Romeo Lunch 12-19-12

The Romeo Gang met for lunch today at Red’s Kitchen & Tavern in Danvers, MA.  Click the link below for more info about Red’s  …………….   www.redskitchenandtavern.com

There were 7 Romeos in attendance: Joe Pignatiello, Steve Winter, Jim Terlizzi, Ed DeSchuytner, Mark Ryan, Joe Lapiana and Paul Girard. You can see some photos at the Picasa link below ……

https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/Romeo121912?authuser=0&feat=directlink

The restaurant was packed with the usual lunch crowd. Even though the economy is in a downturn, there were a lot of people still eating out.  We were seated a large round table in the back next to a giant TV which was tuned to a sports channel. The Patriots were all interviewed and each gave their take on this past weekend’s game disaster.

Our waitress’s named was Tracy and she quickly took drink orders and told us about the specials on today’s menu. Red’s has been open since May and serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and the prices are quite reasonable.

Tracy returned with drinks which included beers, ales, Margaritas and soda. She then took our orders for appetizers and entrees. We shared three appetizers which included Buffalo wings, calamari and onion rings. The entrees we ordered were seafood plate, surf & turf and baked haddock.

The conversation around the table included sports, gun control, trips, skiing, doctor visits, bank CDs and restaurants we have been to. When the drinks arrived we gave a toast to all our Romeos who have passed and wished them well at the Big Coral in the Sky.

Some of the Romeos asked about the latest blog that I wrote about electronic battery chargers and the MiFi device. I then took them out of pocket and demoed how they work. Jim and Paul thought they were very useful and were serious about getting their own. Go to my blog to get more info about where to buy the electronic gadgets ……   http://opennutshell.blogspot.com

After the main meal we ordered desserts to share, coffee and cappuccino.  We then talked about where to eat next time which included Somerville, Winchester, Gloucester, Peabody, Chelmsford and Melrose. We finally decided on Melrose at two places for January 16^th. Jim will contact you all later with details.

Comments always welcome…….    Markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 11-28-12

Romeo Lunch 11-28-12

The Romeo gang met for lunch today at the Brutole Restauarant in Danvers, MA.  See the website  …..   Go to www.brutolerestaurant.com for more information.  There were 8 Romeos in attendance: Larry Weathers, Jim Terlizzi, Steve Winter, Paul Girard, Mark Ryan, Ed DeSchuytner, Joe Lapiana, and Joe Pignatiello.

We were seated in a separate dining room near the front window. Our waiter took drink orders which consisted of beers, margaritas, martinis, manhattans and soda.  We then got our menus while bread and seasoned olive oil for dipping was placed around the table.

After the drinks were served we made a toast to one of our Romeo family that passed away suddenly (Mike Zapantis). Jim Terlizzi then read a prayer that brother Tim had sent.  We then all reminisced on our association with Mike.  We will all miss a good friend.  Jim also said that Mike’s wife Diane said that she is still interested in helping make the wine that Jim, Mike and Bob had planned to do this year. It was what Mike wanted.

We then ordered appetizers and entrees.  The appetizers consisted of calamari, mussels and onion rings to share around the table and were seasoned just right.  Our entrees consisted of seafood fettuccini , chicken masala, chicken-broccoli-ziti and Caesar salad with chicken.

After devouring the appetizers, the entrees were served quickly and were very tasty.  Although the entrees were delish, they had a great cream sauce that added mega calories to my diet. The Romeo lunches are always great but are a diet killer. You can see a photo and graph below that shows how my diet changed just a “wee bit” over the last week.

The conversation bounced around the table with talk about sports, the lottery, and the weather. We all had purchased our Power Ball tickets with a prize of over $600 million. What would we do with such an enormous amount? We all speculated :  trips, yachts, charity, children, trust funds.

Larry Weathers surprized us today with a visit. Although he has officially retired, he has been doing part time work as K8 Coordinator for Arlington. A lot of systems are doing away with administrative positions to save money. Some are even combining positions that were once separate jobs. Now there may be the Director of Math, Science and Technology or English, Social Studies and Fine Arts. It looks good on paper, but hard to do a good job when wearing too many hats.

Larry also said that he has a family shell fish license in Ipswich and with his daughters collected over 150 oysters the day after Thanksgiving. His family had a great time devouring the fresh seafood feast.

Paul then talked about his iPhone and all the things that it does. Larry added that he also has an iPhone and uses the Siri (voice) feature a lot.  I then showed my new hotspot gadget that makes my iPod Touch work just like an iPhone. It is a device called “Internet On The Go” from Sprint and is sold through Walmarts. No contract and you by minutes as needed.

We then talked about where to go for lunch next time. Several places were suggested in Salem, Somerville and Peabody. We finally decided on The Red Kitchen Tavern for December 19.  Jim will send out emails to let everyone know the exact details.

 

Lastly, I need to rate the restaurant and give it an overall 7 out 10. Although the Food, Service, and Decor, were good,  the prices were too high. The cost for lunch was $43 each. That includes the drinks and tip. For that price you would expect shooting stars and fireworks.  Of course, this is all just my opinion.

You can see some photos of the group at the Picasa Web Site at the link below ……..

https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/RomeoLunch112812?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMeLts6Sh6STkAE&feat=directlink

Comments Always Welcome … markryan82@comcast.net

 

Romeo Lunch 10-17-12

The Romeo gang had lunch today 10-17-12 at the Pho Dalat restaurant in Chelmsford.  It’s right off route 3, exit 32N.  Go to www.phodalat.net for more information.



There were only five Romeos present: Paul Girard, Ed DeSchuytner, Jim Terlizzi, Joe Lapiana and Mark Ryan. 

You can see some photos at the Picasa web site below … https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/Romeo101712?authuser=0&feat=directlink

We arrived at 12 noon and all commented that we missed the turn to the restaurant since it was right at the traffic circle off Rte. 3. No problem though since it was on the left and you had to turn around anyway to get to the strip mall entrance.

