WOBBLY HOPPS

Bunny Biter, a 50/50 mixture of Hugh Heifner Lemon Hefeweizen and Ears First Chocolate Stout, by Wobbly Hopps Brewery.

On tap, served in shaker glass.

5.0% abv.

-

The pour is a deep brick red with ruby edges when held up to the light, topped with a finger-thick tan head.

The nose is dark chocolate, a hint of espresso, and a hint of lemon zest.

The tongue is the same profile as the nose, although the chocolate and lemon are forward flavors with a bit of coffee in the background. The mouthfeel is a bit watery.

This is a strange hybrid, which I expected. As it warms, the flavors mesh a bit more and it works better as "one" beer. It's okay, but I probably wouldn't drink it again.






---


Hoppy Camper IPA, an American IPA by Wobbly Hopps Brewery.

On tap, served in shaker glass.

5.0% abv.

-

The pour is an "opaque" orange body, with a thin white head.

The nose is floral + mandarin orange slice syrup and/or candied oranges.

The tongue is orange peel + orange bitters + butterscotch + vegetable undertones.

The mouthfeel is medium, but just so. It borders on being watery.

This beer is good, but the bitterness is a bit off for me. The flavors mostly work, although the vegetable notes are almost too strong.

---

Wobbly Hopps serves beer, most of it brewed on site, with a couple of beers from other local breweries on tap. They allow food to be brought in from the outside, since they don't serve any food themselves. The atmosphere is like hanging out in someone else's living room.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Christmas dinner. Bremerton, Washington.

EVERYBODY DANCE NOW

KITSAP BEER TOUR: FRITZ

Fritz European Fry House
Region: Central Kitsap
City: Bremerton

Fritz European Fry House is one of my favorite places to eat, period. It is deep-fried pub food and it is excellent. The draft and bottled beers make it that much better.

(I make it a point to eat at Fritz on visits to Bremerton, if at all possible.)

---

The fish & chips basket is my preferred meal. It entails three pieces of deep-fried cod and a generous serving of Belgian fries.

The Child prefers the chicken basket. It comes with three large pieces of deep-fried chicken and the same generous amount of fries.

Each individual cone of Belgian fries comes with your choice of one dipping sauce. Each basket comes with your choice of two dipping sauces.

---

Recommended sauces:
*Sweet Chili. Sweet and spicy, involves a wee bit of heat but it's not overpowering.
*Spicy Curry Ketchup. Exactly as the name states, and easily my favorite.
*Honey Dijon Mustard. Lightly sweet and spicy, allowing both the honey and mustard flavors to shine through.

---

Four tap handles are in constant rotation. One tap is usually reserved for home brewed beers of owner Andy or an offering from sister brewpub Der Blokken (of Manette in West Bremerton). The other taps are craft brews, primarily from the Northwest or with a Belgian-style flair.

---


Der Blokken Red
a Red Ale by Der Blokken Brewery

On tap, served in a Stella Artois chalice.

Der Blokken Red arrives with a rich red body and virtually no head.

The nose is light and floral. The flavors are flower petals and broth, with a bit of a raisin and fruit edge that lingers for some time. There is even a hint of apple lurking somewhere in the background.

As it warms, an airy sweetness becomes more apparent on the nose and tongue, as though being out-of-doors right before a warm rain. Every once in a while, a hint of paper or copper penny sneaks in, but only for a brief moment.

All in all, this Red is understated and good. It plays well with the fries.

ANGER IS AN ENERGY

The child's Innova Skeeter takes a rest.



Navigation.


TWT's Discraft Stalker tries to hide.


The cathedral of trees on the middle of NAD's hole #12.

---

"Praying is funny. When you pray, you leave the day-to-day time stream and enter a quieter place that uses different clocks and values things that can’t be seen."
—page 291, Generation A by Douglas Coupland

"Anger is an energy! Anger is an energy! Anger is an energy!"
—from "Rise" by Public Image Limited, as found on the album Album

I played my best game of disc golf ever at Bremerton's NAD Disc Golf Course. I played a solid 60 (+6). This was partly due to being angry at various individuals in my life. I channeled some of the energy into the game. That anger was paired with an accompanying calm that felt very much the same as when I pray.

