Fall Saturday’s. Our Warship. Amalfi. Follow Up.

It Does Not Get Any Better.  You Really Thought Firing On One of Our Warships Would Have a Positive Outcome?  The Dining Experience.   A Look Back.

• I am sure it is the combination of the cooler weather, the trees showing some color, college football, the baseball playoffs and worldwide soccer that make this time of year the best.  The combination of the early Saturday Premier League matchups and the afternoon college football are like dessert for most sports fans.  While I understand the northeast is a bit slack when it comes to college football, the rest of country is glued to the flat screens, attending watching parties at restaurant/bars, or watching the games live in one of the many massive college football stadiums around this country.  Fall festivals are abundant, parents are juggling their young ones from one activity to another, and the incredible weather (my thoughts are with you in the Pacific Northwest today) are a great prelude to the colder weather coming next month.   Get out and enjoy the day and maybe catch the 4:25 EDT Falcons-Seahawks matchup.
• I am not pretending to really understand the dynamics of the Middle East and all of their territorial and religious conflicts.  The issues go back thousands of years and there is no simple solution to the ongoing threats between countries and religious sects.  One of these conflicts includes Yemen, one of the Arab world’s poorest countries. Yemen has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.  It is no surprise that the Houthi’s are backed by Iran, who continues to be a thorn in the world’s side.  So Iran is calling the shots with the Houthi’s and their efforts to overthrow the Yemen government.  I guess Iran also ordered the Houthi armed forces to fire on the USS Mason three times in the last week.  Yes, our warship, which intercepted an Iranian shipping vessel sending vast shipments of arms to the Houthis in April of this year. The weapons included 1,500 Ak-47s, 200 RPGs, multiple 50 caliber machine guns and other weapons.   So call me stupid but the Iranians and the Houthi’s had to know that that firing on the USS Mason would result on our warship firing back.  I realize that this is their way of being provocative but you have to be a moron not to understand that the USS Mason is equipped with weaponry that is best in class including Tomahawk missiles.  Yes, Tomahawks, capable of hitting targets from hundreds of miles with pinpoint precision.  So minutes after the Houthi’s missiles fell short of the USS Mason, our warship deployed Tomahawks that destroyed Houthi radar sites (and probably a bit more than that).  I don’t know what the Houthis are thinking but that decision did not go well for them.  Maybe our outgoing President can send the same message to the Iranians before he departs office?
• The dining experience is different for all of us in many ways.  The dynamics depend on so many factors including the atmosphere, the customers, the type and quality of food, and the level of service.  Like many I have had the opportunity to experience restaurants around the world with mostly positive results.  Atlanta, like most major metropolitan areas, has a fantastic restaurant landscape, from simple sports bars to gastropubs to high-end steak and seafood houses.  With all that said, there is one north Atlanta restaurant that is a must to experience.  Amalfi, located in Roswell, is run by a close knit family who came to the States from Naples, so naturally they focus on southern Italian cuisine.  The restaurant is simple, from the minimalistic décor to the location in a non-descript shopping center….unpretentious to say the least.  What is not simple are the dynamics of the family, led by Chef Anna with her family support team of Alfredo, Salvatore, Francesco, and Angelo.  The food is fantastic, the portions are perfect, and the banter between family members is a must-see and must-hear.  Salvatore is the kingpin and his Naples upbringing delivers something special when sitting at his bar.  If you have been to Amalfi keep going.  If you have not been you are missing out on a great dining experience.
• Updates from previous posts:  Samsung, it really took you this long to figure out the S7 Note was a no go?  Atlanta Falcons:  please keep proving me wrong.  To those in Colombia: prayers with you that the ceasefire with FARC stays intact.  Atlanta United:  keep the great things you are doing going.  Brangelina:  thanks for keeping the children out of the media.  Hilary/Donald:  fake it and be Presidential.

Adios and Happy Sunday Funday!!