We were quickly seated by the manager at a small table next to a large aquarium loaded with colourful fish. The décor was pleasant with light blue walls. The waitress was attentive and gave us all menus and took drink orders which included beer, margaritas and jasmine lemonade.  Although the menu had a large list of all the dishes with Vietnamese names and English descriptions, there were too many choices for our first time at the restaurant so the manager helped us pick out a soup and a variety of entrees to share.

The soup was a seafood noodle (#25) and came in a large bowl with a ladle and smaller individual bowls.  Although we could scoop up the broth with the ladle, it was difficult scooping the noodles. We latter discovered that you could use the provided chopsticks to wrap the noodles and move them to your bowl. They should have provided a claw scooper instead.

The waitress then brought several entrees to the table, each with a bowl of rice. We passed the entrée around and took what we wanted. The entrees were (#40) Stir Fried Rice Noodles (Pad Thai), (#56) Seafood with Vegetable Medley, (#60) Salted Shrimp, (#72) Cubes Beef and (86B) Pork sautéed with Scallions.  All the entree dishes included a selection of fresh vegetable and herb seasoning and a variety of pork, beef, chicken or seafood.  Later we ended the meal by sharing a dessert of ginger flavoured ice cream which was creamy and tasty.

Although there was plenty of food to share there was something missing.  None of the dishes had any characteristic taste. I was looking for a WOW factor and could not find it. The soup was very thin and bland and more like Campbell’s chicken noodle, with a clump of white spaghetti and a few pieces of seafood.  Similarly, although the entrees had a tasty medley of vegetables, there were very few pieces of meat to share.  The only dish adequate for five people was the salted shrimp that had two shrimp per person. However, the shrimp was not shelled and you had to pick out the meat or get a mouthful of nonedible shells.

I would give the restaurant a (7/10) overall rating. The service was great, the décor was clean and attractive, the prices were reasonable but the food lacked character.  The entrees had a tasty medley of vegetables but tiny quantities of meat. To me there was no difference in taste between the entrees. The only difference between the fish, pork, beef and chicken was the menu label. You know what they say, “Where’s the beef?”  You can see a restaurant rating at Yelp.com.  I now have listed 6 restaurants under the member name Mark Ryan. Just click … http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=seDiKEJ7zJErE-_5HV4VFQ    After I got home  I read an article about eating at least 10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day.  Maybe that’s why Vietnamese food is rated one of the healthiest.

However, the conversation saved the day as it bounced around the table. We talked about politics, the debates, Obama Care, trips we have taken and the price of gas.

Jim said that he had just returned from a trip to the Ukraine. He really enjoyed the experience and talked about driving on the European Highways. While there, he rented a car with a GPS to get around. Lucky the GPS directions were in English because all the road signs were in Russian. One of the reasons for the trip was to visit the cemetery of Jim’s Wife’s father. There was a mass grave for all the soldiers buried there with a plague to mark the site.

We then talked about gas prices. Ed said that he uses an iPod App called “Gas Buddy” to get the latest prices in any locality. Jim said he needed gas when he got to Chelmsford and got some across the street from the restaurant.  Joe said there were a few other places nearby with cheaper prices. I said that the prices in Wilmington where I live were about $3.69/gal. Jim then said that the gas in Europe is much higher where he paid $8.00/gal. 

We then talked about getting traffic tickets and speed traps. Jim said that if you get one always appeal it and go to traffic court. Most often the charges are dismissed. If you just take the ticket, you get the $200 fine and have your insurance rates go up for five years.  Everyone then chimed in with their own stories about tickets and speed traps.

Joe P. couldn’t make the lunch today and asked me to pick up Steve.  I called Steve’s house and he was out of town and couldn’t come either. Mike was also unable to come because of another appointment.

Ed then said that after the Presidential debate on Tuesday you could see a list of the truths and non-truths from both Obama and Romney about different issues on Comcast.com.  With all the facts and figures thrown back and forth it was hard for the viewers to know what was really true. Maybe it’s like religion, you believe because you have faith.  However, you can check out the hard facts if you look for them online.

We then talked about meeting next time and settled on November 28^th at Brutole’s in Danvers on Rte. 1. Jim will send out an email with the details.

Comments always welcome: ….. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 9-19-12

The Romeo gang ate lunch today at Vinny’s Restaurant in Somerville, MA.  The original web site vinnysonbroadway.com does seem to work. However, you can get a menu at the link…..

http://www.allmenus.com/ma/somerville/275621-vinnys-at-night/menu/

There were only seven Romeos able to make this lunch date and they were John Tweedie, Joe Pignatiello, Paul Girard, Mike Zapantis, Mark Ryan, Ed Deschuytner and Joe Lapiana. You can see some photos at the link …..

https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo91912?authuser=0&feat=directlink

It is usually hard finding a parking space in Somerville but it was even more difficult this day due to the street repair and construction.  I drove around a few times until I found a metered spot a few blocks away. You could only put $2.00 worth of quarters in the meter for a max of two hours. I waited until almost 12 noon so I could stay until 2 PM before refilling the meter. Fortunately lunch was over before then. You can see a picture of the meter in the photos (Ha Ha).

 

Vinny’s Superette has a deli counter at the entrance to pick up takeout and tables down back for the restaurant patrons. It is truly a neighborhood fixture and caters to the locals. It’s like eating in an Italian kitchen. 

We were all seated along the right side wall at a long table. Directly across at another long table were seated a group of locals with the owner Vinny, having a great time chatting and eating.  The waitress soon filled our water glasses and added fresh bread to the table. We were all hungry and quickly began munching on the bread. Drink orders were than taken and beers and wines were quickly brought to the table. Paul asked for a white wine by name and to his surprize they had it in stock. Vinny soon sent over a complimentary platter of tasty pizza slices which were delicious.