As I entered this realm of calm and quiet, the anger transformed into intense focus. I literally saw things differently. I still struggled on a hole—number nine. I was able to think through the error that landed me in a thicket of trees and get myself back on course.

---

Hole 1 - 3
Hole 2 - 3
Hole 3 - 3
Hole 4 - 3
Hole 5 - 3
Hole 6 - 4
Hole 7 - 4
Hole 8 - 3
Hole 9 - 5
Front nine - 31 (+4)

Hole 10 - 3
Hole 11 - 4
Hole 12 - 3
Hole 13 - 4
Hole 14 - 3
Hole 15 - 4
Hole 16 - 3
Hole 17 - 3
Hole 18 - 2
Back nine - 29 (+2)

Total - 60 (+6)

BREMERTON WATERFRONT

The wife, child, and I escaped to the Bremerton waterfront this evening for some relief from the heat. There was a light marine breeze that kept the temperature comfortable. We ate at Fritz European Fry House, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. We sat on the outside "patio," enjoying the chatter and laughter of Bremertonians and seagulls as we ate. I had the chicken basket with Belgian fries and two dipping sauces—Spicy Curry Ketchup and Sweet Chili, each possessing a slight "kick." This was all tempered with an intriguing Diamond Knot IPA.

Afterward, wandering in the various waterfront parks and the new PSNS Memorial Plaza ensued.


(1) This isn't a very friendly way to attract business to downtown. You couldn't even move your car over a block on the same named street, unless you want a ticket. I understand this during the week when the workers of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard are looking for parking. I don't understand how this is conducive to people visiting downtown on the weekends. Maybe Bremerton is hoping to completely kill off its almost non-existent downtown businesses.


(2) The ferry Kitsap arrives at its Bremerton dock, as seen from the Louis Mentor Boardwalk.


(3) A portion of submarine "surfaces" on the sidewalk at the end of the Harborside Fountain Park next to the Puget Sound Navy Museum.


(4) "Porthole" picture sculptures at PSNS Memorial Plaza.


(5) Colors amidst the various shades of gray.


(6) "Our war record—joiner shop."


(7) A portion of ship hull at PSNS Memorial Plaza.


(8) One of the fountains at PSNS Memorial Plaza, whose shape echoes the pools of Harborside Fountain Park, one-quarter mile away.

NAD DISC GOLF COURSE

The child and I headed over to Bremerton this morning to meet the brother at NAD Disc Golf Course for a round of eighteen holes. TWT had presented the brother his own DX Stingray golf disc for his birthday, and was now ensuring that it was properly broken in.


(1) The brother throws his disc toward the "putting green" basket. It is the small oval in the upper middle of the picture. The brother nailed his first throw of the day—a sixty-foot putt—whereupon TWT knew he was going to have some competition.


(2) The brother prepares to throw his drive on hole #4.


(3) TWT returns to the the tee pad of hole #9 after locating its basket. Miraculously, neither TWT nor the brother hit any of the pictured trees. (Photograph taken by the brother.)


(4) Troy's Work Table roars after sinking an uphill putt from behind trees on hole #17, posing with the disc that did the job—The Upshot. (Photograph taken by the brother.)

---

NAD Disc Golf Course is an 18 hole, par 54 course (par 3 on each hole). TWT scored a 72; the brother a 79. That was pretty good for a couple of newbies. This is the second time that TWT had played NAD and the first time for the brother (and only the third time the brother had played disc golf).

After the brother figured out what worked best for him when throwing the disc, he started to play a completely different game. In fact, he beat TWT by one throw on the back nine.

