Food and Fort Worth, Texas

Raising Cane's on University, Fort Worth

2012-01-01T14:46:00.001-06:00

I tried the new Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers on University yesterday. Cane's is a franchise out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana with about 100 restaurants and it sells one main dish: strips of battered-and-fried chicken breasts called fingers.

Plus:
The chicken fingers are excellent. They're cooked perfectly, served hot and juicy. Loved them. Also, on the plus side, Cain's is comfortable and clean, has a modern interior and a friendly staff.

Neutral:
$6.50 for 3 strips of chicken, about 4 ounces I'll guess, plus fries, toast and a drink is a little pricey on my balance scale of value and cost, because . . .

Minus:
The fries are wimpy and the Texas toast, while thick, is light and a pretty tasteless piece of toasted bread.

Raising Canes is not in the McDonald's/Taco Bell dollar menu category, they are more the In-N-Out, Chipotle category which is a little more expensive for a little better quality.

But that's a distinction I am not liable to make on the side of Raising Cane's when I'm looking for chicken, even though compared to that slab of white shoe-leather they serve at Chik Fil A, it's heaven.

If they could give me a crispy french fry and a heartier piece of bread and maybe another piece of chicken at $6.50, I'm happy. But I'm not looking at their numbers so that may be asking for too much.

I liked it, the chicken is delicious. I might go back, but not often.

The O Antiphons of Advent

2011-12-23T13:33:00.002-06:00

Today is the final day of the O Antiphons.

"In the Roman Catholic tradition in which they originated, the O Antiphons are sung or recited at Vespers from December 17 to December 23 inclusive.In the Church of England they have traditionally been used as antiphons to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer during this period, and although not printed in the Book of Common Prayer, have long been part of secondary Anglican liturgical sources, such as the English Hymnal. More recently they have found a place in primary liturgical documents throughout the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy." Wikipedia

The hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel (in Latin, Veni Emmanuel) is a lyrical paraphrase of these antiphons.

Tom Waits

2011-12-12T16:52:00.001-06:00

Haven't posted much, lately. It's been a rough couple of months. Heard this old Tom Waits tune today, Waltzing Matilda.

Taco Heads. Damn. Fine. Tacos.

2011-09-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

My guess is that I'm the last Fort Worth blogger to write about Taco Heads -- but I don't get out much these days. I'm not going to say anything that hasn't been said, so I'll keep this short.

Taco Heads makes a damn, fine, breakfast taco. That's their tagline and it fits.

Jake, Russ and I met at Taco Heads this morning for our more-or-less-every-Monday-morning Geezers meeting. I understand from the others that Taco Heads' regular dinner tacos are just as good.

But I have only partaken of the breakfast taco: eggs, chorizo, peppers and cheese on two fresh corn tortillas -- and it was molto bene.'

The coffee was excellent as well. I'll be going back. They're in Fort Worth, off 7th near Montgomery Ward Plaza. Here's their Facebook page, if you are one of the very few people who haven't searched them out already: http://www.facebook.com/Tacoheads

Peggy Noonan on 9/11, Ten Years After.

2011-09-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal, from the Associated Press

There are many thoughtful editorials on the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Peggy Noonan, as expected, writes about that day as well as anyone. The paragraph below is pulled from her piece, a link to it follows . .

"And there were the firemen. They were the heart of it all, the guys who went up the stairs with 50 to 75 pounds of gear and tools on their back. The other people who were there in the towers, they were innocent victims, they went to work that morning and wound up in the middle of a disaster. But the firemen saw the disaster before they went into it, they knew what they were getting into, they made a decision. And a lot of them were scared, you can see it on their faces on the pictures people took in the stairwells. The firemen would be going up one side of the stairs, and the fleeing workers would be going down on the other, right next to them, and they'd call out, "Good luck, son," and, "Thank you, boys.

They were tough men from Queens and Brooklyn and Staten Island, and they had families, wives and kids, and they went up those stairs. Captain Terry Hatton of Rescue 1 got as high as the 83rd floor. That's the last time he was seen.

Three hundred forty-three firemen gave their lives that day. Three hundred forty-three! It was impossible, like everything else.

Many heartbreaking things happened after 9/11 and maybe the worst is that there's no heroic statue to them, no big marking of what they were and what they gave, at the new World Trade Center memorial.

But New York will never get over what they did. They live in a lot of hearts. They tell us to get over it, they say to move on, and they mean it well: We can't bring an air of tragedy into the future. But I will never get over it . . ."

Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2011

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Dave Matthews, Gravedigger.

2011-08-31T21:24:00.001-05:00

A disturbingly dark song, but one of Dave Matthew's best, at least lyrically. I've been thinking about rain a lot lately and my son had this playing in the car today, so . . .

Written by Matthews, covered by Willie Nelson, and this performance, Farm Aid 2003.

Cool, Clear Water.

2011-08-29T14:49:00.002-05:00

Knee pain and the Sky Mall Catalog

2011-08-22T22:29:00.002-05:00

At some point, on my average coach-fare flight, after I have slept through every piece of reading material that I have, I will be desperate for something to distract me from my throbbing knee caps.

And, eventually, as happened on Sunday's flight, I'll reach for that rag of last resort: the Sky Mall Catalog.

And I will wonder, Who buys this stuff? To wit:

The inflatable Pillow Tie?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rollerblades? bicycle? skateboard? Hell no --

I want the Orbit Wheels for my Trinity River Park workouts.
Here I am wondering, "I wonder if these things have brakes?"

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Pink flamingos are too old fashioned for my yard.

The Yenti Big Foot Yard Ornament is more my style.

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But what I really need is more hair. See the little red light at the top?

That means the i-Restore Hair Laser is restoring hair to my balding head.
Don't I look happy? I wonder what book I am reading?
"How to Recover from Cancer Caused by Infrared Light" maybe?

So there you have it. My Christmas wish-list straight from the American Airlines Sky Mall catalog. Front pocket of Seat 22D.

Ronald Reagan Tells a Story (or, why I loved the Gipper)

2011-08-16T12:32:00.004-05:00

Since it's the start of the long presidential horse race, here's a short story from the President I admired the most. He was able to make fun of political differences of opinion and he knew the limits of tasteful humor, guided by charity and manners.

It's short. Listen closely.