We then looked at the menu and the specials written on a chalk board.  Joe P. said the seafood was their specialty and he comes here often.  We then placed our orders which consisted of Pasta Fagoli Soup, Pasta Forno, Shrimp Fra Diavlo, Chicken Picatta, Scallops, Shrimp Scampi and Pasta with Little Neck Clams.

The meals came quickly and were hot with giant portions. Everyone dug into their plates and ate every last morsel. The Shrimp Fra Diavlo was in a red sauce with angel hair pasta and several large shrimp. The red sauce was very spicy and a bit too hot for my taste.  Later we had coffee (no cappuccino) and one dessert to share. The dessert was a Lemonelo ice cream with coconut sprinkles and was very good.

At the suggestion of the Romeo group last time, I made up a restaurant rating sheet that I passed around the table so we could take the survey while it was fresh in our memories. Several of the group filled out the survey and return it to me before leaving.

I tallied the surveys and then wrote a short restaurant review that I posted on Google Reviews next to the name of Vinny’s Broadway when you do a Google search. There were 143 other reviews for Vinny’s when I posted it.  You can see it at the link ……  

https://plus.google.com/105725660428375143749/about?hl=en#105725660428375143749/about

You can see a copy of the review below.  Mark Ryan reviewed in the last week

Rating …………  Food 2 / 3 Decor 2 / 3 Service 3 / 3

I had lunch today with my Romeo friends (Retired Old Men Eating Out). We meet each month at a new restaurant and share camaraderie and current events. I started off with a Pasta Fagoli soup that was delicious. I then had the Shrimp Fra Diavlo (8/10) with big portions and spicy red sauce. The waitress was very attentive and brought bread, drinks and meals to the table quickly. This is a friendly neighborhood Italian restaurant in the rear of a deli takeout counter. The others in the group had mixed reviews and ordered Chicken Picatta (10/10), Pasta and Littlenecks (6/10), Shrimp Scampi (6/10), Shrimp Fra Diavlo (10/10). We also had a good selection of beers and wines (8/10). Although we ordered hot meals off the menu you could also select items from a cold antipasti buffet table. The average price of entrees was $13.95 but drinks, dessert, coffee and tip added to the final cost of $35.00 per person. There is limited meter parking on Broadway due to street construction.

The conversation continued during and after lunch and included the regular topics of sports, travel, current events and politics. Paul brought up the 47 percent gaff made by Mitt Romney. Republicans are in a minority at the lunch table and were hard pressed to defend Romney’s statements that “a majority of Americans are too dependent on government and don’t pay taxes”.

Joe P., Paul and Mike talked about making wine this year.  Joe decided he would make a full barrel and gave Mike a letter about prices for half barrels. They also learned that Bob Siggens was still interested and they would have to finalize their plans soon and send in a deposit.

Joe P. talked with Joe L. about a possible trip to Portugal. He also read in the paper about some offers for $1000 including airfare, transportation and hotels in Europe.

Ed talked with Paul about a teacher they know who got a grant to teach other teachers about Mathematics using Photoshop. She also got another grant to teach the math involved in quilting using Photoshop to make Power Point presentations.

We then talked about where to go next month for lunch and Joe P.  suggested trying some Ethnic Restaurants.  Joe L. said there were a lot in Lowell and he would find a few choices.

As always, the waitress gave the bill to Ed and he calculated the per person cost to be $35 including the tip.   It was now about 1:40 PM and we were all worried about the parking meter running out and getting a ticket.

Comments Always Welcome …..  markryan@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 8-22-12

The Romeo gang met for lunch today 8-22-12 at the Seaport Grille in Gloucester. You can see some info about the restaurant at the link…….  www.cruiseportgloucester.com/seaportgrille

Nine Romeos were present which included Mike Zapantis, Paul Girard, Joe Lapiana, Joe Pignatiello, Brother Tim Paul, Steve Winter, Ed DeSchuytner, Jim Terlizzi and Mark Ryan. Some of the gang arrived late and frustrated due to some construction delays on Rte.128. Joe L. said he was stuck in traffic over an hour. You can see some photos at the link …. https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo82212?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Fortunately, I came early and avoided the traffic tie up since I wanted to try out a new toy. I bought my self a Metal Detector and wanted to use it at the beach. I parked a few miles away and walked along Long Beach. Hoping to find Pirate Gold and Sunken Treasure but all I found were some rusted bottles caps and iron nails. Better luck next time. You can see some interesting videos on YouTube if you want.
We were all seated at a table near the window overlooking the harbour. You could see boats of all sizes sailing in and out of the channel. Paul asked the waitress which container facilities belong to Whole Foods. He then commented about the price of lobster they were charging even though most prices were done. Joe L. said that Market Basket was selling lobster for $4.95 a pound and local fisherman were only getting $2.95 pound for their catches. The Seaport had a special for twin lobsters $15.95. However, the lobster roll was $20. Go figure.
The waitress soon took drink orders and several ordered the salted margarita and beers to cool off from the traffic delays. When the drinks came, we all gave a toast to good times. Mike then talked with Jim about the idea of making wine at the Boston Winery.  They only had three takers (Jim, Mike and Bob Siggens). However, Joe P. said he would buy a half barrel and the others could share the cost of another half barrel. There was also some discussion about getting a variety of wines at the end rather than just the wine they decided to make. If you are interested in making wine, send an email to Jim.
We then ordered appetizers which consisted of steamers, stuffed artichoke hearts and calamari. The dinner choices were twin lobsters,  lobster roll, grilled salmon, hamburger and cioppino (seafood stew). Prices were at the top of the ladder.  After dinner we had some shared desserts and coffee. The food was excellent and included large portions.
Paul suggested that the Romeos come up with a food rating for all the restaurants that we’ve been. We talked about a name to call the rating and someone suggested the triple RRR (the Romeo Ratatouille Rating). After all we are the original rate pack in reference to the movie (Ratatouille). If you have another suggestion, let me know. 
We took a vote on how to rate the Seaport Grille and decided on a rating scale 1-5 (5 being the best). We decide on the rating categories (Good Food, Price, Atmosphere and Service) with a tally of 4,4,3,4. The view faced the ocean but we were looking at the fish pier.  The cost for dinner was kind of steep ($48 each) but included several orders of alcohol, appetizers, meal, dessert, coffee and tip). Without the drinks the cost would have been about $30 each. 
I will put together a list of some of the past restaurants that we have been to and ask for your vote on a survey form. Give me a week or so to put it together.  Being retired, I have too many other things that occupy my time.
Joe L. said is still having trouble with a gopher in his garden. He set out a trap and loaded it with different fruits (apples, cantaloupe, celery, etc.). The critter ate everything but still hasn’t been caught in the trap. I am also having critter problems in my garden. The birds or raccoons have eaten my corn and low lying tomatoes and all the zucchini which was not fenced in. How did the old farmers do it?
Jim said that he was planning a trip in October to Germany. He then was hoping to drive from Berlin to Odessa, Ukraine to visit the grave of his wife's father who was captured during the war and died in captivity. He also hopes to go to the Crimea and visit Sevastopol.

