Murphy’s New Year
January 2, 2006, Salinas, California – Murphy’s sufficiently recovered from his New Year’s revels to get back to work, so he’s pulled up a chair and cracked a bottle of a 2000 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru to share his first fuzzy-headed thoughts of the new year. The Bear’s holiday was like yours, out on the town for the last gasp of 2006, then spend the first day of 2007 recovering on the couch. Murphy suspects the popularity of New Year’s day football has as much to do with providing cover for indolence than with the sport itself. We warmed up for the weekend with the don’t-call-it-the-Peach-Chick-fil-A Bowl. If you wear a dawg on your head, or you are one of the residents of the Poultry Capital of the World for whom your vacation ends in one of the sponsor’s stores, you might really care, I guess, but otherwise? That one was a day after the Golden Rodents set an all-time record by blowing a thirty-one point lead in a quarter and a half. Goldy’s footballers are unique in accomplishing such swan dives, having previously performed similarly spectacular collapses at Michigan in 2003, to Wisconsin in 2005, and to North Carolina State in another of those countless and eminently forgettable bowl games.So, Murphy told his people he needed to get out for New Year’s Eve, and off we went to the Sardine Factory in Monterey’s Cannery Row district. The Bear can’t apologize for writing rather regularly about his favorite watering hole, because it really is a rather special 
place. There, at the end of the bar, is where Dave played Cry Bastion with Murphy the bartender while Evelyn watched. Here though, it’s not such stars that are celebrated, but rather the ordinary people for whom this famous restaurant is a favorite neighborhood hang-out. Ask the Bear’s buddy Hugewally. No hefeweizen? No problem. Assistant Manager Ken Rockefeller (here with Murphy) fetched a six-pack, and in a place where it wouldn’t be a big surprise to run into George Lucas or Norman Schwarzkopf, you can be certain that gesture nothing to do with the itinerant photographer’s apparent affluence. No, the Sardine Factory is a place where you’ll be welcome, whomever you are – or if you are no one at all.
Anyway, the Bear settled onto his favorite mid-bar spot, and even though he and his friends would only be there for tapas, they were as welcome on the year’s busiest night as anyone else. As usual, barroom banter with “Big Mike” Kilpaczyk and partner Brad O’Roark (juggling cocktail shakers) ran the gamit from economics through politics and to sports. Stories Mike and his compatriots can tell might include the time Rod Steiger joined the staff in singing “Happy Anniversary” to a celebrating (and certainly surprised) couple, or Clint Eastwood bringing his own sandwiches while filming “Play Misty for Me.” Tiger might be in the house, or Paul Anka. Anyway, Mike’s the fan of the local and California teams, and was 
quick to offer that USC would kick Michigan’s patootie. Brad was just as quick to take that bet – too quick, as we all know.
Though this place has a world famous wine cellar – it’s been the recipient of the “Best Wine List in the World” award from Wine Spectator for 21 years running – we passed on the 1870 Chateau Lafitte Rothschild Pauillac in favor of the house by-the-glass cabernet sauvignon (the Justin Vineyards, Paso Robles, cab rated a 95 from Robert Parker, not too shabby for a house pour, but nothing less than we’ve come to expect here). We hit the bar menus’ tapas section for the large, plump Saut?ed New Caledonia Prawns with basil & olive oil on grilled polenta cake with a smoky tomato coulis that give this a mild character that have us 
ordering it again and again. As should be clear, the Bear’s friends are exactly first name with Amy Vanderbilt, so we don’t hesitate to go for finger food. The Crispy Thai style Chicken Wings, tossed in sweet & spicy sauce with Asian slaw, are meaty drummies shaded enough toward sweet to make them a unique and pleasant change of pace from the ubiquitous buffalo wings. Some time make sure to have the Abalone bisque. Featured at Ronald Reagan’s Inaugural Ball, it’s nothing less than a culinary (that’s like cooking and stuff to the Bear’s red neck friends) treasure. The house Italian sausage pizza, is another of those bar tappas.
For restaurant revelers there was a fixed price entrée choice of Prime Petite Filet Mignon & Gulf Prawn with potato nest, wild mushrooms, vegetables, béarnaise sauce & port demi sauce or Lobster Thermidor in Shell, truffles, sherry & english mustard-tarragon sauce served in a
parmesan crust. Both come with the proper accompaniments – a crab bisque, a Winter Salad (pears pinenuts, hearts of palm, watercress, pomegranate vinaigrette), and the finish, a warm chocolate cake (as you can imagine, that one ain’t just from a Duncan Hines mix either), plus a Baked Alaska – space prohibits all the detail here. Prices? The bar tapas are six bucks between opening at 5 PM and 7 PM every day. That fixed price was $60, and entrees are from $20 to $40, on a largely al a carte menu. Not cheap, but what you’ll spend at the better restaurants, even the chain steakhouse and seafood places. Wines by the glass are seven bucks, plus or minus, and up. Make yourself at home, David Connelly is on the piano starting at seven.
Last time through Las Vegas, the Bear bet a five-game football parley to add a little spice to the season. To win anything he’d have to manage no less than a tie in five games, and by the first day of the year had garnered wins in his first two NFL games. The remaining three were bowls. First up, Murphy had Auburn minus three over Nebraska (the Bear doesn’t think the west coast offense is ever going to work out for the Big Red). That ended 17-14, an uninspiring tie. The way these things work, the ticket was still alive, but would pay for four picks, not five, 11-1, not 22-1. Ah well, still a few bucks and an excuse to go back to the bright lights in the desert.
Next up, the Rose Bowl, where Murphy needed Michigan, and was getting a point. So we warmed up the dip – a combination refried beans, queso, and salsa – and settled in. It 
didn’t take long for the Bear to get pretty worked up. Michigan looked flat – so what else is new? Neither team was truly dominant in the first half, and it ended even at 3-3, too. Except for one obvious problem - Murphy was sure it would be a half time adjustment – but he was already uneasy that there had been no reaction even in that first hald, however. Michigan’s quarterback was dropping deep, five, even seven steps, in slow-developing passing plays. When he did, the USC rush – they were blitzing every play – simply ran by the Michigan blockers for five sacks.
Consider this second quarter sequence, on Michigan’s fourth possession: One yard run. Sack. Pass, short drop, quick rhythm, complete, twenty-one yards, first down. Sack. Two yard run. Sack. Punt.
Screens? Too deep, to slow. And where are the misdirection, counter, cut-back running plays. Zone blocking has only two plays, say the talking heads? The Bear knows that’s bull manure – the Denver Broncos zone block. There was one comment in the second quarter from the booth – never repeated. “They need to run short-drop rhythm passing plays.
At the start of the second half, USC gains nine, then is stuffed two plays and punts. So far so, good. Michigan, four yard run. Ten yard run, first down. Now they’ve got it going! 
Two yard run. Next play, deep drop, right into the Southern Cal pass rush, just as before. Interception. Game over. Michigan actually pays this coach over a million dollars a year? Geez, what a scam that is. Hey, Murphy is available! He’ll be much cheaper, and win or loose, he’ll not meet the definition of insanity like those bozos on New Year’s Day, “Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.”
Obviously, the next trip that Murphy’s gonna take will be to Florida, not Las Vegas. See y’all at Chicanes!
Murphy’s Simple Football Dip
1 Sixteen oz. can Refried Beans
1 Eight oz. jar queso dip
4 oz Salsa
Spread refried beans in pie tin. Layer with queso, leaving a half inch of beans at the edge. Bake in oven pre-heated to 350° for twenty minutes or until headed through. Top with your favorite salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.