Romeo Lunch 4-17-13

The Romeo Gang met for lunch on Wednesday, April 17 at the Stone Wood Tavern in Peabody at 12 noon. The Stone Wood Tavern is located at 139 Lynnfield St. (look for the big red brick building with Sal's Pizza in the front), Go to www.stonewoodtavernpeabody..com for more information.

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

https://plus.google.com/photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5868363360430929441?authkey=CMaPkvzOtf3DjwE

Although we were to be seated at a table inside we sat outside on the patio to enjoy the sunny day until most everyone was there. It was a great day and the sun was out and it felt like spring although there are still several weeks of cool weather still ahead.

When most arrived we moved inside and our waitress Jennifer took the drink orders which consisted of beers, margaritas, manhattans and sodas. We then ordered a few appetizers to share around the table and then the main course which consisted of seafood chowder, chilli, salad, steak tips, Guinness Beef Pie, Shrimp Scampi on Flatbread, Burgers and Ham and Cheese sandwich.

The meal was served quickly, small lunch portions but very good and the waitress was very attentive. Not a bad place to come for lunch. The décor included outside patio and large inside eating area with full bar with several TVs scattered about.

The conversation was lively as always and involved the latest news headlines. We talked about the Marathon Bombing and were all saddened by the horrific events. As of this writing, the suspects have been identified and captured (one dead and one alive). It is everyone’s hope that all the questions will be answered to why it all happened and if a larger group of terrorists was responsible. The outpouring of condolences and solidarity all over the world was astounding, “Boston Strong”.

We also talked a little about other things sports, trips, and gardens. Brother Time talked about his flying exploits and how he uses an iPad Program that helps plot flight plans and everything else you would want to know while flying a plane.

We also talked about airport security now with the bombing and also beforehand. Brother Tim told us a story about going to pick up a friend at Logan Airport several weeks ago. He was early and parked his car in the terminal general parking garage where there is a great view of the Traffic Control Tower and runways. As an avid pilot he has a radio that gets the airport frequencies where he likes to listen to the traffic controllers give directions to incoming and outgoing planes. As he listened on his radio and looked out at the runways from the parking garage, an airport security car pull up and asked what the “bleep” he was doing. He explained and the guard said he wasn’t supposed to do that. Brother Tim said that it was perfectly legal and he does it all the time.

He then left the garage area by himself and went to the arrivals area to meet his friend. When he got there some State Troopers came out of a side door and surrounded Brother Tim and told him “Don’t Move”. They questioned him and he told them who he was, gave them his identification and said he was meeting a friend. After some time they then let him go but waited until he met his friend and watched him leave.  It is nice to know that security personnel are vigilant but it’s also scary for innocent people to be hassled.

Jim then said he went to a Red Sox game in Boston with his grandson. He ordered the two for one hotdog with a soda and a beer. The beer was five bucks and came in a tiny cup. The prices keep going up and the sizes keep going down.

Jim then asked me about Jet Blue Park in Florida since I went to see a spring training Red Sox game in early March. I told him it was a great take in. Jet Blue Stadium is like a miniature Fenway Park but brand new. There were great views from all over the stadium and there were hawkers for food and drink walking up and down the aisles.  You could also go to the vender stands outside the stadium walls but inside the park property.  Like always, baseball is a money-making business and the prices were high.

There was a fence all around the stadium grounds and a turn style gate to show your ticket. However, inside the fence on the stadium grounds was a farmers market setup where you could buy fresh Florida produce at great prices. There was also a store to buy sports memorabilia like hats and shirts. I had to buy a special “Red Sox - Spring Training” hat for $25. I know I could probably buy one back home at TJ Maxx for under $10 but it’s not the same.

We then talked about where to eat next time and several suggestions were given. Jim will send you an email shortly.

Comments are always welcome ….  Markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 3-20-13

The Romeo gang met for lunch this month on Wednesday, March 20 at Ristorante Villa Francesca in the North End. Ristorante is located at 150 Richmond Street. Go to www.restaurantweekboston.com for more information. Those present were Jim Terlizzi, Joe Lapiana, Joe Pignatiello, Mark Ryan, Ed DeSchuytner, Paul Girard and Steve Winter.

We all travelled to the North End by different routes. Joe P. and Steve came by car and found a parking spot a block away. Ed parked at a garage on Atlantic Ave. Jim took the subway and Joe L., Mark and Paul took the commuter train to North Station and then walked over to the North End. Paul took the Newburyport train and Joe and I took the Lowell train.  You can see photos of the trip at the Picasa web site ………….. 

https://plus.google.com/photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5858309247178661393?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5858309247178661393?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1

Joe L. met me in Wilmington and we bought train tickets at the local corner store. The price for one way senior citizens is half price or $3.35 from Wilmington to North Station.  Joe and I found the last parking spot for my SUV at the train parking lot for $4.00 and waited on the platform across the tracks.