Joe P. just returned from a month long trip to Italy. He stayed at a hotel in Giada, Italy where his son and his family joined him for a couple weeks and then his daughter and her family for the last couple weeks. They went to the beach a lot which was near the hotel and took a side trip to Pompeii. However, the beach was quite crowed since most Europeans take their vacations at this time of year. The last few days Joe took a train to Rome by himself and visited most all the sights on foot.

I believe Steve also just returned from a trip on a Danube River Cruise. The cruise winds along the vineyard lined valleys and beautifully preserved medieval towns in countries of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Romania.

Being more of a local boy, I have been spending most of the summer at my trailer camp in Littleton, NH with the grandkids and family. We hike, fish and boat every day. At night we sit around the campfire, tell stories and toast smorse.

Ed said that he will again be teaching some courses online for Northern Essex CC. He also will be doing a one day a week face to face lab at the college.

Mike said that he is getting ready to teach a History of Education graduate course at the International College at Northeast Voc Tech in Wakefield, MA.

We decided to meet next month on September 19^th. Jim will send an email.

Comments and suggestions welcome….. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 7-17-12

Romeo Lunch 7-17-12

The Romeo gang met this month on Wednesday,  7-17-12 at the Boston Winery at 11 AM for a short tour and then at noon for  lunch at the Venezia Restaurant in South Boston on the waterfront. The Venezia is located at 20 Ericsson St. (off Rte 93-Southeast Expressway). Go to http://www.venezia-onthewater.com/ for more information and directions. Go to http://www.bostonwinery.net/ for more information on the winery.

There were 8 Romeos in attendance: Jim Terlizzi, Joe Pignatiello, Paul Girard, Joe Lapiana, Mark Ryan, Mike Zapantis, Ed DeSchuytner and Bob Siggens.  You can see some photos at the Picassa web site link below. There are several still photos and two video clips in the middle. When you get to the videos you have to keep hitting the right arrow to see the rest of the photos. ....................
https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeoLunch71712?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIjry83frZiGjgE&feat=directlink

I arrived a little earlier at 10:30 AM and walked along the waterfront and took some photos. Driving to the winery is a little tricky if you don’t pay attention to quick turns down winding side streets and construction detours. Mike and Paul arrived next and we took a walk out on the wharf and gazebo.

A few other Romeos arrived and we met the winery owner Ralph, as he unlocked the front door and introduced himself. He then brought us into the winery and gave a tour of the facility. It was dark inside and cool and resembled a warehouse with high ceilings. There were wine barrels piled along several walls, stainless steel machinery to ferment the wines and let them settle, and a bladder pump that separates out the seeds and stems. 

The rest of the gang arrived shortly and when Joe P. arrived, Ralph gave him a man hug like a member of the family. Joe has been a member of the winery club for a few years and has made several barrels of wine which he has enjoyed and given out to many of his family and friends. His last batch he named “Pa’s Zinfandel” after his father.

Ralph explained that the type of wine depends on the variety of grapes that you start with (zinfandel, merlot, chardonnay, etc.). Some of the grapes he uses come from a grape vine that has been producing grapes for 75 years. All the grapes used by the Boston Winery come from the great wine vineyards of California and the Napa Valley.

Ralph has a buyer in California who tells him which grapes are available and their sugar content. He then buys the grapes and sends them by freight train to the Produce Market in Chelsea, MA. The grapes are then shipped by truck to the Boston Winery. There are very few middle men along the way which allows them to buy high quality grapes and keep the cost down. The cost is even further lowered at the Winery since there are only three employees, Ralph, a wine maker and secretary. The rest of the work to make the wines is done by all the club members.

After crushing the grapes in the bladder press, the stems and seeds are separated and the liquid containing natural grape sugar is poured into a vat. Yeast is then added to start the fermentation process. The sugar content is measured frequently with a hydrometer and when it drops to zero the fermentation is stopped and the wine poured off into barrels. Each barrel can make 24 cases of wine with 12 bottles each for a total of 288 bottles.

Ralph then explained that if you are interested in making wine at the winery, it takes about one year to go through the whole process. The cost is $3500 which allows you to attend all the classes, wine making activities and take home 24 cases of wine. Mike Zapantis and a few others have shown an interest in joining the club as a group and share the cost. See a separate email.

After the tour several of the Romeos bought a few bottles of wine to take home. We left them at the winery to stay cool while we ate at the restaurant and return later to pick them up.  As an additional incentive, Ralph gave us a bottle of wine to share at the restaurant to sample the taste. It was a Meritage, which is a blend of several types of wine (zinfandel, merlot, etc.).

