November - Perry`s Restaurant

1210 Annapolis Road
Odenton, MD 21113
Phone: 410-674-4000
www.perrysrestaurant.com
NOV 2009 Volume 2, Issue 11
The scene is arranged with pumpkins adorning front steps,
leaves piled high from raking, football fever at a pitch on
Sundays, and plans being made for a day we’ve all come to
associate with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry
sauce, pumpkin pie (or sweet potato!). And, last but not least,
something out of the medicine cabinet to help relieve the
bloated feeling which seems to occur year after year.
The poem below (regrettably author unknown) contains all of the
necessary ingredients for a successful one day production.
A Thanksgiving Alphabet
“T…Turkeys, table spreads, being together,
H…Happiness and homes to protect us from all weather,
A…Aunts and uncles, a reunion in fall,
N…Nieces and nephews, family members all,
K…Kind-hearted kin coming over for dinner,
S…Surely you’ll have fun, but you won’t get thinner,
G…Gourds and pumpkins, mouths open wide,
I…Indians and Pilgrims we remember with pride.
V…Very special times – there could even be snow.
I…Imagine what it was like at Plymouth long ago.
N…Never forget how the settlers led the way.
G…Giving THANKS and blessing this Special Day.”
Veterans Day ~ a Day of Remembrance and Gratitude
“Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans.
Both a federal and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on
November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day
in other parts of the world and marks the anniversary of the signing of
the Armistice that ended World War I.”
Veterans Day is also a day of GRATITUDE for all those brave men and women who have fought, and
continue to fight, in the service of their country. To all of our brave men and women who will not be
able to be with their families again this year, THANK YOU and GOD BLESS from all of your fellow
Americans.
A Message of Thanks from
DJ, Doo Wop Jack
“It seems an appropriate time of the year to
thank each and every one of you who have
patronized Perry’s on Thursday evenings this
past year and years prior. Perry’s management
opened their doors to our hand dancing family
and made us all feel like part of THEIR
extended family. Where else could you go to a
fine establishment with NO cover charge,
experience fine dining, and enjoy an
atmosphere of friendship that is contagious?
THANK YOU…two simple words but they
carry a long and heartfelt message!”
Mark Your Calendars!
We WILL be hand dancing at Perry’s on Monday, November 23rd. With
Thanksgiving always falling on a Thursday, Perry’s General Manager, Kristos
Miliotis, has substituted our hand dancing night to Monday of that week so
that we experience no break in our hand dancing routine. Regular weekly
hand dancing evenings will ALWAYS remain on a Thursday unless a
holiday substitution occurs.
Party Time ~ Although our list of November birthday folks may be
short, you can count on NO shortage of fun at Perry’s on any given
Thursday. Perry’s regulars celebrating November birthdays include:
John Fleck, Pat Hobeck, Jeri Lutter, and our very own darling
server, Sara. Why not stop by Perry’s on Thursday evening, Nov. 12,
and join us for a piece of cake? For our birthday folks, don’t forget to
remind your server to deduct 15% off your dining bill. Once again, a
special thanks to Perry’s management for this generous offering!
Special thanks to the following folks who submitted some very interesting choices for this
month’s “Mail Bag” section.
Mickie’s
Mail
Bag
Apple Bobbing ~~ Thanks to Jeane Batchellor
for submitting an interesting list of Halloween
trivia facts. My choice for further research:
“Bobbing for apples is thought to have
originated from the roman harvest festival that
honors Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees.”
From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia: “Apple bobbing originates from Celtic times when
Halloween was called Samhain in some Gaelic languages, when apples were associated with love or
fertility. Some say this comes from the Roman goddess Pomona. The current game is based on a New
Year tradition, where whoever bites the apple first in the group will be the first to marry.” It’s also
been said that “Girls who place the apple they bobbed under their pillows are said to dream of their
future lover.” Guess you all know what this editor will be doing with her apples!
From Ron Carroll ~ Which of the following actors starred in the movie
“The Outsiders:” C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob
Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Glenn Withrow, Leif
Garrett, Darren Dalton, or Diane Lane?
If you answered “all of them,” then you were right! As evidenced by this
extraordinary cast, “The Outsiders” is noted for being the breakout film of
many future stars.
From Paul Slunt ~ Who is Sonny Turner? He
just turned 70 and is a singer. Answer…Sonny
was a member of the Platters.
In light of the fact that your editor happens to be
a HUGE fan of the Platters, a little more digging
about Sonny himself was FUN research.
“There are only three surviving members of the
Platters still alive today that can be heard on the
hundreds of recordings and hit records. They are
Herb Reed who founded the group in 1953 and sang bass; Zola Taylor, female vocalist, and Sonny
Turner. In 2005 Sonny received The Lifetime Excellence in Entertainment Award in Las Vegas where
he currently resides.” Today Sonny performs all over the world and if you happen to be at the Hard
Rock Casino in Biloxi, MS on November 13th or at the Sun Coast in Las Vegas, NV December 4-6, you
can catch one of Sonny’s memorable shows.
From Joan Rurka ~~ “Many folks don’t know that Lou Linn and I go WAY
back…try 46 years! We dated when I was in high school and he took me to my
junior prom. Back then, Lou had cold black hair. He was a Baltimore dancer,
dam good at it back then, and still is.”
