Rich Pawlak

Old Forge is a small town just south and west of Scranton, PA, Jim.

I grew up in Moosic, PA, next to Old Forge, and the local fanaticism for "Old Forge Style Pizza" is real, and the town has an unusually large number of pizza restaurants for a place so small. The quality varies, too, from airy, crispy crunchy crust with good balances of sauce and cheese, to downright leaden crust and gloppy, American cheese sludge riding bitter metallic sauce. Keepers of the traditional Old Forge Style Pizza flame include Arcaro & Genell's, Maxie's (a very cozy, house-style bar with old pinball machines and the biggest urinal I've ever seen in a mens room), Revello's (somewhat inconsistant, but popular to many), Club 17, and Arcaro's on Taylor Hill, just north of Old Forge, in nearby Taylor, PA. With the exception of Club 17, these are some of the pizzas I grew up with, and they share the well-made, short, airy, crunchy crust, and the right amount of sweet, oniony, tomato sauce and American (yes American) and mozzarella (sometimes scamorzze) cheese. Arcaro & Genell's white pizzas (broccoli, garlic, etc.) are exceptional, and perhaps the best of the lot, but the sheet tray pizzas, cut into neat rectangles (called "cuts" in the local dialect, not slices), are worth a drive, something we intend to do with the PIZZA CLUB that has formed here in the past few months. The pizza in Old Forge is THAT good..

Oh, the water happens for me....... And I must say this: after 8 years of hosting an annual series of beer tours in Philadelphia, I can tell you unequivocally that most of the attendees report no hangovers after consuming over 144 oz. of beer, along with plenty of water during the tours.

From beer and spirit writer Lew Bryson's website: Booker Noe

How old are you? Youth might have something to do with that... I never used to have hangovers when I was in my 20's. I was incredibly resilent! Best hangover cure: exercise. yep, no matter how badly you don't want to do it, it works. I've heard about the sex cure for hangovers before. Might work. But, believe me, the best hangover cure is drinking water along with your alcohol, and maybe an extra glass before bed, or before sex, whichever seems to happen for you.

The Radisson is what used to be the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square. The Radisson that they are staying at is what has always been known as The Warwick on 17th St. However, in proximity to the Flower Show, I would enthusiastically recommend lunch at PENANG, on 10th St. in Chinatown, a vibrant and interesting repast if ever there was one. Plate of satays, dish of Mee Siam noodles, some Roti Tellur (stuffed savory crepes), and your taste buds will come alive.

The Italian Beefs Ive enjoyed in Chicago were much wetter, on spongier rolls, with peppers and giardinera, and were almost always very messy, but delicious. In Chicago they have that sandwich and hot dogs for their sandwiches, and we have an embrassment of riches: hoagies, cheesesteaks, roast pork AND beef, cutlet sammies like the ones at Rocco's and Tony Luke's and Shanks. And then we also have Koch's. An embrassment of riches.

Rich, have you tried Tommy DiNic's roast beef? If you haven't, you should. I've known Tommy DiNic for years, and I love both his roast beef and roast pork sandwiches. But Italian Beef in Chicago is a different animal, and bully for that. In context, it is a great sandwich in America. As are the sammiches in Philly, all great because of the local pride in making them.

Italian Beef isnt gonna happen in Philly, and it shouldnt; it's a Chicago thing, and when it's good, it's DAMN good; I've had several versions and loved them all: messy, beefy, tangy, and yes, those giardinera. But a good Philly cheesesteak and Roast Pork sammie is also a thing of beauty, especially at places like Geno's, Tony Luke's and John's Roast Pork (for both steaks AND pork!), all in South Philly. And the bread here is way better than the Chi-town stuff. Sorry, but it is.

I got a promo packet (and some pilsner glasses!) from A-B about this beer, and that "10 Brewers, one beer" crap is just that. It's just beer, and a mediocre one at that.

Just TWO HOURS to drink barleywines? Are you PacNWsters insane?

Holy Moley, no one? We really DO cherish our beer drinking, dont we? I know it kills me to watch from a distance.

And another thing that was fun about this chapter of FTF: that Bryson guy bursting into song without warning, usually to sing "What A Friend We Have in Jesus". Pretty damn near cleared out the place in the later hours. Maybe next time around we start him singing earlier--more beer for us!