We then walked over to the restaurant and were seated at a corner table looking out over the harbour. The waiter served some bread and oil which was very good and poured the Meritage into our wine glasses. We then toasted a long and good life. The wine was very good and had several subtle fruity flavours. We then ordered from the lunch menu various selections of pasta, veal, and fish.  The meal came quickly and was excellent.

The conversation was lively and bounced around the table. It was difficult hearing everyone’s chatter but I caught a few pieces here and there.

I spent some time showing Mike how to get certain features on the iPod which he has purchased for his son. He wanted to know more about the phone APPS. I showed him how you can use Skype and TextNow for both free texting and telephone calls with a Wi-Fi connection.

Latter, Joe L. wanted to borrow a Hav-A-Heart trap that I have to catch some gophers in has garden. They have been eating all his veggies. At the car, I showed him how to use it.

The weatherman predicted severe storms the afternoon and we could see the sky getting black when we went out into the parking lot. You can see one of the photos on my drive home how the sky was getting darker north of Boston.

The storm was concentrated mostly north of Boston with several down pours, micro bursts and lightning strikes. We lost electricity in Wilmington from 1 PM to after 9 PM. It was awful muggy and hot without AC during that time but we survived.

Before leaving we decided on a restaurant in Gloucester next month on August 22^nd. Jim will send you an email.

Comments welcome …..  markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 6-13-12

The Romeo gang met for lunch today at 12 noon,  6-13-12,  at Sam’s Bistro in 107 Main St., Reading, MA  on Rte 28.   Go to www.samsbistro.com for more information.

We were seated in a special function room in back. There were 9 Romeo in attendance. They were Ed DeSchuytner, Jim Terlizzi, Mark Ryan, Joe Lapiana, John Tweedie, Joe Pignatiello, Mike Zapantis, Paul Girard and Steve Winter.  You can see some photos at my Picas web site at the link below…

https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo61312?authuser=0&feat=directlink

The waitress took our drink orders as the group arrived one by one. There was a traffic accident on Rte 128 that snarled traffic and made a few late. After the drinks arrived we ordered from the Lunch menu our choice of sandwiches, salads and entrees. Several ordered the Seafood Ravioli, Turkey Dinner, Burgers and Rueben sandwich. The meal came quickly and was very good although the prices were a little high for lunch.

As we ate and drank, the conversation bounced around different topics including sports, movies, pensions, Medicare, and items in the news. Jim, Joe P. and Steve will be going on some trips to Europe next month. Joe P. is taking the family to Italy to visit Gaeta. Jim and his wife will be taking grand daughter to see the historic sites in Italy. Steve and wife will met relatives and visit Hungry. Sailing from Budapest along the Danube.

Mike was in Florida last month and attended the Red Sox spring training camp. He said you would think tickets would be inexpensive there. However, the tickets on-line were $200 and up. He was able to buy tickets at around $20 face value from a friend. Mike also questioned how places like Ticket Master could sell pre-owned tickets but a person outside the stadium would be arrested for Scalping trying to sell tickets. I guess its who you know.

Jim mentioned going to a few games at Fenway and taking the T. Ed said the parking fees there keep going up. A nearby Gas Station offered parking for $15 last year and is now $60 during Sox games. Jim also mentioned paying 25 cents when he was a kid to attend a Sox game. He also remembered a game he attended in 1962 where the attendance always great. He also said you can see some great statistics online.  For those of you interested in all baseball games ever played, go to www.baseball-reference.com .

Mike mentioned seeing a few new job offers for superintendents. We all told him to enjoy retirement. He is keeping busy though by doing Teacher Supervision for a local college. He was doing an observation at a Reading Middle school just before coming to lunch.

Jack talked with Joe L. about Justice Peace jobs and weddings. Business is slow for both but Jack has two weddings coming up in fall.

Paul still excited about his iPhone and talked about all the things it can do. Jim said he had to go to Boston to help arrange for his sister moving out of a condo. He programmed his GPS to find the address but lost the signal in the city due to the tall buildings. He asked someone with an iPhone and 4G service and got the directions right away. Live and learn.

Jim mentioned a great movie house in Gloucester that has current movies and cheap prices.  There is also one in Lexington downtown. Paul said there was a great movie house in Danvers called the ART THROB for those who were interested. We also talked about how the Gay Pride parade was attracting more attention and a celebrities and politicians.’

Ed said that it was hard getting to his house with a GPS. A friend who had been there before remembered to turn right after Red house. It was recently painted another color and he got lost.

Paul planted some tomatoes 3 times with ground cloth and the rain and wind and blew them all down. He was about to give up. Joe P. planted some tomatoes for his daughter who lives near Ed in NH.  I also planted some vegetables this year. I decided to use the landscape cloth after planting and learned the hard way that it is difficult putting the ground cloth down when you have to cut it out around all the plants. Next year I will put the cloth down first then cut in holes for the plants.

Joe P. suggested going to the Boston Winery and Venesia’s Restaurant next time.  Jim will send an email with all the directions and times.  We may meet at the Winery at 11AM then lunch at 12 Noon.

Comments welcome…. Markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 5-16-12

The Romeo gang met again for lunch at the Longhorn Steakhouse on 5-12-12. Go to www.longhornsteakhouse.com for more information and directions. We were seated at a booth and then moved to a long table after more Romeos showed up.  There were seven Romeos in attendance which included - Mark Ryan, Jim Terlizzi, Steve Winter, John Tweedie, Joe Pignatiello, Joe Lapiana and Ed DeSchuytner. You can see some photos at the link below…..  https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo51612?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Our waiter’s name was Brian and he took our drink orders and then brought fresh bread to the table. The drinks were mostly beers and margaritas. We then gave our food order to the waiter which consisted of various steaks, burgers, soups and salads. The salads and soups came quickly for those that ordered them as first course in a meal. However, some ordered a soup and salad combo and had to wait until the steaks were served to the others.  This was very awkward since we didn’t want to eat while others had no food.