In-N-Out Burger. The Maiden Voyage.

2011-08-13T23:28:00.032-05:00

Like you, I have heard the reports. Like you, I have seen the crowds, and yes, I have watched the videos of mile-long lines. I scoffed and I mocked . . .

But I had never been . . . to the In-N-Out Burger.

Marian enjoying our exciting date to In-N-Out Fort Worth.

Until tonight when Marian and I made our maiden voyage to Fort Worth's, 7th Street In-N-Out Burger.

Our Verdict: an excellent burger and fries.

Is it over-hyped? Is the hamburger/fries combination really better than the average fast food restaurant? Well, yea, it kind of is.

I don't mean it's a gourmet hamburger like M&O just down the street. But for the money, what you get at In-N-Out is a pretty good deal: fresh never frozen hamburger patties, an excellent freshly-made bun, fresh, crisp iceburg lettuce, a real tomato slice, and real potato french fries cooked perfectly, all for about six bucks if you get the double. If you get the single the cost is about five dollars. Not bad because the food is good. As my son says, it's a perfect combination of ingredients where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

I like the simplicity of the In-N-Out operation. They sell hamburgers, fries, and shakes. If you want a latte or chai tea go somewhere else. In-N-Out has made good on simplicity and freshness. Years ago, while McDonald's (a company I admire, by the way) was freezing and franchising it's way across the country, In-N-Out was plodding along with a couple stores in California and a rock solid commitment to freshness. It caught on in California and built a loyal, read, very loyal, even annoyingly loyal following.

Now 60 years later, expansion has finally reached past Arizona into Texas and by the looks of things their reputation has spread with the expansion. On the second day of opening in Fort Worth the drive-thru line was 25 cars long at 6:30 PM when we visited and the walk-in line was 50 people. But from the time we got in line to the time we got our food we waited just under twenty-five minutes. Not bad.

So to Travis and Stephen, thanks for the advice, we're now a part of the In-N-Out family. And I'll be going back.

Addendum or Part Deux.

I just returned from my second visit with a better idea how to order. I ordered a double/double with grilled onions and green chilis, extra cooked french fries. Wow. My companion had the french fries "animal," which is fries with their secret sauce, cheese, and grilled onions. Fantastic. 3 of us: $18.

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Francis Albert Sinatra - Summer Wind

2011-08-10T20:39:00.002-05:00

The vegan bacon clip.

2011-08-10T10:33:00.009-05:00

Okay, before everyone criticizes me for the childish, insensitive, and low form of humor in the video below, I just want to say that my son and his friends have been encouraging me to watch the television show, Parks and Recreation, which I have refused to do because I don't want to encourage that sort of thing.

Neverthless, I am posting the video in the hopes that he will see that I have made some concession to his interests.

I do not condone or endorse this kind of behavior.

Then again, I do like bacon.

The Ice Cream Issue, Summer, 2011

2011-08-07T19:02:00.016-05:00

Ice cream and Jersey cow from Woodside Farm Creamery in Delaware

I say it every year, I'll say it again: I love ice cream, especially in the summer -- and if I could have a bowl of peach ice cream every night (or vanilla bean, or rocky road, or bing cherry, or butter almond) without gaining weight I would, but I can't so I don't.

This ice cream issue, I bring to your attention the Food and Wine Magazine article (via Yahoo) titled: "America's Best Ice Cream Cities." In the article Food and Wine highlights privately-owned ice cream parlors, creameries, and dairies around the country that make good ice cream.

If you travel and you like ice cream, America's Best Ice Cream is worth a look: Best Ice Cream. I was happy to see my home state get a mention, Hockessin, Delaware's, Woodside Farm Creamery. Just a few of the other cities mentioned: Scottsdale (Stephen), Denver (RJG), Minneapolis (Jake&Becca), New Orleans, and many more.

In Fort Worth, I still like Blue Bell and Braum's.

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I wish it would rain . . .

2011-08-03T08:39:00.008-05:00

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No one quite like David Ruffin and the Tempations by the way. At least for those of us who grew up in the Philly area in the '60's.

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It's Hot. Fans and Physics.

2011-07-31T11:30:00.008-05:00

The air-conditioning was out at St. Mary's this morning. It was as hot as the place we attendees are trying to avoid. Thankfully, Mass was kept short out of deference to the elderly. Me.

Some of the ladies brought out hand fans and others made fans from the hand-out sheet of hymns and Scripture readings.

I thought of four-foot-two-but-tough-as-nails Sister Noreen, my first grade teacher from St Mary Magdalen, who said on one of those hot school days of May, "children, if you fan yourself the effort of fanning only makes you hotter."

So I never fan myself out of obedience to Sister N., now, some 50 years later.

But I was wondering during the lulls this morning when I should have been paying attention. Was she right? Does one get cooler hand-fanning? Or does the exertion of fanning increase the body temperature more than the cooling effect?

I don't know.

Anyone?

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Mistakes God Made

2011-07-25T22:41:00.008-05:00

Let's face it. Mankind, and the earth he inhabits, needs some upgrades, and, technology being what it is today, I thought I could help the Great Technetes in the design flaws. These suggestions should not be taken as criticism, I mean, seven days is not much time to get the cosmos up and running and oversights were inevitable. That being said, here are a few corrections that could be considered after this beta-test is over . . .

1. Earlids. Eyelids give the eyes a rest. My ears need a rest once in a while, too. What would be so hard about adding an insulated in-set roll-up door on the ears. When things get too noisy or annoying, "boom," just like closing your eyes the world is shut out.

2. Mosquitos. I don't care what anyone says, they have no redeeming value. Big mistake.

3. Free will. Free will should be granted in a probationary-type way. The more considerate you are the more freedom you have. The will should be put in a state of dormancy from ages 13 - 21. Persons who drive forty miles per hour in the passing lane should have there free will withdrawn as punishment until they learn how to drive.

4. Female protruding breasts. Okay, getting a little personal here, but if they didn't protrude I wouldn't be tempted to look at them. Just sayin' . . .

5. Natural disasters could have natural warning systems.

6. Old men should not be able to dress themselves. Dress black socks, bright white legs, and Bermuda shorts are a offense to all that is Good.

7. Talking needs a time limit. A voice activated timer could be set for say ten minutes. Anyone that talks longer than that without interruption could have their vocal cords disengage. Teacher's would have to pause and let someone ask a question, preachers would have limits on their sermonizing.

