Pork and Sauerkraut

As I started this year out with my new New Year’s ritual of eating the Scottish traditional steak pie served up with the customary lucky collard greens and black eyed peas of the South and soul food, I’m ending 2016 with a rich recipe for pork and sauerkraut: Beer Braised Country Style Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut with Jägermeister Reduction.


While most of my lineage is Irish, there is a part of me that is German. Philadelphia was the entry way for many a German immigrant and their mark has been left on the city – the German “s” for example* in the Philadelphia accent of English. If you don’t have any German heritage, you may still have some German traditions if you hail from this area of the country. The big one is having pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Eve.Eating sauerkraut on New Year's Eve is a long-standing tradition in Germany because Germans believed that eating sauerkraut will bring blessings and wealth for the New Year. Before the meal, those seated at the table wish each other as much goodness and money as the number of shreds of cabbage in the pot of sauerkraut.

Adding to that tradition, the pig has long been a symbol for good luck and well-being because they root in the ground while moving forward. Plus, they’re fat – a universal symbol of prosperity. Therefore, many people believe that eating a meal with pork will bring luck in the coming New Year. Such meals include pork schnitzel, Bratwurst made with pork, any kind of wurst made with pork, pork roast and so on.

I tackled the idea of having some pork and sauerkraut in my home. I didn’t look up any recipes but instead looked up the essence of German cuisine: the use of caraway seeds, bay leaf and dill, plus the omission of garlic in the dishes. I knew that I was going to braise the pork, therefore I was going to use beer. I went to the store and picked up some supplies, include potatoes to roast as an accompaniment and sauerkraut, because I don’t have that on hand. I was all really to cook and add caraway seeds to my concoction, but I didn’t have them.So I searched for “caraway seeds substitutions” and that brought me to The Cook’s Thesaurus which suggested anise seed or cumin seeds in lieu of caraway.

Beer Braised Country Style Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut with Jägermeister Reduction, serves 4

Ingredients:

All ready for New Year's Eve

• 2 T butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs country style pork rib**, cut into individual portion sizes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cumin powder, to taste
• ½ T anise seeds (or fennel seeds)
• 2 lbs of sauerkraut (roughly: either one 2lb bag or two 14.5oz cans) with the liquid
• 12 oz bottle of beer (I also suggest a Christmas or winter style if making it for New Year’s Eve – I used 21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat, a Winter Spiced Ale.)
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ t thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves
• ½ T olive oil
• 2 shots (3 oz) Jägermeister
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot; sauté the most of the onion (save about 1-2 T for the reduction) until translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Generously season the pork ribs on all sides with salt, pepper and cumin. Add the ribs and sear all pieces on all sides, about two minutes or so each side.
3. Add the anise seed to the pot to toast and wait for them to get fragrant, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sauerkraut, beer and apple cider vinegar; season with the thyme and bay leaves and mix together.
5. Bring to a boil; when at a boil, immediately reduced the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour at least.
6. Soon before serving, mince the remaining onion to ensure smaller pieces.
7. Add olive oil to a small skillet and heat; sauté the onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
8. Add Jägermeister to the small skillet and deglaze; set on a medium heat to reduce to half to quarter of the volume then stir in salt.
9. Remove the ribs from the pot and plate; top each rib with the Jägermeister reduction.
10. Remove the bay leaves and serve up the sauerkraut with the pork, including the braising liquid.

As I said above, potatoes are an easy starch accompaniment to the dish. Roast, mash, fry or what have you to cook them to ensure that they can help sop up the braising liquid, which I treat just like pot likker. When the potatoes are gone, make sure you have some good bread to help out, too.

*The German “S” is when the sibilant /s/ is palatalized to [ʃ] (as in she) before /tr/. Thus, the word streets [ˈstɹits] is pronounced "shtreets" [ˈʃtɹits]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_English

** As the article in the link explains, this cut is not from the rib, but a budget friendly portion of the loin.

Steak Pie

I spent New Year’s Eve 2014 into New Year’s Day 2015 in Scotland: the land of Hogmanay and Auld Lang Syng. In particular, I was in Edinburgh, which hosts one of the world's most famous New Year celebrations. Thought the official celebration is a major street party along Princes Street which cost over £20 to enter, I was with friends on Calton Hill waiting for the cannon at Edinburgh Castle to be fired at the stroke of midnight and the large fireworks display. Yes, there was much drinking and celebrating. It was a pleasant surprise that while watching the fireworks over the castle, there were supplemental fireworks over us. One fun note is that the clock faces of Waverly Station in Edinburgh, which were directly in view from Calton Hill, run two minutes early to help passengers catch their trains on time.

