Manhattan Digest

Fool Me Makes Summer TV Magic

Penn and Teller’s Fool Me: Wednesdays at 8 Eastern on the CW

I have opened numerous CW reviews talking about the networks love for supernatural dramas and teen dramas, but the other pillar they stand on is obscenely cheap unscripted programming to get them through the summer months. This time around however, they’ve managed to cross two of their pillars yet again, with a reality competition built around the paranormal (or whatever fancy word for magic you wish to use this time around). As a fan of fourth-wall breaking duo Penn and Teller’s last TV effort (Bulls**t), I figured I would take a look at their newest offering (not actually that new, this is a port from across the pond) to see if it brings the same level of entertainment.

Fool Me puts the titular duo head to head vs. a magician, who performs a magic trick. Penn and Teller, then need to replicate the trick after seeing the trick only once. Any magician who fools the veteran illusionists gets the right to perform with them during a show at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. Hosting the show is well known British TV personality (and equally obscure on this side of the pond) Jonathan Ross.

You can tell that Fool Me was originally not shot on a CW budget from moment one, as the show opens with a very cinematic and swooping crane shot. Even the shows interview segments look particularly polished (even in relation to the standards of US reality shows). This runs contrary to CW’s prior summer offerings, which seem particularly cheap in comparison (see: the revival of Whose Line is it Anyway and Oh Sit for example)

The truest advantage of this show is that Penn and Teller have such a good grasp of the show that you simultaneously never feel like they’re not the stars but at the same time know when to step back and let the acts win over the crowd. This is particularly notable by their raucous closing act – a number in which Penn razzes a crowd member for a while with a basic card trick before the true trick is revealed when the card in question was palmed with a knife through his hand.

There are some flaws with the show however. Ross is not nearly game enough as a host, often dropping empty platitudes and awkwardly playing off of Penn and Teller’s charisma. This shows itself most glaringly during the opening act, a loaded dice trick where Ross’s cellphone was under the threat of being smashed during the entirety of the trick. Even with his own talk show across the pond, it often seems like Ross feels the need to one-up everyone on stage, creating a very awkward vibe whenever he has to interact with anyone on the stage.

The Final Verdict: I don’t expect a lot from my midsummer filler programming – don’t bore me, and don’t make me think too much, and in a lot of ways Fool Me works on both counts. Ross is kind of annoying, but there’s a reason that Penn and Teller command the amount of attention that any other magician (even the ones who get the occasional one off special cannot). Check it out, especially if you enjoy Penn Jillette’s acerbic wit or enjoy seeing some theatricality.

Running Wild Feels More Like Running Mild

by Michael Tyminski

Running Wild w/Bear Grylls – Mondays at 8 Eastern on NBC

The last decade brought two styles of reality television into vogue: shows about people roughing it in exotic and often dangerous locales that seemingly put the star in the face of death on a weekly basis (Survivorman, Man vs. Wild), and shows that took a look into the life of the rich and opulent (see any Bravo show that isn’t Top Chef). Needless to say, in the desperate scramble to come up with some summer television, NBC has elected to mix some roughing it chocolate with what it hopes will be some celebrity peanut butter in order to score a hit with it’s newest show: Running Wild w/ Bear Grylls.

Running Wild w/Bear Grylls is at it’s core about one simple concept: extreme vacationing with A-Listers. With a guest list that includes Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, and Ben Stiller, Grylls ventures around the world finding the ideal spots that will push their given celebrity to the limits. Monday’s premiere begins with Zac Efron traversing New York’s Catskill Mountains (an interesting call if only because when I think Catskills, I think skiing, old comedians, and Dirty Dancing – not life or death survivalism) trying to finish a 2 day course that includes a number of challenges including rappelling, skydiving, and survival.

So how is Running Wild? Well it’s pretty slow. There’s a lack of real tone differentiation between it’s high adventure and downtime moments, causing many of the journey’s legs to bleed together. I found a similar problem with last year’s Get Out Alive, meaning that they didn’t really learn the stylistic lessons of last year’s attempt at the same format. This is a shame, because a 120 rappel, skydiving, and worm omelets are all basically played as humdrum as a walk through the park on a Saturday afternoon. I don’t necessarily ask for excessive dramatics here, but some sense of stakes would be nice.

Oddly enough, the slowness actually contributes to the show’s strongest point: for a guy who’s famous for being stuck in the woods alone, Grylls is a surprisingly good interviewer. If Running Wild was truly meant to be celebrity rehabilitation puff-piece in the wild, then Grylls more than holds up his end of the bargain, coaxing his guests through numerous tasks – (the Catskills become Grylls personal high ropes course) while using the downtime to ask seemingly probing questions that ultimately make that weeks celebrities look better. This distinction becomes night and day when you see Efron’s cutaways, as the cocksure actor in many of the shows cutaways gives way to a more vulnerable soul out in the wild.

The Final Verdict: For the second straight summer I’m reviewing a Bear Grylls reality show, and for the second straight year, the show feels like it’s just there. It’s a true shame because Grylls is a quality TV personality, it’s just that Running Wild makes life-or-death resemble a trip to 7-Eleven. This is the sort of show that typically puts my thumbs firmly in the middle – check it out if you have nothing better to watch on an early Monday or are waiting for American Ninja Warrior.

Get To Know The Smart & Sexy Rocco Steele

by Ryan Shea

In the varieties of interviews that I have done for Manhattan Digest (and other sites) I try to always get a human element in each person or persons that I interview. Sure, I can talk to them about what they are known for mainly (music, television, movies, etc) but the basis behind any good article or interview is the hope that the reader comes away with something more than what is on the surface. I got that and then some when I sat down with the humble, brilliant and beautiful Rocco Steele.

Rocco, who currently lives in New York City, is becoming a rising star in the adult world and has developed quite the fan following in a short period of time, something that many stars in any arena can take years to do so. His good looks on top of his good performances have left his fans wanting more and he has delivered ten fold in everything that he has done so far. So it came as no surprise to me that when I met up with him this past weekend after his flight back from London & Barcelona, that his passion that he displays on camera also showed when I interviewed him about his life and career leading up to where he is now. Something that I found a big turn on about Rocco Steele is that he really made this a no holds barred interview. From his troubled past with alcohol & drugs that has led to his sobriety for fifteen years, to his upfront and honest take about barebacking not only in the industry but in gay society as a whole, Rocco truly made this interview something that I hope many people can leave even more interested than they did before they read this. Take a look.

So Rocco, tell me how you got your start in this industry.

