Rain Doesn't Dampen 'Hit the Decks'

Jack Blalock could only smile when asked how he feels about Friday's rainy weather that prevented his outdoor deck at Old Ferry Landing from being full of patrons on the second annual "Hit the Decks" day.

Blalock said nobody can ever predict what the New England weather will bring, which is why he is grateful for the recent heatwave that hit Portsmouth in April that allowed him to open his outdoor deck earlier than usual to accomodate the many customers who wanted to enjoy the views of the tugboats and Portsmouth Harbor.

"We opened three weeks ago just in time for that glorious stretch," Blalock said. He was optimistic Old Ferry Landing's "Hit the Decks" day specials that include $4 Smuttynose draft beers, $6 for the signature Ferry Margaritas and $3 off all fried shrimp items would be enough to draw plenty of Friday evening patrons.

Peter Labrie, general manager of River House restaurant on Bow Street, also laughed when asked how "Hit the Decks" day was going for his outdoor decks. The restaurant had its share of patrons dining inside during the Friday lunch hour and he was hopeful they would see more by Friday evening.

"Most of the local Portsmouth guys are pretty hardy. They'll come out," said Labrie, whose restaurant was offering some great discounts on fish tacos and drinks.

Even if Friday's weather was less than ideal, Labrie said events like "Hit the Decks" day are still good for his business and the more than 60 restaurants and retailers who participated this year.

"Any type of marketing we do this time of year to try and get new customers to come out and try the decks" is good, Labrie said.

April's heatwave seemed like a distant memory on Friday when downtown restaurants held their annual "Hit the Decks" celebration to welcome the upcoming summer season.

Rain and cool, damp weather that kept temperatures in the high 40's and low 50's didn't dampen the spirits of some restaurants owners on Bow Street or their customers who still took advantage of some great deals and discounts.

John Akar, co-owner of CAVA on Commercial Alley, echoed those sentiments. Akar said Friday afternoon he conceived of "Hit the Decks" day in conjunction with the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce a year ago.

"It's more or less about the city acknowledging that the summer season is back," Akar said.

He said many restaurants that do not even have decks or outdoor dining are all offering great deals and discounts on drinks and food for the entire day on Friday regardless of what the weather is doing outside.

Like many of his fellow Portsmouth restaurateurs, Akar expected to do some good business at CAVA on Friday as well as this weekend. He said CAVA is offering $6 Sangria wine this weekend that normally sells for $10 per glass.