Contents - Harbor Crab Co.

Chronicles
Thoughts from Harbor Crab Golf
Outing in January?
the Boss
This newsletter has been in the upper part
of my medulla for about 25 years now,
ever since I opened my first pub, Dublin
Down in Blue Point. I knew the value of
starting a newspaper to memorialize all the absolutely insane
things and funny stories that
come from the bar.
With every year and
every new bar I would again
renew my desire to start an
in-house periodical to accent
all that happens within the
walls and on the special trips
of these crazy night spots.
Though I’ve started “Dublin
Diaries” and “Crab Chronicles” over a dozen times, I am
confident that this is the time- The
true birth of Crab Chronicles is
upon us! It is meant mostly for
fun. An avenue to keep our Harbor Crab family connected with
the latest restaurant gossip, current events and special nights
at the Harbor Crab and around
Patchogue. Most of all we will
use these “Crab Chronicles” to
accent all those funny, behind
the scenes things that happen
in and around a restaurant and
bar...and believe me, you won’t
believe me!
Lastly, I hope this newspaper will make you feel connected to our family. Really,
the one thing that separates the
Harbor Crab from other great
restaurants in Patchogue is
our “Family First” ideals. You
are our family and our goal is
to make you feel as important to us as you truly are.
I’ve always said that “It’s
the people inside the Harbor
Crab that makes us special.”
Please feel free to bring
me your ideas for this
newsletter.
The more input from
our Harbor Crab family and
friends, the
more connected you’ll feel.
Thank you and
as always,
Welcome Home!
Mark Miller
For the most part, it was a typical winter afternoon
down at the Harbor Crab on Monday, the 11th of January.
Temperatures were brisk in the low 20’s, cloudy skies
lingered above the cold air that circled like seagulls over
the Patchogue River. Football games, the stock market
on CNBC and Quick Draw were displayed on the flat
screens in the back bar. The regular crowd conversed
about the markets and the economy, which team has
the better defense/offense, and of course which one is
destined to win the Super Bowl. Others simply longed
for the warm summer days that had passed months ago
but are sure to return with more
trips to the beach and improved
short games, or so they hope.
It was during theses nostalgic
conversations that made this
day a little atypical.
Mark Miller and Vinny
Grucci once again disputed
over the placement of the
one dollar bill (posted in
the back bar on the dining
room wall) that represents the winner of the
Golf Masters Finalists
that was founded four
years ago. It appears that there was a misunderstanding
as to who the “True Golf Master” really is. Each
believed that ‘they’ held the crown from the last outing thus leading this never-ending dispute to a desire
to settle this right then and there. However, as we all
know, nobody is golfing on Long Island in the middle
go to page 4
The The
Harbor
Crab Vision
vision of the Harbor Crab restaurants
is simple and truthful...to create a mini-vacation feel
right here close to home. The island style aura will
be accompanied by outstanding food and drink, caring professional service and a genuine concern for
others and our community. Our goal is to create a
family feeling amongst our staff, our customers and
our community.
After all, “We don’t only serve crabs. We serve nice
people too. We prefer the nice people.”
The Season Never Ends at the Harbor Crab
We really do care.
Contents
From the Boss ..........................................1
Customer of the Month ........................4
Golf ............................................................... 1
Quotations.................................................2
Fishing Journey and Pictures ............2
Pics Pics Pics .................................1,2,3,4
All about Kris Kingle and Giving ......3
Tooth Fairy ................................................3
Employee of the Month .......................4
Winter 2010
Cooking Class @
The Crab
“Dad, Guess what?”
Dad: “What”
Maddy: “Isabel hit me in the nose.”
Dad: “Did you hit her back?”
Maddy: “No, I didn’t want to hurt her.”
Dad: “So I guess it’s not better to receive
than to give.”
Tuesday Feb 23
Upstairs at The Crab 7pm
Chef James Tomlinson
& Celebrity Chef Chris Neary
$49 includes Class
& 3 Course Meal!
Crab Quotes
I heard it at the Crab...
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself...it’s
thinking of yourself...less.” M.M.
“No man is an island...
but Mark’s hair is!”
“The secret to life is to drink early and
long!!!” V.G.
“You can’t say you drank all day if you don’t
start in the morning.”
