To me there is nothing greater, or more enjoyable than a summer evening on the deck, in the backyard with some friends and family with some ice cold beers, good conversation complimented by an array of good tunes playing in the background.  The sun begins to set as the sky turns a million different, undefined shades of blues, greens, yellows reds and oranges, while the fireflies begin to brighten up the yard with comparable shades of burnt orange, overhead.  Whether you have an old school charcoal grill, which I adore to this day, or gas burning grill, here are some tips and techniques that keep you from.

• Let your grilling meat sit out for 30 minutes or up to an hour before cooking.  This allows for the internal temperature of the meat to become closer to that of room temperature, and will help control the evenness of cooking, so if you like a steak medium-rare or medium, there will be a larger percentage of ideally cooked steak versus the more down steak on the outside.
• Let the grill burn for a good 15 minutes before putting any meat on the grill surface.  When the meat hits the grill surface, you want a sizzle, in the same way that you want that when you put a piece of chicken or fish in a hot sauté pan.  This ensures you get a good sear on the meat.
• Don’t overcrowd the space on the grill – overcrowding leads to the inability to properly flip and rotate your meats.  Additionally, it causes uncontrollable flame ups do to fat drippings, especially if you have a fatty meat like burgers, brats or ribeyes.
• Oil your grill the same way you would a pan – for fishes and chicken use some pan spray or brush some olive oil on either side.
• Put the side of the meat you plan on presenting (making look pretty) down first.  When you put the meat on the grill, you only want to touch it 4 more times.  (1) Rotate it 90 degrees 1/3 of the way through cooking to form a checkerboard pattern.  Let the same amount of time elapse, and then (2)flip it, and do the same (3) 90 degree rotation, and let time elapse, and then pull it off the grill
• If you are basting your meat with BBQ Sauce or anything else sweet, i.e. Teriyaki for fish, only baste during the second half of cooking, otherwise the sugars will over caramelize and the outside of your meat before the meat is done cooking inside.

SweetWater Brewing Company – Atlanta, GA - They offer a wide range of fantastic beers, out of Atlanta.  Stop by on a Friday to get a tasting, that is sure to leave you feeling pretty good.  How can you not like a beer with the name SweetWater 420???

Terrapin Beer Company – Athens, GA - Came out with their first beer in 2002, which was a Rye Pale Ale,  and later that year won the Gold Medal for – American Pale Ale at the Great American Beer Festival

Moon River Brewing Company – Savannah, GA – won the Gold this year for Chocolate/Stout, but have several other really unique brews, such as the Apparition Ale, which is an English Style Pale Ale, with English Imported Malt and Barley.  If you are heading down I-95, stop in for a tasting of there more than a dozen varieties, all intriguing and well thought out.

Yazoo Brewing Company – Nashville, TN - These guys started in the mid-nineties and in very little time outgrew their capacity and were forced to expand.  They bottle 8 different varieties.  Their Yazoo Sue won the Silver Medal for Smoked Beer

Thomas Creek Brewery- Greenville, SC - They have got a top notch Irish Style Red that has gained all sorts of accredidation.  They have 8 different varieties and seasonal brews  that are sure to quench your thirst

Devil’s Backbone Brewing – Roseland, VA - They have a great variety of ales, lagers, plus a stout, a Belgium White, and a Hefeweizen.  Stop by on a summer weekend night for some live music and good beer.

Lonerider Brewing Company – Raleigh, NC – Their Sweet Josie won the Gold for Best American Style Brown Ale

O’Connor Brewing Company – Norfolk, VA - This very newly founded beer company has taken on in the Hampton Roads area, and have had trouble keeping up with production.  When production expands enough to fill the need, I think we will see several more quality beers from these guys.  Try the Green Can, a Golden Ale or the Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale.

Triangle Brewing Company – Durham, NC - This brewery has some really unique beers for the local Duke University Students.  Their focal point is in the numerous types of Ales, as well as pairing food with Beer.

