BLOGGING FEARLESSLY: The Owner's Box, Ep. 54.

Welcome to BLOGGING FEARLESSLY!

This blog has been resurrected now that its author has retired from a 41-year career of award-winning sportswriting at The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, Mass.

I sincerely hope you'll find this latest hosting of "Blogging Fearlessly" to be more useful, more entertaining and a frequent destination for you on the World Wide Web. Also be sure to listen to my podcast, "The Owner's Box," at hawkmano.libsyn.com, and watch its video cousin, "The Owner's Box After Dark," available on YouTube.

Some of my older posts are available if you scroll down far enough. But since I no longer have to guard my comments from the prying and prudish eyes of editors, I may be tempted to rip the world a new one here. Oh, joy!

--MARK FARINELLA

The Java Watch

I LOVE COFFEE. I am still a coffeeholic, even worse than before. So here, I will attempt to rate at least one cup of coffee I have each day -- except in the summer, when I almost exclusively drink iced tea.

TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025: Wow. It's been exactly 364 days since my last post here. Well, I don't really have much to add except that I'm still addicted to coffee, I still drink Starbucks as my first choice, and now I have more ways to drink it. In addition to my frequent visits to the local stores, I have grown accustomed to Starbucks' premium instant coffee, which comes as close as possible to a freshly-brewed cup as any I've tried. And lately I broke down and bought a little Keurig machine for the home office, so these old lazy bones don't have to walk to the other end of the house to either fresh-brew or make instant. Yes, I know the K-Cup pods aren't great for the environment, and I have to use powdered creamer due to the lack of a small refrigerator in the office (I've been tempted, but I have no room for it). But all of these options satisfy my addiction in a pinch. I will report happily, however, that yesterday I had my first iced latte of the season from the Foxboro Crossing 'Bucks, and it was delicious. However, the temperature has dropped back down into the 40s, so the hot skim latte will be the drink of choice later today. RATING: 4.75 CUPS.

RATING SYSTEM

One cup = Last Dunkin' pot of the day.

Two cups = My Sicilian grandmother's open-pot brew.

Three cups = Your basic average cup.

Four cups = Expected Starbucks quality.

Five cups = Extraordinary brew, made with care.

Dining Fearlessly: New England Steak & Seafood

<b>Dining Fearlessly:</b> New England Steak & Seafood

NEW ENGLAND STEAK AND SEAFOOD, Mass. Route 16 (11 Uxbridge Road), Mendon MA 01756. Phone: (508) 478-0871.

People that followed my newspaper career know that for many years, I had an ongoing beef with Eddie Andelman, the host of a popular sports talk show on Boston radio who also owned the former New England Harness Raceway in Foxboro, and much of the land surrounding Schaefer Stadium. His control of the stadium parking lots may have contributed more to Billy Sullivan's bankruptcy than any other single factor. But despite that animosity, I never extended that beef to his sons, Dave and Dan -- and in fact, I often viewed their popular "Phantom Gourmet" television series to glean from it tips on intriguing restaurants throughout the region. You may have noticed that I've already used "beef" in the animosity context in this review, but thanks to the Andelman brothers, I now have a new beef -- and by that, I mean a great recommendation for one of my life's guilty pleasures, prime rib. Their review of the New England Steak and Seafood in Mendon (about a 30-minute drive from my hometown) was spot-on spectacular. Heeding the warnings of large crowds at this hidden gem across from the Imperial auto dealerships, I ventured there on a Thursday afternoon when there were only a few diners in the rustic and slightly cramped building. I was immediately greeted with a warm handshake by one of the members of the Quirk family, which has operated the restaurant for more than 65 years. I was quickly seated and the attentive wait staff leaped into action -- easy enough for them because the evening rush had yet to begin. While I was there, the telephone rang frequently with potential diners inquiring about future reservations at a more traditional dinner hour (and I'm told that reservations are a must for usual dining times). I didn't mess around. After nibbling on the cheese and crackers and the cinnamon-drizzled rolls, I awaited what I went there for -- prime rib. As the photo above indicates, it was huge. And that was only the Queen cut! I estimate it was about a 32-ounce cut, and it went for $32.99. The King cut is $6 more, and I'm assuming around 34-36 ounces. And they offer the "Fred Flintstone cut" (well over 40 ounces). It's a whopping $74.99, and I've seen a photo of how it towers well above the plate. I don't know how any human under 500 pounds could eat the whole thing in one sitting. Now, remember that prime rib often contains a lot of fat and the heavy bone, which sometimes makes what looks like a great cut very disappointing when you start operating on it. This cut did not disappoint. I ordered it medium and it was perfectly done. Each forkful was warm and juicy and melted in my mouth. And even around the more fatty areas or the bone, a skilled surgeon can extract plenty of juicy meat. I was stuffed and satisfied by the end of the meal. For the sake of context, I really don't eat as much red meat these days as I used to. But I have always craved a well-prepared prime rib, ever since a family trip to Florida included a stop at a restaurant in Aberdeen, Md., that served amazing prime rib -- the taste of which I remember to this day, almost 60 years later. The prime rib I ate at New England Steak and Seafood was every bit as memorable. One last tip -- bring extra cash in the wallet if you plan to pay by credit card. The restaurant asks if you can tip the waitstaff in cash rather than adding it to the bill (I paid cash anyway, so it was no problem).

Click on the accompanying photo to see the menu.

Hours: Closed Tuesday. Monday 4-9 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 4-10 p.m.; Sunday noon-9 p.m. Large parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, reservations definitely recommended.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

The Owner's Box, Ep. 54.

Should Caitlin Clark be going to the Olympics? I'll straddle the fence a little on this one.

Back to work on the podcasts after a busy spring season, and it's time to get topical with a couple of HOT TAKES!

First, I discuss the latest controversy surrounding the best thing since sliced bread in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, and the apparent snub from USA Basketball in selections for the U.S. Olympic team for the 2024 Paris games. On one hand, it's a terrible marketing decision. But on the other hand, maybe it's time this 22-year-old phenom got a rest.

Then I weigh in on the star-studded gala induction ceremony for Tom Brady as he enters the Patriots' Hall of Fame. I'm not going. "How can that be?" you might ask, as I did cover all of his career in Foxboro. Well, there are valid reasons -- not the least of them being that I don't really care all that much.

And finally, I offer a few coming attractions with a brief preview of the coming Episode 55 in this series of the best little podcasts in all the land.

Enjoy!

BLOGGING FEARLESSLY

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The Java Watch

Dining Fearlessly: New England Steak & Seafood

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Tuesday, June 11, 2024

The Owner's Box, Ep. 54.

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