8. The male specie needs an embarrassment meter hard wired into the brain. If you are drinking too much and acting stupid the embarrassment meter would shut down all activity. This would especially helpful to politicians, sports celebrities, and other numb-nuts who take pictures of themselves and send them as text messages.

9. Speaking of which, the whole male-female thing needs to be reconsidered. Adam was lonely, You added a partner and look what happened. Not Your best decision. Maybe You could add a third sex to act as the arbitrator of disputes and interpreter of each others actions. Think about it.

10. Last but not least, everyone wants to live on the beach or in the mountains and most of us have to settle for the flatlands. Add more beach and more mountains next time.

Most respectfully submitted,

Me.

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Technomics Top 50 Fastest Growing Restaurants.

2011-07-08T09:43:00.008-05:00

Preface: I saw the link for the Technomics list on Bud Kennedy's (Fort Worth Star Telegram journalist) Facebook post. He saw the list on Monkey Dish and they pulled it from research by Technomics. I have those links at the bottom of the post.

Also, after reading the list I should say: I need to get out more often. Of the 50 fastest growing restaurants which have annual sales of 25 - 50 million dollars, I have been to a whopping 9.

The restaurants I have visited from the 50 Fastest Growing Restaurants: (and my one word opinion following) are:

Chop House . . . . Great
El Fenix . . . . Bad
Fuzzy's Tacos . . . . Okay
Menchies Frozen Yogurt . . . . Good
Capriatti's . . . . Okay
Zoe's Kitchen . . . Good
221B Baker Street Pub & Grill . . . . Okay
Rosa's Cafe . . . . Okay
American Deli . . . . Okay

Also in the DFW area but places I have not been:

Twin Peaks. . . . Like I say I definitely need to get out more often
Tommy Bahama.

The question is: How many have you tried? And, are ther any that you particulaly like or dislike?

See link for list: MonkeyDish

Bud Kennedy

"An Evening with Mozart" with Thomas Shivone

2011-07-06T21:41:00.003-05:00

My youngest son is doing a benefit performance for a little educational, non-profit called the Walsingham Society, an organization to which my family and I are closely associated. He, the beautiful soprano, Megan Hamm, and accompanist Sonia Shin, will be doing duets and arias from "Mozart's Greatest Hits."

The performance is in Dallas, just north of downtown (west of Lemmon and north of Wycliff), at Church of the Holy Cross. Map and location here.

You are invited.

Friday, July 15, 7:00 - 8:30 PM.
Wine and hors d'ouevre following.
Admission is free.
There will be a donation urn prominently displayed somewhere for people who want to donate a nickel or two.

If you do come and we haven't met, please find me and say hello. That'll be the big, ugly guy nervously pacing at the back of the church. Not the urn.

Following are the details as described in the press release from Lovell-Fairchild Communications.

Thank you.

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"An Evening with Mozart"

Friday, July 15, at 7 p.m., award-winning opera singer Thomas Shivone, trained at Philadelphia’s famed Curtis Institute of Music, will perform from “Mozart’s Greatest Hits,” at Church of the Holy Cross. The evening is sponsored by The Walsingham Society.

Mr. Shivone, a 21-year-old native of Fort Worth, known for his rich and colored baritone, was the youngest vocalist to enter Philadelphia's Curtis Institute. He has performed more than twenty operas at Curtis and has sung professionally with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, with the Master Chorale of South Florida, and in locations around the world.

“Opera was the first popular music, the sitcoms of their time,” Shivone says, “and it’s coming back strongly.” And while seeing the Metropolitan opera on high-density theater screens is wonderful, Shivone said, nothing compares to the experience of hearing a well-trained voice—the music and the words—in person.

Shivone studies in New York City with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, whose students are at major international opera houses, including New York's Metropolitan Opera. His coaches include Danielle Orlando, who for years worked with tenor Luciano Pavarotti as accompanist, judge, and artistic coordinator the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competitions. In 2006, Thomas won the National Public Radio’s “From the Top” competition and the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke award. He has performed Verdi’s “La Traviata” and Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” with the Opera Company of Philadelphia.

The Walsingham Society was formed by a league of graduates and friends of The College of St. Thomas More eager to extend the classical idea of education and culture. Copies of lectures also appear on the Walsingham web page: www.WalsinghamSociety.com

Future lectures include founding Walsingham Society member Mary Moorman Armstrong—an expert in the relationship between religion and law in modern culture, and a consultant on the documentary film As We Forgive, Rwanda (2008). A cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, Mary also holds a Masters of Art in Religion from Yale University. She currently is a doctoral candidate and lecturer in systematic theology at Southern Methodist University.

For more information, call Brinton Smith at 817-925-5658 or visit the Walsingham website.

As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame

2011-07-03T13:49:00.006-05:00

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves -- goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying What I do is me: for that I came.

I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is --
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

More hamburger news: Consumer Reports says In N Out better than . . .

2011-07-02T17:51:00.012-05:00

I don't want to take anything away from the June 30, 2011 Consumer Reports report that In-N-Out is better than a McDonald's -- but it does solicit a kind of, "okay so what else is new" response.

In case that's not enough to rock your world: Chipotle, according to Consumer Reports readers, is better than Taco Bell. Sherlock Holmes step aside.

Here are snippets from Consumer Reports:

"With high marks for food, service, value and speed, In-N-Out Burger topped the burger chart in Consumer Reports' first-ever major ratings of fast food restaurants. McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's all ranked lower."

"Consumer Reports readers made over 98,000 visits to 53 fast food chains, and found that Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s and Taco Bell offered uninspiring food and so-so service. While In-N-Out Burger was the top-ranked burger chain, other restaurants also did well in their categories."

"Chick-fil-A topped KFC and all other chicken chains, with high scores for food, value, speed, and the politeness of its staff."

"Chipotle Mexican Grill beat out 8 other Mexican food chains, including Taco Bell."

Here are the Consumer Reports' top fast food restaurants for overall value, my comments in parentheses:

In-N-Out Burger .... (have never been, can't wait to try 7th Street's)
Chipotle Mexican Grill ....(food always lukewarm when served . . . which I do not like)
Chick-fil-A .... (too many smiling white people. .. makes me nervous.)
Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza .... (have never been but wouldn't go anywhere named Take N Bake)

For fast food restaurant enthusiasts, of which I am one (if I might be serious for a moment), the report is pretty interesting: Consumer Reports.

