The best sandwich I ever ate
In one week, I gained eight pounds. It was easy — I just ate everything in sight. It doesn’t take long when your metabolism has disappeared.
I am now back on track, however something amazing happened when I was eschewing my dietary vows. Roselle and I went to the Café Adam in Great Barrington for brunch where I had the best sandwich I have ever eaten. It was so incredible that I thought it deserved some space here.
Chef Adam really is a very creative guy. He was recently featured on the Today Show after Al Roker showed up serendipitously one day. But I digress. This sandwich was extraordinary, despite the fact that it violated so many of my dietary principles. It was the “Maryland Soft Shelled Crab BLT.” In it was ” crispy fried soft shell crab, New Hampshire bacon, lettuce, local tomato, onion, potato, house ketchup and mayo.”
I will remember that sandwich until I expire (even though the eating of it may hasten that day). Everyone should indulge in that sort of sensory experience just once. Life is a matter of balance. It is also short, so what’s a day or two?
Eric Hill is one exceptional director. His Chorus Line, now playing at the Colonial, was extraordinarily well done.
There are some things in the world that take a lot of talent. Directing a play, it seems to me, is one of those things. The person in charge has to think through a thousand details that the viewer takes for granted.
We were sitting very close to the stage and one thing that struck me was the question of where to put the microphones on the scantily clad actresses in the line. The fewer the clothes, the more pronounced were the microphone bulges. I urge you to see the play in order to fully understand what I am talking about.
And while we are on the subject of the Colonial, what about a hand for the magnificent Kate Maguire? She has done the impossible and married the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Colonial into one incredible organization, The Berkshire Theatre Group. I know no one more deserving of our respect than Kate.
The news this week is that Mitt Romney’s campaign is killing the Obama effort when it comes to money. The story is a wake-up call for those who want to see the President reelected. As the guy in the TV commercial used to say, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has been quite clear about what they would do if they get a Republican President and a Republican Senate. They will change Medicare as we know it; they will privatize Social Security; they will continue to drag their feet on climate change. How do we know that? Am I making it up? No way — just listen to their own words.
The polls all show that this election is in a dead heat. Now that the Supreme Court has made it the law of the land that corporations and PACS can spend any amount of money on campaigns, the only thing that the Democrats can do is to fight hand to hand to raise money that will allow them to get their message out.
This brings us to the news that Michelle Obama will be in the Berkshires on Friday, August 1st. James Taylor (JT to us) will perform at the Colonial (tickets start at $150 each) and the concert will be followed by a meal at Governor Patrick’s house that will cost $20,000 a plate. It turns out that the Governor is quite a cook. Roselle and I were lucky enough to have eaten at his house once.
He did the cooking and let me tell you, the man has a great career ahead of him if he decides to open a restaurant.
If you go, ask for the fish.
Originally published in the Berkshire Eagle, 7/16/12
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Alan Chartock's Blog 
July 16, 2012 at 11:42 am
The best sandwich I ever ate is a two fold answer. First it was a challenge between myself and the now gone owner of the Wave Newspaper in Rockaway Beach. It was a weekly with a circulation of 14K, and I liked to write editorials and take pictures, as to the most gross. A tie we both ordered shrimp salad sandwiches. Then I went for the gold with a pastrami (NYC-style). provolone, lettice, tomato, mayonaise, on whole wheat (to make it healthy,” and the consensus was that I won. Of course Leon Locke often played with the idea of running aganist Gary Ackerman, the founder of the Queens Tribune, but decided not to. He wowld’ve won of course. Ironic that you equate elected officials with food. I like to look at harry Truman when he left Office. Of course the historians are still undecided because Marshall carried Truman. However I look at the earnings of folks like Bush, Clinton, who profite after leaving office selling their Presidency to the highest bidder. Truman could’ve done the same thing. However he choose to be a true American President and refused to make any endorsements or product placements like Bill Clinton did with Diet Coke after leaving the Federal Grand Jury and creating a physical practice that many parents will never forget regarding the activities of teens and even younger on the school bus. This activity is apply name “doing a Clinton.” Well back to Harry Truman. Mr. Truman refused to make any endorsement or even profit from his Presidency by saying all they want is the power of my prior office, not me. Of course he was rather animated if you complained about the entertainment abiliities of his daugher. Speaking of presidents, why don’t you mention that Obama is the first president that is unable to actually make a speech without reading from a teleprompter. In fairness I hardly think that Romney is an orator like Mr. Churchill. I expect an interesting campaign. This will be the first time that the incumbent must run upon an ineffective first time and then ask to be ree-elected to undo his first term. He claims that the probable republican candidate Mr. Romney is too wealthy, but does not disclose the salary of Michelle, or the questionable revolving door relationship between the Obama White House and Goldman Sachs. Please tell Obama to stop playing the economic class warefare game he created and to concentrate on the economy. Didn’t Zero Mostel in “Fiddler on the Roof,” sing “It’s no crime to be rich?” Remember to hydrate.