Breakfast, Booze & Bedtime

Up early and got packed and out the door at the hotel by 6:30am so that I could get a couple of things in the post and then stopped at Starbucks for an ice coffee and still made it to Helser's on time for breakfast with an old friend, Lin.  He sure looked good and you could tell he has dropped some weight.

 The restaurant is named for it's owner, Alex Helser.  I have known Alex for years and we are talking back to the days when he ran the pub/restaurant at Portland Brewing Company.  He decided to give his own place a try and it has been a hit.  When I was running events at the Portland office of E&A, we did a beer tasting at his place and we are talking years ago, but he has kept the bottle from the finale of the tasting.  It makes me smile every time I see it.

 One never leaves hungry at Helser's and today was no exception.  While Lin had French Toast (which he could not finish), I opted for potato pancakes and a Scottish Egg (hard boiled egg encased in sausage that is then cooked).  Creme Fraiche topped the pancakes and they offer a tasty horseradish sauce for the meat item.  With cantaloupe garnish, a delightful meal is at hand.  Oh and in the picture below at the top right is one of the homemade crumpet.  Can you say YUM!  Sadly, could only enjoy a couple of bites of the crumpet and in the end, I left half the potato pancakes on the plate.  Just a few too many carbs.  Good coffee gave me the energy to get on the road and off I went bidding Lin good-bye.

 Got on the road by 8:15am and first stop was to see Sandy at exit 57 to drop off her liquor order of two bottles of scotch.  Decided to snag a shot of the $724 liquor buy before it got distributed.  Curtis got his and I delivered Markie's order last night as he invited me to dinner.  Arrived a few minutes after 5pm and enjoyed watching news, discussing his travels (bot past and future) plus a mango vodka with tonic.  This was my first visit to his place this year.  Wowzers!

We planned to eat after the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, but I had to share that I was just not that hungry.  More exhausted than anything and so I bowed out early and headed home.  I do not think there has been a time where I declined a meal at Markie's, but what can I say.  Got home and unwound a bit, got this written and now off to bed.  Plan to get a good sleep as I have groceries arriving in the morning plus a haircut at 11am.  Michael is due in the afternoon with Jodie and Rob stopping by to get their liquor buy.  But all the news about tomorrow will be shared since dinner and a ride on the Great Wheel are planned.