Friday, December 12, 2025
Strong & Company, Somerset OH
Laura made me a nice martini. Tim, ever present at the bar. I started at the Cigar Lounge with beer and a book and a little camaraderie. Then S&C on the way home for my martini.
Friday, December 5, 2025
Pigfoot Inn, Somerset OH
We gathered at the Pigfoot Inn in Somerset for a fundraiser. Mom joined me along with many others. Mom’s martinis is Miller Lite.
Friday, November 28, 2025
Black Dog Ridge, West Virginia
Mystical, cold, foggy night on my mountain The Greenbrier River rolling by, as it does.
Friday, November 21, 2025
Strong & Company, Somerset OH
My main man Tim. Tim holds down the bar at S&C. And he never misses a night. Part farmer, part philosopher and part community character. A good guy.
Friday, November 14, 2025
Rathskeller, Somerset OH
Brutal week. I slipped out to one of my favorite spots in our little town. Perfect ambience too, I was the only one there.
Friday, November 7, 2025
Black Dog Ridge,West Virginia
Just me and the Jungle Fox. Prepping the cabin for winter, but making time for my Friday night ritual.
Friday, October 31, 2025
Ocean Club, Easton Town Center,Columbus OH
Brit and I wandered next door to Ocean Club. This was this kid’s first night unleashed behind the bar without his trainer. I thought he might piss himself he was so excited to be making me a maritini.
Friday, October 24, 2025
Black Dog Ridge, West Virginia
Goofing at the main bar at BDR. I had a terrific Vesper with Grey Goose and Bombay.
BDR bar is rock solid!
Friday, October 17, 2025
Black Dog Ridge, West Virginia
Sitting on the platform in the tree canopy that will soon be the new master bedroom.
Friday, October 10, 2025
Bar Italia @ Easton Town Center, Columbus OH
The old Smith & Wolensky building. Lovely bar and nice martini.
Friday, October 3, 2025
Napa Kitchen @ Easton Town Center Columbus OH
Nice drinks soon after re-entry from the European trip.
Friday September 26, 2025
Some bar in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
We were hot off 5-hours of hard day drinking in the Paulaner tent at Oktoberfest. This was taken just after Shane and Andries mounted a couple of horse statues and re-enacted the battle of Waterloo
Friday September 19, 2025
JFK DeltaOne Lounge – New York
Long layover at JFK en route to Geneva. MY FNM game is strong. Jennifer made a lovely Grey Goose Martini with a twist.
Perfect.
Friday September 12, 2025
Old World Libations – Union, WV
We met up with our good friend Chase. I had to sneak in a martini in my flask. Great night with the locals.
Friday September 5, 2025
Black Dog Ridge – Forest Hill, WV
Admiring the budding treehouse Kenny and I are building. In awe.
There is a martini there — look for it.
Friday August 29, 2025
The Odyssey – Park City, UT
Great night with the rugby crowd. Martin’s all around.
Friday August 22, 2025
Park City, UT
I forget the name of the restaurant. But a great meal and a more than capable bartender. We were goofing and singing Neil Diamond. Loudly and excellently.
Friday August 15, 2025
Home on Summit Street – Somerset, OH
Just hangin at home in front of my cherished Mandela art.
Friday August 8, 2025
Strong and Company – Somerset, OH
Snuck in and stood at the bar. As Hemingway instructed. Sylvia knows her business. On this night a Hendricks and Tito’s vesper.
Friday August 1, 2025
Home on Summit Street – Somerset, OH
Just an easy dinner at home. Me and Martini. Killing it.
Friday July 25, 2025
Paolo’s on 54 – Raleigh, NC
We were in Raleigh for a meeting the next day. Surprisingly nice Italian meal in a strip mall.
Friday July 18, 2025
Mastro’s Steakhouse, Columbus OH
We met a couple of Brit’s friends for drinks and dinner. Nice night.
Friday July 11, 2025
The Rathskeller, Somerset OH
One of local favs. Beautiful basement bar, reminiscent of a little European bar. Good martini and a book of poems by Bukowski
Friday June 27, 2025
Strong & Company – Somerset, OH
An original concoction at my local by my fine young bartender friend Jacob. A Grey Goose and Hendricks lime Gimlet. Why the hell not. Hot day that called for departures from norms.
Friday June 20, 2025
Black Dog Ride – West ‘by god’ Virginia
This was day 2 of our Juneteenth celebration and I joined the numbers for a kick-ass, sassy-ass, spicy margarita from the big picture Brittany brewed up. Sort of a Mexican style throw off those shackles of slavery style martini.
Friday June 13, 2025
Home on Summit St – Somerset OH
The garden is coming along and it was nice just to make a lovely Hendrick’s and Tito’s Vesper with Blue Cheese Olives. Me and Marti drank and smoked and chatted the afternoon down to its essence.
Friday June 6, 2025
Rathskeller – Somerset, OH
One of my favorite places in Somerset. Super cool Euro vibe in the basement of the old Clau Haus. Nettie is the regular bartender there and she made me a monster martini to close out the work week.
Friday May 30, 2025
Strong & Co. – Somerset, OH
My local when staying at the Ohio homestead. Steady Silvia behind the bar. She knows what she’s doing.