I started escorting two years ago. A couple of studios approached me once they saw my ad, and I just wasn’t ready at that point. Back then I was working a corporate job and the time wasn’t right for obvious reasons. So when I left my corporate job a few months ago I decided to start my own business. I thought this would be a perfect time to enter the industry. Because I’m starting a business, I have a set goal in terms of timeline for this. I won’t be able to be doing this for a very long time. I’m using this as a means to an end, but at the same time I really enjoy it and want to have fun while doing it. So all in all it was about timing and the timing itself just happened to be right.

There are a lot of guys who can get sucked into this kind of “porn culture” with the partying, drinking, drugs and whatnot. Do you think it’s easy to navigate this world and get out the same way you came in?

It will be for me because I consider myself fairly well- grounded. I have a strong, spiritual background and a very strong support network, especially in New York City. Also, I’ve been clean and sober for over 15 years, so that helps a lot and my work in recovery gives me the tools to bring a lot of integrity to the table. I realize that with any given shoot, it’s not about me…it’s about showing up and giving the studio the best end-product I can – bringing my A-game, taking direction, etc. My recovery also allows me to stay level-headed and focused on my own goals and objectives – specifically, to do this for a certain period of time, while I am starting my business. So for me, it’s easy to navigate and stay away from the distractions of partying, drugs, etc.

Manhattan Digest, Rocco Steele — Credit to: Edwin Pabon Photography

Something that is big in not only porn culture but gay culture in fact is the phenomenon of the “daddy”, which you seem to embody in a lot of the scenes you do. What are your thoughts on it, in particular younger guys my age always seeing older men as that type?

I think its definitely here to stay. There were always daddies, it just doesn’t seem like there was an obsession like there is now. I came from the generation of gays (in the 90’s) where we all wanted to be super buff, in contrast to the 70’s and 80’s, where gay men were fit but not as muscular and big. The 90’s were different in that sense, where it was all about getting big. My generation of gays are now growing up and are in their 40s and 50s and we are maintaining those bodies. I think this is appealing to the younger generation of gays…big strong daddies with big muscles…but that’s just my theory.

Tell me about your first scene, what was it like? Were you nervous, excited?

He doesn’t realize this but Ray Dragon was pivotal in getting me there. He was somebody I had been talking to on and off for the past 18 months or so about entering porn. I knew that when and if I was ready, I would do my first scene for Ray. I would approach him every so often with questions about it and he would answer them for me and tell me to let him know when I was ready. When I decided to finally do it a few months ago, I reached out to Ray again. He was so great and took the time and talked to me on the phone. Because I had been so hesitant for awhile, He wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. That was something I really appreciated about Ray – he was very professional , compassionate and understanding of my personal decision making process.

My first scene was a solo scene for Ray Dragon. I took a train to his studio in Beacon, New York. I wasn’t stressed or anxious because I knew it was for Ray and he already put me at ease and managed my expectations. When I got there, he set up the scene and again walked me through everything. The set was an army tent. It was really a sexy set, and with the army attire, it was so easy to get into it and do what I had to do. Before I knew it, the scene was over.

Prior to the scene, I said to myself, “Let’s see how this goes. If it’s horrifying and a disaster, I won’t do it again”. But it was a really fun and an amazing experience and I knew on the train ride home it was what I wanted to continue doing.

Barebacking in the industry is becoming huge, even the mainstream ones are bending how they used to do things and allowing it into some of their scenes. What is your take on this?

I do bareback porn and I do condom porn, and it mirrors my life. When I meet and ultimately have sex with a negative guy, I am responsible and we are safe and use condoms. If the guy is on PrEp and tells me he wants bareback, we decide to do that as two consenting adults. I have read a lot of the recent research out about transmission of HIV when one partner is negative and the other is undetectable. Although risk factor is extremely low, there is still a risk so I need to be responsible in my life to prevent further transmission.

The same is how I like to approach my views on bareback in porn. I think there are studios that present it more responsibly than others. I think we have a responsibility even in bareback porn to educate how it can be done responsibly and I try to align myself with those studios who present it that way. I will never be that guy who vocally supports bareback porn over safe sex but it exists, so let’s be responsible about it.

Is there anyone you are dying to work with in the industry?

I’m kind of obsessed with Marcus Isaacs, I don’t know why. I do love that I am staying open to directors choosing partners for me because it makes it exciting – but for some reason I keep going back to Marcus, when I see his scenes and pictures- that’s my type. I mean, If I have a type , it’s him.

What other stuff do you have going on outside the industry, can you discuss your other businesses?

Well I’m a self-taught photographer, and have been doing this for the past six years. Back then, I sold all my furniture to buy my first camera. I just started shooting head shots for friends and friends of friends which then lead to shooting models. I have worked with a couple of modeling agencies, who send me some models to test. I mainly help models build their portfolios but because my interest is in portraiture, I also like to capture more artistic “magical” moments while I shoot them for my own book.

I’m also starting an e-commerce business as well. I’m sure you can understand that I am not able to discuss the details. It’s been such an amazing journey, creating a company and a brand. I will have a website and will use social media as a means to market and drive traffic to the site. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time – working with factories in China for production. I hope to have production completed in the Fall and launch the website in the winter. It’s very organic and home-spun as I do all my own graphic design and my own photography. I designed my own logo and will shoot my own models. It’s thrilling to me because when I was in the corporate world, I was a small part in the decision making process, giving input but I never really felt like I was able to influence where the company is going. Now that this is my own thing, I have that control and it is fucking awesome.

One question I didn’t ask is, what do you ultimately want your fans to know about you?

Look – I could use this as an opportunity to say something really sexy and provocative, but what is most important is that I want people to know that I am just a nice normal guy. I care about people and I try to live my live with honesty and integrity. I am grateful to be on this journey. It’s not something I would have ever imagined for myself but I’m really enjoying it now that I’m on it. I am grateful to every fan and follower who supports me and my work. If this ends tomorrow, I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had up to this point.

Want to know more about Rocco Steele? Check him out on his Twitter page!

Southern Cuisine Your Forte? Try The Derby in the LES!

by Ryan Shea

With the ever popular presence of cuisines such as Thai and Italian dominating the Manhattan food scene, sometimes its good to go outside your comfort zone and try something new and inspiring. With Southern Hospitality attempting to make its mark in the foodie scene here in NYC, there is one new restaurant that is sure to make a stir in the Lower East Side and beyond. This restaurant is called The Derby, which boasts southern cuisine and even better… BRUNCH ALL DAY! They boast classic favorites such as Shrimp & Grits and Chicken & Waffles just to name a few, with yummy starters such as house-made buttermilk biscuits with jalapeno butter and jam to start (Weeeee!!!). I sat down recently with owner Rob Shamlain to discuss The Derby and its hopeful future.