The conversation was lively as always. We talked about baseball, politics, health insurance, drug prescriptions, online courses and upcoming trips. Jim was planning a trip to Italy with wife and grandson for two weeks. Joe P. was also taking family to Italy for three weeks. Steve was planning a trip to Europe with a large family group and will be gone the whole month of July.

We also talked about having both Medicare (over 65) and the State Insurance GIC. However, you need to have over 40 quarters paid into Social Security before the Medicare premium is deducted. Others talked about spouses having separate insurance plans or both going over to GIC.  Everyone had individual concerns. Those of us with Medicare and GIC have very low premiums and little copays. For both Jim and Mark who have family plans the premiums for Medicare are about $96 per person deducted from SS and about $105 for GIC two person plan deducted from pension.

Jim said he went to another baseball game at Fenway. They were honoring Tim Wakefield that day and he stayed the entire game. We then all commented how Joe Loduca loved baseball and always had something to say about it. He would also add a joke here and there.

 Jim then said he saw the new movie now playing with Judi Dench – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”  (Some British retirees (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy) decide to outsource their retirement to exotic -- and less expensive -- India. Lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and imagining a life of leisure in lush surroundings, they arrive and find that the Marigold is actually a shell of its former self. Though their new home is not quite what they had imagined, the retirees find that life and love can begin again when they let go of their pasts.Read More)

John T. said that the movie got a poor review in the paper. Jim said that he always sticks by the online reviews he gets at Rotten Tomatoes.com who gave it a good review. Jim liked the movie.
Click the link below to see the review at Rotten Tomatoes  ........
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_best_exotic_marigold_hotel_2012/

We then discussed where to go next time. Paul Girard offered the Yacht Club, Joe P. offered the Boston Winery and then Sam’s Bistro.  We decided on Sam’s Bistro in Reading on Rte. 28 right off Rte. 128.  Jim will send an email with the particulars.

Comments Welcome …  markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 4-18-12

The Romeos had lunch today (4-18-12) at the Café Escadrille in Burlington at 12 noon. Go to www.cafeescadrille.com for information and directions. The nine Romeos attending were Paul Girard, Mark Ryan, Ed DeSchuytner, Joe Lapiana, Joe Pignatiello, Steve Winter, Mike Zapantis, Brother Tim Paul and Jim Terlizzi.  Although John Tweedie had recommended the restaurant, he was unable to attend since he was in Florida for the week. You can see some photos of the group at the link below  …… (I think Paul purposely hid his Photogenic Puss which is missing from the group picture) .  https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo41812?authuser=0&feat=directlink

We were all seated at a long table in the upper part of the restaurant. The waitress told us about the specials and then served fresh rolls and water. We then ordered drinks which consisted of beer, soda and margaritas. The waitress then took our meal orders which were chicken and broccoli, seafood Diablo, baked shrimp, Rueben sandwich and beef stroganoff.  The food came quickly and was very good with large portions. After the main meal, we ordered two desserts with spoons to share and coffee or cappuccino.

The conversation was lively as it traveled around the table. Brother Tim talked about his flying adventures. He flew to Portland and had lunch with his mother and brother.  He also talked about a History of Flying course that he organized. It runs for one week, 9AM to 5PM and the class of about ten, travel around the area visiting airports, towers and hangers. It is a real grassroots learning experience. He also told us that the average salary for beginning pilots is low, about $30,000 for the commercial pilot. It only jumps to six figures when you fly the jumbo jets.

Jim and Paul talked about the closing of the Salem Harbor Coal Fired Electric Plant. The Salem News said it would completely close by 2014. There are several plans on what to do with the property such as make it into a Gas Fired Electric Plant or a Shipping Port for large cruise ships. I then saw a cartoon in the Herald that seemed related and funny. You can see more info on Google about Salem. See the cartoon at left …….

Paul also bought a new iPhone this year and is having fun using it. While we were at lunch he was looking up all kinds of baseball information on Google as well as the number of degree programs at Salem State. I then showed Paul and the others how I can look up my Photo Albums at the Picasa Web Site right from my iPod with a Wi-Fi connection. Later Joe L. called me at home and talked about the new Picasa photo album software.

Ed talked with Brother Tim about the online courses that Ed teaches at Northern Essex. They also talked about the honesty of students taking online tests. Ed said there are a lot of ways to check on the student honesty.

I talked with Joe P. about the warm weather and how cute he looked in shorts. He said he has been wearing them during the warm days and attended the Boston Marathon by riding his bike from his house through Harvard Square and then over to the Copley Square.  He rides the bike a lot and a few years ago rode down to the Cape with a bunch of friends.

Jim said he attend a recent Red Sox game. A friend gave him some tickets and he really enjoyed it. I think he likes taking the train into Boston. Later he went to dinner with his wife at the Adriatic Restaurant in Salem which serves Mid Eastern food and was pleasantly pleased.

Of course I try to listen to all the conversations going on around me and remember most of what each person said. Please excuse me if I got some of the conversations wrong. The other problem is that I have been losing my hearing over the past few years and end up reading lips most of the time. Last year I got hearing aid to help with the hearing loss. My type of hearing loss involves not being able to hear high frequency sounds. In addition I have a hard time distinguishing consonants like the letters N, P, S, T or V.  So I have to be careful interpreting the words you said like “SIT, PIT, NIT, or SH…..T. So the next time that you talk with me, make sure you face me and speak loud and clear.

We then decided to meet for lunch next month on May 16th at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Reading. Jim will send you the info.

