Crazy Beaver...

Apparently, the bath salt cannibalism epidemic has spread to the mysterious world of beaver.  In Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a beaver has attacked two young girls. Click here for the full story.

Such a savage attack has gotten the Dry Fly thinking about his favorite north-woods critter, the beaver.  Now, you may not realize that Dry Fly is a BIG fan of beaver.  See below for some beaver related pictures.  I have attended a Beaver Bonanza on, of all places, Beaver Island, Michigan. Beaver Island, Michigan is the largest island in Lake Michigan and sits just off of Little Traverse Bay.  Click here to see a video called "I Dream of the Beaver", er, "I Dream of the Island."  Really though, isn't my title a bit more catchy?


If you've never been to Beaver Island, it's worth a trip.  The Beaver is pretty big and you can't always explore it fully in one day.  A few nights really digging into the Beaver is best to get a feel for how warm and inviting it can be.  The Beaver has a hairy history, but things are less hairy on the Beaver now.  Mormons invaded the Beaver years ago and some clown named Strang declared himself King of the Beaver Mormons.  That didn't last long, thankfully.

As for the weather, the Beaver can be dry and it can be wet.  Regardless, one can usually find a moist spot on the Beaver because it is surrounded by Lake Michigan.

When one visits the Beaver, drinking is the name of the game.  They call the place the Emerald Isle of the US due to the large amount of Irish immigrants who came to the island and the disproportionate number of Irish pubs located around the island.  The Beaver is pretty cheap, so money shouldn't be an issue when deciding to fully immerse oneself in the Beaver.

If you're looking for an out of the way spot to spend some time, your humble blogger says Go Beaver, or Go Home!

Our awesome shirts from the Beaver Bonanza!

I even have some super sweet beaver swag I can wear to more formal occasions.

A lapel pin which I only wear on very special occasions.

I have even been known to track and hunt beaver, although admittidly, I rarely go since meeting SaltyDog.

 Obviously, I just missed some beaver.

Coming up "Short"

Our 10 minutes late turned into 50 minutes early for church service. So it was that we began our lazy Sunday. With time to kill, we decided to spring for a quick breakfast, but after three failed attempts, ended up settling for gas station convenience store OJ.  Needless to say, after feeding our souls, it was time to fill our bellies. So we went to a BBQ joint on Monroe.

I'll preface this pseudo review by saying I was one of "those" people who went to a BBQ joint and ordered a salad- unavoidable in  year of family weddings and formal events, all documented by expert photographers for the rest of our days. Vanity diets aside, the service was good but the food...well, came up "Short". We were given some corn bread muffins to tide us over while we waited on the salad and sandwich. They were so fluffy it was easier to eat the butter out of the dish than butter the bread (or more like sweet yellow cake with a faint corn flavor). Having lived in Texas for over ten years, I longed for the crunchy crust, golden sweet morsels and maybe, just maybe, a sliver of jalapeño inside the steaming hot purse of goodness. Not today and definitely not at this restaurant.

The chili was just "meh". The salad was just downright bad. Ordering a Crunchy Chicken Salad was a huge mistake. It boasted corn, black beans, toasted pecans and red onion to accompany the fried chicken tenders on a bed of lettuce, with a half dozen dressings to choose from. Feeling nostalgic, I chose the Creamy Chipotle with Balsamic Vinaigrette as a backup.

Now, if I had know I was going to be served dry chicken fingers, canned corn, canned beans and flavorless cream to dress it all, I would have walked out. Is it wrong to expect a BBQ joint to do justice to corn and beans? ...to have BBQ sauces with depth and complexity of spices?...fried chicken that is actually moist? Apparently yes. So I am flying back to Texas ASAP and resetting my taste buds to the way BBQ is really supposed to be.

For those of you who want to have GREAT fried chicken, go to Mutz. I virtually drooled when I popped a bite-sized chicken chunk into my mouth. It was hot. It was moist. It was flavorful. IT WAS FRESH. They soak them in buttermilk and toss them in seasoned flour prior to flash frying. The chicken breast sandwich DF, (aka hubby), ate was equally fantastic. Their mac & cheese is the best I have EVER had. The pasta was al dente, the sauce cheesy, gooey and still miraculously light- not the least bit greasy, the generous (child) portion complete with a golden crust on top. How's that for ending on a positive note?!

Fuck You, Guy Fieri!

I suspect that many of you have seen the show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."  If you haven't seen this show, the premise is quite simple.  Some dude named Guy Fieri travels around the country and visits eating establishments which fall under the titular categories.  Upon arrival, he speaks loudly and eats two bites from a few of the eatery's dishes, says wow, and moves on to the next place.  Always clad in an aloha shirt, or some equally obnoxious equivalent, Guy's main trademark is spiky white hair that looks like it was stolen from a militant lesbian gym instructor and a matching goatee.

Now I don't have any issues with any of the above.  My only real issue with this ass-clown is that he hasn't been to Toledo to try some of our local eats.  Growing up, I was always told that Toledo has more restaurants per capita than any city in the US.  While I have no concept of the veracity of this statement, I know for certain that we have a lot of places to eat in Toledo.

In fairness, many of the restaurants we have here are complete shit.  This fact is not surprising given that many of my fellow Toledoans are morbidly obese and the all you can eat buffets seem to be well populated at any given time.  Quantity over quality seems to be a pervasive theme here.  Now I'm no svelte supermodel, but dammit all if I don't try to eat healthy most of the time.