The Derby, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: The Derby

How did “The Derby” get started?

We wanted to create a friendly environment with southern hospitality that was light-filled and bright for brunch, but also sultry enough for dinner and drinks when the sun goes down. I’ve always loved southern-inspired fare, and knew this was the perfect place for my concept to come to life.

How did you come up with the name for it?

The phrase, “If jockey’s could eat, they would race to The Derby for the mouthwatering organic fried chicken and bourbon cocktails” really stuck in my mind. Whether you care for the horses or the hats, The Derby was the perfect name for a place worth whiling away the hours with biscuits and bourbon… or both.

Tell me about the type of cuisine you serve.

While the menu is southern-inspired fare, this is no greasy spoon. The Derby re-imagines Dixie favorites using the freshest organic, local meats and produce, with a farm to table menu that has something for everyone. If the tender rib-eye steak is too rich for your palate, the light whole fish redolent with fresh herbs and lemon offers a lighter option.

What is your favorite dishes in all arenas- appetizer, entree and dessert.

The house-made buttermilk biscuits are a perfect appetizer and come with jalapeno butter and jam. Perfection! The Chicken & Waffles are certainly a stand out item not to be missed as the entree, and the thick slices of watermelon for dessert are the perfect end to the meal.

Do you think you can make this restaurant a big deal in the LES?

Definitely. We’re located on the bustling corner of Stanton and Orchard, with open mullioned windows and outdoor seating. We provide the perfect vantage point for the best people watching on the LES, and we’re already packed for brunch and warm summer evenings.

Do you have plans to open up other locations across New York City?

I always have new projects in the planning phase.

What are you hopeful for in “The Derby’s” future?

I hope to acquire a liquor license for the downstairs in order to serve people more efficiently and offer a space for after dinner cocktails.

The Derby

167 Orchard St

212-777-8469

Official Site

Food Fighters Scores A Split Decision

by Michael Tyminski

Food Fighters: Tuesdays at 8 Eastern on NBC

The competition genre has seemingly been on it’s last legs for a while as the genre (Voice aside) has struggled to produce new hits. The end result is that reality hours for the most part have been down across the board, except at the peacock, whose newfound respectability (unfortunately, much to my chagrin, I can’t put quotation marks around respectability anymore) has a summer schedule jam-packed with as much unscripted TV as possible (Last Comic Standing, America’s Got Talent, and American Ninja Warrior being just some of NBC’s recent summer offerings). They add to this stable of competition television with Tuesday offering Food Fighters.

Food Fighters, at it’s core is like Bobby Flay’s Throwdown on steroids. One contestant, with their signature dishes (everyone’s got one – they typically get busted out for dinner parties and the like) must take on not one celebrity chef, but five whom attempt to knock the contestant off their culinary pedestal. The show stars Adam Richman (of misguided thinspiration scandal fame as well as Man vs. Food) as the host, while the celebrity chef pool features a mixture of familiar Food Network stars (Duff Goldman, Cat Cora), brand ambassadors (Lorena Garcia), and new faces (Jet Tila, G. Garvin, Elizabeth Falkner).

The first thing I noticed while watching Food Fighters was the grandiosity. The kitchen area is two tiered and sweeping, the show doesn’t spare it’s prize budget (you’re looking at a $100,000 top prize that seems attainable, but at the same time it’s tough to walk away with less than $5,000 – $10,000). While a lot of cooking shows have tried to give this sort of vibe in the past – this show is truly the closest an American company has gotten to copying Kitchen Stadium from the Japanese Iron Chef, with it’s decadent two tier kitchen, tons of lights and almost game show like appearance.

This grandiosity, thankfully, extends out to the chefs, who play up generally affable villains in the pro-wrestling mold. This include Kevin Belton, a Cajun chef with a knack for witty banter and playing to the crowd, and Marcel Vigneron, a former Top Chef competitor who has a knack for unorthodox cooking methods. It’s Garcia, however, who steals the show by putting on balancing act unlike any other with some impressive knife work and nimbly sashaying around Richman when he gets in the way during a mid showdown interview. Surprisingly subdued amidst the largeness of this show is Richman himself, who despite operating as host, commentator, and interviewer manages to fill a background role without taking the spotlight away from the competitors.

Of course, none of this grandiosity means a thing without a sound format, and Food Fighters comes through in that regard. Seeing how it’s ultimately the battle between home cook and celebrity chef, the show relies on two key twists to balance the tables. First and foremost, in a twist taken from Throwdown, the judges are average citizens, who are put to a blind taste test. Secondly, however, is the strategic element of Food Fighters, where the home chef picks which chef challenges which recipe, meaning that seafood experts could be forced to bake, while Italian cuisine maestros can be pushed into making tacos.

There are, however, a few mild quibbles. First and foremost, the five course setup gets slightly monotonous at points, even if the timers were often incredibly short (all of the battles ran between 15 and 25 minutes in length). The judging segments also seemed fairly weak, with the judges often restating the obvious, which makes some of the decisions feel downright puzzling when Richman announces them. Finally, the show only bothers to promote the end-bosses of any given show, which is a true shame, since it slightly misleads it’s audience.

The Final Verdict: It doesn’t necessarily add a ton to a genre that’s pretty well played out (both food competitions and competition style network shows), but Food Fighters won me over by coming way closer to the pinnacle of the genre than most of the cooking shows out there and generally sidestepping most of the melodramatics and ridiculous gimmicks that are a staple of the format. It’s downfall, however comes in it’s high variance, like many game shows, there will be some curbstomp level showdowns (one chef used egg roll wrap for his tacos because he “couldn’t find the tortillas” and got soundly whumped 5-0) to go with some truly amazing battles (Garcia’s showdown in particular, even the result is a headscratcher). Check it out if you get the chance, even if it’s the sort of show that will likely work better catching the odd battle or two on Hulu.

Traveling To Vegas? Check Out The New Adonis Lounge

by Ryan Shea

Sometimes when a good idea happens you just can’t keep it down. For the LGBT community, in particular the letter G in there, Adonis Lounge in New York City has become quite the popular spot for gay men to go, enjoy a drink and chat amongst some of the most beautiful men in our city. Kind of like an elevated gogo boy experience per se, except these guys actually have conversations with each customer as opposed to standing on a box and dancing to a repeating beat.