We walk through an unassuming door and into the bar where a couple scattered patrons peruse the photocopied and stapled menus listing upwards of two hundred different types of beers.  We grab a seat in the corner and Ben, the owner and bartender greets us and drops off a couple of menus and states, “Food menu, right here if you so please.”  The food consisted of a Grilled Cheese, PB&J and a couple other assorted items, all of which echoed the farthest thing from gourmet.  The beer offerings on the other hand were out of this world.  He let us know that the drafts were on the chalkboard behind us and that on Tuesdays they offer beer flights – pick any four draft beers for a sample, for four bucks.  Easy enough.  After ordering and opting to split a 750ML Delirium with my buddy Stephen, I decided to wander over to the draft beers that were chalked into the wall.  Most were barely recognizable – I knew some of the labels, as in the makers, but the actual varietals – no clue.  So, I wandered back to my bar stool and asked Ben to pick four of them for me, “I trust your judgement.”  He brought the shot glasses full of beer over to me and gave me the run down on each, noting subtle differences, flavor profiles, where they are from, and how they were created -  I felt like I was at a wine tasting, which was obviously not the case.  All they sold was beer and food, no wine, no liquor, and the food part of it was only because they had to by state law.  So, we sat and sipped on our beers and I drank the four tastings slowly, as if I was indeed at a wine tasting, picking up on the various notes of flavor that Ben was so incredibly passionate about.  For me this passion was for food, but I had been eating food for twenty some odd years.  For Ben, only 23 years old,  he was only drinking beer for, I don’t know, five years, and he knew all of this?  Damn it feels good to be passionate about something, and it is equally gratifying to see someone equally passionate about something in their own life.  I guess if he ever needs some help with menu planning, on the food side, he can always come to me – he should stick to the beer – I am pretty sure that if he does, something special will come of it….. If you are ever in coastal Virginia check out, The Birch – CCH

The first time you curl up to watch a movie together don’t pick “Goodfellas”. I don’t care how much you like it. But, then again you don’t want to pick something too silly either. Pick something that is a little more middle of the road. Something fun, as well as something that you will both be able to relate to. Also, you don’t really want to pick the most broodingly romantic film either. You don’t need to compete with any guy but yourself. These are all really good films, but what is better most of them have a little bit of something to chew on for a conversation after.

1. Annie Hall- The grandaddy of romantic comedies. Woody Allen’s study of this relationship is brilliant. There is nothing I could add to the already monumental
2. The Princess Bride- Is there kissing? Yes, in fact there is. But, there is also comedy, adventure, and grandiose stakes to wallow in. You’ve both seen it and this could be a great way to embrace a giddy childhood state.
3. The Apartment- This is a little more melancholic than some of the others, but Billy Wilder’s film is probably the best on the list. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming. And, Shirley Maclaine is the ultimate manic pixie dream girl.
4. His Girl Friday- If you thought that they talked fast in “The Social Network” then wait till you see this. This movie moves at a mile a minute and has some of the best extended dialogue sequences ever. Achingly funny.
5. Knocked Up- Yes, it is hilarious, but the real treasure of an Apatow film is being part of the crowd. The verbal humor is constant here, but there is also a really touching story about love and fatherhood.
6. Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.- Pending on the girl this could be a deal sealer. No one writes woman who are as strong and confident as Mr. Tarantino. And, the Bride is no exception. This may not be a romance, but for the feminist in everyone it is a real treat.
7. Say Anything- There is nothing wrong with John Cusack, nothing really at all. Particularly an 80′s Cusack. One of the great films about young love from one of the great writers of romantic comedies working, Mr. Cameron Crowe.
8. Beauty and the Beast- Besides being one of the finest animated films to ever grace the screen this is also a very tender romance. But, there aren’t many things that are better than embracing your inner child. And, if you are both bold enough you could do a sing-a-long: you know you know the words.
9. Halloween- John Carpenter’s horror classic is the perfect way to get her to snuggle up close. There are some classic scary films, but none that have become as iconic with a sense of cultural zeitgeist.
10. Once- Not only is this one of the best films of the aughts, but it is the best Hollywood musical in many, many years. Made on a shoestring budget it is the great modern musical. With beautiful musical, touching humor, and a very moving love story.