But back to Mr. Fieri... as I said, my main issue with this guy is that he hasn't come to Toledo to try any of our myriad dining establishments.  I'm not sure why this is so, but the fact remains, he has never been here.  In an effort to fill what I deem to be a gaping void in the culinary map, I submit the following list of my top 3 diners, drive-ins or dives in the Toledo area.  (This should not be interpreted as the best eats in Toledo, but the best eats which could realistically be classified in one of the aforementioned catergories.)

3.  Schmuckers:  2103 N. Reynolds Road.  This is a Toledo establishment and must be included in any list where dive is a category.  While this is the last place one should go if on a diet, the food is definitely worth the trip.  This is especially so when a meal is completed (or made) with a giant, diabetes inducing slice of their chocolate peanut butter pie (or any other slice of about 20 varieties).

2.  Star of India:  415 S. Reynolds Rd.  Walking into this restaurant two things will grab the diners attention.  First, this place smells awesome.  The owners cook everything from scratch and it comes through in the taste.  Second, the entire place is still the chromed out, retro diner from years past when it was called Dudley's Diner and served burgers and fries instead of Korma, Bhuna, and naan.  The owners are very friendly and will adjust spiciness to suit one's palate.  While they have only been around a short time, they are making an impression on the Toledo food scene.

1.  San Marco Taqueria & Mercado:  235 Broadway.  This place is a real gem.  In order to enter the restaurant, you have to pass through the mercado where they sell everything you could imagine a Mexican market would sell.  They also have fresh made chicharones, also known as pork rinds.  These aren't the bagged pork rinds you get in the store, but actual pig skin, deep fried and otherwise unadulterated.

Walking into the restaurant, you are bombarded by a color wheel explosion courtesy of the bright decor which puts you in a Cabo state of mind.  That's before you even eat the food.  The salsas are freshly made, along with everything else in the taqueria.  Portions are generous.  We usually start with some salsa and chile con queso.  While I try to sample everything on the menu, I usually stick with the burrito.  These topping stuffed tortillas are a thing on wonder.  I almost never finish mine.  One can choose between beef, chicken, carnitas, or my favorite, carne asada.  If you haven't been here yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

 This young lady enjoys a big as your head burrito and glass of Sangria at San Marcos.

As for you Mr. Fieri, until you visit our fair city and try some of our food, I have but two words for you.  Fuck You!

I've got a feeling

that it's just going to be one of those days.

You can do anything, as long as you do yoga.

Let me preface this by saying I love my yoga instructor!  She is incredibly encouraging despite the fact that my fat ass wiggles and writhes on the mat like a beached manatee.  (See below for comparison picture.)

That being said, she also tells me that I can do anything I want to my body as long as I do yoga.  To you madame, I say poppycock!

After a breakfast meeting today, we decided that a trip to the Lucas County Fair would be a great idea.  In fairness, the idea was not ours, but that of my brother and his girlfriend who both run marathons where they throw colored paint at you and compete in some sort of event called the Tough Mudder.  The Tough Mudder sounds cool only because they give you a beer in the end.  I suspect the beer is something shitty, like Corona.  Regardless, no beer is worth the agony which one must endure to earn said beer in said competition.  But I digress...back to the fair.

Having promised my wife that I would go to yoga this evening, I figured...what the hell, I can do anything so long as I do yoga.  Half a funnel cake and one corn dog later, I must beg to differ.  I could feel the sweat dripping from my pores, except it wasn't sweat.  It was hydrogenated oil and lard, or whatever the fuck they fry those tasty pieces of golden brown ecstasy in.  Oh, and this was before I ever set foot on a yoga mat. At least I didn't gorge myself on deep fried Twinkies, too. 

So, we ate a bunch of crap and then pet some cute animals that will likely be on my dinner plate before too long.  Not so bad, other than the small hands and smell of cabbage.

Well, having promised my wife that I would go to yoga, I went to yoga.  You don't want to piss off a Puerto Rican or a sea captain; and I have to deal with both.  Little did I know that this was the black belt, ninjitsu crazy ass yoga...Level 3.  It's Yoga is a cool concept.  The founder taught yoga to the Grateful Dead back in the day.  You know I can get behind that brand of hippie hullabaloo.

Now you may have seen folks doing yoga before, maybe you've even done it yourself, but what these folks do is straight bad ass.  Folks were doing handstands and crazy moves with legs in different directions and all their weight on a pinky.  Manatee me was just trying to touch my toes.  I was a little over my head.  When all was said and done, I enjoyed going.  I just hope I'm welcome back after the funnel cake grease puddle that I left all over my spot on the floor.  I hope someone doesn't slip and fall doing one of those hand-stands.

We celebrated surviving yoga by riding our bikes to Koto Buki for sushi.  We love the 007 Roll.  Worth the trip for some fresh sushi.

The captain just gave the all hands on deck call....gotta go!

Thank you, come again.

Living in the Midwest is one of the greatest gifts a person can experience.  While many view us as the "fly over states", those of us who live here know it's a wonderful place.  The "North Coast" is where we call home and we couldn't be happier!  We love our Great Lakes.  As the saying goes, "No Salt. No Sharks. No Worries."

This blog will follow the ramblings, rants and reviews of my wife and I.  She is a licensed captain in the Merchant Marine and I am a lowly fisherman with a lawyering habit.  This blog will share our love of travel, food, and frivolity with those of you fortunate enough to have found us.

We will also likely include many photos of our dogs, who join us on travels around the area. 

Finally, we love to eat!  We have a kitchen garden where we grow a variety of foods, including 9 different varieties of tomato.