Jake and Lindsay’s Wedding: Part II

I call this the rehearsal dinner, but it may have just been dinner the night before the wedding. Regardless, it was probably my favorite of the many impressive meals affiliated with Jake and Lindsay’s wedding. It was hosted by the parents of the groom, Dan and Cynthia Lief, at their restaurant, the Islesford Dock. This is really a great place. The first time I ate there I remember remarking to the then chef, who is also my good friend, that the chowder was really noticeably much better than most or any I had ever had. He said it was because they do not use any potato starch. In a world full of mediocre chowders, I think about that often.

Upon arrival, my first order of business was to get a glass of Whooperman’s (sp?) rum punch (tasty, but slightly too acidic for me). En route to the bar I noticed some delicious looking ribs and got a little distracted. Not surprisingly, I decided to stop for one and I’m glad I did. To be honest, I am sort of prone to hyperbole, but truly, I think the ribs were the most succulent thing I ate all weekend. They were perfectly seasoned and cooked. Spicy, but not taste bud or lip numbingly so and crispy, yet so tender that they were FALLING off the bone. Dan actually told me about the preparation, but I do not feel comfortable divulging it here. However, in a more private setting, I do intend to try to duplicate it.

In addition to the amazing ribs, there was tons of lobster on hand. While the lobster was delicious, as it always is, that night its thunder was totally stolen by the r-i-b-s. Here’s a picture of me eating the first of roughly seventeen lobster tails:



I also ate a cup of clam chowder, which in addition to the usual suspects, included a healthy dose of BACON. And if you have ever met me, you know that I am a big proponent of adding bacon to nearly everything. While noshing on my chowder I noticed people eating some sort of baked clam situation. It took me a few laps around the restaurant before I finally found them, but I am extremely glad I put in the effort. I believe they turned out to be diced up quahogs and man, were they ever delicious! My sole regret is that I only got one, which, by the way, was entirely my own fault.

At that point, I decided to check things out on the dock, where they were grilling up some tasty smelling skewers. The first to come my way were of the shrimp variety. But one skewer was just not enough, so my fellow vultures and I went straight to the grill and ate a few more shrimp ones, along with some jerk chickeny ones.

Eventually, the eating turned into mostly drinking. I could not even begin to tell you how many Mount Gay and sodas I had. During speeches I snacked on a couple of lobster tails, which was amazing and totally appreciated by the way. Most times, when you’re feeling a bit peckish, you just grab a chip or something, but at this party, you could just grab a lobster tail, or nine! Thank you, Dan and Cynthia. You are geniuses and I am so glad you use your intellect for deliciousness and good instead of for evil.

After speeches and a beautiful musical item (let the record show, that despite having one of the most hauntingly gorgeous singing voices this side of the Mason-Dixon, your heroine WAS NOT asked to participate), everyone really let their hair down and the crazy dance portion of the evening got underway. Adam Levy did some of the best cabbage patching I’ve ever seen. And I have seen A LOT of cabbage patching in my day. Most of it incredibly good. Like any party worth its salt, soon people started dancing on the bar. Here’s a great picture of Jake and Lindsay in action:



So anyway, it was a great night. After the last drinks had been poured, a few of us went to a bonfire on Gilley Beach, which was all the way on the other side of the island. I have no idea how I made it. I fell in a bush and still have the scrapes and bruises to prove it.

Next Installment: The wedding!