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Movie Tavern at West 7th

2011-06-26T13:46:00.025-05:00

I made my first Movie Tavern on West 7th visitation yesterday.

X-Men.

I probably would not have gone except that I was accompanying two of my sons, one of whom is home for the summer, and the other leaving soon to work in Azirona. And I like comic book themed movies.

The following are the pluses and minuses of the afternoon.

Movie Tavern, plus:
1. Great seats with mini-tables for your food.
2. Great service. Lots of wait staff, quick and unassuming service. Our waiter was more uncaring than unassuming, but more on that later.
3. Great location.
4. Good matinee price and serve-yourself, no line tickets. I like that.
5. Reasonable food prices compared to other movie theaters.

Movie Tavern, minus
1. Small screen. After the Rave theater's huge screen, it's not so much disappointing, as underwhelming for this kind of movie.
2. The food. I can't speak to all the food but the chips and queso are god-awful. I'm not sure if the yellow liquid they serve should be called queso. It's really bad. I have heard reports that the other menu items are bad as well.

X-Men, plus.
1. The Wolverine cameo where he tells Magneto and Dr X, "to go xxxx yourselves," when an attempt was made to recruit him into mutant service. That was his only line, the only memorable line of the movie, and the only scene worth seeing.

X-Men, minus.
1. Who cares about the antics of spare teenage mutants? I sure don't. A girl with mini-wings who can fly and shoot fire spitballs? Most of the movie was spent developing the characters of mutants no one cares about. And the dialogue? "Mutant and proud?" Magneto getting all tongue-tied and teary-eyed after moving a metal satellite tower?

2. This is the worst comic book movie since Daredevil, my favorite comic book hero, by the way. There was not one funny line in the whole movie except for Wolverine's, and there was no drama until the last fifteen minutes. The first hour and a half is spent watching weirdo teenage ninja mutants and b-roll of Kennedy-era, Spy vs. Spy war games with Soviet characters that were approaching campy. At one point I though I was watching a satire of Austin Powers satirizing James Bond. Seriously. It was that bad.

X-Men, plus.
I was with two of my sons at a movie theater laughing, making fun of each other, and cutting-up, which included my promise to order the queso and chips by saying kwee-so and cheeps in stead kay-so and chips. I did and the waiter didn't blink, smirk, or even look disdainfully at me; something we all found very amusing, until son-one said that he, the bored waiter, was going to spit in my drink, which worried me until I discovered that the food deliverers are different than the food-order takers.

The word, "winnnninnng" was used several times in the course of the afternoon, with some good laugh effect. We did make it through the day without any bathroom humor (John), but over-large breast humor was invoked at the appropriate moments. All of this said to prove my sister's dictum that most males never get past age fifteen in the maturation process.

Meg, we proved you right once again. I had a great afternoon.

Movie Tavern at West 7th

Agree or disagree on X-Men or the Movie Tavern?

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A few thoughts from Target. And hangers, the plastic white ones.

2011-06-19T17:23:00.007-05:00

We had just finished an enjoyable meal at Pei Wei on Montgomery and Marian said, "I wouldn't mind stopping by Target," to which I replied as I normally do, "no problem."

It was 175 inside the car so instead of waiting and reading, again like I normally do, I attended.

After a few minutes in-Target-aisle she noticed my life forces draining and decided to part ways leaving me in the only aisle I understand at Target, the cereal aisle. Side note: Five minutes walking Target aisles and I am hating my life, ten minutes and the life force is gone, and after fifteen minutes you need one of those two-handed emergency-room shockers to revive me.

I returned to the homing point of mega-marts, the check out lines, at about the nine minute yellow warning stage with a couple boxes of cereal and noticed Marian carrying two bunches of white hangers, a dozen per bunch.

Like much of what I say, none of this is necessarily that interesting, but, not one month before she had bought two big boxes of those same white hangers, about 100 of them.

"More hangers?" I politely inquired. "Yes, I have a few things to hang up," said she, and I wisely left it there.

You see, I have never bought a hanger in my life.

Ever.

I have some good ones from a suit or sports jacket I purchased, and some workhorses like the kind the cleaners give you. Why do I need more? I'm certainly not going to pay for matching hangers. I like the non-matching free ones.

Then again, I prefer hooks to hang my clothes on. Door nobs work well, too, as do chair backs, and doors that are open . . .

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Where am I?

2011-06-15T15:39:00.001-05:00

I stole this from Gwin Grogan Grimes of Artisan Baking Company. I should have known the answer but I didn't.

Mavs Win!

2011-06-12T22:42:00.003-05:00


An AP photo from the Fort Worth Star Telegram website.

I couldn't be happier for Dirk, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, the team, owner, and coaches -- and the guy in the Cowboy hat that started the franchise, Don Carter. Great playoffs.

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Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday

2011-06-12T13:25:00.002-05:00

Pentecost (Ancient Greek: Pentēkostē, "the Fiftieth [day]") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection. The feast is also called Whit Sunday, Whitsun, or Whit especially in the United Kingdom, where the following Monday was traditionally a holiday. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. From Wikipedia. Here

Veni Creator Spiritus ("Come Creator Spirit") is a hymn normally sung in Gregorian Chant. It is believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century. The hymn is performed during the liturgical celebration of the feast of Pentecost. From Wikipedia. Here.

The Middle Seat. The final travel post.

2011-06-10T19:47:00.009-05:00

Life can be, at times, a middle seat. That place in the airplane that passengers of the aisle and window seats expect to be vacant.

Vacant. As in empty, as in nobody there.

The window seat gazes heavenward, the aisle seat grants the legroom of earth, but the middle is in between. The middle seat is purgatory.

It is the seating assignment that purges the occupant of a sense of worth, because it is there that one is squeezed between two large masses of ensouled carbon, aware that it is your seat the breathing carbon masses need and want. You are held responsible; a thief of window and aisle seat comfort, an elbow room bandit, and you must bear the shame.

No one talks to the middle seat occupant, no one wants you there, no one recognizes your right to be there.

Yes, I have just spent three hours in the middle seat.

I have been subdued.

