The Grill Next Door - The Last Visit

Visit Date:  September 23, 2017

Thanks to Facebook Memories, I know that four years ago tonight I went out to dinner with Jess right before I moved to Maryland. Picking a place to go was easy. For a last meal in the area, I wanted to go to The Grill Next Door in Haverhill. 

I had an ulterior motive, too.

I'd been there many times, and wrote about it here in the blog. Read a date night on this very date 10 years ago (honestly, September 23, what's up with that!) and a visit with Dave for our first trip to the bar captured here.

The Grill Next Door does a "round the block" kind of thing where you get your name on a plaque and get a T-shirt if you fill out card/s

I had one slot left on my dance card, and I at least was going to get the shirt. Let's go. 

Jess and I had a lovely dinner. We met a service dog (that wasn't really a service dog cause the owner let me pet it and cuddle with it). The place was packed and when we finished the card the waitress made a huge deal of it. There were cheers from the bar, from regulars, and from the family next to us. 

I picked  Wachusett Brewing Company's "Wally" as a nod to Massachusetts and a goodbye to the journey that had me living in the area since 1984. A hazy, juicy IPA, pretty as a picture. 

It was an honor to start this run with beers at a great restaurant with delicious food and a fantastic selection of beers. I don't know if my card is still in the case, but you can add a card and keep going. Pretty sure they take people's cards out if they are untouched for a while. They have a system.

I'm the weirdo who goes in and re-alphabetizes everyone because people can't follow the rules and put their cards right in front so they're easy to find. Jerks. 

I have to be honest with you though, dear reader. I do not know where the shirt is now. I know it made the move down. It was in the bureau at the last house, but I don't know if I accidentally donated it. And I feel like a dope. But I can't find it anywhere. I worked hard for that dumb shirt! 

And the beers along the way were worth it. 

Looking forward to heading back to Massachusetts one day, and totally having some of that buffalo chicken mac & cheese again.