Last night the boss and his beautiful girls matched up with Peter Zappa and his sons from the Causeway in a BBQ Throwdown at the Bluefin Blowout helping to raise money for Alzheimers research.   Both using two of Joey’s prized Weber Performers they fired up the grills and got to cooking!   It was clear that Eloise and Maddie have the family cooking gene as they took control and banged out some awesome bacon wrapped tuna with avocado and cracked pepper, and a delicious Kobe beef burger with siracha mayo.  Peter and his boys put out a flavorful marinated grilled tuna and a Kobe beef burger with grilled onions that was a judges favorite.   All in all the judges deemed it a tie….ultimately The Alzheimer’s Foundation was the winner!!

Some of this ground has been covered in previous GMG posts (shout out to Manny and Catherine especially), but I thought it might be worth a reminder for you perhaps as you sit awaiting bridge access.  Look around you and think about the past and how this beautiful esplanade came to be.  It’s just under 100 years old, as we know it today.

As stated here: The half-mile of clean arc of Stacy Boulevard from the Tavern to Kent Circle along Gloucester Bay has struck travelers as rivalling the Via Caracciolo on the Bay of Naples, and as colorful when it’s lined above the tide from one end to the other with the canopied booths of vendors offering their wares during the mid-August Gloucester Waterfront Festival. The esplanade was conceived by George Stacy when that flamboyant hotel man became park commissioner in 1908, brought to reality on the inspiration of the three hundredth anniversary celebration in 1923, and restored in 1988. To make way for it, Gloucester (which has always had a partiality for moving heavy things around) relocated up in the back streets the houses that crowded the harbor side of Western Avenue. Fill was dumped; a new seawall was made; trees were planted; the esplanade was laid out; the benches were bolted down; and three years before his death in 1928, Mr. Stacy saw his boulevard done, his promise kept.  (I like the part about how Gloucester has a penchant for moving heaving things around!)

These are from the Gloucester Daily Times August 6 1921 and give us a little bit of an idea of how far this concept has progressed over the years. The Boulevard undergoes nearly constant repair, updating and improvement and is a testament to the City’s dedication to presenting itself as a beautiful historic seaport. So, turn off your engine while you wait for the bridge to open and look around you.

Cape Ann’s Marina Resort is the place to be right now. A confirmed 4 fish coming into the dock for weigh-in beginning at 4:30 and GoodMorningGloucester’s Very own Joey throwing it down on the barbecue for a cook-off against Peter Zappa from the Causeway Restaurant.  Joey will be backed up by his fantastic daughters and Peter will have the support of his two rockstar sons. Bid live in the crowd for one of the judges’ seats….  alongside Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Warren Waugh of Lyon-Waugh Auto Group, and Karen Hanson!

Tons of great shopping to be had and lots of great family fun activities under the tent! You are missing out if you’re not here!

COME JOIN US AND LETS PARTY!

My daughters and I will be squaring off against Famed Chef Peter Zappa of The Causeway Restaurant and his sons in a BBQ throwdown at the Bluefin Blowout tonight at 6PM at Cape Ann Marina

We’ve got our work cut out for us but don’t count out us underdogs just yet

Won’t you come join the fun at this family friendly event?