a beer pong tourney, a bull, a stash: weekend in review
28 March 2011
Because I am whiny and miserable and have a mild case of the runs and a headache and my back hurts, we’re doing bullets. This weekend, I
- Arrived in Philly at 8:30pm on Friday night and, as per usual, went straight from 30th Street Station to Tony Luke’s. Now, of course, Philly is known for their sandwiches (or, sanwidges), but as someone who grew up there, I can tell you five local cheesesteak places that are just as good as some of the big names. (For example, little known fact: Pat’s and Geno’s are actually quite terrible and are only good because they’re open 24 hours and taste decent when you’re bombed. Otherwise, they’re for tourists and people who enjoy subpar cheesesteaks.)
But Tony Luke’s is a bit different because though being “famous,” boy, they make good sandwiches. I’ll usually go with the chicken cutlet supreme or even the chicken cheesesteak, because I can get decent cheesesteaks in NYC; Carl’s is probably the gold standard here, but I’ll be damned if Philly’s Cheesesteaks at Houston and Orchard isn’t effing delicious. However, I had a hankering for some meat and went whiz wit’ and was not disappointed (although I have to remember to order extra whiz, since they tend to skimp out on the cheese) (sorry, “cheese”). Mad props to my sister for only eating about 63% of her cheesesteak and leaving me the rest. Good start to the weekend.
- Had brunch on Saturday morning at The Irish Times. Love this place and usually hit it up every time I’m in Philly, often as part of my Artful Dodger – Irish Times one-two combo (the two bars are close to each other). But though I drink more at the Artful Dodger, they don’t have breakfast. I got the full Irish breakfast at the Irish Times and god DAMN it was huge (I forgot to take a picture of it, as I dove right in). Great space, great Guinness, great food. I would have sat there drinking for hours, but I had to run because I…
- Attended a beer pong tournament that featured a mechanical bull. No, really:
As predicted, this turned into a shitshow. As for the tourney, it was double elimination, and my buddy Steve and I lost our first match, won our second, and lost our third. As for the bull, I didn’t ride it (I’m sure you’re surprised by this), but that didn’t stop many, many others from riding. The only sort-of bummer was that the tourney started at 2pm and, geez, I probably left the place at 11pm or midnight (not bad for $40), whereas the bull was only there from 2pm to 6pm. So just as people were getting really drunk and adventurous, the bull had to leave. Alas. Next year, the hosts know better and will get the bull for a later four hour period.
But why, exactly, was it a shitshow for me? Well, I…
- Did not stay in the hotel room that I raved about getting on Priceline for cheap, for one. There are two possible excuses why. The first is that I drank too much and was not able to even get up the gumption/wherewithal to hail a cab. This is probably true, as I had a lot, lot, lot to drink during the course of the day. But the other excuse for this is that for the first time in a very long time, I went a full day without caffeine. Now, I’m not, like, addicted to caffeine, but I do start every day with a 24 oz D&D tea, and then have a diet Pepsi sometime around 3:30pm-ish to help me make it through the remainder of the workday. When drinking, two vodka red bulls are enough to turbo-charge me from 8pm until 4am. So a little bit goes a long way for me, and apparently none goes, well, nowhere. After leaving Froggy Carr (where the tourney was held), my friends and I went to the diner and I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. When I got to my dad’s, he was already in bed, and I fell asleep sitting on the couch with the dog at my feet before retiring to the bedroom with a bottle of water and two Bayer. So, good thing I got that hotel room cheap!
- Got a ride back to NYC on Sunday from my dad, and he, m’lady and my temporary roommate Brian got $70 worth of Polish take-out. But before heading back to NYC and while back at my dad’s place in Philly, I came into the kitchen, reached into the cupboard for a mug for some water, and found this:
C’mon, dad. You gotta find a better hiding place than that.
- Arrived in Philly at 8:30pm on Friday night and, as per usual, went straight from 30th Street Station to Tony Luke’s. Now, of course, Philly is known for their sandwiches (or, sanwidges), but as someone who grew up there, I can tell you five local cheesesteak places that are just as good as some of the big names. (For example, little known fact: Pat’s and Geno’s are actually quite terrible and are only good because they’re open 24 hours and taste decent when you’re bombed. Otherwise, they’re for tourists and people who enjoy subpar cheesesteaks.)
But Tony Luke’s is a bit different because though being “famous,” boy, they make good sandwiches. I’ll usually go with the chicken cutlet supreme or even the chicken cheesesteak, because I can get decent cheesesteaks in NYC; Carl’s is probably the gold standard here, but I’ll be damned if Philly’s Cheesesteaks at Houston and Orchard isn’t effing delicious. However, I had a hankering for some meat and went whiz wit’ and was not disappointed (although I have to remember to order extra whiz, since they tend to skimp out on the cheese) (sorry, “cheese”). Mad props to my sister for only eating about 63% of her cheesesteak and leaving me the rest. Good start to the weekend.
- Had brunch on Saturday morning at The Irish Times. Love this place and usually hit it up every time I’m in Philly, often as part of my Artful Dodger – Irish Times one-two combo (the two bars are close to each other). But though I drink more at the Artful Dodger, they don’t have breakfast. I got the full Irish breakfast at the Irish Times and god DAMN it was huge (I forgot to take a picture of it, as I dove right in). Great space, great Guinness, great food. I would have sat there drinking for hours, but I had to run because I…
- Attended a beer pong tournament that featured a mechanical bull. No, really:
As predicted, this turned into a shitshow. As for the tourney, it was double elimination, and my buddy Steve and I lost our first match, won our second, and lost our third. As for the bull, I didn’t ride it (I’m sure you’re surprised by this), but that didn’t stop many, many others from riding. The only sort-of bummer was that the tourney started at 2pm and, geez, I probably left the place at 11pm or midnight (not bad for $40), whereas the bull was only there from 2pm to 6pm. So just as people were getting really drunk and adventurous, the bull had to leave. Alas. Next year, the hosts know better and will get the bull for a later four hour period.
But why, exactly, was it a shitshow for me? Well, I…
- Did not stay in the hotel room that I raved about getting on Priceline for cheap, for one. There are two possible excuses why. The first is that I drank too much and was not able to even get up the gumption/wherewithal to hail a cab. This is probably true, as I had a lot, lot, lot to drink during the course of the day. But the other excuse for this is that for the first time in a very long time, I went a full day without caffeine. Now, I’m not, like, addicted to caffeine, but I do start every day with a 24 oz D&D tea, and then have a diet Pepsi sometime around 3:30pm-ish to help me make it through the remainder of the workday. When drinking, two vodka red bulls are enough to turbo-charge me from 8pm until 4am. So a little bit goes a long way for me, and apparently none goes, well, nowhere. After leaving Froggy Carr (where the tourney was held), my friends and I went to the diner and I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. When I got to my dad’s, he was already in bed, and I fell asleep sitting on the couch with the dog at my feet before retiring to the bedroom with a bottle of water and two Bayer. So, good thing I got that hotel room cheap!
- Got a ride back to NYC on Sunday from my dad, and he, m’lady and my temporary roommate Brian got $70 worth of Polish take-out. But before heading back to NYC and while back at my dad’s place in Philly, I came into the kitchen, reached into the cupboard for a mug for some water, and found this:
C’mon, dad. You gotta find a better hiding place than that.
