Guffaw and Order

photo from laffy4k, flickr.com

The Fairfield County Bar Association provides a good way for lawyers in the area to network and learn a thing or two, but it's not all business. They also do some good!

This Thursday, September 27, the Fairfield County Bar Foundation is hosting a comedy night featuring Greenwich's own Jane Condon at Dragonfly (488 Summer Street). 

Proceeds go to local charities dedicated to improving access to justice for those in our community impacted by poverty, abuse and discrimination.

The event gets underway at 7:00pm, and just $50 gets you unlimited wine, beer and comedy goodness.

So...Much...Going...On...This Weekend!

photo from hodgers, flickr.com

If you're bored this weekend, you're really not trying. There is an obscene amount of cool stuff on this weekend.  Here is a sampling:

- Arts & Crafts on Bedford. This weekend from 11am-8:30pm on Saturday and 11am-6pm on Sunday, Bedford tells traffic to shove it and tells 80 groovy vendors to come on down. I always start thinking ahead to Christmas and get the first thing or two to stick under the tree from these local folks. It means I support artists in my area and get a jump on holiday shopping. Some of my favorite purchases have been hand carved wooden bowls, clever artwork and pretty pottery. Come find a treasure!

- Health and Wellness Event. If you haven't been yet, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to check out Stamford's Chelsea Piers (One Blachley Rd). The Health Wellness & Sports Expo 2012 has 75 exhibits in addition to demos of dance and fitness activities. There will be famous athletes (not too clear who...but still...).  You'll also get to learn about alternative medicine, nutrition, weight loss, kids' health, pets' health and a jillion other things. It's on both Saturday and Sunday from 11am-5pm, and you can come in the door for zero dollars. Donate a little shelf stable food for the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County and you get a raffle for a health-minded prize - or if you forget to bring a can or two, fork over five bucks.

- Hawk Watch Festival & Green Bazaar. Also this weekend from 11am-5pm, the Greenwich Audubon (613 Riversville Rd, Greenwich) hosts its Hawk-a-palooza. It celebrates the annual hawk migration right over your head and features live animal shows, games all about nature, guided hikes, environmental info and green vendors. There's a Birds of Prey show at 1pm and at 3pm plus a rehabilitated bird will be released into the wild at 4pm. There's live music at 12:15 and 2:15 by Nick Marino (on Saturday) and Matt Turk (on Sunday). It's $10 for non-members and $7 for members. There's far too many activities to capture, so click on the link to learn more!

- It's My Park Day. See the latest at Mill River on Saturday from 11am-4pm alongside a big fat collection of kids fun: face painting, crafts, storytelling, pony rides, bounce castles, music and hot air balloon rides. Your kids can help the park powerhouses pick the creatures on the carousel and see how they are made. You'll also get the latest scoop on what's up with park construction.

 - Egyptian Festival. Rock like an Egyptian with traditional foods, regional souvenirs, kids' activities and more at St. Peters and St. Andrew Coptic Orthodox Church (132 Glenbrook Rd). It's free admission and open from 11am-8pm both Saturday and Sunday.

"Will Next Be Installed in Stamford"

This was the blessed phrase I read in the "Mileposts" publication this past week.  It's the triple fold pamphlet that the MTA leaves on Metro North seats for commuters to flick onto the floor and trample all over.  Who reads those, you might say?  Me, apparently...

The big fat take away for me appeared under the heading …As Well As Our Real-Time Information…and said that platform signs with real time information about trains will be coming to Stamford!

Here's why this is deeply meaningful. Commuters like me now camp out in the waiting area above the tracks gawking slack jawed at two small monitors with train info. During peak hours, trains might be mere moments apart but take drastically different amounts of time to get your suited seat to work. For example, the 7:22 takes 49 minutes, where as the 7:25 takes 57 minutes.

The monitor says generally what the deal is - but it's entirely possible at at 7:23, you could be stepping on either version of this train.  Generally, as each train approaches, you hear Charlie Brown's teacher grumbling overhead and a hushed, worried whispering of "do you know which train this is??"

What an innovation to have an electronic board overhead that says "hey dummy! this ain't your train." It seems ridiculous that this didn't happen ages ago, but I'll take progress whenever it chugs along. 

Gene Means Go

photo from the euskadi 11, flickr.com

So if you know Stamford, you know that Gene Wilder is a resident and big time cheerleader for The Avon (272 Bedford St). He regularly appears to show off some of his favorite flicks and offers his fans a good ol' fashioned Q&A.  I've always wanted to go, and I've finally put my credit-card-over-the-phone where my mouth is.

On Wednesday, October 17th starting at 6:30, The Avon will host a reception and a presentation of Stir Crazy.  It's a classic, pairing Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor - and the whole thing is directed by Sidney Poitier. See the description of the movie below (care of The Avon). Mr. Wilder will be there to answer all your burning questions, and his wife Karen will moderate. Tickets are $35 for non-members and $25 for members. Call 203-967-3660 x2 to join me there.

After the excellent audience response to their teaming in SILVER STREAK, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor reunited for this zany comedy, directed by Sidney Poitier. Wilder and Pryor play a couple of out-of-work numbskulls who take a promotional job that requires them to dress up like gigantic woodpeckers. Unfortunately, a pair of thieves, likewise decked out in woodpecker suits, pull off a bank job not long after Wilder and Pryor make their first public appearance. The boys are arrested and sentenced to 120 years each. After a concerted and hilarious effort to make the best of things “in stir,” Wilder and Pryor break out of jail, hoping to track down the genuine thieves.

Boca Loca(l)

Ok so I admit it, I was really bummed out when Telluride closed its doors...but some time has passed, and I'm ready to love again.  So what's going on behind the wooden panels at 245 Bedford?  They are hard at work building Boca. It's opening in the fall and there will be Mediterranean food on the menu...but I don't know much more than that. Still, it's exciting to think about what's coming down the block!

A Few Restaurant Notes

photo from jenny downing, flickr.com

So what do you need, oh Restaurant Patrons of Stamford?  A few things came across my desk that I thought you might find interesting...

Gluten free options? My friend (and former boss) KS had a gluten problem, and it was certainly an eye opener for me.  She had a tough time at restaurants, but in general, she found some good options at Mexican restaurants. Bar Taco - right here in our back yard - offers just those same benefits.  They tell me their menu is 90% gluten free!  Skip out on desserts and quesadillas, and you've got a 100% gluten free experience. If you're looking for the perfect excuse to drop in on Bar Taco, check out their Monday to Friday 5-6:30pm happy hour. They offer five specialty cocktails for just five bucks!  Happy hour is just in Stamford for now but just might creep into other locations too.

Football fun? I don't really speak "football," but the word on various streets is that people who do need just the perfect venue for a fantasy football draft party. Rodizio Grill wants you to know that they are the place to be. Camp out at the bar or snag a private party room for up to 3 hours. TVs on sports channels, Wi-Fi, great food (I can say with confidence) and drink specials - all the ingredients for a sweet draft event.

Burgers with benefits? One of my new favorite additions to our food scene is Station Eats. They have fabulous burgers with all kinds of groovy sauces and toppings. This month, they also have a good cause in mind.  They are raising money for the American Diabetes Association with a specialty healthy veggie burger created by a local tween, Ashley Dunnam. She's and they are raising awareness about the ADA march on October 6th starting at Trinity Catholic High School. If you'd like to walk along, write Andrea Dunnam at adunnam@diabetes.org. They also offer decadent shakes, including this month's red velvet cupcake shake. For a few nickels more, you can get shakes with a little booze!  Station Eats also offers foosball, cornhole, outdoor seating and a darned good time.