The Grove Saturday
On Saturday evening I ventured back once again to Cherry Grove. After returning to the city during the week it was nice to go somewhere close by, and besides the weather was absolutely perfect! I hopped on the 8:20 ferry and I was off. I stopped for a slice of Cherry Grove pizza before heading to the bars and this really nice dude who works there gave it to me for a buck fifty, just because I had a great smile! It was the beginning of a fun night.
I went to Cherry’s at first and was surprised to see that there were only a handful of people in the bar. It was weird because as I said it was such a beautiful night, but even the ferry wasn’t that crowded. It was strange, but once again I saw my friend Michael and we hung out for a little bit. Apparently the weekly drag show at the Ice Palace had started a little early and that’s was the reason for the small crowd at Cherry’s, which got really busy later on.
The lifeguards all aboard
Lifeguards!
When I had first gotten to the ferry terminal I saw this group of nice-looking guys. I didn't realize it until the ferry started moving that they were Fire Island lifeguards, who were going to the Grove to try and raise money for an upcoming competition in Cape May. One of them got up from his seat upstairs on the ferry and solicited donations for their cause. They were selling lifeguard t-shirts and such and they were going to have a 50/50 raffle in all of the bars.
Of course, with gay people there's always a little naughtyness, and one dude from the boat asked what else he could buy with his money. With that, another lifeguard jumped up from his seat, lifted his shirt and said, "I'll give ya a lap dance."
"Oh my, we've got abs!" I Facebooked right then.
The dude had what looked to be a ten-pack. I couldn't help but smile at how cool these obviously straight guys were. It turned out that I saw them again dancing at Cherry's with each other and pretty much everyone else. I donated my $10.
The lifeguards whooping it up on the dance floor
All in all it was a fun night, with of course a lot of dancing and a lot of sweat. I actually left a little early because Saturday was also the opening night for Alfie’s Bar in Patchogue, which I told you about the other day.
Alfie’s Guys Night Out
Well, I can’t really gauge how the first night at Alfie’s was because I didn’t arrive until 2 A.M. By that time, there weren’t many people left, but from the chatter going on I think the guys were pleased overall with the turnout. I did stay until the wee hours, not really sure if I wanted to reveal my identity to George, the owner, for whom I penned the piece on Examiner. In the end, he never recognized me and I didn’t say who I was. I’m not really sure why, but who knows???
I did meet this nice guy named Ozzie who was very chatty with me. He told me he was a drag queen at several place on the island and I could definitely see that. I forgot his handle, but I know he performs at Circus Wednesdays, so I may hit it one of these days. Ozzie was a character, funny and sweet at the same time. Hopefully I’ll see him again and hopefully I’ll get to Alfie’s earlier so that I can give it an honest review. They’re having a White Party next Saturday so we’ll see…
Cherry Grove in the Daytime
I’d almost forgotten how nice Cherry Grove can be during the day, as well. The place is so beautiful. Being over there at anytime feels like you’re on a vacation even though you’re just a few miles from home, and the daytime has a whole different feel to it that the night. There are no cars and no roads, only boardwalks through a little town of bars, restaurants and gift shops. Then of course there’s the beach…I think that maybe I will hit it the next, or the first, time I make my way to la playa (I need to go...someone told me the other night that I was really white.)
Anyway, yesterday I planned to spend the day with my good buddy Laura Kim, who just turned 40 a couple of weeks ago. She and I hang out every now and again, mostly for a bite and some chit chat, and I wanted to treat her to a meal for her birthday in a special place. We’d been to the Grove together before and so she was up for it as well as I.
I can’t say enough how beautiful the weather was, clear, sunny skies, warm temps and beautiful views. We’d both been really hungry once we got over there on the ferry so we headed to Cherry’s Restaurant, overlooking the Great South Bay. We were seated for Sunday brunch in the cushiest chairs I’ve ever sat in overlooking everything below. Even though breakfast was not on our minds, the breakfast choices on the menu sounded delectable and so that’s what we ordered. LK had poached eggs with crab cakes (not my thing, but they looked good) and I dined on steak and eggs, which were out of this world.
The view from brunch at Cherry's Restaurant
After brunch it was time for one of Laura Kim’s favorite pastimes (mine, too!), shopping. We hit all of the gay shops in the Grove, she trying on a dress or two and I buying a cool muscle shirt. It’s funny but of all the times I’ve ever spent at the Grove I never went shopping. It was obvious, though, that LK has because she knew the guys in the shop at the Ice Palace, who were absolutely giddy when they first saw her.
After a few rounds of window shopping, we had some ice cream, which I’ve been eating too much of lately. I couldn’t resist the “Moose Tracks” with the peanut butter cups inside and LK had some black cherry with Oreo cookies in em’. Yum!
Pina Colada!
Burlesque at Cherry’s on the Bay
By that time I was ready for a cocktail and I suggested we hit Cherry’s. That was where the real fun began! Laura Kim and I chatted, mixed and mingled at Cherry’s for a few hours, having fun all along. At 5 P.M. they had a burlesque show featuring a guy and a girl doing several R-Rated numbers in front of a largely unappreciative crowd.
Me and LK with our cherries
Really, they weren’t very good, although there were moments of fun in their show. The gal did a few comedic renditions of songs like Rebecca Black’s “Friday” and other such camp, stripping layers of (some very cool!) costumes along the way. The dude mostly stripped, in a burlesque sort of way, with some theatrical movements and props helping him out. At one point, Laura Kim mentioned, to my agreement, that we’d seen way too much of his ass. Really, the whole thing was a little over the top and the crowd weren’t enjoying themselves too much. In fact, by the time we’d left, most of them weren’t even paying attention.
The audience participation portions of the show, which I always hate, had one fun spot and another moronic one. The more enjoyable of the two came in the form of a cute twink, whom the dude in the show dubbed as the New Go Go Boy. The poor guy was stripped down to his skivvies and at one point the guy from the show even yanked them down, giving all a quick glimpse of his buns. He took it all in stride, though, and for me at least it was the most enjoyable part of the show.
Next came the beer drinking contest. Two members of the audience, one guy and one gal, were chosen to drink a beer from the crotches of our hosts. It was everything everyone hates about these types of shows, idiotic and stupid, but the worst of all was the last skit we saw.
The beer drinking contest...pretty much the only pic of the show I can share with you...
It was the dude’s turn to entertain (?) and he came out with a large lollipop to the sounds of the song “Candy Man,” by Sammy Davis, Jr. He did his thing, slowly peeling off portions of his costume right down to his g-string underwear, and that’s where it got downright disgusting! During the number, a couple of strippers came into the audience passing out Hershey Kisses, which were a little soft from the sun. As they did so, the dude peeled one and ate it, then grabbing his stomach with a painful looking grimace on his face. That was when he revealed his buttocks once again, spreading his cheeks to reveal the melted chocolate caked all over his crack.
“Let’s go,” I said to Laura Kim.
Without a word, we got up and left, headed for the ferry. It was a disturbing finish to what was otherwise a pleasant day at the Grove. LK and I came home and we made a tray of my world-famous mac and cheese, with spicy pepper jack, filling ourselves happy on what I must say was my best ever.
Well, folks, that’s all the time we have for today. As always, I am forever grateful for your readership and I hope that you enjoy my little space on the Web. Here’s a video of another “Candy Man,” one I like, by the Mary Jane Girls. Enjoy!
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