Well, Joanie (and Lou), I couldn’t resist, or pass up an opportunity; to create
an adaptation of what Lou looked like with cold black hair. Hey, Lou,
remember…the operative word here is “adaptation.”
From Nelson Cross ~ A Rock & Roll Quiz to test your memory
banks:
1) Early in his career, who sang backup vocals for Elvis?
a. The Belmonts
b. Mack & Meyer
c. The Jordanairs
2) Who recorded Hound Dog BEFORE Elvis?
a. Big Joe Turner
b. Rufus Thomas
c. Big Mama Thornton
3) What is Fats Domino’s real first name?
a. Bartholomew
b. Antione
c. Antonio
4) Who was nicknamed the “The Polish Prince”?
a. Bobby Vee
b. Bobby Rydell
c. Bobby Vinton
5) Who was The Drifters’ first lead singer?
a. Harry Mills
b. Ben E. King
c. Clyde McPhatter
Answers:
1) The Jordanairs
2) Big Mama Thornton
3) Antione
4) Bobby Vinton
5) Clyde McPhatter
This was WAY too much fun! Now that most of our readership has an idea of what types of items are
covered via “Mickie’s Mail Bag,” I hope to hear from more of you for the December issue. Just drop
me a line at the following email address, and please add the words “Mickie’s Mail Bag” in the
subject line of your email.
Email address: dancewithmickey@aol.com
Mickie Moriarty
Quotable Quote by Barbara De Angelis…”The journey between who you once were, and who
you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place.”
"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must
regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our
attention to eating." -- Luciano Pavarotti and William
Wright, from Pavarotti, “My Own Story
Perry’s new Chef, John Reiser, has certainly succeeded in
stopping the hand dancers from taking to the dance floor until
AFTER they’ve savored and digested John’s culinary specialties.
When you can’t get the cook out of the kitchen, you do the next best
thing….an introductory spotlight on the man who satisfies our taste
buds every Thursday evening.
John was born in Baltimore, Maryland but grew up in different localities
such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina, just to name a few. Moving was necessary due
to the nature of his father’s profession and also resulted in John attending too many schools to
mention in this article.
After school, John’s interests didn’t immediately turn to the culinary field but surprisingly enough
to…travel. One would think that with all the moving he experienced growing up, traveling would have
been a deterrent, but not in John’s case. John’s extensive travels, mainly domestic vs. international,
took him to major cities and states within the United States except for the northwest sector, for
example, states such as Washington and Oregon. It was in New Orleans that John learned the
culinary skills of Creole cooking. Also trained in preparing Italian cuisine, John admits that his
passion for cooking is not limited to any specific region or category but covers a broad range of food
groups. John’s goal is to present each patron with an unforgettable dining experience…each and
every time.
The restaurant business has been the mainstay of John’s professional career. As General Manager
and Chef of the SIDE STREETS Restaurant once located in historic Ellicott City, Maryland, John’s
25 years in the restaurant business has been, and continues to be, a growing experience. John
became the head Chef at Perry’s Restaurant this past September and if you’re in the Odenton area,
besides Thursday evenings, stop by and enjoy John’s culinary selections.
Easiest way to transition into John’s personal life was to ask him if he or his wife, Kelli, did the
cooking at home. John’s response that neither of them cooked that much at home didn’t come as a
huge surprise. Who wants to cook at home after you slave in a hot kitchen all day long??? Truth be
told, your editor’s best meal is the one she orders at Perry’s; happens to receive some leftovers from
her best friend, Caroline; or gets invited out to dinner. Otherwise, it’s the good ol’ microwave!
Okay, so John doesn’t cook at home but what he and Kelli do share a passion for is SPORTS! John
has admitted that they’re both sports fanatics and that Kelli also experiences John’s enjoyment of
playing golf. While John and Kelli are MAJOR Ravens football fans, college basketball is number
one on their sports board with DUKE being their all time favorite team.
John ended his interview with the following personal sentiments:
“I love it at Perry’s. It’s like one big family and it was exactly what I was looking for (even though I’m
a Duke fan, Kristos!). One of the most popular nights of the week is Thursday’s when the hand
dancers are there. I love to cook for them but their dancing is way out of my league!”
Winner of the Autumn Leaves Basket
Raffle…Gary Pennifill (shown with
girlfriend, Marlene Winegardner)
at
Perry’s
on Oct.
29th
Kristos
presents
winner of
contest,
with $25
Perry’s
gift card.
Costume Contest Participants:
Darlene Hill, Rick Hall, Phyllis Crutchfield, Mickie Moriarty
DJ ~ Doo Wop Jack
“In life as in dance: Grace glides on blistered feet.”
This quote by Alice Abrams inspired your editor to create yet
another page adding entertainment value for our readers.
You’ll have to turn to the next page to put a face and a name
with the feet shown below.
Darlene Hill
Peggy Morgan
Trish Tvelia
Phyllis Crutchfield
Diane Michaels
Bartender ~ Jme
WACKY PHOTOS!
W
Photos inspired by the song “You Talk Too Much” by artist, Joe Jones