part-i-irelands.html#more
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Virginia’s best Fried Chicken
I’m craving some friend chicken. Here are my two faves:
The little river market has great salty friend chicken. I only get to go maybe twice a year, but its always delicious. The only pictures of it I could find were when we got some, “salty fried chicken” (as requested by the captain) for some fishing in bay. Natty boh optional, but highly recommended.
I blurred my buddy’s face to protect the innocent.
My second favorite fried chicken spot is Moseberth’s. If you’re in the Portsmouth area, stop by, and don’t forget some gizzards.
(photo credit, I couldn’t find a pic I took)
As for a local option, I’ve heard good things about Flavors, but I’ve not been. My favorite local fried chicken is bon chon, but thats Korean style, not Southern style. My wife and sister both make great friend chicken. Anybody know where to get good Southern friend chicken in Nova or DC?
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Football and BBQ
I got my dad a smoker for xmas. He called me about coming over and breaking her in before the big game. I got on the interwebs and found a recipe for beef back ribs (something I hadn’t smoked before), called around until I found some (all the way out in Springfield), threw some beers in the cooler, cooler in the truck, and headed over.
There a ton of info out there on what to buy, and how to get started smoking, so I won’t get into it in depth. I will say that no matter what kind of charcoal cooking you do, you’d be crazy not to start without a charcoal chimney. To keep an even temp in the Weber Smokey Mountain, I used the minion method. For wood, we chose mesquite and apple. Mesquite can impart too strong of a flavor in some meats, and for some people, but I tend to like it most of the time. When the grill got up to temp, and I’d rubbed the ribs and threw them on, I headed back inside. My mom isn’t a beer drinker, so I made her a margarita.
The instructions I found online for the beef ribs called for about a 5 hour smoke, so we had some time to kill. The wife got some buffalo chicken dip going in the crockpot, and we headed downstairs for some pool, pinball, and darts.
At 4:30 or so our friends started arriving. I sauced half of the ribs about then, and left the rest dry. I pulled them at 5, let them rest, and then served.
One of the wives made peanut butter cup cakes, and another guest brought a peanut butter porter. It was a pretty crazy combo. The ribs were a big hit. None of us really had a team to root for, but we had good food, good friends, and plenty of beer, so it was a great night.
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Cafe Du Monde and Sally Lunn bread
I generally only read one book at a time. When I read a book I really like, I like to try to experience the book. For instance, if I’m going to Breckenridge, I might read a Bond book such as, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which based on the cover (but not my memory), involves skiing and perhaps, a ski town. In an earlier post, I suggested reading a Louis L’Amour book while in the desert. When I read The Right Stuff, I had several conversations with my father about what the space race was like (as I was not yet born). I also like to try things that are mentioned in the books. Bond books provide a wealth of items such as champagne, clothes, destinations, food (full english breakfast for instance), activities, cars, watches, etc. In the book I’m currently reading, A Man in Full, a character enjoys a breakfast of Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee, and Sally Lunn bread.
What really caught me is that they say its a Virginia recipe, yet I had not heard of it. I ordered some Cafe Du Monde on amazon prime, and asked the wife to whip up some bread. She found a recipe for Old Virginia Sally Lunn:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/old-virginia-sally-lunn-10000001962845/
It was delicious. I fixed it up with butter and blackberry jam (I believe they used plum in the book).
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Ol’ Hickory
I saw this in the washington post today (probably not worth your time, I pasted the pertinent stuff below):
While I do enjoy cheese, roquefort, brie, manchego, aged cheddar, etc., what struck me about the article was Andrew Jackson’s party planning. I fancy myself an entertainer, but the article describes the party as follows:
“According to the Wall Street Journal, one witness described the scene thusly, “The President was literally pursued by a motley concourse of people, riding, running helter-skelter, striving who should first gain admittance into the executive mansion, where it was understood that refreshments were to be distributed.” When they got to the executive mansion, glasses were broken, furniture was tossed about, and the punch was spilled.”
Sounds like a good time. I don’t have any cheese on hand, but I do have a bunch of beer left over from last weekend. Maybe I should buy a wheel and have some people over. Jackson is a president I’d like to know more about. Right now, my recollection is limited to his caning a would be assassin half to death, and his good taste in architecture.
However, a brief look at wikipedia reminded me that Jacksonian democracy involves greater democracy for the common man, expanded executive branch power, and increased public participation in government. Perhaps I’ll add a Jackson biography to my kindle queue.
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