Comments always welcome…..  markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 3-14-12

The Romeos had lunch today at Donatello’s Restaurant in Saugus, MA. Go to www.donatello-restaurant.com for more information.   We all met at 12 noon and were seated in a separate dining room at two round tables. The nine Romeos in attendance were Joe Pignatiello, Steve Winter, Jim Terlizzi, Paul Girard, John Tweedie, Bob Simmons, Mark Ryan, Ed DeSchuytner and Joe Lapiana.  You can see some photos of the event online at my Picasa Web Albums at the link below …………….
https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/RomeoLunch31412?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLfNjKvuyJTIlgE&feat=directlink

 The waitress’s name was Danielle and she quickly took orders for drinks which were a mix of wines, margaritas, water and soda. After serving the drinks she then described the day’s specials which added a few more items to the brief lunch menu. Afterwards, John T. suggested that it would have been easier to just print out the specials on separate sheet for all to see rather than have the waitress repeat some of the special choices.  I guess it sounds more appetizing when the waitress describes each item in exotic terms. We then raised our glasses and toasted a good life, long and healthy.

To start, we ordered some appetizers of calamari and mussels which were very good. They were served with a red sauce that was very tasty. A basket of bread was also placed on the table as we gave our lunch orders to the waitress.  All the choices came with a soup or salad.  The meals were served quickly and were quite good. However there was too much pasta on some of the meals and not enough of the main course.

The conversation was lively as usual as we devoured the salads, bread, appetizers and main meal.  In the other room a group sang Happy Birthday to one of their group. Paul G. said we should also sing and make up a birthday. Joe L. said it was Mark’s BD recently and we all sang the BD song quite loud and gave a toast.

Joe L. and Jim T. had attended the MSELA dinner meeting last week although poor weather was predicted. Jim said that the roads were fine and they only got about 2 inches of snow in Marlborough that night. Ed said that the storm was worse further north and he got 11 inches in Windham, NH.

There were a variety of other topics discussed across the table and in small groups which included the following….

* Ed and Mark – types of coffee, The K cups, Columbian  and oil prices, and roof repair, ice dams,  energy savings,  new insulation.

* John and Joe L talked about JP events and Joe said he won’t go for just $150 and charges at least $400. When Churches get $2500 for wedding. It’s been slow for Joe but John had 3 wedding events.

* Joe L mentioned that in the 1980s, sales reps would take groups of teachers for dinner during conventions when the bill added up to $3000. Now publishers have cut their expense accounts way back.  Recently, the NSSSA sent out an email which stated that only paid members were welcome at the end of year dinner sponsored by publishers.   Jim T. said that dues only cost $5 for retirees and was cheap enough to attend the dinner.

* Joe L. is taking a River Trip on a ship in the Mediterranean.  Mike Z and went to Florida for month.

* Jim had the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program at Salem State which he said was well attended by middle school girls and their teachers. – Danielle Niels from NECN was the guest speaker and always does a fine job.  He also said he likes to watch NECN for the morning news.  I said that they took Matt Noyes off the morning show and put him on at 5PM.  He is very animated and a great weather man too.

* Jim said he upgraded his PC with a new version of Windows and Security System. He said it runs much faster now.  I said my PC was very slow too. Paul said that the solution was to switch to Apple products (MAC) which are much better in his opinion. Ed said his PC was slow also until his son told him to get rid of all the Favorites in the tool bar. I tried it when I got home and my PC is running much faster now.

* John asked Jim about health insurance and Jim said that he had GIC like most retirees. The premiums are only about $115 a month for him and wife and the prescription co-pays were cheap.  I said the statement you get from MTRB for pension now lists the health insurance deduction as Medical D and Medical 1 instead of Group Insurance as it did before. I was confused and thought the term Medical D and 1 was referring to Medicare D which only comes out of your SS statement if you get that also.

It got to be about 2:30 PM and we were waiting for the bill. Ed checked it out and told us our share. We then decided to meet next month on April 18 at the Escadrille in Burlington.  Jim will send an email with the info.

Comments always welcome. Send email … markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 2-21-12

The Romeos had lunch at 12 noon on Tuesday 2-21-12 at Bertini’s of Salem Restaurant.  You can see the website at  www.bertinisofsalem.com . 

I wasn’t able to attend so I gathered some info from Jim and Ed.
Those in attendance were Ed DeSchuytner, Joe Pignatiello, Jack Tweedie, Steve Winter, Paul Girard, Mike Zapantis, Jim Terlizzi and Joe Lapiana.

Ed said that the conversation was lively as always and centered on the following topics…..
-Bertini's family owned for many years, a lot of photographs of family & friends all over walls.
-Was a favorite restaurant of Joe Balsama
-Paul Girard use to eat there as a kid with his family
-The upcoming Red Sox season, new manager's role, Manny Ramirez return to baseball for $500,000
-Mike Z. is going to FL next month and has tickets to a Red Sox game at the new Jet Blue Park which resembles Fenway park in small scale.
-Talked about tunnel carpal surgery
-Joe P. only skied a few days this year but going up to Jay Peak shortly, Jim T. is going out west to ski
-Jack T. had a vacation in the Dominican Republic and said is was great.

The menu had great food at good prices including  Soups: Onion or Chicken noodle, most had the onion soup (small portions but great taste).  Entrees: Seafood casserole (fish, shrimp, scallops), Turkey sandwiches, shrimp scampi, roast beef sandwiches.  Dessert: Shared seven layer chocolate cake for the group
Bill:very reasonable $19.00 each

Comments Always Welcome ……..  markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 1-11-12

The Romeos had lunch today Wednesday, 1-11-12 at the Alia Ristorante in Winthrop at 12 noon.
It is located at 495 Shirley St. which is the next street parallel to Winthrop Shore Drive and the Ocean.

