Another close-to-home pick took us to Old Factory Brewing Company in Cairo for the first time as a group. At the same, the choice also allowed for a shorter time away from Kallie. (footnote later)

 Old Factory has an interesting history, once serving as a bottling plant. Some remember when American Thermostat held shop there. A walk through the door reveals a bar area leading to the cavernous area that we can visualize being used for production purposes.

 The menu is classic beer pub.

• Appetizers included: chips and salsa, butterfly shrimp, Bavarian pretzel, vegetable spring roll, fried pickle chips, sweet potato fries, a couple salads, onion rings, cauliflower wings fries, two or three wings variations, chicken tenders, nachos, nacho fries, coleslaw, and sauerkraut.
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• The macaroni and cheese menu held five variations.
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• The sandwiches ranged from Cuban, grilled cheese, BLT, pulled pork, fish and chips, buffalo chicken wrap, four more types of chicken preps, chicken cordon bleu, classic Reuben.
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• The main section – burgers – occupied almost ten variations.

 Although there is wine, fifteen draft beers is the obvious attraction. And beer filled   most of the DP8 order, with a couple of sodas sneaking in. The beer-drinkers rate OF beers as OK and it satisfied most of us this evening, perhaps not paying much attention as we chatted and caught up on news.

 This writer, along with a couple others, felt prices for food nudged over the average line into the next level.

            However, Wednesday night was hamburger night – a quarter pounder with some fixins and a side for two dimes over $6. It was too good a deal and most of us chose that. Someone had a mac-n-cheese, someone a possible chicken.

            No desserts.

 Ambiance is rather industrial, with some possibly fluffing it up to chic industrial. It can be loud. It is bright with bare bulbs stretching every six feet on a high flat ceiling. Functional tables and chairs fill the room. The east glass wall reveals the beer production tanks.

 Service is… well, there ain’t none. You belly up to the bar to order your drink. You belly up again to order your food, accept the buzzer, head to the back counter to retrieve one’s order. (What should a tip be?) Yet, the bar crew is friendly and congenial and have become a mainstay of the community. And the order took a long time. Fortunately, DP8 is seldom at a loss how to fill time.

 Price, per couple. If each person had the Wednesday hamburger special, shared a beer, paid a tip commensurate with the service, the final bill for all could have come in at  a mind-boggling $23. On the other hand, a regular sandwich for each, a beer each, perhaps an appetizer, with a generous tip might reach $65.

 Topics for the evening:

            Bad news. Deb K’s horse-riding accident dominated the news. At DP8 time, she had stayed at Albany Med for three nights. We caught up with recent developments, knowing there was a long ways to go, and I will let it go at that. Deb, we all hope recovery is speedy and we all wince at first hearing the news.

            With the absence of the Karneses, Lynda and Ross complemented the group. We caught up with their news, with Ross becoming a competent walker and cane wielder, and Lynda looking out for both.  

The other chunk of news was Ken’s progress in his treatments, looking stronger than he has in a couple of months.

Other topics: Halloween is approaching; most of our gardens have been put to bed; cycling season is done except for the hoped-for bonus days; the Notars have returned from one trip and heading out soon for another, and then another (advice: travel while younger, when we can); traveling for doctors’ visits; how quickly life can change; catch-up on our children; a mediocre foliage season; fellow OF diners we recognized and had to talk to; Christmas plans; short window of opportunity for November DP8 dates; the whereabouts of the Adamses; Halloween; and more pieces of life not captured.