“Prentice & Vinny sittin in a tree...”
or for life?”
ting
ar
st
#10 “For Lent
e
if
-w
ex
m
“I’m bored”...Keith Sweat
d Mail fro
#9 Registere
“...We’re not here for a long time...We’re
to pile up.
ve.
ri
d
to
r
fe
sa
e
here for a good time” Niall
b
l
down
#8 Streets wil
w
o
sl
l
il
w
es
g
“Don’t worry about the Mule...just load the
t messa
#7 Porno-tex
cook
to
e
av
h
’t
n
o
d
efs
wagon” Weebe
#6 Crab’s Ch
ls
“At 10 she’s a two but at 2 she’s a ten” LUI
happy mea
h can come to
et
b
sa
li
E
n
“I thought I was wrong once but I was
ee
u
#5 So Q
mistaken.” Mom
free
New York
have a smokely
al
n
fi
n
ca
b
Playoff Sunday
#4 The Cra
m
o
.
ro
n
h
1/24/10 Vinny Grucci tries to play Police
bat
e Crab agai
n preform at th
ca
ce
ti
n
e
re
Officer when he tries to pull over Mike T.
h
P
o
#3
ight realize wh
m
e
h
,
er
b
so
g
on River Ave. and Montauk Hwy. after
#2 Bein
h
it
w
p
u
es
ak
er
w
Jets game.
et in a low
bor Crab can g
ar
H
e
th
o
S
#1
tax bracket
ns
o
s
a
e
R
n
e
T
Top
rucci
G
y
n
n
i
V
r
o
f
e
to Go on th
Lent.
r
o
f
n
o
g
a
W
We Get Letters
Dear HC
Just a quick note to tell you what your “Kris Kringle”
night did to my family this Christmas.
The Christmas love that you and your customers brought
to those families and the impact that those funds will have
on their lives... We just can’t stop thinking about it.
Count us in for whatever you need to make it a success
next year.
Love Tim & Bridget
Fashion Do’s and Don’t
Got Crabs? .. crab shirts, crab shorts, jackets, hoodies
...what’s next? Crab skivies? Nothing quite so appetizing
as being seated next to someone wearing crab shorts who
has no business wearing shorts, period.
We can only guess whether or not they are wearing crabbie underwear too.
In short, please consult someone before you decide which
horrific crab outfit to don yourself with today...it’s getting
embarrassing.
Yours in fashion
F.P.
The Man in Charge
I was there this past Thursday and I thought I was stuck in
a rerun of the “Cacoon” movie. Cougars, cougars everywhere, oh but no one to love.
At 42 years old I felt the need to go home and write out a
will and testament.
It’s a problem when Crawley is the youngest one there.
Do you forsee an oldies night that doesn’t include dentures?
Please Advise, Not Dead Yet
Dear HCC,
How much for the “skinny” mirror in the ladies room?
Name your price! I must have it!
Kathleen C.
Dear HCC,
Can you please, please, please open a “crab” near us in
Manorville. Your food and fun concept would be perfect
and we have no good restaurants out here.
I know plenty of people who would invest.
Keep giving us the great food.
Fra-Diablo is addicting!!!
Sherry T., Eastport
Angling for
the “Big One”
Recently, after yet another Irish wake coming too
early in life, I realized how little time we spend with
family and friends having “old fashioned” fun. Fishing, crabbing, poker, scrabble, all seem to be lost
arts, gone forever since we developed gadgets to
“save us time”.
So, drop everything and convince your close
friends and family members to join us for our Annual “Generations” Bass Fishing Tournament on
Columbus Day.
Remember, life is not measured by the amount of
breaths you take but by how many moments take
your breath away.
With this ideal in mind, we hoped to start our Columbus Day tradition with 10 or so boats and 30 or
lous showing of 24 boats and almost 70 anglers.
The sun was shining and a great Indian summer
on the Great South Bay was in full effect. Anglers were
evenly split between Fire Island Inlet and Moriches Inlet and most anglers had very little success in the early
morning. However, persistence persevered and there
The 1st Annual Columbus Day Bass Tournament
Champions for 2008 were: 1st Place Captain Jim Hahn
and Riverview Restaurant 23.52 lbs.; 2nd Place Erik
Nicols and Capt. Mark Miller, Mike Kelly, John McKeon
23.51 lbs.; 3rd Place. John Valerius, Joe Bonano
Our 2nd Annual Bass Tournament doubled as a
fundraiser for a young lady who continues to battle
cancer. Once again, “Crab Love” appears and hundreds
of supporters show back at the Crab for the weigh-in.
Year Two (2009) results are as follows: 1st Place
Capt. Frank Mills; 2nd Place Capt. Kevin Dunathon
and a close third was Capt. Mark Miller (with side
kick Pop-pop
All the anglers and their families gathered afterwards for dinner and cocktails at the Harbor Crab.
while dinner featured super fresh striped bass ala
Weebe.
The Bass Tournament is the latest of our Harbor
Crab annual traditions. Every year, rain or shine,
you can join us on Columbus Day for a great day of
nual in 2010.
The Face of
Kris Kringle
A Great Local Restaurant Giving Real Holiday Love
to Local Families Who Need it the Most.
