The Holy Grail Pub, where you don't need to know the air speed velocity of an unladen sparrow (African or European).

Our shenanigans today were actually quite shenaniganful. On the way home I said to Dave "this was the best lunch ever." 

We went a bit far afield today, up to Epping NH and the Holy Grail Pub (be forewarned, the website has music so don't have your speakers cranked all the way up the way I had mine). My friend Carrie had mentioned it as a possible destination. I knew 45 minutes would be a bit of a haul, but the website looked like it would be right up our shared alley. 

The building is a former church, converted to a lovely high-ceilinged bar and restaurant, with stained glass and a choir loft for extra seating. The light in the room was ... well, "heavenly" due to the gorgeous sunny day. I wanted to sit in the patio area, due to the lovely weather but Dave wanted to go to the bar.

Turns out he made a good choice. More on that later.

The menu is the "Bar Bible," filled with punny sections like Deified Drafts. Dave's first observation was not a single beer pull was a Budweiser or Bud Light pull. Sign of a place that knows its priorities. They have these beers... in bottles. All the good stuff was on draft.

We started with their own Holy Grail Ale, which was very tasty. As usual we did the appetizers as meal thing. Pan Seared Scallops and Spinach Artichoke Dip were our choices. 

Both were very good, another scallop or two for those sharing appetizers and fewer garlic toasts for the amount of dip served would be the only observation I'd offer. 

Dave loves him a black and tan, a black and blue, or a black and anything, so they had a whole list in the menu of black ands for him to try. He opted for the Black Death, which is the wonderful Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Guinness. I opted for a Bellhaven Scotch Ale, pictured here. 

I had never had Bellhaven, it was creamy and strong, exactly like I expected. 

As we were enjoying the look of our brews, the man next to us was giving the bartender, Deb, a good ribbing. He was quite fresh, and I found myself laughing loud enough to get noticed, so he turned and started chatting us up. 

He was there with his wife, eating lunch and enjoying an Old Speckled Hen, which he said was served too cold. He wrapped his incredibly giant hands around the tall thin glass to warm it up. He and Dave got to talking about cask-drawn beers from basements in 1000 year old pubs, with the optimal temperature being about 50 degrees... 

Dave found himself a best friend. A best friend who knows a lot about beer.

We talked about New York, the Yankees game where they hit three grand slams in the late part of the game to make some crazy baseball history. We talked about her hometown near Milwaukee Wisconsin and craft beer there. I told them about how I lived in Ashland, Oregon when the Rogue River Brewery was just taking off near there. We talked about locally sourced beers, English Beers, how it was way too early for Pumpkin Beer (Shipyard Pumpkin is out EVERYWHERE right now and we all four agreed that just wasn't right). We found out their names were Vivian and ... "Lurch."

"Lurch" as in "The Addams Family"...

He said the he was proud to be known by that name because the actor who played Lurch, Ted Cassidy,  was a talented musician and a great athlete. 

Our Lurch was a little shorter than Ted Cassidy, measuring in at 6' 5". We talked about Geoff, my son, and how at 14 he is 6' 1" tall and playing Right Guard and Nose Tackle as a freshman football player. Lurch wants to meet him. He asked how big his feet were. When I told him Geoff wears a size 13, he said "You know what people say about guys with big feet and big hands?"

My reply was "they wear big socks and big gloves." 

Lurch died laughing, and his wife did also. "I like her! I love her! She's got the sense of humor!" 

We held court with them for quite a while.  Vivian showed us her brand new dragonfly tattoo. I wish I had asked her if I could take a picture of it. Her grandson inked it on her... how cool is that!?

They let me take their picture, which I try and do for a Flickr photography project and group called 100 Strangers. I've made it up to 43 photos of strangers, and the past six have been in the past couple of months compared to the 35 or so before that took me 3 years. Meet Lurch and Vivian:

Please notice that Lurch is giving me a raspberry. I didn't ask for a retake on this -- he did that on purpose and on perfect time. It sums him up quite wonderfully, and there is no way I will want to forget this guy, or remember him in another way. 

We talked about the history of the building, the fact that it used to be a church. Lurch pointed out that at a church, they feed you bread and wine and you have fellowship with your friends. The same thing still happens here. Only it is beer and wings... and new friends that you haven't met yet. 

While we were discussing the whole church environment, Vivian told me that her name is Vivian Mary and his name is Edward Joseph. Noticing that their names were Mary and Joseph and they were in a church bar, I said "aye and beggorah!" She then very quickly pointed out that they do not have a son named Jesus.

Vivian said that life is too short to be taken too seriously. You have got to have fun. And I could tell that this is a pair that greatly enjoys having fun. 

When they left we got hugs and I got a shoulder rub from those giant hands of his, which you know are protected with big gloves in the winter time. 

At least, that's what they say about guys with big hands. 

After they left it got a bit boring. 

We still had fun, but not quite as much it seems. Dave had a Black and Blue with the Sea Dog Blueberry, which I think is too much like pie... way too overpowering of a fruit flavor for me. But Dave enjoyed it.

I took some more photos of the interior, and there was a guy sitting across the bar from us who was bathed in glorious sunlight pouring in on him from the stained glass window above his head. 

He humored us by letting me take his picture. 

Dave thought he looked ... blessed. I had to agree.

Overall, this was a lovely spot for lunch and shenanigans. Dave joined their beer club so he gave me his stamp card to keep so he won't lose it. I told Jess I want to take her there because Shepherd's Pie is her very favorite thing and they have it on the menu. So when she comes home from college next I look forward to heading back there.

 The view from the choir loft seating area -- beautiful mural and half the bar.

I love how the painting depicting the Holy Spirit is there,
another reminder that this was once a church... where they feed you bread and wine and you enjoy fellowship... Just like Lurch said.