All baked and ready to be eaten

The next day, I was told that Scottish tradition is to have steak pie. This sounded like a great idea after a late night on the town being festive. Heading out to a well-suggested pub, I sought out a piece of this tradition.  Lo and behold, this pub didn’t make any for the New Year. Too hungry to look for another place, I went without.

 

This year, I decide not to go through this sadness and made my own steak pie for the holiday. While my internet research suggests that it is more traditional not to include any vegetables in the pie, I do like some in the mix. However I don’t use potatoes because that too reminiscent of a beef stew. (Though the filling would make a tasty stew on its own.) 

Steak Pie, serves 8

 

It's been cut

Ingredients

 

• 2 T butter
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 lbs stewing beef, cubed (usually round cut, but any tough cut can be used)
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large carrot (about 2 cps), sliced
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 shot (1.5 ounces) of Scotch (I personally suggest *not* using a single malt from Islay)*
• 12 oz bottle of beer (I also suggest a Christmas or winter style if making it for New Year’s – I used Abita’s Christmas Ale from a recent trip to New Orleans.**)
• 1.5 T cornstarch
• water
• salt and pepper, optional
• store bought puff pastry sheets

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; sauté the garlic and onion until the onion turns translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the beef cubes and sear all pieces on all sides, about a minute or so each side.
3. Add the mushrooms and carrot slices and season with the salt and pepper, cook, while stirring, for about 5 minutes until the carrots start to soften.
4. Add the Scotch to deglaze the skillet; when fully deglazed, add the beer.
5. Bring to a boil; when at a boil, immediately reduced the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour at least.
6. Dissolve the cornstarch in enough water to create a slurry; add to the skillet to thicken the stewing liquid.
7. Grease the lip of a 11 x 7 glass pan with butter or oil, pour the steak filling into the pan.
8. Follow the directions for preparing the puff pastry for use; when ready cover the pan with the pastry. If there is extra, cut the remaining pasty into any shape pieces to add to the top of the crust. (I used strips, but diamonds could be cut and placed on the pastry in a pattern evocative of argyle.)
9. Place the pan in a preheated 400 degree oven, bake for 20 minutes or until the puff pastry starts to brown.
10. Serve warm.

All this lucky New Year's Day food

This year, I served the steak pie with Southern New Year’s favorites, collard greens and black eyed peas. I didn’t think that it would be a bad thing to stack as my much luck in my favor as possible.

 

There is a tasty traditional dish from the area called Fife Miners’ Stew. That recipe calls for carrots and parsnips. You can replace the one large carrot with one medium carrot and one medium parsnip to weave some of the traditions together.

notes

* I used Laphroaig Quarter Cask this time; there was some in the house. Islay whiskies are known for their use of peat. In using the Laphroaig to deglaze, I made the kitchen smell like a warm peat fire and that flavor permeates into the beef and broth. While I enjoy that smell and taste; others may not.‎

** Each year, Abita tinkers with their Christmas Ale and I wasn’t the biggest fan of 2015’s. It was very hoppy for a Christmas beer. It was red-tinted and I got some citrus hints and Christmas tree. However, it worked really well as the stewing liquid for the filling. 

Not yet named travel entry: Dartmouth College

It's been a while since I posted on my own blog, but here is an entry that was originally posted on Frankly Penn (the University of Pennsylvania Alumni blog) on June 27, 2012. I have made minor edits.

For those who don't know my day job, I work in Alumni Relations. Not everyone understands what I do on a daily basis.

Baker Library, quintessential Dartmouth

Alumni relations professionals advance the mission of their institutions and serve and support its alumni - graduates of an educational institution - reflecting the values of the institution. We reinforce the principles of honesty, integrity, and trust, which form the basis for long-term relationships and engagement with the school. For the majority of us, we manage and direct the work of alumni volunteers who are promoting the image of the College or University to their school peers.

