Day 1153 Ratskeller

 


Dinner, live music, a bonfire, and a visit with Collette made for the perfect ending to a busy day. 

Tim and I both had long lists of household chores to tackle and got to work first thing… or in his case, almost first thing. I was scurrying around, picking up the yard before the storm rolled in, and popped inside every so often to call out his name—no idea where he’d disappeared to. I figured he was somewhere deep in a project, but when he finally emerged, he unapologetically admitted he’d been laying in bed watching TV. Gotta love him.

Meanwhile, I channeled my inner Cinderella—vacuuming, mopping floors, and scrubbing just about everything I could. I powered through the morning and well into the afternoon before calling it quits, hopping in the shower, and getting myself ready for our dinner date.

We met up with Collette and her husband at The Ratskeller, an old restaurant with new owners, a complete revamp, and somehow now a cool place to go—go figure!

The Ratskeller building was originally constructed out in the middle of nowhere as a speakeasy during Prohibition, right near where I grew up. These days, the area has changed so much it’s almost unrecognizable. What used to be quiet, undeveloped land is now home to a bustling park, rows of new houses, and only faint reminders of what once was. Driving along my old road makes me a little sad to see all the changes... but I suppose everything changes, whether we like it or not.

After Prohibition ended, the Ratskeller officially took over the speakeasy space and has been there ever since. The current version hardly resembles the one I remember—except for the original 1930s murals and the name. These days, it’s almost always packed, features live music, and there’s usually a wait to get in....a far cry from the handful of old Swampers belly up to the bar during the day chatting about hunting and firewood and a dining room filled with locals enjoying the giant salad bar and platters of handcut french fries. 

Collette, despite having grown up in Wakefield, had never been. It wasn’t exactly a go-to spot back then, so we were happy to help her check that one off her bucket list.

Dinner was absolutely delicious. After we ate, we headed out back to sit by the bonfire and enjoy the band. They played hits from the ’70s and ’80s—perfect for us. We danced and sang along to every song. The musicians were great, though the lead singer could’ve used a bit more punch...but that’s just my two cents.

I have to give a shout out to my fabulous pocketbook! It’s the one I bought years ago in NYC and wore daily until the strap broke. It sat neglected for over a year because I didn’t know who to trust with the repair. Finally, I found a cobbler in East Greenwich with a great reputation, dropped it off, crossed my fingers, and a week later—voilà—it’s as good as new! It’s the perfect size, just fancy enough, and goes with almost everything. I’m so glad to have it back in the rotation.

Some days leave you tired, some leave you full, but the best ones, like this one, do both...although I really could use that darn cleaning lady to make a comeback! 

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

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