By, Muggsy Barnacle

Joe @ Joe’s

A Phantom @ Ceia

!!Farmer’s Market All Year!!

Muggsy and his pal Joe Mannix (you may remember him when he was a detective on TV) went to Newburyport’s Not Your Average Joe’s on their respective almost same birthdays as they always do each mid-October for a free entrée and dessert by reward of being a member of Joe’s email club…an amazing reward for being a regular patron… our final bill was about $7…yes, we tipped on what the bill should really be and then some…waitress was awesome…ditto food…Joe’s is the best bet upon one’s B’ Day…we received another B’ Day reward offer from a local restaurant rewarding each of us a free dessert up to a $12.50 value as long we spent at least $35 on top of that…first up, a $12.50 dessert sends chills up our spine and wallets…then the $35.00 quoted price equally challenged our bank account  and sensibilities…sorry, but those prices make this columnist a tad uncomfortable…we are still a city anchored with blue collar workers and ordinary folks… although we do indeed have more than our fair share of the Trust Fund People…doubt many of the rest of us are going
to spend $12.50 on a dessert…there is a ying & yang balance that is a bit out of whack here….

… The next night Mr. & Mrs. Muggsy Barnacle ventured out to Ceia to continue his B’ Day weekend…the bistro was bustling…an added treat was that the TV was tuned to TV Diner restaurant and food review show…soon that program was showing a segment where Ceia was the choice of a couple awarded dinner by NECN-TV, one of whom was interviewed later by host Billy Costas in the station’s station…the packed “kitchen and bar” was transfixed watching the show reviewing the restaurant they were dining in…the kitchen and wait staff gathered as one breaking into applause as did the dining customers…this column thought the applause increased dramatically when a certain Newburyport-today.com staff member was shown downing a glass of wine from Chile…owner Nancy Batista- Caswell treated every customer to a flute of champagne in celebration…a nice touch.

…Watch for one pizza emporium to soon close in town…more on that next column.

…Call us crazy, but we hear that there is a serious movement to have The Farmers Market @ The Tannery to go year-round…impossible you say, Mr. Lennon…perhaps…but imagine a new solar glass atrium building within Tannery adjacent property able to hold a Farmer’s Market accommodating and adjusting to any weather and providing space for functions and banquets for about 300 – 400 patrons…an obvious concern would be foremost, parking…but no one should underestimate the genius of Tannery owner and visionary David Hall to accomplish that challenging feat…the next dilemma would be that much local product would certainly not be available in the winter months, a major concern to some, but a minor glitch to most coming true, but frankly speaking, our money is on David Hall and Market Founder Shari Wilkinson.

…Newburyport-today.com’s Tuesday Townie columnist Kathleen Downey was recently witnessed dancing delightfully on Liberty Street celebrating the coming of the former Amesbury Zac & Ani’ – All-natural and Vegan Bakery to 9 Liberty Street (former house of the Green Bean Deli, an eatery we will miss greatly)…seems Kathleen is a devout follower of the Vegan menu and probably will be Z & A’s most dedicated customer.

…The Port Tavern, a niche restaurant and drinking Irish-orientated meeting place, has enjoyed immense success and is growing a at rapid rate…its Grumpy’s bar and kitchen Reading operation has clicked…and now the Tavern is reportedly about to open another version in Methuen…congrats to the Port T People

…A fond farewell to one John Battis…he was an effective NBPT city councilor, an accomplished musician, a funky member of the Beach Boy-ish, Jimmy Buffett-like Dick Kaplan Band, and virtually the solo saviour of an abandoned failed railroad path that is now an important rail trail and it is named the Battis Park after him.

…Every once and awhile we are overwhelmed by so many famous writers, artists, musicians et al making up the fabric of Our Fair Port’s artistic scene that we are capable of overlooking many more deserving grassroots creative people in all phases of the arts…we were  quickly reminded of such when we attended a performance of the amazing The Return of Little City Comedy Co. at our beloved Firehouse Center for the Arts…it was two night before Halloween, an evening of an epic Nor’easter…although some of our party came as far as way as Portland, Me we expected to see a very sparse audience…after all, some potential tix holders ended up having up to four feet of snow before Trick or Treat…we do know that Snow Trick came before acting Treats.. after immensely enjoying several choices from Not Your Average Joe’s menu qualifying us for a 15% discount…we were astounded when the curtain opened to see an almost sold-out house…Little City is definitely Newburyport’s Saturday Night Live written and directed by an immensely talented Stephen Faria, a man who before the curtain departed had us in tears with our handkerchiefs laughing at his skit about musical notes being blown within his hanky…17 acts followed rapid-fire sensitive including Moms, blind dating, mall security, an ass model, and Mr. Trash Collection 2011 to a few choice choices…this show recaptured the vibes and verve of a Newburyport but a decade or so ago when an artistic creative scene was bursting at the seams with enthusiasm, originality, and local spirit…to say we enjoyed this show would be an understatement of the decade…usually one would simply salute the body of performers, but this column was so impressed by this ensemble we would be remised if we did not mention each cast member by name…so here goes: Joe Berardi, John Budzyna, Catherine Colby, Deidre Cobelle, Fontaine Dollas Dubus, Allyn Warner Gamble, Tim Hiltabiddle. Tony Moschetto, Jilie Mchonchie, and Kathleen Miller for creating and keeping the reason that our safe harbour was and is a magical is a wonderful and port of the arts…Thank You!…

 

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Muggsy Barnacle is the alter ego of a long time ‘Port publisher and journalist.  Questions or comments about this recurring column can be sent to talk@newburyport-today.com