Friday May 23, 2025
Black Dog Ridge, Talcott, West Virginia
Back where I belong.
Friday May 16, 2025
The Ricky — W 55th St, Manhattan, NYC
Brittany and I stopped in for a snack and of course I had a Martini. A vesper actually. Quite good. Lovely evening in the big city.
Friday May 9, 2025
Alphabetto – Pittsburg PA
Super cool little restaurant set inside a bookstore next to an art gallery and across from a city park. We met the owners — a groovy old hippie couple who opened the restaurant next door to their home and gallery so they would have a place close by to have their evening meals. Nice evening after a pretty long and difficult week.
Friday May 2, 2025
Firebrands – Charlotte NC
On the road again. Heading north from Tampa to Black Dog Ridge. This was our stopping point. Happened upon a great biscuit place right next door so that was breakfast the next morning
Friday, April 25, 2025
The Black Rooster – Columbia, SC
I was enroute to Jacksonville. Stopped in Columbia for the night and had a lovely dinner here. People-watched a bit, chatted with a bright young Chinese advanced statistics major, and chipped away at NYT Crossword. My kind of Friday night.
Friday April 18, 2025
Mandrake Rooftop, Columbus OH
This as our 4-year anniversary dinner. Good Friday every year. Good it is and getting better. Lovely night with my girl.
Friday April 11, 2025
Blue Heron, Buckeye Lake, OH
Lazy Friday late afternoon. I skipped out of work early and hit the cigar bar ‘Smoke on the Water’, and then stopped at the Blue Heron for a martini to cap the work week.
Friday April 4, 2025
Somerset Home On Summit
Another FNM at home. This time alone with just the Jungle Fox. But by god sometimes that is the right thing for the moment. My Somerset Special with Grey Goose and Lillet Blanc. Lovely night.
Friday March 28, 2025
Black Dog Ridge, West Virginia
I sat outside by the fire with an excellent Belvedere Martini and a cigar before dinner. Stunning. Love BDR
Friday March 21, 2025
Hill and Holler, Lewisburg, West Virginia
Brittany and I checked out the new locale for H&H. Decent standard martini, but a good night. We got pizza and a bottle of wine to go after drinks so we could watch a movie in bed with the Jungle Fox.
Friday March 14, 2025
Somerset Home On Summit
Had the whole Fam Dam over for Mexican food. I has my home go-to with Grey Goose and Lillet Blanc. I forgot that picture so got this one with momma-cita instead.
Friday March 7, 2025
Chandelier Bar, Four Seasons Hotel – New Orleans
Lovely lovely night with Beautiful Brittany. My birthday eve martini.
I had their signature Martini – A Blend of Dry and Aromatic Gins, Extra-Dry Vermouth, Citrus Bitters and a Spritz of Chandelier Magic
Friday February 28, 2025
Top Hat – Bexley, Columbus, OH
Brit picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to this locally owned steakhouse. We were boycotting big business for support Trump craziness — so local all day and actually going forward as well.
Friday February 21, 2025
Home, Somerset, OH
Sometimes it’s nice just to be home. So Marti and I had a nice dinner. I had a Vesper with Hendricks and Grey Goose and Marti had chilled water in a stainless steel bowl. Good time had by all.
Friday February 14, 2025
New York Tres, Benidorm, Valencia, Spain
On this Friday Night, we strolled around the corner from the flat where Sjoerd and Onah spent the winter and hosted Shane and I for a few days.
Friday February 7, 2025
Home – Somerset Oh
Lovely time with Big Ed and Rita. Both 88 and going strong.
I made a vesper with a couple of big ass olives before a nice dinner of veggie lasagna and salad. Nice time with the folks. We’re lucky to still have this time.
Friday, January 31, 2025
Del Sol, Lewisburg WV
Just a quick single Tito’s martini at the Mexican Joint. They no longer serve my favorite dish so I had my drink and moved along.
Still, it was good to be back in Lewisburg for a night and to catch up with Kim and Steven.
Friday, January 24, 2025
Clay Haus, Somerset OH
I took pops up to the Clay and Carliss (Bill) met us there for a drink and dinner. Sorta weird having a martini in what is essentially a diner, but it’s Somerset. It was a nice time with a couple of old men who were in a mood to reminisce.
Friday, January 17, 2025
Hyde Park, North Shore, Pittsburgh PA
Brit and I walked across the street to one of the many over-priced steakhouses in these Midwestern cities. But we had a great meal and a couple of drinks and gossiped about the people sitting around us of which we knew nothing about but that did not slow us down at all. Nice night after a long drive.
Friday, January 10, 2025
Del Mar, Columbus OH.
Brittany and I had a lovely evening at the 2nd floor bar. Great tapas and a couple of drinks. I had another vesper. This time with Belvedere and Hendricks. Brittany had an espresso martini. We had mushroom flatbread, oysters, shrimp and hummus with a nice crisp glass of Sancerre. I had a Dalmore for my nightcap. Really nice, easy, quiet date night.
Friday, January 3, 2025
Strong and Company, Somerset OH.
I wandered up and Jacob made me a vesper with Hendricks and Tito’s and a twist. It was tasty. He’s a fine young man and a good bartender.
The Martini Tales 