(Harbor Crab Co. Restaurant and Marina, Patchogue)
Christmas is typically the season of giving, but with today’s
tough economic climate, people aren’t able to give as much.
Reports indicate that many local
charities and toy & clothing drives are down in donations
by over 50%.
Then there’s Harbor Crab Co located in Patchogue, an independently owned restaurant in town. Despite all economic
indicators to the contrary, they were able to raise over
$34,000 for four local
Patchogue families in
need this Christmas
season. Through their
Annual Kris Kringle
fundraiser, each family
was presented a check
for $8,570 plus gifts
and heating oil.
Their “Kris Kringle”
tradition started 5 years
ago when Mark Miller,
one of the partners at
Harbor Crab and his
friends decided that
instead of spending
their money and exchanging gifts that they
really didn’t’ need, they would take that money and give it
to a local family who did. This tradition has grown from a
simple act of kindness to a local fundraising effort that rallies together all of Harbor Crab’s staff, family, friends, loyal
customers, vendors, and members of the community.
Times may have gotten tougher economically since the Kris
Kringle tradition started, but these folks feel fortunate in
their collective ability to give back to their less fortunate
neighbors. This year, as in years past, the evening began
with all the participants enjoying a complimentary buffet at
Harbor Crab.
After dinner and drinks, it’s off to the “Secret Santa”
families, with a convoy of cars. After a few out of tune
Christmas Carols, the families were surprised with the gifts
and donations. A true example of Christmas spirit. People
helping people in need. A great local restaurant giving back
to the community in which they live, work, and serve.
“With the times the way they are, everyone’s having to do
more with less,” says Mark Miller of Harbor Crab Co. “I’m
grateful that we were still able to realize that it really is better to give than to receive. My hope is for the Kris Kringle
tradition to expand with other Great Local Restaurants in
their communities.”
Harbor Crab Co. Restaurant and Marina, located in Patchogue, NYFeb
is a Maryland-Style
crab houseFeb
owned
and
13th
12th
operated by Mark Miller, Brian Kearns, and Frank Mills,
that has been serving the Long Island Community
fresh crab, seafood, chicken, and pasta
dishes since
2000.
Seatings
at 3,5,7,9,10
Harbor Crab Co. is a Platinum Marketing
Partner
of
Great
Plus Specials
for 2
Happy
LocalCupids
Restaurants
where Hour
Mr. Miller serves as an executive
Plus
Disco
Crab
4pm-?
committee from
member.
FRIDAY
Weekend
Saturday
Great Dinner for
Two Specials
Reserve Today
Live Music
at 11pm
Dearest Tooth Fairy,
I’ve always heard you are real. Are you? We are in a
dire and desperate situation here in Crabbyville. One
of our beloved Crabtastic employees, a
vintage and pickled member of our very
own, has indeed come to the misfortune
of losing a tooth. It is rumored that said
tooth was last seen adrift between the Isle
of Long and the Isle of Fire. You may ask
dearest Tooth Fairy, how was this mandibular masterpiece taken? Was it stolen by
Seagull? No. Swallowed by a tsunami?
Nope. Poached by a pirate? Aaaargh,
Nay. In truth, (and albeit an ugly truth)
this poor soul lost his tooth breaking up a fight during
Gay Night, (pick one) at the Harbor Crab Company. He
was shuffled to the 5th precinct and forced to line up
with the likes of Michael Strahan, “Neon” Leon Spinks
and none other than Mr. Jack O. lantern. During the
actual line up, it was reported that a spontaneous and
highly competitive battle broke out to see who could
actually whistle “Dixie” the best. This clearly is a very
sad circumstance. While released on assault charges, our
poor friend was yet again detained on a previous charge
of indecent exposure on the Isle of Fire.
“You need to get that cougar some help.” said
Scheckie, a long time patron and friend. “I saw
him lathering up for a full body shave on
the Cherry Grove ferry last year.” The only
thing that makes our wrinkled inebriated partner in crime recognizable, is the deep dark
chasm within his Cheshire smile. Sometimes
he tries to use a chicklet to hide this void, but
that usually only lasts as long as his first glass
of wine. (We do wonder whether Lindemans
is a local or general anesthetic.)
We beckon your generosity and world renowned sympathy and loudly evoke the great Spirit
of Lindemans to cure our dear friend of his vacancy!
A word of caution, if you will. You might perhaps
employ the assistance of some of your comrades,
such as the Easter Bunny, Santa’s elves, (for restraint) and of course Cupids arrow for anesthetic
purposes as we do not believe the wine is working.