After a successful opening in the Los Angeles area, they are expanding even further into sin city itself, Las Vegas. Already known for its colorful city, lifestyle and personality, Adonis Lounge seems to be the perfect spot to plant itself in the midst of all the glory that Vegas has to offer. From the hot men to the awesome atmosphere, I have no doubt that third time will really be the charm for something that just started out as an idea a couple of years ago (article here). I recently sat down with headliner for Adonis Lounge Las Vegas, Xavier Muscle (@xaviermuscle on IG & Twitter) about the grand opening this coming Saturday, the business itself and what he sees for its future. Check it out.

What spurred the idea to bring Adonis to Las Vegas?

This has been an ongoing pursuit since I moved to Vegas 2.5 years ago. When I left NYC to move to Vegas, the plan was to come out and open up an ADONIS LOUNGE on the strip. Our original location and plans fell through so I shifted gears and hosted a BIG MUSCLE EVENT every Thursday at Share NightClub for about a year called “ALPHA THURSDAYS”. We featured the hottest muscle that Vegas had to offer every Thursday (lap dances and VIP rooms. From ALPHA THURSDAYS, I felt that I made a dent in the Gay Las Vegas market and decided (with the help of Tim and Matt) to launch the Infamous ADONIS NUDE PARTY right here in Sin City. This all lead me to where I am today – FINALLY ready to blow the roof off of Vegas with a weekly, Saturday, Adonis Lounge event at the HOTTEST AND BIGGEST GAY NIGHTCLUB IN VEGAS – SHARE NIGHT CLUB.

Known as Sin City, Vegas is already well known for its biggest male stripper attraction- The Chippendales. How is this experience different?

Chippendales is more of a show that showcases hot men that you can’t touch and can’t tip, not very interactive or even Gay friendly from what I’ve been told. On the other hand Adonis is TOUCH, TIP, TOUCH, TIP and in some cases you can even “touch the tip”.

You have danced at both the NYC and LA Adonis’. Have each location inspired this one in terms of the look and feel and the guys?

Boy that’s a tough one, I’ve gained so much experience and insight working alongside all the dancers as well as Tim and Matt. Each location is so different, I would say that Tim and Matt have adapted to their market just as I will adapt to Vegas. How can you not be inspired with all those hard bodies around you! Adonis has a tried and true method to their madness so it’s clear that I have a well thought out blueprint of success from those guys.

Adonis Lounge, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Adonis Lounge

Tell me about some of the guys at Adonis Vegas. What are they bringing to the table?

I don’t care what anyone says, Vegas is the new “Mecca of Bodybuilding”. I’m always scouting the gyms for fresh meat and these Vegas guys definitely stay in top shape and get their fair share of protein. Plain and simple, VEGAS = MUSCLESTUDS

What special things are happening on the first night?

Our grand opening is not only going to have Tim and Matt under one roof. Add in our headliner BIG MAX who stands at 6’2 and 290lbs and you have a muscle worshippers dream! I have never met anyone that size in our world of lap dances. He’s going to crush some laps for sure! If that’s not enough, our whole lineup consists of headliner quality men. A night that will go down in Adonis History for sure!!

What advice did my buddy Tim give you when you started this venture?

Tim’s advice? No joke, “you’ll find yourself on your knees and even sometimes on all 4’s, so learn how to take it and grow some thick foreskin”. Good thing I’ve got experience in the chaotic world he lives in or it might hurt like hell in the beginning!! :-O

Do you hope to follow in his footsteps?

I’ll have to bash Tim first before I give him some praise… Many moons ago, when Tim first reached out to me to do some Solo Video shoots for pennies on the dollar from what I was used to getting paid (I’m premadonaish sounding, I know) and then he wanted me to give him a referral fee on top of that… I thought, “what a bucket of sleeze”. A mutual friend then told me, “I met Tim and he seemed like a genuine nice guy”. I gave the sleezy NYer one more shot and danced at his little Adonis club thing. We clicked and began our bromance which has now lead to us getting in bed together. What does this have to do with following his footseteps? NOTHING…haha ok I’ll answer the question… YES TIM I WANT TO FOLLOW YOUR FOOTSTEPS!! For real though, Tim has created something huge out of nothing and it would be silly to not want to follow his VERY LARGE footprints.

Describe Adonis Las Vegas in 3 words.

Finally, an easy question… RAUNCHY, MUSCLEGODS and HANDSON (not an actual word)

Anything else to add?

The great part of being on a team with Tim and Matt is that we are ALL customer service oriented. Connecting with customers and being readily available for issues or perhaps someone wants to share their gratitude for an amazing experience. A prompt response and acknowledgement is a key component to a successful business. At any given time, you can reach Tim, Matt or myself via Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. No one else runs these accounts but us. It makes for a heavy work load but it’s important to me as well as the other 2 stooges. Vegas is now on the ADONIS map and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come…

Official website for more information!

Get To Know The Handsome & Intelligent Dirk Caber

by Ryan Shea

Sometimes when you take one big one, you gotta get the other in there as well. What do I mean? Well after interviewing megastar Jesse Jackman for Manhattan Digest a couple of months ago, I was curious to know more about his other half. I am talking about the uber sexy and devilishly handsome Dirk Caber, who has been partnered with Jesse for quite sometime now. Being part of one of the gay adult industry’s super couples, they have drawn quite the following on their Facebook and Twitter pages, spotlighting many moments in their lives but also having a separate viewpoint in what is going on in and out of the industry.

I have been a big fan of Dirk’s for quite sometime now, even meeting him before a movie premiere back in May right here in New York City (loved the kilt btw). So I wanted to sit down and get to know him more. I recently sat down with the Boston hairy lad to discuss his take on his time in the industry, how he views being seen as a “daddy” in many scenes, his relationship with Jesse, and how music is playing a vital part of his life outside of the camera. Take a look.

Credit to: Dirk Caber

Hi Dirk! So first question is super important- Chipotle or Moes?

I presume we’re talking about Moe’s Subs & Italian Sandwiches, the chain in New Hamprhsire? If so, the answer is NOT Chipotle!

Hehe. Now that is out of the way, let me ask you about your humongous success in the adult industry. How did you get your start?

I got involved in the BDSM scene in NYC many years ago, about the same time I started taking my physical health more seriously, lost a bit of weight and discovered that under that fat was muscle. Through the S&M world I made a number of good friends worldwide, one of whom turned out to be Paul Wilde, at that time director of the ROUGH line at Titan. He said that it was rare to find someone who knew their way around a length of rope and a flogger who also looked the part, and if I were interested, he’d he happy to have me at Titan. It took about two years for me to finally feel confident in myself enough physically to say “Let’s try it”, and even then figured I’d make one or two films and that would be the end of it. Four years later now, and some sixty films for some dozen studios, and I’m still going strong, much to my deep astonishment.