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Beach Bikes

2011-06-08T17:22:00.006-05:00

I have been visiting the same beach resort all my life and I have seen many changes in the now almost sixty years.

A few things remain the same. Skeeball is still popular in the Boardwalk arcades, and predates even me; same with bumper cars, although they no longer have the whip-lashing ability they once did.

A good beach bike is not much different than the early days of Boardwalk cruising.

The odd thing about a beach bicycle is that, unlike the city street bike, the more honored bikes at the beach are old, rust-covered and well worn. They have been ridden and appreciatively ignored by generations of families for many years. A good beach bicycle looks like it belongs where it is, as does its rider. The beach is no place for a bike that positions the butt uncomfortably high and bends the back over curled handle-bars.

No, the beach bike is wide bottomed, and fat tired, and made for comfortable cruising. The rider sits upright, is relaxed, dons a goofy hat, and spends his time enjoying the view.

The beach bike rider is not concerned with time. He's not checking his pulse rate watch.

The beach bike may have some utilitarian purpose like holding a book or a newspaper, or a bag of beach fries, but it's usually stripped of everything not absolutely essential. The kick stand has rusted into the closed position, the fenders have long ago rusted off. Beach bikes don't need locks because nobody steals them, and besides it's against the spirit of an old bike to lock it. They don't mind being left out in the rain and being dusted with a little sand. They'll like a little oil on the chain, and a little air in the tires, but besides that they're maintenance free.

Most things change no matter where you are, fortunately, some things don't.

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Stewart's Root Beer Drive-In, Vineland NJ.

2011-06-07T07:59:00.007-05:00

I have been in Philadelphia for the last few days, and yesterday, needed to visit my brother in Vineland, New Jersey.

Every once in a while the food gods smile upon us when we are visiting foreign lands and looking for a place to eat. Such was the case with Stewarts Root Beer Drive-In. Since root beer is my soda-fountain beverage of choice and Stewart's is a good one, I tried it.

The lunch special was a Polish sausage sandwich served on a bun with provolone cheese and fried peppers and onions. It sounded perfect. I added french fries on the side and a big glass mug of root beer. Service was car window on a tray style. It was perfect.

The sandwich was piping hot, the fries crisp and the root beer ice cold. I had died and gone to heaven.

Stewart's, please expand into Fort Worth. I hear there's a great spot right next to the In N Out Burger.

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Dr. James Patrick lecture in Dallas. Thursday, June 2.

2011-05-31T18:05:00.004-05:00

A Liberal Arts Education in the Oxford Tradition.

presented by:
The Walsingham Society
http://WalsinghamSociety.com

For lovers of great ideas and great conversations -- and rare opportunities in learning and the arts --the Walsingham Society, a new center of culture and critical thinking, announces its inaugural Thursday night Salon, June 2, 2011, 7:30 pm, at the Church of the Holy Cross, Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Patrick, founder and former president of Fort Worth’s College of St. Thomas More and author of the “Magdalen Metaphysicals” will speak on “The Idea of a University: Education in the Oxford Tradition.”

Thomas Shivone, age 21, who entered Philadelphia’s famed Curtis Institute of Music as its youngest vocal student, will perform selections from “The Marriage of Figaro.” A wine reception follows. Mr. Shivone will also headline a Walsingham Society Concert on July 15, open to the public.

Future lectures will include founding member of the Walsingham Society, Mary Moorman Armstrong. Mary is an expert in the interaction between religious legal systems and medieval and contemporary Christian theology. A cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, Mary also holds a Masters of Art in Religion from Yale University and is a doctoral candidate and lecturer in systematic theology at Southern Methodist University. Her topic will be: Leisure the Basis of Culture: Judeo-Christian Concepts.

The Walsingham Society begins its first summer lecture series with a lecture by Dr. Patrick at Dallas’s Church of the Holy Cross, located at Herschel and Douglas on June 2. Lectures are Thursdays at 7 p.m.

For more information call Brinton Smith at 817-925-5658 or visit the website: http://walsinghamsociety.com

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In praise of pomp, and circumstance.

2011-05-24T09:10:00.026-05:00

I had the good fortune to attend my daughter-in-law's medical school commencement last weekend in San Antonio. It was a joyous affair for all.

While waiting for the faculty and students to process, my son Andrew and I were discussing the virtues of the ceremony's robes, hoods, caps, tassels, and the colors for all the above. Our commencement, the University of Texas, San Antonio, School of Medicine was filled with students wearing green, the color of the medical sciences.

The commencement program made note of the tradition:

"The contemporary tradition of wearing academic regalia for university ceremonies dates to the eleventh and twelfth centuries when the great European universities were being established."

So here we are 1000 years later carrying on a tradition of medieval Europe. In the Middle Ages the dignity of a high office, such as a king at court, or a marching army, or a royal wedding, required a display of respect, a pomp-ous display, for much the same reason that we do not attend our graduation ceremonies in jeans and a t-shirt. Some occasions, some offices, are special.

Shakespeare, in Othello, coined the oft-repeated phrase that is the title of this post:

O farewell,
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th' ear-piercing fife;
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!

So I say bring on the pride, pomp and circumstance. Not just for the aesthetics, but because ceremony is something. Because man is more than matter, he is enlivened by the breath of God, and because our ceremonies on earth reflect, if imperfectly, the order of heaven.

Congratulations to the proud graduates, especially Elizabeth.

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In-N-Out Burger Video. Allen, Texas.

2011-05-19T14:01:00.007-05:00

In case you thought I was kidding about the lines.

And is there something wrong with us? We'll wait in line for hours for a hamburger?

I think the answer is, yes, there is something wrong with us.

Sent to me via Facebook.

More In N Out posts:

in-n-out-burger-report-may-15-2011

in-n-out-burger-according-to-d-magazine

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The Lucky Strike fiasco.

2011-05-16T23:54:00.011-05:00

I'll say this for the public relations firm that handled the Lucky Strike pre-open: they gotta bunch of folks out there.

And maybe everybody had a good time. If I had the patience of Job I might have too. But I don't. And I wouldn't say anything except for the fact that their pre-open invitation should have said that everyone in Fort Worth looking for a free Miller-Lite was invited.

When I arrived I did a quick in-line body count, stopped at 75, and said the hell with it.

Gutter-ball. That's the way I see it.

