I did....

[promoguy]

Ruth, I think I've got most of the books Chris Schlesinger wrote. Thrill of the Grill being my favorite. And here you worked for the guy.

"There is a restaurant in Cambridge (East Coast Grill) that we go to regularly that puts those little plastic mermaids on their drinks. We have a section of one of our kitchen drawers full of plastic mermaids, seahorses, and swordfish."

Liamsaunt:
You know you're making me very homesick for Inman Square, Cambridge. The East Coast Grill opened in 1985 and I was there. I lived a block away and I worked there part-time. (I also had a job at a high-tech software company called "Funk Software". I'm not kidding.)

The owners, (Chris and Carey) warned all of the employees that sometimes it takes a few years for a restauarant to catch on, but they had such cool concepts that we were all committed and ready to stick it out. It was successful from Day One, and I'm so glad it's still thriving all these years later. In those days fresh grilled seafood, blue margaritas, plastic mermaid and monkey toys with your drinks and fresh toppings such as salsa made with fresh pineapple or mango were NOT commonplace, believe me. This was all unheard of and very Cutting Edge.

The funniest thing for me is remembering that one of the owners Chris Schlesinger used to spend a month in the Caribbean every year and he told me once that I should just pack up and move there. He thought I'd like it.
Very Smart Man.
-Ruth

[CJP]

Ruth,
Wow what a small world! We have never been to East Coast Grill, but live just a few miles away from Back Eddy. Back Eddy is Chris's restaurant on the Westport River in S.E. Massachusetts. We ate there both Friday and Sunday of last weekend.
Back Eddy is the perfect New England seafood restaurant located right on the water. The perfect place to idle away a hot summer afternoon with a Dark and Stormy in hand.

Next weekend we we'll be sampling the local cuisine of STJ. Is it Friday yet?

[Bug]

Ruth ~ I love listening to your stories!!

XOXO
Bug

[RickG]

The funniest thing for me is remembering that one of the owners Chris Schlesinger used to spend a month in the Caribbean every year and he told me once that I should just pack up and move there. He thought I'd like it.
Very Smart Man.
-Ruth

Very cool. I have a couple of his books in the kitchen. His "Thrill of the Grill" really gets Yucatecan and island cooking.

I fell in love with the Yucatan and Quintana Roo before the Virgin Islands. It's gotten built out since then and the good beaches are 10-15 miles apart. But, there's something about living in a beach hut and sleeping in a hammock for $10/night.

Cheers, RickG