This year's FTF was a crush of people like never before, and the first time I can recall that lines formed at the door, at one point halfway down the block outside of the Grey Lodge. The crowd was full of local beer celebs, the brewers, and, of course, beer writers, God help us. The beer of the night for me was Nodding Head's Imperial IPA, a big, ballsy wicked hop monster of a beer, with stunning fruitiness and rapier sharp bite, a brillaint beer, and the first firking to empty during the first round of beers. Also sampled Flying Fish's one year-old Big Fish, its 10% barleywine, a beautiful round sweetheart full of caramel and vanilla , with a lovely silky mouthfeel. But onto the pictures: The beer-loving crowds of Friday The Firkinteenth, the heaviest in history, yet surprisingly pleasant and congenial Co-owner Curt Decker (l.) and brewer Brandon Greenwood (c.) of Nodding Head brewpub in Philadelphia Brian O'Reilly, brewer at Sly Fox Brewing Co., Phoenixville, PA (l.) and beer writer Lew Bryson. Legendary brewer Bill Moore and beer fan Gary Bredbenner Co-owner of The Standard Tap and Johnny Brenda's William Reed Lew Bryson and fan Nancy and Bill Barton, co-owners of Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia beer lovers Mike Gates(l.) and his nephew Dave (c.)

Sweet Jesus, the day is here.

I seem to recall a similar float you created with Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout and Goodnoe's raspberry swirl ice cream; I actually tried that one myself and it was magnificent!

These Tours aren't really money-making ventures (well, they surely haven't been...), so the transportation budget is a little bare.

You know, at some point you have to make one of these; the next one is in August, and surely you can think of reasons to NOT be in Florida in August!

Every year for the past 7 years, I've hosted a Beer Tour of Philadelphia, as part of the city's annual Kitchen -Aid The Book and The Cook festival (see here for details), and have engaged 2 friends to help drive the 15-passenger vans we use to transport everyone. This year, one of my drivers is unable to drive, and I am in need of a driver. It is a thankless job, especially if you like beer, because we 3 drivers abstain from imbibing, for obvious reasons, during the 9-hour Tours, but we do get to enjoy the fabulous food prepared at every stop, as well as the company of truly delightful beer lovers from all across the country. If interested or willing, please let me know via IM, and I will discuss details. Thanks in advance!

Well, just days before it will happen, Mike Scotese, owner /publican of the Grey Lodge Public House has tweaked the already incredible menu for Friday The Firkinteenth and increased it to 15 cask beers. Here's what I found on the Grey Lodge website tonight: "We will have an incredible 15 casks! We jumped straight from 11 to 15. And it will probably be 16 for the following Firkinteenth in August. There is no way the bar will physically be able to handle 15 firkins at once, so we will have to serve them in two tiers. The first 8 will be tapped and ready to go at 6pm. The second 7 will be tapped at 9:00pm. So this year, come early or come late and we will have some absolutely amazing beer for you. There is also no way most folks can drink all 14, so this should spread things (and hopefully people) out a bit. I tried to balance the two tiers out as much as possible. 6pm Tapping Dogfish Head Aprihop Flying Fish Big Fish Barley Wine General Lafayette Scotch Ale Heavyweight Perkuno's Hammer Baltic Porter Iron Hill Old Ale John Harvards Heather Ale Manayunk Buster Brown Ale Nodding Head Imperial IPA 9pm Tapping Brewers Art Green Peppercorn Triple Lancaster Amish Four Grain Ale Legacy Duke of Ale IPA Sly Fox Scottish Ale Troegs Nugget Nectar Ale Weyerbacher Scotch Ale Yards George Jefferson 15 firkins is over 160 gallons of beer, so we will be filling growlers of the first 8 after 8:45pm, and after 11:45 for the last 7. The forecast is for a clear day. Don't miss it! " God help us. Beer Heaven on Earth.

Sierra Nevada Porter and Vanilla Fudge ice cream, first concocted by our very own Mike Gates way back when, when we did Beer Float tastings in the No Bull Inn.

Yards Saison from Philadelphia makes one HELL of a mimosa, BTW. And all Oatmeal Stout is good for you, and it's the right thing to do.

Beer for breakfast!! woohoo!!! Susan and Russ are two of the very few who understand that beer can be yummy for breakfast.

I found their food not so good, soggy frites, sandy mussells, an average burger. And their beer selection leaves a lot to be desired; to have 3 taps of English beers in a Belgian beer bar seems odd to me, but Monk's , like Trenton tomato pie, spoils you for everything else that tries to pretend.

This is the first year that Saranac failed to include a new, or test brew, in the 12 Beers pack. No idea why. But of the past few 12 Beers packs, the one beer that really stands out is the Single Malt, like its name, an echo of scotch, with peat, malt and sea notes and a great estery aroma. I also very much enjoy the Black Forest lager and Black & Tan.