We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day ahead. In lieu of an individual person article, we wanted to share team favorites from a 4th of July celebration.
Alex: While I love a great cheeseburger, I still have a love for watermelon. I can remember as a kid we used to eat watermelon by the handful. At some point when we could find a good-sized seed, we would stand at the end of the deck to see who could spit the seeds the farthest. While no cash money was ever exchanged, pride and bragging rights were the currency in the early 90s. Each time I eat watermelon on the 4th of July it just brings me back.
John: My most vivid 4th of July memory dates to the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. I was entering my junior year in college, and home for the summer with my family in the burbs of NYC. NYC had shut down the West Side Highway for the entire weekend so we could stroll down the highway and enjoy a miles long procession of the “Tall Ships”. A breathtaking site with the NYC skyline on one side, the hills of NJ on the other and boats lined up all the way from the George Washington bridge to the lower end of Manhattan Island.
Tom Schulte: In adherence to my Uncle Greg’s Golden Rule of “Never order seafood in a land-locked state”, our standard Independence Day celebrations were centered around the staples of hamburgers, hotdogs and pasta salad. However, a couple years ago I celebrated with some friends in South Yarmouth and was introduced to Andrea’s West Yarmouth Fish & Lobster. For an extremely reasonable price, we each received a nicely packaged tray with an entire steamed lobster, mussels, clams, cob of corn and all the fixings. For good reason, I don’t foresee any fine establishment like Andrea’s opening in Syracuse anytime soon…
Rob: Nothing beats the 4th on the water – and lucky for me, Scituate has plenty of perfect spots to drop anchor and let the kids splash around for a while. A fan favorite is what locals call “The Spit”, a giant sandbar where you’ll find boats anchored, portable grills burning, and coolers overflowing with juice boxes and beer. Maybe we’ll see you there this 4th of July!
Jenn: Every year we celebrate the 4th of July in Marion, MA. They have the best fireworks, and my Uncle’s home has the best view. Maybe this year Tessa and Brooke will stay up to catch the show (or if I’m lucky, they may already be asleep for the night!)
Nick: My favorite BBQ has always been pulled pork. I’ve loved it since I was a kid, but we never made a whole lot of it up here in MA, so it was always special whenever we had it. I went to college down at UNC Charlotte in North Carolina. NC is known for their redder, sauce-based BBQ – and their version of pulled pork solidified it as my favorite. In my 4 years there, I cooked more pork butt than I have the rest of my life.
Dante: My current favorite 4th of July BBQ food is hot dogs. A few years ago, my dad and I went on a hunt to find the best quality and best tasting hot dog. We must have tried a dozen different hot dog brands to finally crown our winner: Dietz & Watson. My toppings of choice are mustard and relish, and diced onions too, if I have my way.
Tom Fletcher: The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday. First, it’s summer. Then it’s a traditional BBQ with the full trifecta: grilled sausage, hot dogs and hamburgers. Then if we’re lucky, we usually have a jet or two fly over the house before we scooch to the edge of our roof deck and take in the fireworks on the Charles River.
Here are some moments of joy captured from the team! We wish everyone a Happy 4th of July! Til next time…
