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Dear Ms. Feet,
I like to sample the local hot spots when I'm on vacation, and you sure have plenty to choose from here. I look for good music (or at least a well-stocked jukebox), clean glasses and an interesting-looking crowd. But the most important draw a bar can have, in my humble opinion, is a friendly and capable bartender. So enlighten me, Feet and tell who are the best drink pourers in the area.
I would have to agree that our bartenders are the unsung heros of Padre Island nightlife. In addition to keeping the customers and wait staff happy, it is the bartender's responsibility to spot fights before they happen, sexual harassment before it gets ugly and a menace on wheels before he gets into his car. Whatever these folks are getting paid, it is undoubtedly not enough.
We have many capable drink-pourers on this Island, but my favorite bartenders are the ones make time to chat a little - tell me something I didn't know or remember to inquire about my sandcastling business and/or my lovelife. A good bartender may not be interested in my wry personal observations, but s/he can do a creditable job of faking it. And a drink on the house every now and again can certainly help make one feel welcome...
Here then, for what it's worth, is my list of nominations for the top 10 Island bartenders and the places they pour, in alphabetical order:
Beth (Jake's Bar & Grill)
Bookie (Jake's)
Danielle (Kelly's Irish Pub)
Jackie (Sneaker's)
Kelly (Kelly's)
Liz (Kelly's)
Lori (Coral Reef & Boomerang Billy's)
Marge (Wahoo Saloon & Radisson Quarterdeck)
Shannon (Boomerang Billy's)
Will (Boomerang Billy's)
Wango (Wahoo)
(Okay, so I've listed 11. Like I said, we've got lots of really fine bartenders here.) I will of course be happy to publish dissenting opinions in future columns -- see below for submission information.
And never EVER forget to tip your bartender. Bad things can happen.
(For more info on these and other good places to go on spi, click here.
Dear sandy feet,
I was driving through Port Isabel the other day and happened to notice that the big pirate dude that used to hang out by the Lady Bea is no longer there. Have any idea what happened to him?
Funny you should mention that; I was visiting with Ollie over at the Coral Reef the other day when she made the same observation. Ollie has a special - almost "maternal" relationship with that pirate since it was she who commissioned the sized-large foam sculpture in the first place. (Those of you who have been around a while will remember it stood outside the building that is now the Reef for years, back when it was the Pirate's Castle.) Ollie continued to maintain the sculpture, even after it was moved across the causeway to Port Isabel, and so she was probably one of the first to notice its absence.
So she did some calling around, and it seems that everyone -- from the Chamber of Commerce on down -- is as mystified by the sculpture's disappearance as she is. If anyone knows where the giant pirate is stashed, they're not telling.
So what was it -- a schoolboy prank or a case for the X-Files? And is it mere coincidence that Pirate Days disappeared from the town activity calendar at almost the exact same time?
Maybe, maybe not.
WEBBED FEET
DO NOT search for lost pirates on the internet because you will find all kinds of interesting information practically guaranteed to distract you from some more productive activity. I didn't find our missing buccaneer -- but I did find some other cool pirate stuff...
For example, local brewmeisters might find the recipe for "Pirate Ale" to be of interest. Better double check the ingredients list before you get started though -- I'm not sure where one might find that required dash of Irish moss around these parts...
For more generalized Pirate info, point your browser at The Pirate Page! ..loaded with Pirate goodies, including links to Famous Pirates, Pirate Maps, even (shudder) Pirate Tortures!
If ye introduce on board a woman in disguise, ye shall be punished by death.
Thus sayeth commandment #9 of the Pirate's Creed, a fascinating, possibly authentic document laying down the law for pirate-wannabees.
And finally here's a good Pirate joke for your files. No, don't thank me, really.
Want to have your website featured here? E-mail me your URL... and happy surfing!
There are five (5) ways to submit your questions/comments for future Ask Sandy columns: In person; by phone (761-6222) or fax (761-8930); the US Postal System (box 2694,spi,78597) and E-mail. Visit the SOB Sandcastle Page (http://www.unlitter.com) for tips on sandcastling, contest info, recent Ask Sandy columns, and my reviews of local businesses.
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