Out and About: Father's Day is cause for fun fare

Once upon a long time ago I worked with Eric Bamberg, who was lead guitarist for a band called "Gymo." I learned more about music and bands and guitars than I ever thought to ask.

I listened to tales of things exploding, dealings with unscrupulous attorneys or obnoxious record companies and people being moshed or mashed or whatever for a couple years. While the stories were entertaining I never had much desire to actually go to one of those events.

The band, which at one time was headed for stardom, in my estimation, has broken up, but the Ridgeport Pub, where Gymo frequently used to play to a packed house, is still thriving in the Bed, Bath and Beyond Plaza on Airport Road. I know because that's where George's daughter took us for Father's Day lunch.

Allie is already a long, tall, drink of water and I'm pretty sure she has no idea just how striking she really is. We were impressed that the sixteen-year-old had figured a way to buy us lunch. A sports bar fit the bill.

Having never been to the Ridgeport Pub, I was a little skeptical walking through such dark doors — we weren't sure the place was even open, but George assured me the food was good and the quantities generous enough to make up for any lack of ambience.

A quick look about indicated he was probably correct since it's eclectic group of diners included a well-dressed older couple, a family with a bit of an accent on holiday from somewhere probably far away and a mom with two kids getting take-out, as well as the day's very colorful band members and assorted hangers-on.

Actually, once we were seated there was something kind of comfortable about being there, even if it is impossible to follow happenings on five televisions at once. Fortunately, we had plenty to talk about as we studied the menu and settled on a couple of appetizers to start. We couldn't wait for the chicken wings, so Allie ordered onion straws ($6.99). I suggested we try something different, so we settled on the pork dumplings ($6.99).

The onion straws, with a mustard dip, were good and greasy-crunchy, but the dumplings dipped in a brown sauce seasoned with Asian spices were just plain excellent.

Allie's goal is to try fettucine Alfredo ($12.99) in as many restaurants as possible, so after asking dad what exactly was blackened chicken, that's what she had with her fettucine. It must've been pretty good, because she was making headway with it before the waitress finished putting our plates in front of us.

George had a pork tenderloin sandwich ($9.99) that came with enough breaded tenderloin for a hefty sandwich plus a whole other meal. It had coleslaw and a big pickle on the side. Any sandwich that requires him to use two hands is substantial, but George made short work of it, after re-arranging the onion slice, tomato and lettuce just so.

My half Cobb salad ($7.99) was a nice surprise. It had everything on it — ham, turkey, boiled egg, grated cheese, black olives, onion, green pepper, crumbled bacon and some other things I can't remember.

It was just perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon and nobody blinked twice when I ordered both French and Thousand Island dressing to top it off.

The Ridgeport Pub's restaurant side is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and features various performers until 2 a.m. in its smoking lounge beginning at 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday.