MY ALEXANDRIAR

By: Alexandria Riedinger

Apr 19 2011

Tags: beneteau, era art bar and lounge, everett and jones bbq, house of chicken and waffles, jack london square, oakland, old town oakland, sailboat, sailing, strictly sail pacific boat show, travel to oakland

Category: Life & Happenings

2 Comments

“On life’s vast ocean diversely we sail, Reason the card, but passion is the gale.”
– Alexander Pope

Ok, so I really didn’t buy el Senor a sailboat for his birthday this last weekend. BUT – I did surprise him and take him to the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show in Oakland. Last Friday, we packed our bags, destination unknown (to him), and jumped in the truck to endure the 3 hour drive south and “I bet you can’t guess where I’m taking you’s.”

I was beyond excited. For his birthday of course! Actually, I’ve had a few experiences with sailboats and have come to love them over the years. Getting married on a sailboat, (have I told you that yet?) a 40 ft sailboat no less, was the experience that fully sparked our combined desires to have our own one day. Forget the house – we want a sailboat we yelled! We didn’t actually yell, but it was close.

So with our love for boats and desire to know more about them, I knew the boat show was the perfect birthday surprise. And it was!

Four days of boats, equipment, clothing, technical gadgety stuff that I have no idea goes where (yet), seminars, and did I mention boats. Million dollar boats! Which is why all we came home with were a pair of hangovers. Nonetheless, the size of these boats were incredible. In between three rows of dock sat these majestic floating houses. No joke. It was like, “Hey honey, look. Here’s a three bedroom, two bath with walk in shower.” Yeah, with a $500,000 price tag.

We had to scurry off our shoes often because they didn’t allow them on the boat. Finally, we decided to barefoot it like real sailors. We climbed aboard classic looking 27 footers, Bluewater cruisers, catamarans and our favorite, the Beneteau 40, which was gorgeous and really spacious. I think at a certain point while sitting snug on the new cushions below deck, I said, “yep, I belong here.”  In fact, I think there’s a picture.

Along with checking out the show, el Senor, myself and a lovely friend who came to join us, decided to explore the other happenings of Old Town Oakland.

Sometime while cruising the vendors we stopped into Heinhold’s First and Last Chance bar there at Jack London Square. If you’re in the area, please check this out. The beer is way overpriced – paid $5 for a 12 oz cup of beer-but the bar, the floor and everything else slopes at almost a 50 degree angle. It’s the strangest thing. Makes me wonder how many drunk people have stood up from their bar stools and fell over? We enjoyed our first beer there then  headed back to the docks to check out the night that was unfolding. There were people everywhere by then. Wine, some unknown hand-made cocktail, and Maui Tais were being served along with cheese, grapes and crackers. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed the drinks and camaraderie like sailors.

After the show, we walked to Everett & Jones BBQ, where holy shit!, we had some chicken, wings, and links with our BBQ sauce. The plate was drenched in this delicious, spicy, and finger lickin’ sauce. It was beyond incredible! We all know how good your first bite of food is after you’ve been drinking…well, times that by ten and you’ll get our experience with Everett & Jones. We could barely wash down the spices quick enough, but tried to with their Saucy Sistah Ale. And I’m not joking, that is the name of the beer. It was good also. If you like lighter ales, you’ll like this.

Another good place we ate worth mentioning was, hold your breath, House of Chicken & Waffles. Like me, I’m sure you’re thinking, really, chicken and waffles don’t go together, what?!  But they do! This place had the best waffles I’ve ever had. And while I didn’t order the chicken and waffles plate, (el Senor did!) I tried a bit of the chicken and it was good. Really good.

Ok, here’s where I say, none of the food or drinks I consumed were healthy by any means. And it totally goes against what I’m trying to achieve with my life and this blog, but sometimes…sometimes, you just have to enjoy the good times with friends, and enjoy the bad times with food.