I watched Gallagher smash watermelons and you can too

I saw Gallagher on Hilton Head Island Saturday night. I’ll give you a second to mull that over since there’s such a disparity between the watermelon-smashing comedian and the resort island.

It’s true, Gallagher came to Hilton Head, and one of my reporter friends got to interview him in advance of the show and snagged us free tickets. (He’ll be coming to Raleigh in a couple of weeks).

I didn’t know what to expect. I remember spotting a much younger Gallagher smashing watermelons into a plastic-covered crowd on several late night channel-surfing sessions. I always thought it was stupid, and really, it sort of is, but when you’re in the crowd (especially just out of range of flying bits of food) it becomes incredibly amusing.

Here’s how it unfolded. First, Gallagher opened up for himself, warming up the crowd by making fun of them and telling some jokes. Then, when it was time for his show to begin, he introduced himself and started his routine. He apparently traded in his famous striped shirt for a T-shirt provided by the club that was hosting him (which he later removed, along with his pants, possibly to keep from getting more messy but more likely because he likes the way it feels when bits of food his bare chest).

His act featured some politically incorrect jokes and some down right offensive jokes (including one about Ted Kennedy that made most of the audience groan). He apparently doesn’t like gay people or anyone from Mexico, because it seemed he targeted those two groups the most. He pulled some young girls on stage and made them wear underware vests that he created. Then he finally began mixing some pies to smash. The ingredients ranged from dog food mixed with Pepto-Bismol to cottage cheese, a head of lettuce coated in flour and, of course, watermelons.

Watch him smash some of those pies in this video clip:

By the way, the stage reeked after the show.

So Gallagher is apparently performing five shows at Goodnight’s in Raleigh July 24 to 26. Although, it’s a little unclear whether he’ll be smashing stuff at Goodnight’s. The comedy club’s website says “bring your plastic” but it later contradicts the need for plastic by saying:

Don’t miss it when Gallagher brings his “No Sledge Tour,” featuring his classic stand-up and props (but none of the messy stuff) to Goodnights Comedy Club.

It may be worth checking with the club to confirm he’ll be smashing stuff before you buy tickets. Because, while some of Gallagher’s jokes were worth a laugh, the food smashing was really the most amusing part of the show.

Spending the Fourth of July on an island

I’ll be in South Carolina for Independence Day. It will be my first trip back since moving to Raleigh last year, so I’m jazzed to see old friends, spend some much needed time on the beach and hopefully get some golf in.

Here’s a picture of an enthusiastic family who attended last year’s Independence Day on Hilton Head Island (photo credit goes to my friend and former colleague Jay Karr).

On Hilton Head, most folks head to the famous 18th hole at Harbor Town to watch the fireworks. That’s probably where I’ll be tomorrow night.

In the mean time, I hope you all have some fun plans for the weekend. If you’re sticking around the Triangle, check out this list of local events or just plan to go to the Festival for the Eno in Durham. Durham blogger Steve has some pics of the festival set up and some other scenic spots from West Point on the Eno, where the festival is held.

If you know of any other events you think folks in the Triangle should check out, please post them below.

Be safe and have fun!!

A 700-pound crab is sitting on Crabtree Valley Mall

His name is “Jake” and he took up residence on top of the the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at Crabtree Valley Mall around 3:30 p.m. today. Jake the Crab is named after one of Bill McCormick’s original seafood restaurants, which had the name Jake in it.

This inflatable crab weighs in at 700 pounds and stands about 17-feet tall, according to a news release from the restaurant. For more on this huge crab, check out Sue Stock’s story in The News & Observer.

So is this a good promotional gimmick to let people know this restaurant is coming to town? Or is it a little too tacky?

A tour of the Durham food blog scene

If you’re looking for some restaurants to try out, your best bet might be to explore the Durham food blog scene. Every time I catch up on these in my reader, I’m always left hungry and eager to head over to the Bull City for a meal.

On the Carpe Durham blog, you can see mouth-watering inspiring photos of the scallion pancake, beef congee and the spicy dry bean curd with shredded pork ordered off the “secret menu” at China Palace, aka Magic Palace.

On Delicious Durham, you can find out whether the famous Nana’s really lives up to its reputation. You can also find out how to put local peaches to tasty use by following Kelly’s peach crisp recipe or find out how you can blend your own peanut sauce to pour over stewed collards or as a standard satay sauce.

Over at Eat at Joe’s! you can vote on the best place to grab a burger in Durham. Or save the Google map he created highlighting the “Ethnic Grocery Trail.”

But wait, there’s more.

The Newlyfeds, a Durham couple with a passion for cooking who explore Durham’s dining scene, explain why you just have to go to Chubby’s Tacos on Ninth Street.

Another Durham couple reviews two downtown establishments, the newly-opened Five Points Cafe and Rue Cler on their blog: CookingEatingDurham.

And you must check out Lenore’s blog called Eclectic Glob of Tangential Verbosity. It’s not a straight food blog, but as an epicurean, you can always count on Lenore to post beautiful pictures and descriptions of her frequent dinners out (all these photos are courtesy of Lenore’s Flickr). Here’s a sample from her latest post on Serena Restaurant and Bar:

I ordered the gnocci, which I’d been looking forward to after examining their menu on-line about a week ago. It had applewood smoked bacon, dried cherries, loads of garlic, spinach, a thin slice of parmesan and potato gnocci pasta. It came with a piece of garlic bread. It sounds perfect, right?

Find out if the gnocci was a delicious as it sounds.

I’m sure there are several other Durham & Triangle-area food blogs, if you know of some that I’ve left out, please clue me in.