Many men (and women) start at a young age in their early 20’s. What made you start later on in life?

It’s when the possibility was first raised. First of all, as fat as I was in in my 20’s, I had an impossible time getting anyone to even think of me as physically desirable, let alone actually have sex with me. I certainly didn’t see myself as any sort of sexual being in those days; I was an intellectual and an artist, resigned to what I expected to be a fairly monkish life. I spent those days expecting a fairly ascetic future and hence working on other aspects of myself; this part of my life didn’t bloom until much later.

A lot of your scenes revolve around you being the “daddy”, especially your recent series with men.com. What’s your take on that? Do you embrace it?

It does make me chuckle. But then, I myself have always been attracted to more mature men; I generally dated guys ten years my senior. Even now at 43 I still find fit men ten and even twenty years older than me sexy; the key difference is that I’m now at a point where I can look at a guy appreciably younger than I am and still see a man and not a boy. I have one friend who’s in his mid-sixties now, still fit and viable and full of sex appeal. His take on aging is to keep yourself up physically, stay young at heart, and don’t do anything too stupid to yourself. The first and last I can take care of myself, but having younger friends certainly helps with keeping me young at heart too. Might be a daddy with silver in my beard and chest hair, but I’m certainly no old man!

You are partnered with the incredibly sexy and very smart Jesse Jackman. How did you guys meet?

Everyone thinks we met on set or something like that. We didn’t; a mutual friend, not in the industry, introduced us during Folsom weekend in San Francisco. He figured we’d make good friends, but I don’t think had any expectation that we’d hit it off THIS well, especially considering that we lived 850 miles apart at that point, he in Boston and me in Chicago. We’ve now been together for almost three years and lived together for well over a year; we’re going as strong as ever.

I’ve had his take on your relationship within the industry, but is it hard to maintain a healthy one when you are having sex on camera with other people?

It all depends on your own confidence in the relationship. Both of us were already in the industry when we met, so it’s not like it was a later conundrum to have to deal with. We’re both highly sexual creatures, and we both understand sex as an expression of affection beyond just the “one and only”. We have sex with each other as partners, we both have sex with friends outside of that, often together, sometimes separately. I indicated when we first formalized the relationship that I’d a few friends with whom the relationship was more than amicable, it was sexual, and I wasn’t prepared to lessen those connections merely because “I gotta boyfriend now.” It’s because Jesse and I know full well that we come first in each others hearts that fucking around with someone else we’re close with and trust becomes essentially as un-threatening as having coffee with them. We have only one rule, as I’m sure he mentioned as well: “Never bring home anything you wouldn’t want to share.” If you think about it, it’s really amazing how applicable that is on so many levels to a relationship. Beyond that, the whole trick to staying connected is to communicate (always my challenge, quiet guy I tend to be) and to stay absolutely honest with each other.

But that’s just the open relationship aspect. Going back to the industry, the misconception everyone seems to hold is that this is what we do, that we daily go into the office (the ‘orafice’? LOL), fuck some other guy, and walk home with our paycheck. In fact neither of us is in the studio more than a couple times a month at the most, and sometimes not at all for months at a go. If that paucity of extraneous sex were the biggest challenge our relationship were burdened with, we’d consider ourselves very lucky indeed.

Finally, we’ve all seen porn couple after porn couple split as one retires or one’s career outpaces the others. Indeed, colleagues warned me and Jesse against getting together, as they’d seen how jealousy, not necessarily sexual but in fact also professional, so often can ruin such relationship. I know only a few porn couples well so my expertise here is admittedly limited, but those I know tend to be, like us, relatively stable, and I think for the same reasons we believed we’d be successful. Porn is not a long-term avocation, and hence not something which as a commonly-held bond for a couple can be counted on more than a few years. Jesse and I recognized far more shared interests and commonalities, from the importance of our families and “day” careers, arts, fitness, and friends to a shared nerdy geekiness, senses of humor that are either cracker dry or kneejerk whiplash puns, passions for music, gadgets, and sci-fi films. And knowing that porn is an ebb-and-flow prospect, we do enjoy taking turns supporting the other when one’s on the wax and the other’s on the wane. It makes us even more of a team.

Credit to: Titan Men

Speaking of the industry, what is your take on it now? With the evolution of web-only content seeming to exceed DVD sales, do you think the overall landscape of it has changed?

Decidedly! And in more ways than we really have space to delve into here. Nearly all the older larger studios have had to revamp the way they actually produce content as well as how they release it to keep up with the change of technology and hence how we consume our porn. This is hardly the first time this industry has undergone such growing pains; studios had to retool themselves with the advent of videotapes when people started watching at home instead of in theaters, and again when DVD came along and people could more easily fast forward through non-sex content, for instance.

Also, now that we’re more able to afford a camera and some lights to film and post to the internet for general consumption, it’s no longer just a few large studios producing content using equipment and dissemination resources beyond the means of any smaller pornographer. This leads to the springing up of smaller studios already based on the newer internet-based and single-scene-oriented studio model which has become so predominant today; many are coming to produce truly polished content certainly coming to approximate what the larger studios have always been able to produce. Conversely, this ability to afford the camera and the ability to post online has caused an explosion of free online content. Some of these home videos are okay, of course, but much of it might be characterized as “two fat guys out of focus in a badly lit room fucking on a flowered duvet.” At the moment I know there’s a lot of motion in the world that, irrespective of the quality of the content, if it’s there for free, why pay for it somewhere else? The problem is that this means less revenue for the studios, which means less production and less incentive for performers to be at the top of their game. When, as I suspect will happen, there’s a backlash against the cheap free content online and a desire to return to a more polished product, I hope these studios are still around and able to oblige.

Who did you look up to in the industry growing up?

I’ll confess I didn’t pay it much attention. At the time I would have written that off to “not being a sexual creature”, but I now understand that it’s more than that. I need more than just the visual stimulation to find a situation hot; I need the smells, the tastes, the physical contact, the connection. Porn is essentially limited to a visual medium, meaning that much the same way I can appreciate when a woman is truly beautiful without feeling any urge to get her undressed, porn usually left me tumescent. That said, I’d met a few porn stars with whom I’d made a connection, rarely sexual, but which certainly have left a positive mark on me. Mike Dreyden was my boyfriend for over a year and is still a treasured friend. Through Mike I met Alessio Romero who when I later entered the industry was such a help and support and is also a very close friend. I had a splendid conversation one night outside of View Bar in NYC with Alex Baresi who I think is still one of the sweetest men ever. Heh, I’m thinking hard, and I know I’ve got further industry friends whom I’d met before I started and while they were current, but because I know them now outside the industry, I forget that that’s how I first came across them.