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In-N-Out Burger Report. May 15, 2011

2011-05-15T21:41:00.008-05:00

FRISCO, TX.

This report just in from a friend of mine (a Californian, of course) who drove to the newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Frisco.

We drove to In-N-Out today but didn't eat there: the lines were STILL insanely long -- the guy at the drive-thru told me it was a 3 hour wait, and there were a good 75 people out the door in line to walk in. This was the case at BOTH locations. Insane.

That's it folks. I guess you could say it's a Can't-Get-In-N-Out Burger right now. (Sorry couldn't help myself.)

Stay tuned!

(Thanks, Travis)

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St. Thomas on Friendship

2011-05-11T17:51:00.000-05:00

"First of all, among all worldly things there is nothing which seems worthy to be preferred to friendship. Friendship unites good men and preserves and promotes virtue.

Friendship is needed by all men in whatsoever occupations they engage. In prosperity it does not thrust itself unwanted upon us, nor does it desert us in adversity.

It is what brings with it the greatest delight, to such an extent that all that pleases is changed to weariness when friends are absent, and all difficult things are made easy and as nothing by love."

St Thomas Aquinas.

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I still like Mi Cocina's. But has something changed downtown?

2011-05-10T11:03:00.006-05:00

We decided late Sunday night, Mother's Day, to go out for dinner. Our first thought was Pappasito's because we hadn't been in a while and because we were going to walk along the river afterwards.

Bad idear.

Pappasito's had a waiting list pouring out to the driveway -- I discovered later that Mother's Day evening is one of their busiest nights of the year.

We drove over to 7th. La Familia is closed Sunday night, Chuy's, Patrizio's, and Gloria's: packed and pouring out the doors. This might bother some people, but I'm always happy to see restaurants busy especially when they are supposed to be.

We then drove east on 7th towards downtown to try Mi Cocina's, and found an only-half-full restaurant. Mi Cocina's it was. Marian and I both ordered the beef brisket tacos. I have to say they are as good as you can get anywhere. Packed with brisket and just the right dabs of melted white cheese and fried onions. Perfect. And for $13 you get more food than I can eat at one sitting.

The change downtown? Why is 7th and the Pappa's area overflowing and downtown dead on the evening of Mother's Day? Grace wasn't open, I guess because it was Sunday night. Is downtown becoming more and more dependent on conventions and tourists and less of a draw for locals?

Thoughts anyone . . . anyone . . . Bueller . . . Bueller?

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Trader Joe's coming to town?

2011-05-03T16:47:00.004-05:00

Word is grocer, Trader Joe's is coming to DFW.

As far as I have been able to tell it's just the D and not the FW. If you know differently let me know.

We shopped at Trader Joe's several times a week during our two year stay in Philadelphia. Trader Joe's is kind of a smaller, discount Whole Foods with tatts. Body markings, as well as ear, nose, and tongue jewelry were employee de rigueur. I am fairly certain I was the only Republican in the store at any given time.

But as non-hip as I am, I liked it. The prices are great and some items like the big bars of chocolate, the coffee, and the peanuts-only peanut butter are very good and inexpensive.

I hope they make it to Fort Worth.

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Eric Whitacre

2011-04-28T10:38:00.002-05:00

I liked this so much I stole it -- from my son's blog:

From The Art of Choices blog: This second one is not for the faint of heart. It is fifteen minutes of utter harmonic bliss. Full of what have become known as Whitacre chords which are repeating diatonic clusters of Major triads with seconds and occasionally perfect fourths above. It is called When David Heard and the words are from 2 Samuel 18:33. It had not been set to music by any major composer for over four hundred years until Whitacre composed this. It's a very dramatic and powerful piece full of the wailing of a father losing his son. Do not listen to this piece unless you have the fifteen minutes to spare to fully enjoy the beauty and scope of the entire piece. Enjoy

Not everyone will like this but for those who like complex harmonies sung VERY well, this is as good as it gets. (BYU singers, Lynn).

A few lessons learned, 1000 posts later.

2011-04-25T08:36:00.011-05:00

I started this blog 1000 posts ago.

I did so because I like to write, I like to eat, I like to talk about food, and I wanted to learn what this new medium called blogging was all about. I had never read another food blog, as a matter of fact, I'm not sure if I had read a blog post of any kind.

Now, anyone who writes wants to think that he or she can write something worth reading, at least once in a while. Even though that goal is yet unreached on these pages, I have learned about blogging while trying. In particular:

Writing well is damned hard.
Posting something that is even remotely interesting to read, written well or not, is damned harder.
Most food blog readers are looking for an opinion: "Yes, I liked it," or "No I didn't like it."
The writing pros are right: cut the adverbs and adjectives.
If you have an opinion and you make it public someone will criticize not only your opinion but you for having said opinion.
Sooner or later you're going to say something stupid and something you regret saying. In my case, this is a frequent occurrence.
You are not the person people think you are if they only read your blog.
In re-writing, there is a point of diminishing returns, at some point you're making the piece worse.
Be happy with having just a pretty good, local, food blog. Mark Bittman is in no danger of losing his job.
You never know which posts will be the most read. "How to Make Oatmeal, Properly." is the most popular post in 4 years. Second is "Zestfest, 2009." The first is a recipe, the second is an announcement. Not exactly inspired writing, if you get my meaning.

For fellow blog writers who are interested in blog statistics, here are mine:

1000 posts in almost 4 years
Of the 1000, about 200 pieces have never been publicly posted, they are, usually, opinion pieces of a philosophical, political, or religious nature, or attempts at humor (emphasis on attempt).
About 65% of readers come from search engines.
This blog gets 350 - 400 page views a day
I have made $200 from the Google ads. That's about 20 cents per post. Each post takes me between 15 minutes to an hour to write. The longer, more essay-like posts take days and sometimes weeks.

I have made many friends through this blog, most of whom I have met but some not, and most of whom I would have never met if not for the blog. For that I am very grateful. I don't know if other bloggers feel that way, but I do.

Thanks for reading.

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Happy Easter, 2011.

2011-04-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Granbury Wine Walk. April 29 - 30, 2011.

2011-04-23T13:43:00.005-05:00

I like Granbury, and I like that part of Texas that's easing its way into the Hill Country. So, I am happy to help promote next weekend's, Granbury Wine Walk.