The Romeos have now eaten at three restaurants in Winthrop all located near each other and the beach road. These restaurants are Rossetti, DePalma and now Alia all recommended by the Phantom Gourmet, our own Joe P.

However, Joe P. was not able to join us today since he had volunteered to help out at a ski clinic for War Veterans at Mt. Sunapee. What a guy! Joe is a busy man and one of the good guys. Since he was away skiing for the week I volunteered to pickup Steve W. in Belmont. Steve doesn’t drive now since he has developed vision problems but loves to join the group each month.

On my way to Steve’s house, I decided to test out two GPS devices and had both of them giving me voice directions on my way from my house in Wilmington to Steve’s house in Belmont. Of course there are several ways to get there, so there was a battle between my intuitive route and the two competing GPS units. I decided to intuitively take route 128 to Belmont and the GPS units soon redirected themselves so that we were all going in the same directions.

I recently bought a new Tom-Tom GPS for $55.00 at Amazon.Com and I am quite pleased with its accuracy. It is up to date and has life time maps. It also gives turn by turn directions down to hundreds of feet as you approach turns. It also announces the street names for those you are on and the upcoming turns.

I arrived at Steve’s earlier than planned but after a few minutes we were on our way from Belmont to Winthrop. I set the two GPS units and of course they wanted to go a different way than my intuition. I wanted to go Route 60 through Arlington, Medford and the Revere Beach Parkway near Suffolk Down and then along the beach road to Winthrop. However, being in Belmont and west of Boston, the GPS units want to go the Mass Pike to the Ted Williams Tunnel by Logan Airport, East Boston and then Winthrop.

After fighting with my intuition, Steve’s knowledge of the back roads of Belmont and the two GPS units we ended up on Broadway Somerville then through Medford and to the Revere Beach Parkway. The GPS units soon caught up with my way and were quite accurate afterwards. We arrived early at the restaurant and parked the car in a 2 hour lot next door. We decided to sit inside the restaurant but the door was locked and it was dark inside as I peaked through the window. Steve and I wondered whether the restaurant was closed or we had the wrong day.

In a short time others arrived and the restaurant door was open. We were the first customers and after talking with the owner we learned that there were very few afternoon patrons but quite busy at night. The owner/waiter was Moroccan (Muslim) and married to an Italian (Catholic) and had two young children. The youngest was having an upcoming Christening. The world is getting to be more of a melting pot each day. Those Romeos in attendance were Joe Lapiana, Steve Winter, Paul Girard, Ed DeSchuytner, Mike Zapantis, Mark Ryan and Jim Terlizzi.

Since the restaurant did not serve alcohol we all brought our own (BYOB). The owner/waiter soon opened them and set wine glasses all around. We poured the wine and toasted a good life. The waiter then brought hot bread and olive oil dipping sauce. We ordered two Italian Pupu Platters Appetizers for the table which consisted of calamari, eggplant and shrimp. The appetizers were quite tasty and the calamari done just right. We then each ordered a main entrée which was about $12.95 and consisted of either, ziti-broccoli and chicken, veal piccata, shrimp scampi and spaghetti. The meal came quickly and was very good.

The conversation was lively and bounced around the table. It was mostly politics as we discussed the Republican debates and the results of caucus voting in Iowa and New Hampshire. We all agreed that the dirt slinging amongst the republican candidates kept it away from Obama and the democrats. Jim T. reminded us all that it was Bush who started the Bank Bailouts and later was continued by Obama and sanctioned by world economists. Jim also said of all the billions borrowed, most has been paid back.

Mike then said he had given an iPod to his son for Christmas and was surprised at how it can also be used as a phone over Wi-Fi. We also talked about a bunch of other APPS with Joe Lapiana. Paul Girard recently bought an iPhone which has the same APPS as the iPod and he is having fun with this new gadget.

Mike was also curious about reading and sending PDF documents. Joe Lapiana then said you needed to use Adobe Acrobat Creator to create them which costs several hundred dollars. However, Adobe Reader is a free download and can be used to open and read PDFs sent by email.

I still use Word 2003 which has no PDF options but Word 2007 and 2010 do allow you to convert Word to PDF but not PDF to Word. To do this you need to buy Adobe Acrobat. However, there is a free open source program that you can download called OpenOffice.Org which easily makes the conversions. You can see info about this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org . You can also see a discussion of other conversions at the link http://webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/converting .

The discussion then changed to trips where Jim is planning a trip to Santa Barbara, CA and some skiing in Tahoe. Joe Lapiana is also planning another river cruise in Europe. We will hear more about this later. The discussion then went to past book reps from Holt and Pearson with various names thrown around. We also talked about the old Addison Wesley building off rte 128 and rte 28 in Stoneham which has been demolished for redevelopment.

Ed D. then told us that he bought several Hillary Clinton Nutcrackers on eBay cheap and resold them for more money. He then went out to his car and brought in a sample. We all laughed at the Nutcracker and the hilarious sayings that went with the package regarding Bill Clinton.

I then went back to my car and brought in some hand painted decorative signs that I had made and advertised on eBay and my website MarksCrafts.Com. Ed saw the website and his wife bought a few signs which I gave him at the lunch. I also passed around a booklet showing some photos of my signs.

Joe Lapiana then talked about his JP role and said the demand for private weddings was down. However, he is now an Ordained Minister and is able to perform marriages out of state and is registered at the World Christianship Ministries http://www.wcm.org/?gclid=CJKpx_3cy60CFaIRNAodJTlhgg .

We then ordered coffee and some Tiramisu and talked with the owner about cappuccino. He said he didn't offer cappaccino since a real cappaccino machine would cost him about $4000 and was not worth the investment for him. We then talked about the next lunch and decided on Feb.21, 2012 at a restaurant in Beverly. Jim T. will email us all with details.

You can see some photos of the lunch at ……….. https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/Romeo11112?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Comments always welcome … markryan82@comcast.net