Annually, the Alumni Relations groups of the 8 Ivy League Universities as well as MIT and Stanford gather for the Ivy Plus Alumni Relations Conference, or Ivy+ for short. It is three-day forum at a peer institution where were meet our colleagues who do the same work we do in order to hone our craft. This year, the conference was hosted by Dartmouth College.

Dartmouth Hall, the original college building

Nestled in the town of Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College sits as an idyllic institution of higher education. So perfect is the image, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 said “this is what a college is supposed to look like.” It is quite charming and, if Penn didn’t exist, I would agree with Eisenhower (for the record, I think that Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford and Yale are all what college is supposed to look like.)

The Dartmouth Alumni Relations staff dazzled us with their school pride and shared with us their traditions like the Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips, the Salty Dog Rag, the Winter Carnival, and Homecoming. From D-Term to Animal House, from Sophomore Summer to Occom Pond, we were taken on a crash course of all that is Dartmouth. By the end, several of us were seeing green – Dartmouth Green.

Christine Tempesta, Director, Strategic Initiatives, delivering her TEDx-style speech (note the ice sculpture of a beaver – MIT’s mascot)

Each of my colleagues found our specific conference track – focused on our area of expertise, including Affinity Groups and Shared Interest Groups; Alumni Education and Travel; Classes and Reunions; Clubs and Regional Associations; Marketing, Communications and Technology; Student and Young Alumni Programs; and Volunteer Management and Alumni Boards. In these sessions, we discussed best practices and shared success stories that we can hopefully adapt at our home University. The intent is that when we return to our campus, we follow up and continue the conversations started at Ivy+. I've already been in touch with my wonderful peer at Dartmouth, and I'm working on my follow up to my presentation, "Are Small Clubs Dying?" to the attendees.

Vijay addressing the Ivy+ crowd

Outside of our tracks of expertise, we had daily plenary sessions. Two of these featured Christopher Trimble, adjunct professor of Business Administration and Vijay Govindarajan, the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College – the authors of The Other Side of Innovation. During Ivy+, their discussions were based on our pre-conference reading (a.k.a. homework), How Stella Saved The Farm: A Wild and Woolly Tale About Making Innovation Happen, a fable based on their business best-seller. The discussions revolved around how to change the way we think about the planning for the future (where will the firm be in 20 years and what products or services will being the firm there) and addressing the need of mutual respect for the business’s production engine and its innovation team (both of which will be in conflict with each other).

The Tower Room, in Baker Library – the statue is a tribute to the original mission of the College

The other plenary discussion was from Peter Post, Director, The Emily Post Institute, and a follow Penn alumnus, who discussed the etiquette of tough situations. Peter annually comes to Dartmouth during their sophomore summer for a lunch which pairs the current sophomore class (the Class of 2015) with the matching 50th reunion class (the Class of 1965). The lunch is a wonderful opportunity for the two classes to make connections and discover each others class, while learning (or refreshing) their table etiquette. For us, though, Peter focused on what the contemporary meaning of etiquette is while being true to his great-grandmother’s mission: etiquette is the relationship between two people that is respectful, considerate, and based in honest. In remembering these three tenets, Peter assured us that we would have proper etiquette in the business world. He finished his talk with some role play to manage some of the most challenging interactions in today’s social world.

The Steam Tunnel Tour (picture from the Ivy+ Facebook page)

We talked shop, but we had fun too. On Wednesday, we had the options of a tour of the Hood Museum of Art for the show – Nature Transformed: Edward Burynsky’s Vermont Quarry Photographs in Context, a walking tour of campus led by Dartmouth sophomores or underground steam tunnel tour. On Thursday, we had a Dr. Seuss-themed Oh, the Places You’ll Go! excursion (Theodor Seuss Geisel is a Dartmouth Class of 1925 alumnus), which mirrored the Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips, to the Connecticut River for either canoeing or kayaking, to King Arthur Flour Store and Bakery, to Simon Pearce – glassblowing and pottery studio, to a guided hike along the Connecticut, to the Hood Museum for the presentation “Ancient Art, New Media: Bringing the Past to Life,” or to the Harpoon Brewery. I opted for Harpoon in neighboring Vermont.