At $20 for two days, it looks like a great deal. The following is from their Press Release:

The 2011 Granbury Wine Walk, to be held on Friday and Saturday, April 29-30, will be featuring the most popular Texas wineries, gourmet cuisine from DFW’s prominent chefs and unique neighborhood restaurants, along with an eclectic mix of live music and art exhibitions from regionally acclaimed artists. The cost is $20 per person for a two-day ticket ($15 if purchased in advance), with proceeds benefiting Tarleton State University’s Langdon Cultural and Educational Center – the community’s cultural hub that supports and showcases music and the arts from regionally and nationally renowned artists.
Culinary patrons can ‘Swirl, Sip and Stroll’ through the intimate Square where they can taste and sample Texas wines paired with palatable foods from the Square’s boutique eateries, while enjoying live music and art exhibits along the Wine Walk. An education station will also be available for those curious to learn more about grape growing and Texas wineries. Many of the wineries will also offer their wines for sale by the glass or bottle. In addition, local downtown shops and restaurants will have special offers for Wine Walk attendees to shop and dine.

Of course, there will be plenty of good food for the festivities. See the website for more information.

Granbury Wine Walk
201 E. Pearl Street C-200
Granbury, Texas USA 76048
817-579-9181 (local)

Searches. Not Google.

2011-04-17T10:29:00.004-05:00

Life is full of searches, indeed, it is an endless succession of searches.

It begins with childhood, looking out the front door for another boy or girl looking out their front door. And it never stops: a boy friend, girl friend, a job, a husband or wife, another husband or another . . . (kidding). A house and a neighborhood to live a life. Schools for the kids, little league, Church, a Doctor, a mechanic and plumber. We never stop looking for a dependable plumber.

We search, we find, we lose, we search again.

And then there is that somewhat sub-conscious search of adulthood. The search for home after we leave home. The lucky ones find it, many do not.

Everyone must find his or her own way in this world, do his own searches, then, later in life, after the success and failure, you return to the old place and remember the past in light of the present. Yesterday's sounds, smells, faces, they'll all be there, but in a movie-like way.

At least, that's the way I see it.

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A little love for the Old Neighborhood Grill.

2011-04-17T09:09:00.005-05:00

photo from www.fortworthsouth.org

I hate to start with a side note, but in the "Why I love this English Language" department, a little etymology of the "neigh" in "neighborhood," would be an interesting search. Not only is there a silent "gh," but an A sound from an "ei." See also sleigh, freight, eight, but not slate, great, or ate. As Mike Rhyner says, weird.

Be that as it may -- the Old Neighborhood Grill.

I had a late lunch there the other day with a few guys. I've been to Neighborhood Grill maybe four or five times. And what I like about them is that they named their restaurant appropriately. It is a neighborhood place and guests are treated that way. I was early for our lunch and was greeted with "grab a drink we'll get a table set-up."

This is a place with an on-site owner who is making sure that his customers are treated like customers. Neighborhood Grill is counter-order and server-service and that's okay by me as well.

I had an Old Neighborhood Grill cheeseburger for the first time and I have to say it was very good.

But the reason I liked the place more than anything was that we sat there for an hour and were treated like neighbors. And that's hard to find anymore.

Old Neighborhood Grill
1633 Park Place Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76110

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McDonald's coffee drinkers. The most loyal?

2011-04-15T12:16:00.002-05:00

So says the market research firm, CustomersDNA, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. CustomersDNA questioned 15,000 fast food customers about their coffee buying habits. When asked how likely they were to stray from one merchant to another, McDonald's customers were the least likely to go anywhere else.

That's a surprising result even considering the fact that McDonald's coffee is the least expensive, and sometimes as much as $.75 less expensive than Dunkin' or Starbucks.

For the record, if you line up all three stores with fresh coffee and all three had the same price, I'll choose Dunkin' Donuts first.

How about you?

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The Art of Choices . . .

2011-04-13T21:25:00.002-05:00

Please accept an invitation to visit my son's first blog and his first post. He is twenty years old, a fourth year voice student in Philadelphia, and is commenting on his take on things away from Texas.

This first post is on how to pick a commuter train seat for legroom and comfort. I liked it, of course.

Thank you.

Link: http://shivoneschoice.blogspot.com/

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A Visitor's Guide to the Main Street Arts Festival, 2011.

2011-04-09T05:17:00.004-05:00

Glass from Renee & James Engebretson

Fort Worth's, Main Street Arts Festival has grown to be one of our fair burg's signature annual events. And on opening day, April 14, it will proudly begin its 26th year.

Fort Worth hosts other well-attended events. Some are older, such as, the Stock Show, some more international, such as, the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, but in my mind, none more fitting and beneficial to the immediate downtown area than the Main Street Arts Festival. It symbolizes, at least to me, downtown's change for better in the last twenty-five years.

The Main Street Arts Festival is the sixth largest in the nation featuring over 200 booths out of 1,500 applicants; painting, glass, ceramics, wood, and other mediums from some of the world's best artists and craftsmen.

But, as I say every year, this is a food blog.

So, I should also mention that Main Street Arts also has become an event that draws people for the entertainment and the food. The Festival has the standard hot dog/cotton-candy type booths, but also has dozens of local restaurants selling select items from their menu, and specialty food sellers like Lone Star Roasted Nuts and Schmidt's bratwurst.

Times Ten Cellars is returning with their wine tasting party -- and at $35 it's worth considering. They sold out last year, so if you are interested, buy a ticket now.

Below are links to the culinary world at Main Street:

Food and Restaurants: Here
Times Ten Wine Tasting: Here
Beer and other adult beverages: Here

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Main Street Arts Festival

April 14 - 17, 2011

10 AM -- 10 PM

Sammie's Bar-B-Q. Haltom City.

2011-04-07T17:24:00.008-05:00

I have mixed feelings about Sammie's Bar-B-Que in Haltom City.

I say that because as much as I liked the taste of the smoky, sliced-beef brisket, it was on the dry side; as if it had been over-cooked, or had sat in a warmer too long. Or maybe Sammie just likes his brisket extra lean. Same with the chicken. It was smoked the old fashioned way, and tasty, but again, way too dry.