I thought something was wrong when a maintenance truck appeared on the train track just before the train arrived on the opposite side. We put on our running shoes and quickly ran to the other side of the tracks to catch the train. Huffing and Puffing, the train conductor said he would have waited. Was this the start of a memorable day? Well, on the way back I found $6.00 on the sidewalk near North Station which paid for the train ride and made up for the morning mad dash.

Joe and I got to North Station early and we walked over to the North End across the Rose Kennedy Greenway and down various side streets over to Hanover Street. As we walked, Joe spoke about the North End and pointed out where some of his family lived many years ago. We stopped at the St. Joseph’s Society Hall and went inside. Jim Matarano was cleaning up from the St. Joseph’s Day banquet held the previous day. The society is 100 years old this year. Joe P. is also a member and sometimes tends bar there.

We looked at some of the framed photos on the wall and Jim and Joe reminisced about the good old days and the St. Joseph feast and parade. Joe pointed to a framed photo on the wall which showed his father in 1925 as one of the early members of the Society. They then told the story of the little girl dressed as an angel hoisted on a wire over the parade route. The wire snapped and the girl fell into the arms of the St. Joseph Statue below. The miracle of the little angel lives to this day.

We also walked by other landmarks with other stories to tell. St. Steven’s Church, St. Leonard’s, the North Bennet St. School, Sacred Heart Church, famous restaurants, Mike’s Pastry, and the local Groceria. Joe had a story about each one. It was nice to listen about his family memories. On the way home Paul, Joe L. and Mark stopped at Mikes Pastry to take home a few delicacies.

It was Restaurant Week in Boston, so you could get a three course lunch for $20.13. There were a lot of choices on the menu for the Antipasti, Prima and Dolce. You can see the Lunch Menu at ………  http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/restaurant/ristorante-villa-francesca/#

Our waiter’s name was Ernesto and he was originally from Salvador. He spoke several languages but mostly Italian which he practiced everyday with the cook. He was very attentive to our table even while waiting on three other tables. We ordered drinks to start which consisted of wine, cocktails, beer or soda. We thought about ordering a bottle of wine for the table but it was way too expensive. You can see from a picture of the wine menu (Picasa Web Site) that a bottle of their top wine reserve was $450. This is a little rich even for the Royal Romeos.

Ernesto quickly brought the drinks, some fresh bread and oil for dipping as we browsed the Menu. We then ordered our choices for the three course meals. The portion sizes were small but filling for lunch.  For the Antipasti, we ordered the Caprese Tomato Salad or the Steamed Mussels in white or red sauce. The Main meals were Penne, Broccoli with Chicken, Penne Piccato with Veal and Chicken Cacciatore.  We then had dessert which was either a cannoli or cream brulee. All the items were excellent and delicious. We ended the meal with cappuccino and coffee. The Ernesto filled the Cannoli at the table and added the toppings as desired. It was a nice touch to the freshness of the food.

The conversation was lively as usual and bounced around the table. We talked about cars, movies, trips, politics and the new Pope. We all thought that The Cardinals should have picked a younger Pope but hoped for the best. We also thought that the Catholic Religion and others were in trouble with the new society of young people and needed to do more to reach out to them. I joked that my daughter bought me a pair of red sneakers for my birthday and I named them my Pope Shoes, since he is not wearing his anymore.

It got to be late and we tentatively picked a restaurant in Salem next time. Jim will send emails and let you all know.

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

Romeo Lunch 2-21-13

The Romeo Gang had lunch on Thursday 2-21-13 at the La Siesta Restaurante located at 70 Woodside Ave. in Winthrop, MA. You can see a menu at the web site below  …. Go to www.lasiestarestaurante.com for more information.

The eight Romeos present were Paul Girard, Joe Lapiana, Steve Winter, Jim Sicuso, Joe Pignatiello, Jim Terlizzi, Mark Ryan and Ed DeSchuytner.  You can see some photos at the link below ….. https://plus.google.com/photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5847882154664422785?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5847882154664422785

Thank God for GPS cause the streets in Winthrop are all one way and narrow. Parking was limited with one hour on the street near the restaurant and a parking lot in back. I parked in back with one spot left and had to wait for a delivery truck to exit the lot after dinner. The others parked out front at one hour and the waiter at the restaurant said that they never ticket. Lucky this time no-one got tagged.