I am enjoying my excursion at Harpoon

At the end of the three days, the conference ended with a handful of TEDx-styled talks from our peers, including our own Elise Betz. They were charming, informative, evocative and emotional. The motivational chats moved the audience and summarized the amazing experience of getting to spend 3 days with our Ivy+ peers, sharing our skills, brainstorming ideas and meeting such impressive people who love their alma mater! Ending on a high note, we announced that Penn would be hosting Ivy+ in 2013. It’s a lot of work, but we’re looking forward to it. 

For your information, Peter Post’s guidelines for good business lunch etiquette

Not yet named travel entry: Lauderdale before Christmas

Warning, this one is long so I added a lot of pictures to make it go quickly.

A picture of our approach, Jupiter is the white dot in the upper left corner

I jetted off to Fort Lauderdale last weekend for some fun in the sun before the Christmas holiday. I had two free nights from Starwood Hotels and on a whim I picked Florida as the place to use them.  I thought that would be nice to get a bit of relaxation before the end of the year holidays completely kicked in.
Friday, I left work a little early for the airport. I breezed through security, got a cup of Peet’s, boarded my flight, miraculously scored a row with an empty middle seat, settled in my flight and lost myself in the pages of a book to pass the time. Finally my attention waned from the book when that captain announced our initial approach to the airport – high visibility, very few clouds, 76°F.  It was dusk and I could see the sunset over the clouds in the distance; Jupiter was high and bright in the sky. I remenisced about my last pre-Christmas vacation, a trip to Abu Dhabi, where I tried to get a picture of the Emirates Hotel with Jupiter high in the sky.  With a minor jolt from our final approach, I focused out the window to see Miami about 30 miles away south of the airport.

My ocean-view from my hotel room

I took a cab to my hotel, a 6-mile trek that cost about $20 with tip. (I was surprised to see that most of the cabs I took weren’t equipped for credit cards.) I checked into the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel and got a room in the Marina building (there three different building in the complex) which was across Seabreeze Boulevard (A1A) via a skywalk. The hotel touts a multi-million dollar renovation. Its investment is evident inside; the lobby is a tasteful decorated with wicker and sea shells in cooling colors of teal and sky blue, evocative of the beach just outside. My room was painted in blues and creams; it was spacious with a king-sized bed and offered great views of the ocean and the marina. The sea is brought into the hotel through the halls and rooms with simple beach and water themed art and photography. I found it easy to get settled and quickly changed into shorts to match my vacation mindset.

I decided to get my lay of the land and googled maps of the area and yelp reviews for places to eat.  I found Coconuts, up the road. While the reviews ranged from okay to excellent, it seemed like a good enough place to belly up from some grub.  The location can’t be beat – sitting on the Intercoastal Waterway.  As a solo diner, I was able to get a table on the deck and take in some of the water traffic.

Sorry, I already hopped in for a nap before I took a picture

I had ordered the conch fritters and the rib special.  The conch fritters were fine, though I have to admit that they were light on the conch.  The dough was a little sweet with a hint of corn and they were fried a good golden brown.  The rib special was a 10oz of pork ribs, in a dry rub of salt, pepper, dried rosemary, oregano and thyme, grilled to fall-off-the-bone perfection and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. The two dishes complimented each other well, from the light, sweet and chewy appetizer to the rich, succulent pork with good acid finish.  I partnered my meal with a Monk in the Trunk Organic Amber Ale.  It was a nice malty, spicy smelling beer and had a mild spice flavor, with a little bit of earthiness from the yeast.  The beer changed in sweetness first bite of the fritter. All in all, it was a fine meal.  Yet, the location brings Coconuts to the forefront for me; it was a delight to dine by the water.

A tour boat on the Intercoastal Waterway decked out for the Holidays

After dinner, I looked for a watering hole. Again I used the internet to find a bar and learn bus system, but I learned that they end around 10 or so.  Crestfallen, I decide to tackle the one thing that had been bugging me since I decide to visit Fort Lauderdale - the street naming and number system. After reviewing the maps for the buses, I noticed that the city is laid out as a grid; the intersection of Broward Boulevard (x-axis) and Andrews Avenue (y-axis) serves as the zero-point. All numbered streets and courts go east to west and all numbered avenues and terraces go north to south. Each numbered street gets a directional (SE, SW, NE, NW) based on their direction from Broward and Andrews. However the named streets get a cardinal directional depending on which axis they intersect. This seems to be the general model for most of Broward County.

