Fridays From the Field

I say the following four words ad nauseam, but I've never meant them more intently than I do today. Thank god it's Friday. Truly. Thank god it's Friday. I could not survive another day of this grueling week. I called in sick yesterday because I had reached the tipping point of my survival/exhaustion. I've gotten about six hours of sleep total over the past three nights. This was supposed to be my week of rest, in preparation for my packed schedule next week. So much for that idea. My body hates me right now and here's what I'm still up against. I feel like the Little Engine That Could singing, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

Friday: The Cure concert
Sat-Sun: friend's birthday celebration weekend in Southampton
Monday: friend's birthday dinner, locale TBD.
Tuesday: dinner with Fashionista, TheDude and Lovelight at Ninja
Wednesday: night off.
Thursday: NYAC open bar terrace party, which always makes for a miserable Friday in the office
Friday: praying for another night off
Saturday: NYAC athlete's reception at Travers Island

I've barely had a minute to myself to blog, and next week it's not looking any more promising. Luckily, I have SirDatesALot, my good friend and co-worker who's become a loyal fan of Mona's Apple, to give me his Wildwood report. Backyard Chef is working there and I've been meaning to stop in, but have not had the chance. Hope it continues to go well, BC! Here is this week's Fridays From the Field, courtesy of SirDatesALot:

"I love barbeque. Let’s start with that. In a past life, in another city, I have a big grill and would cook up all sorts of meat. Over the past year, I have tried to hit every good BBQ joint in the city, many over and over again. I even braved a 95-degree heat wave to "relax" at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party the other weekend. And to be honest, my Texas vacation in December was planned more around eating in the actual Hill Country than anything else. So when some friends suggested checking out Wildwood, I jumped at the chance.

While I like the other B.R. Guest restaurants, I was a bit skeptical about their ability to do good BBQ. I was pleasantly surprised as was my stomach.

Let me start with the one downside: we had a reservation but still had to wait 30 minutes. As much as I love Hill Country, I am not a fan of waiting and waiting for food. So I was excited that Wildwood took reservations. I was not as happy after standing for what seemed like an entirety watching plates of succulent meat pass by. But, it was well worth my wait.

The restaurant is housed in a big open space that gives you the feeling that you are inside a big Texas barn or some other modern-yet-rustic space. It is loud and vibrant and every table was packed. The sides were large and the brisket was super moist and yummy. They have a large beer list including several smaller craft beers and one of my favorite southern drinks: Abita. They also have their own BBQ sauces, including one with a hint of raspberry. It was odd, but surprisingly good.

We did feel packed into our table and were practically sitting on the laps of the folks at the next table, but it added a bit of excitement to the place. Everybody was peering over at the next table to see what they ordered and our mouths were dripping. You almost wanted to lean over, extend your fork and sample a little of their dishes."

Thanks SirDatesALot. It sounds like a bucket full of fun to me! I'm off to seek solace in a Red Bull or even possibly a double espresso. I don't normally drink caffeine, but feel I could benefit from the juice today.