Pssst, Boston... ready for another gathering?

That menu, I'm in love.

the starters <thud>

and the snacks

CHIPS & DIP 4
FRY OF THE DAY 6
MARINATED OLIVES 4
SPICED PEANUTS 3
HOUSE CHARCUTERIE 5
OFFAL 5

olives, offal and a draught

Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Co. , Downingtown PA 5
Allagash White, Portland, ME 5
Hop Meadow IPA, Thomas Hooker , Hartford, CT 5.50
Black Marlin Porter, Ballast Point , San Diego , CA 5.50
Black Fly Stout, Gritty McDuff�s , Freeport, ME 5.50

ohhhhh yeahhhhhh

<Checking in ... Looking around ...>

Hm -- everything seems to be going according to plan. Somehow this is making me nervous. This is Boston, right? Dasha isn't celebrating in Den Haag today? Just making sure ...

it's taken us 8-9 years, but we've finally figured out how to plan Bahstin gatherings...

So what happened? I showed up the Grille at about 10 minutes before 7. The maitre d' told me there was no Thompson party scheduled. He checked his roster three times. I walked through the upstairs dining room -- no A2kers. Again -- so, what happened?

RP and I got there just at 7, we must've missed you. Damn!

Pics to follow, probably later this weekend. Verra sleepy right now but there were free beers and a free T pass involved in the evening's festivities. Plus a plant named Thomas and an informed discussion about Highlander.

Dammit Merry! We were all there at 7pm! Well, most of us were. And Jes was the only one to remember her camera. So, we will rely on her pix. Also verra tired. Sorry to have missed MA......

Pics! Everyone looks fab!!

Dr. Dasha in a pensive mood:

Dag's Posse (left to right - Jeremy, Adam, Dag, littlek, Emma, RP, Lily, Dave):

Laughing folk (left to right - me, RP, Lily, Dave, Adam, Dasha, littlek, Jeremy) :

Thomas the plant:

Thomas the plant with RP's right arm:. The plant is a heavy drinker. We will have to stage an intervention next time.

The Whole Crew (but missing Slappy, who had left, and Thomas and littlek's bro who arrived later) (left to right - me, RP, Lily, Dave, Adam, Jeremy, Dasha, littlek, Emma):

Who are these people?

oh, they are fab! thanks for coming, y'all! slowly waking up.

crap...did it again. this is Dag. sorry.

Fine group! Happy Day, Dag.


You know I'm hoping for a food report at some point...

Oh what a good looking crowd! Looks like y'all had lots of fun there.
jespah gave us another surprise picture of herself - you've come a long way, babe!
dr. dagmar is glowing - does it feel like home to be back in Boston?

how late did you guys stay?
we were in zombie-like states by 10pmish...

I remain in a zombie-like state. Zzzzz.

Certain German0-New Jerseyans, on the other hand, haven't figured out how to pay attention to the plan. They stubbornly attend their events according to their Facebook calendar, which scheduled the party at 9pm. Unlike everybody else, they are blissfuly ignorant of the Facebook discussion surrounding said event, which clearly stated that the dinner table reservation was for 7pm. These Germano-New Jerseyans then spend the time from 7 to 9pm working out at Boston Sports Clubs on Massachusetts Avenue to kill time, less than 100 yards from the restaurant where they could have had infinitely more fun hanging out with a lovely crowd. Just speaking in general of course ....

Apart from that, I had tons of fun. Dasha has an excellent taste in friends and coworkers; they were fascinating to listen to, as far as I could hear them over the roaring noise at the bar. Sorry I missed you, Slappy and Merry Andrew!

I'm glad to notice the very handsome luck tree / ficus sitting besides littlek in my absence. Very good. That means I'm adequately represented.

Hi all (littlek is back). I continue to be in zombie state. Dasha left this am, so maybe a little bit of a depressed state as well. But, it was a fun time and there are tentative plans for a littek visit to Europe.

Thomas, sorry there was confusion. The bar was indeed loud and crowded - our group was spread out in two to three bunches for most of the night. Hard to have conversations with more than a couple people at once.

Food for Osso: I had the gnocchi as did Dasha and Thomas. I thought it was heavily over-salted, but they did not. I am guessing that someone accidently double-salted mine. I had a side of sauted spinach which had actual grains of rock salt in it to add to the misery. And, I ordered an mixed olive appetizer, which was also salty (of course). I drank the Stone Pale Ale. I got three, but only paid for one. I gave the third to a friend. After dinner I had a Parisian Orchid (a fancy citrus-y drink).

I left earlier than many. I was zombifying myself. I think I went sometime after midnight. I fell asleep on the couch until Dasha and her friend Gina came home.

We left at about 10 -- RP is still getting over the cold from hell. Amazingly enough, our bus was right outside (we did not plan it this way) so we got home quickly. RP had a roast chicken dish, I think it was a half a chicken, with mashed potatoes. I had a taste, it was all right.

I had the spinach salad. I would have liked it better if it was bigger and had some protein in it. In retrospect, I could've had the calamari appetizer (the one that wasn't fried and it wasn't too fatty or salty, like the olives). I had a Sam Adams Lite, finished about 3/4 of it and felt lightheaded all the next day, too.

Hmm I'm sure I'm affected more as there is less on me these days. I think I last had beer last Summer and it was probably a similar amount. A 12-oz. bottle just seems to be too much.

How was the bread? It looked good, sourdoughy, but also like the crust may have been tough.

Thanks for food reportage. Mmm, Boston, I probably would have gone for seafood and olives. But ms. picky is picky about those too. On beer, I somehow got over it, back in the early marriage theater group days. A half a bottle - no matter how wonderful, and I've tried and like some of those - is enough already. The idea of a pitcher for a few of us now, nooooooooo. I'm not, alas, similarly temperate with other items.