I arrived shortly before twelve noon and Ed and Joe L. were already having the Grand Margarita in a huge cocktail glass. I’ll have one of those was my reply when the waiter asked. The drink was quite good. As others arrived the waiter got various beers and sodas. I later commented that my brother-in-law makes frozen margaritas by the eye ball method (two jiggers each of tequila, triple sec, margarita lemonade mix and a glass of ice) in a blender for 30 seconds. Yum Yum.

We were all seated at a long table in the back as the waiter brought drinks and some nachos with salsa for the table. We also ordered some other appetizers to share. After, we ordered the main entrees which included steak, chicken and fish fajitas.  Everything was very tasty and large portions.

The conversation was lively as always and bounced around the table. We talked about buying new cars or leasing, the new flat less tires, oil change kits, GIC insurance, wines, trips, and science fairs.

Jim S. said that he went for dinner in Boston and then later to the Wine Expo. Although the tickets were $100 a pop, you could sample all the wines for free. After 20 samples he lost count but was feeling pretty good. He talked about some of the expensive wines that he enjoyed and other at the table commented their likes and dislikes. After the tasting, Jim went to leave and get his jacket which he had checked. There was a huge crowd of 200 people ahead of him. He went over to the VIP table and asked if the concierge could get his jacket for a small tip. He said sure and quickly returned with the jacket but refused the tip. There are still some nice people.

Ed talked about looking at new BMWs and the new “flat-less” tires. Supposedly you can drive on a flat (hard rubber inside) for 50+ miles before changing the tire. However, at the dealer you need to get two new tires to keep the balance correct at $300 a pop. What happened to the $5.00 re-treads that I used to put on my first car in the 1960s.

Ed also said he bought an oil changing kit for his car. Supposedly the under carriage of the car has a protective cover that makes it hard to change oil and get at the drain plug unless you have the right tools. The kit has a hand pump where you suck old oil out of the dip stick and then replace it with new oil. The oil filter is also up top and easier to replace. Ed bought the kit on-line for about $80.

Unless you have a real old car you can’t even tune-up the car any more or do your own repairs. Everything is computerized. That’s the price of modernization.

Jim S. was telling me that Medford HS now has a new principle that came from Revere where Jim works. I guess he is trying new administrative procedures in Medford that the faculty isn’t too keen on. The new guy always has to put his spin on things.

Joe L. will soon be selecting a new health plan. He had Blue Cross but the town he retired from is switching to GIC. He was asking about what the best combination of GIC plans would be. We all suggested the GIC with OME for those who also have Medicare.

I’m sure there were a lot of other topics that were discussed but that’s all that I remember. You know “Old Age and All”.

Lastly, it was mentioned that even though we send email to a lot more people, only the regulars mostly show up. We all have busy lives and move in different directions but it would be nice to see some of the other retirees.

Comments always welcome…..  markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 1-16-13

The Romeo Gang had lunch today at Turner Seafood in Melrose, MA. See the link below…

Go to www.turners-seafood.com for more information.

I was not able to attend the lunch since I had a bad cold and five inch of slushy snow on the driveway. I also had planned to pick up Steve Winter in Belmont but heard the roads and traffic were bad in that direction and canceled. Well hope spring will be here soon. On the good side, I will be going to Florida for a few weeks in March to see a Red Sox Game and beach fishing. Can’t wait.

However, I got the scoop on the lunch event from our “On the Scene - Roving Reports” (Jim Terlizzi, Ed DeSchuytner and Joe Lapiana) and used their comments in this blog.  Since Joe L. gave the best description of the lunch, I just copied his comments below. Thanks a bunch Joe, Jim and ED !

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Mark,

The lunch at Turner Seafood Grill in Melrose went well. In attendance were Paul Girard, Jim Terlizzi, Jim Sicuso, Joe Lapiana, Bob Simmons, and Ed Deschuytner. The roads were open and just wet. Paul G, Jim Sicuso and I had baked stuffed Shrimp with a Lobster cream sauce,
vegetables and rice or onion rings. Jim T had baked Hake Almondine. Ed D had Pasta with Seafood, Bob S had a Crab Cake sandwich. Most started with clam chowder and I started with a salad of field greens with an outstanding balsamic dressing. Service was excellent and portion sizes large for lunch. When we arrived while waiting to be seated the bar tender who was trying some new drinks asked us to taste and give him feedback.. Of the three drinks sampled we felt two were too sweet and only one a Blue Curaçao Margarita was good. All the drinks had a tropical twist. The conversation was lively as usual and ranged from the iPhone 5, to travel, the Patriots and how difficult it is to be a teacher or administrator in this crazy world with school shootings!  The February luncheon will be at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Winthrop called La Siesta. It will be on Wednesday. I think on February 20^th. Jim T will send out reminders. Hope you feel better and this helps you with your blog

.......,Joe

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

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