My View of Life on the Dock
Nicole, Michelle, George, Charlotte, and I had an exciting morning watching Dan Murphy and Rob Porter arriving to shore with a beautiful 96″ Bluefin Tuna. The tuna meat was given a thumbs up!
Wishing the Duckworth Family and Friends a Happy Fifteenth Year in Business ❤
Duckworth’s is the heart of our East Gloucester neighborhood. Thank you to Ken and Nicole for hosting countless joyful celebrations and making wonderful memories for so many at your beautiful and welcoming restaurant.
Here’s to fifteen plus more years ❤ ❤ ❤
Emma Duckworth was only one year old when Duckworth’s Bistrot first opened in 2004. Here she is today at sixteen with Gillian, Colleen, and Michelle.
Thank you to Coco, Michelle, and the Duckworth’s Family and Staff for the invitation to their super fun annual apple cider pressing party. Everyone brought apples and a jug to bring home a batch of fresh pressed cider. John Sarrouf, the Johnny Apple Curator of Gloucester, collected apples from heirloom apple trees all around the neighborhood. The wonderful variety of apples made for the most flavorful sweet and tart cider–not that sappy stuff found in the grocery stores. The dinner was potluck and as you can imagine, provided by a family of foodlovers (and eaters) the spread was divine!
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Instagram step by step apple pressing ~
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Our hot cocoa party quickly became a chocolate party when Nicole Duckworth arrived with a platter of chocolate-dipped-and-delicious strawberries, pineapples, and bananas (and I had as usual doubled the amount of chips in the chocolate chip cookies). I so hope the kids fall asleep tonight!
See Happy Hot Chocolate Snow Days
Michelle and Mandy
Ken Duckworth moderated a packed house at The Eastern Point Lit House Writer’s Book Club event, held at Duckworth’s on Sunday evening. Ken did a superb job both leading the lively and interesting discussion about Catcher in the Rye, and preparing a beautiful and delightfully delicious dinner for the attendees.
Jenn Monroe and Barbara Boudreau
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Ken’s beautiful dinner menu included out-of-this-world delicious meatloaf, yummy pan-fried potatoes, one of my very favorite veggies, broccoli rabe, deviled eggs, shrimp, fresh fruit and cheeses, and several fabulous salads.
The Writer’s Book Club at Duckworth’s is taking the month of December off, but will resume again in January with possibly a potluck dinner at the Eastern Point Lit House (Duckworth’s closes for several weeks during January). We’ll keep you updated about the details on GMG.
Although published in 1951, it was noteworthy to learn that Salinger wrote his first version of Catcher in the Rye, a play titled “Slight Rebellion of Madison” in 1946, while in the Army stationed in Normandy.
Catcher in the Rye has sold over 65,000,000 million copies and continues to sell approximately 250,000 copies each year.
With ukelelists, singing, leis, grass skirts, hula-hoops, an island-style feast, and a fleet of wa’a kaukahis (kids in kayaks)–this was a Niles Beach Sunday not to be missed!
Happy Birthday Esme!!!
Dawn Sarrouf and Michelle Anderson
Thank you to Dawn and Michelle for inviting me to stay and have a bite of Esme’s wonderful luau birthday feast. John and Dawn prepared the most yummy pulled pork, served on Mandy’s homemade potato rolls, and guests contributed super delicious accompaniments, including the best bean salad, homemade, crunchy coleslaw, and Nicole Duckworth’s to-die-for death-by-chocolate cake.
Cupcakes decorated by Esme
John and Dawn Sarrouf
Jude and Ken Duckworth
Nicole and Jude Duckworth
Friendships, Family, Food, and Pure Fun~ what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Chris Anderson
This past Sunday’s Writer’s Book Club Event, held at Duckworth’s Bistrot, was well-attended. Chris Anderson, the editor and co-founder of Eastern Point Lit House, led a very interesting discussion about the book The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien. The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories about a platoon of soldiers in the Vietnam War and is semi-autobigraphical. O’Brien was Chris’s professor in grad school!
From wiki ~ The book is critically acclaimed and O’Brien has expressed surprise at how the book has become a staple in middle schools and high schools, stating that he “certainly hadn’t imagined fourteen year-old kids, eighteen year-olds, those even in their early twenties reading the book.”