Art, downtown

With that piece of information unlocked, I choose to go to the Cubby Hole, the closest bar to the hotel. I took a cab and a $14 ride to a quiet stretch of US Route 1. The bar is in a strip mall and I tried the door.  It was locked, and it took me some effort to figure out that the entrance was off the parking lot in the back.  I entered; it was a typical-looking neighborhood dive bar - the smell of stale smoke lingered in the air.  Yet, the music was fun.  I looked for a seat, ordered a beer and tried to take in the atmosphere.  However, I couldn't figured anything out because my bartenders were good, friendly fellows.  Recognizing that I wasn't from here, they introduced themselves.  I like when I can pony up to the bar and chat with the bartenders, I can learn a lot about a place doing that. One of them, John, asked me if I had been to Wilton Manors; he described it as their Castro. As the night drew on, the music got more fun.  I had 1/2 a beer more than I should and agreed with the bartenders that the bars don't need to be open until 3am on the weekend in Fort Lauderdale. With that said, I ended up closing down the bar, promising to be back, and getting a cab back to my hotel, but I was armed with the idea to check out Wilton Manors.

Nurmi Isles

The next morning started too early for me.  I thought that I had made my hotel room impervious to light however there was a sliver under the door that was oozing sunshine. It was made worse when the occupants of the room across from me would exit, the sunlight from their open room assaulted my door and burst through that little crack that aimed for my face. Then this attack was punctuated by the slamming of their door. Yet, I lazily stayed in bed for as long as I could, but, eventually, I would need to do things - visit the bathroom, drink water, crave coffee and eat. To bide my time, I ran to the lobby and got a big chocolate chip muffin.  The sweet treat stopped my stomach from growling and that was the reason for getting it in the first place.

Las Olas Isles

I looked up venues to go that night and Bill's Filling Station got some good reviews.  It seemed like it would be more my speed and less likely a dance-a-teria. With my evening places confirmed, I finally figured out the bus system in Broward County to plan the rest of my stay. However, the bus system didn’t have me figured out. I made it to the bus stop to take a ride to downtown and I waited, sitting on the bus stop bench. I wondered if I had missed the bus since I can tend to be late. I looked down on my phone to check the schedule while still sitting on the bench when the bus, on time, sped past me. Annoyed, I decided to walk and I scratched off a hike in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park from my list. I strolled up A1A to Las Olas; turned left and walked.

Sophy Curson, Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia

Eventually I knew that I would run into the Stranahan House, an important building on the National Register of Historic Places, which roughly sits on the intersection of SE 6th Avenue and Las Olas. It’s been herald as the birthplace of Fort Lauderdale. Yet, I was on a walk and took in the sights. Spanish for the waves, Las Olas runs from the beach to the center of town. After crossing a drawbridge, I walked through the Idlewyld, Seven Isles, Las Olas Isles, Colee Hammoock and Beverly Heights neighborhoods. The road is interlaced with canals and waterfront homes. Boats were docked by houses like cars in driveways. By the Beverly Heights neighborhood, the canals and boats give way to the commercial area which is alive with bars, clubs, bridal stores, shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and hotels in a clash of culture like South Street meeting Rittenhouse Square.

One of the Stranahan House's Christmas Trees

I made it to my destination, the Stranahan House. This unassuming structure served as the second trading post built by Frank Stranahan and today is the oldest building in Fort Lauderdale. Its history is, for the most part, as only slightly older than the city, which celebrates its centennial this year. Not too much in known about Frank but he was originally from Ohio, outside of Youngstown. In 1893, he heard word through acquaintances that there was a need for a ferry operator for the New River crossing to connect Lantana to Lemon City, now North Miami in 1893. The location on both the river and the new road, which eventually became US Route 1, created an epicenter of active.

The Stranahan House

The New River was a source of commerce for the city. Seminoles from the Everglades would travel down to the New River Settlement to trade their pelts, feathers and native crafts and art for sewing machines, canned goods and tobacco. The Native Americans’ goods were in such high demand since women’s fashion at turn of the century was very lavish, utilizing fur and feathers. At the same time, the original journey between Lantana and Lemon City was a $10 stagecoach ride that took two days. Travelers camped overnight in wooden-floored tents. It was a wise decision to move the trading post from up the river to the current location. Stranahan acquired the surrounding land, over 10 acres for around a $1 an acre. The confluence of people and the ample acreage of the homestead contributed to Stranaham's early success.