Are there any active stars that you would love to do a scene or two with?

Let’s see, in ten minutes how many can I think of, no particular order? Among my friends I have yet to work with: Samuel Colt, Rogan Richards, Brock Rustin, Seven Dixon, Marcus Issacs, Tomas Brand and his partner Logan Rogue (together!), Ale Tedesco, Hans Berlin, Draven Torres, Jaxton Wheeler, Boomer Banks, Felix Barca, Paddy O’Brian, Paul Steele and his pup Aleks Buldocek, JR Matthews, Jake Bolton, Yohann Banks, Seth Fornea (if he ever actually wanted to do porn), Cutler X and his partner Adam Russo, Isaac Jones, Damien Stone, Austin Wolf and his partner Tyler Wolf, Boyhaus, Dolf Dietrich, Cylus Kohen. Guys I don’t know yet or only know virtually and would love to work with: Alex Marte, Kris Irons, Justin King, Kip Ryker, Marco Wilson, Edji da Silva, Frank Valencia, Rok Rangel, Jean Franko, Dani Robles, David Benjamin, Brock Hatcher, Ben Statham, Josh Long. And alas, I think some of these guys are “retired” now, but I’ve really wanted to work with Heath Jordan, Kyle King, Byron Green, Jon Galt and his partner Vic Rocco, Josh West (again) and his partner Peter Axel, and Derek Parker. It’s a source of sadness that I so often shared a set with Wilfried Knight and yet never got to actually work with him. And of course this doesn’t include all the great guys I’ve worked with already and would happily work with again.

Besides the industry, what else are you working on now that our readers should know about?

I’m always working on music; now that I’ve finished a few others there are two large musical projects I’m just about to undertake about which I’m particularly enthused. I’m still hunting for more regular work beyond my freelance music income. I’ve had a few health issues to address, mostly things that happen to guys my age and nothing like what my partner has been through in the last several months, but things which have still required a little attention. I’m still adjusting to living in Boston and making friends here, but I’m happy to be back close to my parents and siblings and nieces and nephews. Planning some travel, to London and Berlin with my buddy Dolan Wolf in September, and possibly a return to London with Jesse in November. Other than that, Jesse and I are happily building our life together.

Credit to: Dave Ouano Photography

What are you ultimately hopeful for in the future?

I’d presume there will be a day when I’ll be happy to hang up my pornographical laurels, hopefully before they begin to wilt, and return to a civilian life. I’ll stop worrying about maintaining my abs, and allow my torso to resume the “muscle bear” shape it gravitates towards; I’ll be able to concentrate completely on music as my total life and keeping my family and man close. Maybe that day is next month, maybe it’s ten years from now—I’ve no idea at the moment. Meanwhile I’m enjoying what I’m doing and guys still seem to enjoy watching. I’m not getting younger, so I may as well do it while I can.

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New York Summer- Westhampton Beach

by Mark Giarrusso

Summer in New York City can be relentless. The heat off the concrete and asphalt can stifle you. So, where do you go? Jones Beach? Fire Island? Sure, that would work if, you want to brave the traffic. East Hampton or Southampton? Maybe, if you were a Kardashian.

West Hampton Beach offers all of the cool ocean breezes of the Jones Beach without all the glitz and glamor of the other Hamptons. There is a quiet beauty of the surrounding area outside the quaint village. Every New Yorker needs a respite in the summer and Westhampton Beach is the perfect way to take in some of the best of what Long Island can offer.

Westhampton 1 — Westhampton Performing Arts Center, Photo by Mark Giarrusso, 2014

Westhampton 2 — Westhampton Beach Barn, Photo by Mark Giarrusso, 2014

Westhampton 3 — Shinnecock Bay, Photo by Mark Giarrusso, 2014

Westhampton 4 — Butterfly Bush, Westhampton Beach, Photo by Mark Giarrusso, 2014

Westhampton 6 — Beaver Dam Creek, Photo by Mark Giarrusso, 2014

Get To Know Jazz Musician MRF- The MD Interview

by Ryan Shea

MRF. Eric Hussey, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Eric Hussey

Sometimes in the most unconventional of settings you will meet some really great people and the further you get to know them and their passion makes you understand just how awesome they truly are. This can be said of jazz musician Mike Flanagan, who goes under the stage name MRF. I conveniently met him through some mutual friends at this year’s Bear Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts. On top of being a brutally handsome, charismatic and an all around great guy, I got to know him a little deeper and found out what a successful artist he has become in the jazz world.

In a short couple of years, MRF has accomplished things that many artists wouldn’t even dream about doing. He has independently released two albums, the most recent called “Mob Music”, which both have had a considerable amount of success since each of their inceptions. In a short twenty hour time frame, “Mob Music” became the highest-selling jazz album in the country on iTunes, sharing in the same company as jazz legends Miles Davis and Harry Connick Jr. Some of the singles off of that album, including “Trying” have remained in massive rotations on stations in and outside the US from Germany to Spain to name a few. On top of all of this, MRF has been able to work throughout the world with Grammy winners and nominees Esperanza Spaulding, Issa Pointer of The Pointer Sisters and Surefire Music Group. The Berklee College Of Music Graduate has also received rave reviews for his LGBT anthem “Be Strong (LGBT Youth)” as it was selected for the Flag Raising Anthem for Boston Pride last year. Quite a lot of accomplishments for a guy in such a short period of time.

The day before his big performance at Bear Week, I sat down with MRF to discuss his meteoric rise in the music industry, what and who inspires him, and what his music has meant to his fans and in particular the LGBT youth. Take a look.

So tell me how you got started in the music industry.

I graduated from the Berklee College of Music, and I wasn’t really sure which direction musically I wanted to go in. I had been playing a lot of jazz in and out of school, but I came out in my last year and it changed gears with what I was doing. I started writing my own stuff and collaborated with a singer who lives in New York, which is ultimately how my first album “Elevator Music” came to be. Once I started recording that, I ended up developing my own sound and own approach and knew exactly the direction I wanted to go in.

Jazz is such a unique part of the industry right now, so who would you say are your biggest inspirations?

I would say my number ones are D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill. That is the kind of stuff that I grew up on and it’s in me. Also, Meshell Ndegeocello is a good example. There are a whole bunch of jazz musicians and even country artists that I draw inspiration from in terms of their approach as well.

Many of my readers are unfamiliar with your work, so how would you describe your sound to them?

Its kind of a hybrid of R&B and Jazz. It also has a pop aesthetic to it as well because of the lyrics and forms of the songs. The music leaves a lot of room for my vocalists to interpret it in their own way, and for myself to stretch out on my instruments (saxophone, piano, etc) as well. The objective of my sophomore album, Mob Music, was to capture and document the magic of what we do on stage.

