Handshake 2.0 had a wonderful time sampling new media and delicious fare at the Grand Opening of Bull & Bones Brewhaus and Grill in Blacksburg, Virginia on New Year's Eve, 2008.

Following the example of real estate agent Tommy Clapp who used Twitter to send Dinner and a Handshake to Handshake 2.0, we sampled new media by using a cell phone and TwitPic to send up-to-the-moment text and image coverage of the Bull & Bones event via microblogging tool Twitter.

You can scroll through Handshake 2.0's tweets on Twitter to see our succession of messages, or click on the links in this post to view the series through TwitPic.

My big dream?  A photo with Bull & Bones co-owner and operator, Mark Shrader.

We started our big night as Mr. and Mrs. Handshake 2.0.

First we met Mark Shrader's father, Dave, and step-mother, Pat.  Then we met Mark's wife, Jessica, and her mother, Linda.  Our Bull & Bones, waiter, David, was a congenial host.  My former Blacksburg High School classmate David Ribbe had the same idea about not missing the grand opening of Bull & Bones.

And then I got my big dream - my picture taken with the star of the night, Mark Shrader, owner and operator of Bull & Bones!

Our review of Handshake 2.0's sample of new media is that a cell phone will do in a pinch, but to offer readers quick, high quality texting and fine images (being able to recognize the people would be good, for example) requires an iPhone or the equivalent. 

Our review of our sampling from the Bull & Bones menu has the same beginning and end:  More!

I loved pretzel bread dipped in mustard, savory smoked wings in barbecue sauce, sea salt-encrusted baked potato, light, flavorful cole slaw, and wood-grilled sirloin.  I ate only half my meal so I could enjoy sweet pecan, chocolate chip, Kentucky Pie.

We opted for the Bull & Bones microbrewery sampler which includes a placemat labeled with each of their brews and an explanation of the brewing process.  Each was stand-alone good.

Here's the whole menu.  And here's more on Bull & Bones from Tonia Moxley, Roanoke.com, New microbrewery opens in time for '09.

At the time of this posting, Bull & Bones starts serving in 20 minutes.  I wonder if Mr. Handshake 2.0 would like to go out for lunch?...

Congratulations to Bull & Bones for the grandest of openings!