Wicked

April 25, 2008

The Rascal House

Robert Is Here

Wicked

Vizcaya

The Indy Car race was only the first half of our South Florida adventure. In addition to the race, we had the chance to hit a number of destinations before heading to Ft. Lauderdale to catch a performance of the traveling Broadway show, Wicked.

Vizcaya

Fruit Stand

We started in the vicinity of the speedway in Florida City and our stops there included a delicious meal at the newly renovated and expanded Capri restaurant. This classic Italian fixture is the home to a wonderful selection of Italian favorites in a warm and welcoming setting. Many of the race teams and officials find time to squeeze in a visit while in the area. They probably don’t make it to another Redlands icon, the famous Robert is Here fruit stand. Located at the edge of the Everglades, in the heart of what is left of the agricultural industry of the area, Robert is here is a must stop for us when we are in Florida City. We loaded up on fresh fruit and local honey and such, slurped down a yummy Mango smoothie before heading off to Coconut Grove.

Gardens



In Coconut Grove, we visited the incredible Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Built in 1916by agricultural industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya is a stunning example of the luxury and modernity of the gilded age that has been carefully restored and maintained. An amazing 10 acre gardens are also on the estate which is right on Biscayne Bay just south of downtown Miami.




Jim & Kathy



Sunday was also a somewhat bittersweet day as before heading to the Broward Center for Performing Arts, we had brunch at The Rascal House in Sunny Isles. Our good friend Eli Schloss had introduced us to the iconic Deli some years ago and we read with great sadness that after 54 years, the Rascal House was closing on the very day we would be in the area, so we braved the masses and made our way to the deli to enjoy a final meal there. The Rascal House was the last of the infamous Wolfie Cohen’s original New York style delis, which once included Wolfie’s, Corky’s and Pumpernick’s.

The Rascal House

At least I didn’t feel strange taking photos inside the landmark deli, in fact many in the crowd were snapping away and it was a sort of surreal experience. Some in the crowd were openly weeping as they waited their final seating in one of the iconic red vinyl booths, tables or lunch counter which has served generations of hungry patrons. We’ll certainly miss the old Rascal House.

Re-united

April 22, 2008



Will Power

Re-united

Marco Andretti



Sorry about the lack of recent posts in the blog, somehow things have gotten hectic and I just have fallen out of the rhythm of posting. I didn’t think people would notice, but I have been inundated with queries as to why there have been no recent postings. Anyway, I will try to do better, it’s not like we haven’t been busy or doing interesting stuff.

Kathy & Jim

Justin Wilson

Last month, for example, was our annual trek to the first Indy Car race of the year at Homestead Motor Speedway. Kathy & I brought along her father Jim and we made a fun weekend of it. There was added excitement this year as the Indy Racing League has merged with their rival open wheel series, the Champ Car World Series. The two factions split back in 1996 and have been running separate series ever since.
Unification may be too strong a word, as assimilation is probably more accurate as the CCWS ceased to exist and 9 drivers from that series joined the Indy Racing League and were thrown into the deep end at Homestead, attempting to get up to speed with new cars in a matter of weeks. It didn’t work out so well on the oval track as they were all somewhat slower than the regular IRL drivers.

Jason

Michael with Miss July



We once again had paddock passes and were able to hang out in the garage area and watch the teams prepare. In addition to the Indy Cars, the Grand Am Rolex series featuring groovy looking sports cars were on the bill. Scott Pruett was able to dominate and win that race during the afternoon.

Scott Pruett



Scott Pruett

As for the Indy Car race, Scott Dixon managed to win the Saturday night race over Marco Andretti. It was a great start for Marco, after a dismal showing last year. I have a good friend, Jason, who is a member of Marco’s pit crew and we were really happy for him. The top finishing of the transitional drivers was Oriol Servia who placed 12th. I’m sure by the end of the season the teams will be on more equal footing. It’s really cool to see drivers like Justin Wilson & Graham Rahal in the new IRL.

Justin Wilson & Graham Rahal



The race and all the festivities that surround it were a lot of fun. There was a pre-race concert by 3 Doors Down as well as the traditional fireworks display after Dixon’s victory.



3 Doors Down