You are here enjoying Provincetown’s Bear Week, just as I am. Is this your first Bear Week?

This is my seventh actually!

Oh wow! This is my first time experiencing Bear Week in all of its glory, what would you say to convince people who are consistently on the fence about going to actually get them to go?

I really think it’s most important to figure out what Provincetown means to you, because it has so much to offer. It’s actually a great music town, and you can meet incredible people here. You can definitely go outside of the routine bear events that are going on and find something unique and different. So I would definitely recommend coming to “Bear Week” as there is plenty to love about the experience.

You have a song called “Be Strong (LGBT Youth)” which is a very empowering LGBT anthem. There isn’t a lot out there now that are like that, so tell me about the processing in recording this amazing song.

In 2010, when Asher Brown took his own life, and the epidemic of LGBT youth suicides made the media around that time, it made me insane. I started thinking about the work I was doing in my classroom by myself and how there are far too many kids without someone to turn to. Far too many kids that do not have an adult telling them that they are normal, and beautiful, and that they should love who they are. I felt I had to create something through music that could hopefully and potentially reach far beyond the classroom of students I was helping in my small corner of Boston. Originally, I wanted to name the song ‘Asher Brown’ but I was unsuccessful in getting in touch with his family to assure that was okay. So, “Be Strong”it was. That’s where the inspiration of the song came about.

Being an out musician yourself, do you find it to be a hindrance or a blessing to be so in the music industry?

I think everyone needs to come out. I hope everyone does. Sam Smith for example, love him. He is an incredible artist. He is in a position now where he can make a change, not saying he has to or wants to. He got rave reviews recently for his rendition of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” but one thing that stood out to me was that he changed the pronoun“he”to “you”and instead of “there’s a boy I know”he says, “oh it’s you I know”to make the song entirely gender-neutral. I think most people didn’t think about that, however when I was doing my first album, I made a lot of my music gender-neutral in fear that there would backlash. It felt like I was regressing after working so hard to be who I am. I realized how important it was that I not do that on Mob Music. So, thought it may seem small, it’s a big step that fosters much needed change.

MRF, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Steve Osemwenkhae

I love Joan Osbourne’s “What If God Was One Of Us”, so why did you choose to remake that on your latest album, “Mob Music”?

I started working with Lisa, Justin and Sheree in Boston, shortly after my first album was released. The first was singer Lisa Bello. Our styles have so much chemistry and when we come together, it really makes some incredible magic. We were raised similarly, share influences, and the way we approach music is similar as well. We started performing weekly in Boston at a place called “Club Cafe”every Thursday night. They were like, “What do you want to call the night?” and I was like, “Well, we are both Italian, so let’s call it Mob Music”. We loved it, and Mob Music just grew and grew. After our first month, singer Justin Waithe started coming on Thursdays and harmonized with Lisa. Then Sheree Dunwell filled in for Lisa while she was in LA and we she got back, the whole package of “Mob Music” was truly formed.

We would do popular songs and treat them like jazz standards, elevating them to the point where we took the audience on a journey every week! One of the songs we did was “One Of Us”and I knew that had to be the one cover on the ‘Mob Music’album.

On the “Mob Music” album, my favorite track is one called “This Love”. What is your favorite on this album?

I love that song, but I would say that my favorite is “Trying”. “Trying” is the smooth jazz radio single on the record, and it is the most personal for me. I wrote that about a guy I was with, and that relationship ended right before I went into the studio to finish this record. We had two singles done at that point, and were heading in to track the rest of it. “Trying” was written right as that relationship was ending, and to this day remains my favorite.

OK, let’s do some fun questions so that my readers can see a different side of you. If you had a dream concert, with two artists (dead or alive) that would never be on the same bill for ONE night only, who would it be?

The two on the same bill. Hmmm. I’m going to say D’Angelo and The Dixie Chicks. I’m a huge Dixie Chicks fan. I saw both live within a year’s time, and both were incredible. D’Angelo’s show had such an energy to. Knowing his entire catalog, I was dancing my ass off the entire time. When I saw The Dixie Chicks, my friends and I were lucky enough to stand right under Natalie Maines, and she was winking and smiling at us the whole time. Just great experiences for both.

Got it! So you are stuck on an island with a CD player but it only has one song in it. What do you want that song to be?

“Who Knew” by P!nk. It is my favorite song of all time. Everything about it, from her voice to the lyrics to the melody. The song is somewhat ambiguous, and even though it is a song about her losing a friend to an overdose I believe, it’s able to be interpreted in a lot of different ways. After my first relationship ended, I would come down here to Ptown and it was playing everywhere. So the song itself, my love for her, and the connection to PTown and gay life sort of culminates in why this truly is my favorite song.

You go to a 90’s dance party. Which phase do you hope they play?

I’ll pick the Aaliyah, Brandy, Monica phase. I want them, I want Ginuwine, Jagged Edge, Toni Braxton, etc. Love 90’s R&B.

What do you have going on for the future?

So, I already have a third album planned. I want to continue to make music with the group I have right now. I’m hoping to go back into the studio in September in Orleans here in Mass. It will be similar to the second album however this one will be more saxophone driven. A challenge for me is the human voice. It’s something I love on others but hate my own. I’ve heard Me’Shell and Lenny Kravitz are like that too. I am tempted to get over that fear I guess and use it and see if I can come up with something that I am okay with releasing. I don’t know if it will be on this album, but sometime in the future it is something I definitely want to accomplish.

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A Bear Week Virgin’s First Time- How I Got Loose

by Ryan Shea

In my ten plus years of experience in and out of the bear community, I have unfortunately developed a somewhat negative vibe towards some of the activity around me due to a multitude of things. Whereas some I have dealt with first hand, I for one used to throw a ton of shade at people who would go to large scale bear events such as TBRU in Texas and Lazy Bear in California. Why? To me it just seemed like a poor excuse for the bear community and that it was a drug infested orgy scene that I could see at any local leather bar here in New York City. I really had no first hand experience at any of those events, so throwing around that animosity was unjust and really stupid when you get down to it. So cue to a couple of months ago when a friend from Toronto had an extra room available for the biggest bear event here in the United States, Bear Week, and asked if I wanted it. After some initial hesitation (mainly because financially it made sense but I was still apprehensive) I said yes and for the first time in years got genuinely excited for something bear related.