Chef Ken Duckworth and Chris Anderson
Chef Ken Duckworth prepared a beautiful spread. I only stopped in for a brief period of time as I was on my way to film the Groppo’s Sunday evening Saint Joseph mass and was unable to stay to enjoy the very tasty-looking appetizers and entrees. Thank you Chris, Michelle, Jenn, and Ken for inviting me. Next time I look forward to staying longer!
Barbara and Al Boudreau
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Very much looking forward to this Writer’s Book Club event, presented by Eastern Point Lit House and Duckworth’s Bistrot! Chris Anderson, one of my favorite people and a GMG FOB, is going to be leading the event. This promises to be a great discussion, made especially enjoyable as it will be held at the always warm and welcoming Duckworth’s restaurant, accompanied by the sublime Ken Duckworth viands!! I hope to see you there!
Chris writes:
Hi Kim!
Glad you’re back. But with this snow, I bet you wish you were still in Mexico;
Can you help spread the word about these upcoming EPLH events? I’d really appreciate it. The reading this Sunday is going to be great–Joseph Riippi is a wonderful writer and person. And I’ll be leading the book club at Duckworth’s. We’re doing Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, a modern classic, and one of my favorite books (I was lucky enough to attend workshops/hang with Tim in grad school back in Texas). I can’t wait!
Hope this finds you well (and warm).
Thank you!
Chris
Ken Duckworth and Michelle Anderson
Ken Duckworth spoke before a packed house Sunday evening for the last event of the season of The Writers Book Club, which featured The Book: On the Taboo of Knowing Who You Are, written by the philosopher Alan Watts.
The Writer’s Book Club events are co-hosted by Eastern Point Lit House and Duckworth’s Bistrot. Every seat in the restaurant was filled, and I understand that the house could have been sold three times over. I hope Ken will lead another discussion in the future and perhaps it will be held at a larger venue so more can meet this wryly humorous and engaging side of Ken.
We have all come to appreciate Ken for his extraordinary talents as the star chef that he is, and it was equally as enjoyable to listen to him share about a philosopher for whom he cares so deeply and passionately. I am very inspired to read The Book by Alan Watts and hope I can locate a copy before my train ride to NYC this Thursday!
Chris Anderson, Eastern Point Lit House Co-founder
To date, this is the second Writers Book Club event that I have attended and I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed the beautiful dinners, the speakers (Ken and Steve Almond), fellow guests, and the warm and welcoming hospitality of hosts Ken, Chris, Michelle, Nicole, and Jenn. Thank you Duckworth’s and Eastern Point Lit House!!! Best wishes for an equally successful season of events this coming year!
Michelle and Ken
The Writer’s Book Club is taking a little break during the holidays, but they are already planning a wonderful lineup of exciting speakers and authors for the 2014 season.
Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure to attend not one, but two fantastic local events. Rather than cramming both into one post, tomorrow I’ll share about the Savour Wine and Cheese’s First Annual Wine and Beer Tasting event.
Filming in very low light with the Fujifilm X-E1 at ISO 12,000–even so, the Fuji powers on!
Ken Duckworth
Last night guests enjoyed a beautiful dinner prepared by Ken Duckworth, followed by a lively book discussion led by Steve Almond.
Author Steve Almond, left, and Eastern Point Lit House Co-founder Chris Anderson
The The Writer’s Book Club event was hosted by Duckworth’s and Eastern Point Lit House. The book of the evening was Stoner, written by John Williams, and it is Steve’s all time favorite. He had with him his own worn copy, from which he read several passages and quoted often. For the most part, the group adored the book and, after listening to the discussion while photographing, I am putting it at the top of my list of books to read this winter when design work and filming slows down.
Steve Almond, his wife Erin Almond, 11-week-old baby Rosalie, and Lit House Co-founder Jenn Monroe leaning into the stroller.
This year there are two more upcoming Writer’s Book Club book discussions hosted by Duckworth’s and Eastern Point Lit House. Last night the house was packed and I suggest you purchase your tickets now. I simply can’t imagine a more enjoyable dinner/literary event, with Duckworth’s warm and welcoming ambiance, Ken’s beautiful and divinely delicious dinners, along with discussing great books. And here’s a scoop for GMG readers: Ken Duckworth himself is going to be cooking and leading the November 17th discussion!!! As I said–better order your tickets now!
Co-hosts Chris and Michelle Anderson
Previous Post on GMG about Steve Almond:
Good Morning Gloucester 