Yours in need,
La Familia Crabtastica
P.S. Hurry-I don’t know what the crunch is in
my salad
Scotch Rules The Crab
Last night, February 9th, marked the first Culinary
Scotch Dinner at the Harbor Crab Co. in Patchogue. This
four course extravaganza was hosted by The Glenlivet
Ambassador, Ricky Crawford who
flew in from Scotland for the event
and was dressed in full Scottish
garb, kilt and all.
Each course was paired with a
different single malt scotch by Glenlivet and in between courses Mr.
Crawford shared with us some of the
history of The Glenlivet distillery,
spoke about the type of Glenlivet
we were about to taste and provided
some comic relief. His presentation
was not only interesting but extremely informative.
I, for example, learned that
a splash of water added to your
snifter of scotch would assist in
evaporating the ethanol in the scotch
which could slightly numb your taste
buds and prevent you from experiencing the full flavor of the drink.
Behind the scenes, Chef James
Feb
Tomlinson
and14th
Chef Tommy Beebe
prepared
the mouthwatering
Valentine’s
Day Brunch dishes
we got to
enjoy throughout the
11am-2pm
evening. The pair started with Pepper Encrusted Lamb
Chops that melted in your mouth. This was paired with
The Glenlivet
Nadurra 16 Year which I have to say
2-9pm
packs a punch. The second course was Pan Seared Ahi
Tuna over a spicy Asian Slaw. The tuna couldn’t have
been more fresh and was complimented amazingly by
the slaw. This course came with
The Glenlivet 15 Year French Oak
which was by far my favorite of the
four.
Our main course was an Apple
Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
drizzled with a Scotch Apple Demi
Glaze that was so tender you could
cut it with a fork. The scotch of
choice for this course was The
Glenlivet 18 Year which was stronger than the 15 Year but still quite
enjoyable.
The dessert course was
Marinated Mixed Seasonal Berries
served in a chocolate cup. It was a
great end, very light and refreshing.
The berries were paired with The
Glenlivet 12 Year Classic whose
slight sweetness fit perfectly.
The whole experience of the
dinner was wonderful. The food
was unbelievable, the tables were
set beautifully, and the waitstaff
couldn’t have been more on point.
I do hope this was the first in many dinners like this
Older Crowd
at The Harbor Crab. I have never been much of a scotch
drinker but I think I have been turned into a believer.
Harbor Crab Co.
Restaurant & Marina
Sunday
Valentine’s Dinner
Full Menu
March 14th
Parade
Day
Party!
Come One
Come All!!!
Mark Miller & His
Foundation Friends
Grand Marshals
Golf in January?
Customer of
the Month
from page 1
of January. There was only one way to settle this: The Patchogue Bowling Alley.
It was 4:00 pm and we arrived at a crowded bowling alley. Fortunately for the two debaters,
a lane was available. Unbeknownst to Vinny or at the very least, a little known fact about Mark
is that he is an avid bowler and even has his own custom drilled ball along with bowling shoes
complete with bragging rights.
Nevertheless, he was prepared
to battle for the title of Bowling
Master – the wintertime equivalent
to Golf Master. The two laced up
their blue and red rental shoes,
searched for a house ball that each
felt would, “outdrive” the other
and did a few warm-up stretches to
avoid injury.
The competitors were entered
on the screen and the “tee off”
began. Mark was first to go and
set the pace with a nice ball down
the fairway giving him a nine pin
knockdown. Naturally, he picked
up the spare and finished the frame
with a birdie. It was awfully hard
for me not to yell “Fore!” when
Vinny rolled his first ball into the
gutter. He took a deep breath and
followed through on his swing thus
knocking down four pins. The next four holes, err frames were consistent with the first. The
wind must have changed direction because Vinny started to roll spares soon to be followed by
strikes. It looked like he was going to finish under par and once again claim the title. Mark kept
his cool and his head in the game which gave him a final score of 154. Vinny needed to get three
hole-in-ones just to come close. We applaud his efforts, enthusiasm and sportsmanship with a
score of 94.
In the end, there was no bloodshed, nobody got hurt or even broke a sweat. A crisp one dollar
bill was given to the winner. Mark proved to be the “True” master today – that is until the two
attempt a rematch this summer.
y
a
D
l
l
A
ay
d
n
o
M UCKS?
5B
sly?
u
o
i
r
Se
Burger
Day/Night
continues...
Only $5. Bucks
Are You Sh%%in& Me?
Build -a- Burger
Your Business Card Here
Next Issue???
Ask Brian or Mark for Details
Real Returns ... Real Calls
$50-Business Card Size
Evelyn Rose
Lunch is Good for
Friendship
Employee of
the Month
Terri Esposito
Originator & Promotor of
The Disco Crab
Every Saturday
Dance Away Financial
worries every Saturday
(drink helps too)
Employee Trip Winners for 2009
were Chef James Tomlinson &
Chef Tom Beebe & “Bousheeesh”