In the months since I booked the room, I have heard opinions from a variety of friends who have experienced Bear Week before. From the restaurants to go to and to avoid, the events that you want to be there for the entire time and the debauchery that y0u want to get yourself into, it can really jog a person’s head as to what you should do and what you want to do. As helpful as my friends were in this, this was the first experience since heading off to college ten years ago that I really wanted to be authentic in every way shape and form. I wanted to go in with a clear head and conscience and not rely on my past negativity to influence each day that I was there and the future days to come. It’s like anything else in life, like going to a movie but relying on outside critics to influence the true outcome of what your own brain thought of it. In this sense, I focused on myself and what I truly got out of it.

In the eight days there (which at some points felt like a month, but in a good way), I narrowed down my experience in Provincetown to a bunch of points that I think anyone can look at and reflect in how they felt going the first time and each time since then. Take a gander.

Bear Week and Provincetown is ultimately what YOU make of it.

After leaving PTown early Saturday morning, that is truly I think the best tip I could give anyone who is weary of going to Bear Week. This is a week that is truly special in so many ways when it comes to our community. If you go into it with a positive attitude, positive things can happen to you. The same goes for the opposite effect. If you are Debbie Downer the entire time, and are mad because a flock of men aren’t on your dick or the food you were eating didn’t pique your interest, then you are going to be swimming in your negativity and leave on a sour note. Who wants that, seriously? The thing about Bear Week is that it is planned so eloquently with so many different events, it really is up to yourself to plan accordingly and navigate this tiny island to whatever you feel is best. First time there and want to go to the meet and greet and Joe’s Coffee House? Enjoy. Want to bear (or bare) all at the Singlet Tea Party with thousands of other bear minded people? Do that. It really is all about pacing yourself, as this week can be truly overwhelming, and going with whatever flow you feel necessary. I think that is also a good mantra in life, is to go with what you feel is best, and not what other people feel.

It is a plus if you go alone or with a group of friends.

Even though I drove up with two very good friends from New York City and stayed with new friends from Toronto, ultimately I did come up alone in this as I didn’t plan ahead enough in time to come up with a group of friends. That can be met as challenging sometimes, as you don’t have 3-5 people around you to decide what to do on a daily basis. But, if you are an extrovert like me, it can lead to wonderful types of things. For one, I was able to make friends very easily as I had already known a good amount of people who were going. It made the social situation for me that much easier as I was invited to so many private BBQ’s, parties and events that I never felt as if I was left out. However, if you are an introvert and find it hard to make friends in social situations, you really won’t find that problem here. I don’t know if it is something in the water or the air in Provincetown but at Bear Week specifically everyone is super friendly and nice and want to get to know you regardless of your size, skin color or what you identify as in the bear/gay world. If you are ever at the epic and daily Tea Dance at Boatslip or soaking in the sun at the Provincetown Inn Pool, you will find that many people will simply just come up to y0u and say hey. I think that is such an amazing thing as in other areas of the country (ahem NYC. Sorry/Not Sorry) you truly deal with shady shadesters who stand in their cliques at all the bars and don’t let anyone in. So making friends when you come alone should never be an issue during Bear Week.

At the same time, coming in a group has its great benefits. I knew several people who did that, and they always had their friends around to go with to each social outing. The only minor problem I would see in this is that it can be hard to go off on your own and hang with other people, but that might just be an internal thing. The fact is, no matter what you will have a good time regardless of the situation you bring yourself into upon arrival in Provincetown.

“Bear Week is such an endless orgy.” No it’s not.

I would say that HANDS DOWN the most common misconception of Bear Week is that it is a non stop fuckfest everywhere, full of nudity and NSFW material that you wouldn’t want your relatives and non-Bear Week friends to see floating on the latest bear related Tumblr page. It really isn’t, from what I saw. Scantily clad men? Of course. Most of these events were by water or had themes to them that designed this, does it make it scandalous in that sense? Fuck no. This sort of rings true to what I said above about making it your own. If you wanna go into this and have an hourly revolving door of men coming into you and your room then you do that. What I truthfully believe this week is all about is the following- making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, and enjoying the surrounding environment. Nothing more, nothing less. So for these Negative Nancy’s to go around and say that this is all Bear Week is (one person I heard even referred to this as an HIV Fest. Disgusting in so many ways), then think differently. It really is such an amazing social event that I would recommend anyone to go to.

Cook today. Cook often.

I’m a foodie. I’m a bear. I grew up with a mother who was a top of the line chef and always had yummy food available at my disposal growing up. What I’m trying to say is that a bitch likes to eat. So naturally I was excited about the foray of food that the restaurants at Bear Week had to offer. Coming from New York City I was hoping that a lot of what I ate was up to par with that my city had to offer, and I hate to say this but I was let down by most. Many were overpriced to a certain degree, but I can understand why they do this as this is one of their most profitable weeks of the year. I just found that even if you are going to overprice that it should have quality included in that as well, and not just a fast turnaround reminiscent of a TGI Fridays or Applebee’s. Some of the best food that I had when I was out was off the beaten path, meaning not directly on Commercial Street. Saki was a good example, as even though it was on Commercial Street it was hidden behind a not so great pizza joint and a Ben & Jerry’s. I experienced it the last night that I was there and the sushi was tasty and delicious. Another great foodie find was in the dessert arena at Provincetown Portuguese Bakery, which had yummy homemade treats from Chocolate Cake to Peanut Butter Pie to name a few. Definitely delicious.

Something I will learn for next year’s Bear Week is to ultimately cook more as homemade cooking tends to taste best. Some of the BBQ’s that I went to had phenomenally made home cooked meals that tasted far better than a lot of the establishments that I went to. No T No Shade to the restaurants, but ultimately I just felt a lack in taste and seasonings that the home cooked meals brought ten fold to bear week.

Just go and have the freaking time of your life.

Be happy. Get a drink. Meet some people. Have a Vacationship (a vacation based relationship. Cute). Eat your heart out. Make passionate love. Take a swim in the Bear Soup. Try some of the local vendors. Go to the bear mart for some awesome clothing, toys and more. Get some delicious Salt Water Taffy. Rent a bike or take a pedicab and enjoy the sights and sounds of PTown. Go to Stop & Shop the first day to check out what is to come for Bear Week. Just enjoy yourself, because this only comes once a year and when reality hits on Monday morning and you are back in your cubicle at work, you will regret yourself if you didn’t leave in a fully realized form. Trust me, as someone who used to think so negatively about this community I really have had an Oprah “aha” moment and have had a full change of heart. Bear Week is something truly unique and amazing experience that bear or not bear I would recommend anyone doing. Hopefully someone reading this will have a change of heart like I did and book reservations for it now.

Want to book for next year? Check out the official page for more information!

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