---

Troy's Work Table

Hole 1 - 3
Hole 2 - 4
Hole 3 - 4
Hole 4 - 4
Hole 5 - 5
Hole 6 - 3
Hole 7 - 4
Hole 8 - 5
Hole 9 - 4
Front nine - 36

Hole 10 - 5
Hole 11 - 3
Hole 12 - 4
Hole 13 - 3
Hole 14 - 5
Hole 15 - 5
Hole 16 - 4
Hole 17 - 4
Hole 18 - 3
Back nine - 36

Total - 72

---

The brother

Hole 1 - 5
Hole 2 - 6
Hole 3 - 3
Hole 4 - 5
Hole 5 - 6
Hole 6 - 4
Hole 7 - 5
Hole 8 - 6
Hole 9 - 4
Front nine - 44

Hole 10 - 5
Hole 11 - 4
Hole 12 - 4
Hole 13 - 3
Hole 14 - 5
Hole 15 - 5
Hole 16 - 3
Hole 17 - 3
Hole 18 - 3
Back nine - 35

Total - 79

A TALE OF TWO PORTERS

Lazy Boy Porter, a Porter by Lazy Boy Brewing

16 ounces on tap at Fritz European Fry House, served in Stella Artois chalice.

Lazy Boy Porter arrives black with a thick tan head. The head hangs around for quite some time. It leaves behind a thick wall of lacing as it is consumed.

The nose is dark roasted malts with a slight fruit edge. The tongue is a dark chocolate roast with a subtle smokiness that continues to linger on the long finish. The palate is firm and fair to the entire mouth.

This is a very good and solid porter. I would definitely drink this again.

It is accompanied by a basket of fried chicken strips and Belgian fries, as well as another small cone of fries. Dipping sauces include my two favorites—Spicy Curry Ketchup and Sweet Chili—as well as the slightly less spicy Honey Dijon.

*

I sit at the counter and enjoy my ale and my food, while I engage the child in conversation and look at the vinyl record art of Manticore Stencil Art adorning the main wall.

---

Dave's Homebrew Porter, a Porter by Dave

Approximately 4.5 ounces served in Styrofoam cup.

Dave's Homebrew Porter is enjoyed in the company of Dave and a bunch of men who are also enjoying it. It made its trip in a two-liter A&W Rootbeer bottle that had been wrapped with "cold therapy" gel packs.

Its initial pour is a nice dark brown, almost black, with a thin tan head.

The aroma is of dark chocolate, coffee, and tree bark. The tongue is the same, with slightly more emphasis on tree bark and chocolate.

It becomes even more intriguing as it warms and it wears some additional flavors. I taste some sort of dark fruit—dates or prunes or raisins. I also encounter the slightest hint of a spice that I can't quite place.

This is nicely done and I hope to be able to enjoy it again.

*

I know that some of the enjoyment of this ale is the atmosphere in which I am present. The setting adds an element of "getting caught," as though I were in high school again. The Styrofoam cup and the A&W bottle add an element of mystique. I wish I could have more, but I will take this 4.5 ounces of porter goodness over any of the macrobrews that are also making rounds, which I do not participate in! Why ruin a good thing?

DWIGHT SCHRUTE - NO PERSONAL CALLS

Dwight Schrute - No Personal Calls by Dave Ryan
Acrylic paint on LP vinyl album, 2009

The child and I headed over to Bremerton last week to play some disc golf. We stopped by one of our favorite local restaurants, Fritz European Fry House, for lunch. The wall over the bar stools and counter was filled with vinyl albums that had been painted upon. Most of the albums depicted bands or musicians, with a few "other" celebrities thrown in for good measure—Bruce Lee, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

And there, staring down at me was Dwight Schrute. I decided that I needed this particular piece of art for my office wall. I had just informed the child that I was going to purchase it when in walks the artist, Dave Ryan, with a bunch of new albums to switch out and add to the wall. I told Dave that I was getting Dwight Schrute and that he could fill that space with another album, if he so desired.

Dave and I spoke for a short while. He told me how he utilizes each element of the album in the creation of his works of art. The vinyl album is the canvas. The album cover and inner sleeve are both used to create the stencils used during painting.

I let Dave get back to his work, while I finished my Belgian fries and Lazy Boy Porter ale. I purchased Dwight Schrute - No Personal Calls and headed off into the Bremerton sunshine.

---

Dave Ryan's painted vinyl albums can be viewed at the MySpace page for his artwork—Manticore Stencil Art.

