That was a real nice hoe-down, we're mighty glad we came,The vittles we 'et were good, you bet; the company was the same.
I know, I'm always bragging about My Old Town--telling you it's the greatest place on earth--yada, yada, yada! Well, it really is; and I'm going to prove it to you, one more time.
Nothing brings our neighborhood together like a party, and a couple of weeks ago, the Triangle Association threw the mother of all parties--a hoe down, complete with a meat loaf contest, a blue grass band, a Moon Walker for the kids, and a balloon artist who really was--an artist. I've seen my share of parties at the Triangle through the years, but this one took the cake--or more precisely, the meat loaf. Everyone must have gotten the memo--because people filled the Center and spilled out onto the sidewalk--where the musicians had set up to serenade the entire neighborhood. It was, in a word, awesome.
If you weren't there, let me give you a sense of what it was like. You walked in the door, and the gorgeous Candace Jordan welcomed you, standing next to Sam the Scarecrow and a huge photo of the man himself, Mr. Meat Loaf. A few feet further into the room, three huge tables staggered under the weight of MEAT LOAVES of every size, shape, and flavor. There were loaves elaborately latticed with bacon, loaves drenched in barbecue sauce, loaves stuffed with peppers, and even loaves deconstructed into individual patties. Surrounding the meat loaves were tubs of mac and cheese, gratineed and mashed potatoes, baked beans, cauliflower pudding, broccoli souffle, you name it. Good neighbor Jay Shindler (Catering/Chocolate) send over a bountiful asssortment of Lucas Tashey's freshly baked breads (they were devoured); and the Roses (Pete and Emily) supplied a basket full of home-made rolls. It was down home cookin' heaven.
We couldn't have just any palates judging this event, so we brought in the neighborhood gourmands to do the honors: alderman Vi Daley, local celebrity and true foodie Candace Jordan, cooking and eating aficionado Keith Thams, and Perennial's top chef, Ryan Poli. This auspicious group ate their way through twenty-one meat loaf entries, assigning points for flavor, appearance, and originality. When every morsel had been tasted and the last score recorded, neighbor Lucy Wojtas (she of the "haunted house" on Menomonee fame) was awarded first place for her Jalapeno and Red Pepper Stuffed Turkey Loaf. Sadly, I can't offer an editorial comment on her creation because plate #17 (her judging number) had been picked clean. And as good as all the offerings were, I'm guessing none of the judges will want to look at meat loaf again for a very long time. You might want to watch the video that Lucy's proud hubby Steve Weiss made and posted on Vimeo.
Time for a confession. If you haven't guessed already, I'm a home girl at heart--and I love country music. I can't resist clapping my hands and stomping my feet for a group of fiddlers. All of the Whiskey Holler boys were amazing. but one member of the group was more than a good fiddler. Toward the end of a set, he pulled out an old saw and started to play it. The chatter stopped, and jaws dropped. I'm guessing that, unless they'd been to Bramson or Nashville, very few had ever heard anyone play the saw before. They were dumbfounded at the sound that came from this lowly carpenter's tool. It got better. When he finished, a young woman came out of the crowd and asked to sit in. The surprised leader agreed. but he was blown away when she reached, not for a fiddle, but for the saw. Never in his musical career had anyone ever asked to join in and play the saw. She led off with The Star Spangled Banner. which certainly got our attention. Then, she segued into the haunting theme from Ken Burns' Civil War series.The band couldn't resist--they picked up their fiddles and played backup. Those of us standing around joined hands and started humming. Talk about your magic moment!
Afternoon turned to evening. No one wanted to leave. We sat laughing, talking, listening--enjoying this time together before winter separated us. And then, the party was over. But while it lasted, we experienced Old Town at its best--and we all had "one scrumptious time".
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