The New River from the Stranahan House

During its history, the building also served as the town hall and post office before it became his home in 1906 when he completed the renovations of the existing structure for his wife, Ivy, whom he married six years prior. Mrs. Stranahan was Fort Lauderdale's first teacher; she was a Florida native, born in North Florida who moved with her family to Lemon City trying to avoid the frost line. Ahead of her time, Mrs. Stranahan was a vegetarian, practiced yoga and provide for the less fortunate – including funding the first African-American school in town.

In the late 1920’s, the Great Depression hit as well as two hurricanes, the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. These disasters, coupled with Frank’s diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer, pushed him to take his own life. After Frank’s death Ivy Stranahan kept the house, but rented out the first floor to a restaurant known as the Pioneer House to make ends meet. Mrs. Stranaham died in 1971 and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church sold it to the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society in 1979. In 1981, a non-profit corporation set up to preserve and maintain the house for all to visit.

A pink house in the Tarpon River neighborhood

After my tour, I strolled throughout the downtown area and returned to my hotel via bus.  Finally I was getting the hang of it and by the end of the trek, I had logged over 4 miles of walking.  I picked up a cubano sandwich and a Key West salad at a cafe on A1A.  The cubano was simply delicious; it could have been because I was famished. Though I attribute it to the spicy and honey mustard slathered over a pile of thinly sliced ham and thick slices of pork, pressed together and bound by gooey melted Swiss cheese lined with sweet, crunchy, tart pickles. The mayonnaise-dressed salad would be saved for dinner since I was going back to the hotel for a disco nap.

Fort Lauderdale Centennial decorations

Refreshed from my siesta, I enjoyed the crab meat and shrimp salad with celery and green onions and filled me up for the night on the town.  I showered, dressed and noticed that I had gotten a little sun kissed from my long walk. I was happy to have a slight healthy glow. I finished dressing and headed to Wilton Drive via the bus. I saw a lot of the city and its Holiday decorations, seemingly out of place - snowflakes and snowmen, but I was charmed.  I made it to the Drive and headed toward Bill's Filling Station. While not as over the top as the Castro, I understood what John meant by his comments the last night.  It is the area's gay ghetto.

I was really on A1A

I entered Bill's and was surprised at the low density of the crowd; there were only two scores of folks. It was 11pm on a Saturday night and the bars are open until 3pm on the weekend.  There was a raffle going on from some charity, so volunteers were asking the patrons for donations.There was a lesbian cover band, dressed mostly in stereotypical attire – flannels and sports jerseys – though the bass player was more forward dressing; she simply wore black.  I heard them playing Melissa Etheridge, Adele and Green Day. While I appreciated their rendition of "Come To My Window," no-one can sing like Adele but Adele. After a $5 bottle of Miller Lite, I used my iPhone to find what other places lay around.
 
George's Alibi, or Alibi for short, read like the aforementioned dance-a-teria that I feared, but a different site gave it a more favorable review. It was also in a strip mall, but it took a huge footprint of the mall, complete with outdoor seating for dinner and for smoking. I walked in to find it cavernous. I walked to the far side of the main bar and the bartender smiled to ask me what I'd like.  Nothing too special was on tap, except there was Yuengling. I paid my $4.75 for the pint and enjoyed the crowd and music. Two beers later, I noticed someone I knew. Steve from Atlanta had moved to Fort Lauderdale and landed a gig as security for the bar. We caught up and I realized that I was having fun, yet by 12:30 the crowd thinned. I hailed a cab and headed back to the Cubby HoleI to finish the night with my newly minted bartender friends.

The beach, taken in HDR

I cabbed it back to the hotel after closing the bar down again only to fall quickly asleep. Yet again, the sunshine pummeled me awake and, though I fought it, I succumbed to its power.  I took the opportunity to get to the beach and enjoy the sun, the warmth, the sand and the sea.  I knew it would only be a matter of hours before I boarded back on a plane coming home. I would be ready for Christmas. I didn't know that I was going to be greeted by 34°F weather when I got home.

For a more complete album of the trip, visit here.