FRITZ

The child and I found our way to Bremerton's waterfront and into the warm nest of Fritz's European Fry House. We perched upon the tall bar stools in the front window to enjoy Belgian fries, deep-fried battered cod, deep-fried chicken strips, and drinks while we watched the cold winter wind blow leaves about in the courtyard.

---

Supergoose IPA, an Imperial/Double IPA from Hale's Ales

On tap, 16 ounces, served in shaker glass, $3.50 per pint.

I assume that Supergoose refers to this being a hopped-up version of Hale's Mongoose IPA, which, as far as I can tell, appears to be true.

Color: Hazy orange core with a hazy yellow-orange aura, topped with a thin white head. Small dots and lines of lacing are left behind.

Nose: I smell, in this order: a can of pineapple chunks, apricot, and a whiff of citrus.

Palate: The flavors include bitter orange that borders on grapefruit, pineapple, apricot, and a hint of hay. The heavy bitterness lingers in the finish. The fruit sweetness is almost too much, but it actually complemented the dipping sauces for my fries rather well. The spiciness of the Spicy Curry Ketchup and Sweet Chili sauces toned down the sweetness of this ale and really let the hoppy bitterness shine through.

I rather enjoyed this ale. It was interesting and played nicely with my fried foods.

---

The child enjoyed fish and chips with Tartar and Honey Dijon dipping sauces. Troy's Work Table enjoyed a chicken and fries basket with Spicy Curry Ketchup and Sweet Chili dipping sauces. The sauces are half the fun of eating the fries at Fritz. They have been selected to get the most enjoyment out of the fries, as well as complement the beers on tap or available in bottles.

If you ever end up at the Bremerton waterfront for lunch or dinner, then please skip the nearby fast food chains and enjoy some good fried food, wonderful sauces, and a pint or two at Fritz. Cheers!

---

The bonus is that your clothes and hair will carry the heavenly scent of deep fryer oil for a few hours. You can relive your eating experience as you wander about looking at boats or seagulls or the fountains of the Harborside Fountain Park.

THIS IS NOT YOUR MOM'S BREMERTON

The child and I wandered around downtown Bremerton on Sunday evening after a round of Belgian fries and ale at Fritz European Fry House.


(1) Bremerton Harborside.


(2) One of the five fountain sculptures of Harborside Fountain Park.


(3) Traffic disembarking from the Seattle to Bremerton ferry.


(4) New Delhi Indian Cuisine, 221 Washington Avenue.


(5) The unlit neon sign for the now defunct Nite Shift Tavern, 242 Burwell Street.


(6) The Admiral Theatre, 515 Pacific Avenue.


(7) Looking at the corner where the old Woolworth's building once resided, Burwell Street and Pacific Avenue.


(8) The Dietz Building, former home to Harbor Books, Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue.


(9) Display windows of the Amy Burnett Gallery, 296 Fourth Street.


(10) On Pacific Avenue looking toward the corner of First Street and Pacific Avenue, former home to tattoo parlors, a vinyl record store, taverns, and the downtown Bremerton McDonald's.

WATERFRONT WANDERINGS

The child, the brother, and I visited Fritz European Fry House for ale and Belgian fries. Afterward, we wandered around Bremerton's new Harborside Fountain Park.


(1) One of the five "volcano" fountains of Bremerton's Harborside Fountain Park.



Clockwise from upper left: (2) a "plaque" on one of the garbage cans, (3) closeup of a "volcano" fountain; (4) stone sculptures; (5) trees, shrubs, and other fauna.

---

I went fishing at Tacoma waterfront's Les David Pier and all I caught was a sea anemone! The anemone ate the bait and ingested the hook. I removed the hook and set the anemone free. The child has been fascinated with fishing recently so we bought a couple of simple drop lines and the wife, the child, and I took advantage of Washington's free fishing weekend.


(1) A view from the boardwalk of Les Davis Pier. One of the white forms in the water was the lucky anemone.



Clockwise from upper left: (2) the right half of the crossbar of the "t" of Les Davis Pier, (3) a buoy; (4) looking down the pier from shore; (5) barnacles and sea fauna on a beach rock.