Marian and I ordered two dinner plates, one sliced beef and the other, all white-meat, chicken breast. I have no complaints about the portions, they were more than expected. But the sides weren't anything to write home about, either. The barbecue sauce served on the side was excellent.

Also on the plus side, I just liked the place. Sammie's is an authentic Texas barbecue joint with a comfortable atmosphere that suits the food. There is a bar attached to the restaurant that was well-attended. It's a hometown, friendly crowd.

We sat on the picnic tables, outside, a very pleasant setting.

I probably need to go back again during the lunch hour when it's busier and maybe when the meats are a little closer to "just out of the smoker." But for now, I still prefer Angelo's, or my current favorite, Wilson's in Meadowbrook.

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2011-04-07T01:11:00.002-05:00

"Obi- Wan. The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen . . . "

The Senate sits . . .

2011-04-06T04:51:00.013-05:00

The Senate, in session but powerless, hear threats of the coming inferno from Lord Legal-Pad, President Fauntleroy's Master.

Years Later . . .

2011-04-05T11:33:00.006-05:00

The Jedi Knight heard the news. Little Lord Fauntleroy
had appointed himself President Darth Fauntleroy.

Regular readers: sorry, bit of an inside joke.

2011-04-04T08:36:00.011-05:00

The day we realized that Little Lord Fauntleroy had visions of evil grandeur.

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Spend a buck at Redbox. Watch: Waiting for Superman.

2011-04-02T19:25:00.003-05:00

I get my best video watching advice from my children. Everything from Alias to 24 to Man vs. Wild came from my kids' suggestions. Last night we watched, after a suggestion from Stephen, the documentary, Waiting for Superman.

Waiting For Superman is both a critique of our public education system and a presentation of some practical solutions. It is not a philosophical treatise on education. It is not politically oriented, unless you consider its excoriation of some school board bureaucracies and teacher's unions a political statement. The ax WFS has to grind is the reality that children are going down in flames while adults fiddle.

And they make their point clearly and repeatedly. There's little equivocation in this documentary. You will agree or disagree, but you won't have any doubt of their viewpoint.

It is a disturbing documentary sometimes, oftentimes, and occasionally inspirational, but Waiting also presents very practical, sensible ideas of what is working in some of the worst performing school districts in the nation.

It's worth watching. I appreciate the suggestion.

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The best bread in Fort Worth

2011-04-02T15:45:00.011-05:00

I have mentioned this before, I mention it again because, yesterday, Marian and I stopped by our favorite bakery to pick-up a few loaves of bread. I am referring to Artisan Baking Company, on White Settlement Road.

It always strikes me when I get home and start slicing into the bread how fresh it looks, smells, feels, and tastes. It's just good bread. I can't recommend Gwin and Mark Grimes and their bakery highly enough. And the price is right, too. $4.50 for a healthy loaf of bread is inexpensive when you consider what you are getting in quality and quantity.

Of course, Artisan has the usual assortment of cookies, scones, and pastries. All good. Actually, the scones are in the great category.

If you can work Artisan Baking Company into your round of trips to the markets, you will not be disappointed. My favorite: Breakfast bread, lightly toasted, with a little butter. You just can't beat it.

If you have a favorite, please comment.

Artisan Baking Company
4900 White Settlement Rd
Fort Worth, Texas

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It's springtime, and that means . . .

2011-03-28T12:48:00.044-05:00

Baseball. . . the great game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At some point, every spring, when the heat rises to a certain level, and the smell of a freshly mown lawn blows my way, I think of baseball. That warm weather game of hope and skill and strategy and luck and endurance.

The game of failure.

The slow moving game interrupted with excitement -- like life itself.

I think of beer and hot dogs and mustard and peanuts. Of Col'beer here, Cooolers, and Hotdaaaawwgs, as the concessionaires used to say.

I think of the sound of a wood bat cracking a leather-skinned ball and seeing that connection before hearing it. I think of handsome Johnny Callison, Cookie Rojas, Tony Taylor, Richie Ashburn, Pete Incaviglia, Nolan Ryan, and "Julio-Julio" being sung-out from the stands. And Charlie Hough catching a smoke between innings back when an older pitcher could do such things.

I think of the red-capped Phillies, and Connie Mack stadium. I think of Willie Mays, the Say-Hey kid, and basket catches.

When summer hits, and the air is still, I'll hear a distant radio and a baritone-voiced announcer calling the game, and I will think of the nights at the ballpark with my family watching the Texas Rangers. And Pony League games, and hitting ground balls to the boys in the front yard, and . . .

Well, there's just no end to the good baseball memories.

----------------------------------------------------------

Texas Ranger's first game is Friday, April 1. Fort Worth Cats first game is Monday, May 9. Due to popular demand, Kincaid's is back selling hamburgers at the Cats' games this year.

First posted 2009. Revised.

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Have it your way ... somewhere else

2011-03-23T13:29:00.009-05:00

Daniel Barry for The New York Times

Want It Your Way? Purist Chefs Won't Have It.

That's the title of a New York Times article that goes on to explain why some chefs and restaurants in New York don't accommodate every customer demand -- and why they don't care who doesn't like it.

Think, Seinfeld's soup nazi episode applied to everything from bagels to coffee.

I kind of get this. You have to respect a guy who make's that kind of commitment to his craft and the product.

At one coffee shop in New York you can not get an espresso in a paper cup. At my favorite coffee shop back east they say, only half- jokingly, "the coffee is first, the customer second." If a restaurant owner is willing to give up a sale, it's his risk, his loss. His business.

Anyway, it's an interesting article on food industry attitudes.

The New York Times article is short and worth reading. HERE

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DFW gets a mention in Time Magazine's, 10 Ideas That Will Change the World

2011-03-22T15:50:00.011-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for lists.

So when I saw the link for Time Magazines, 10 Ideas That Will Change the World, I bit. The list is a kind of upbeat take on current trends, and each of the ten is written by a specialist in his field. There are the expected items, such as, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Case for Optimism, and the unexpected, Why Afghanistan is Far from Hopeless. And the predictable, such as, Twitter and Facebook are changing the way we live.

One hopeful item was that the US deficit can be resolved without ruining all of our lives. It may be a little too optimistic, but in general, I agree.

Beijing Capital International

DFW received a good report in the item, Think of Your Airport as a City but Nicer. The author had attended a weekend conference at DFW and he and the other conferencees never left the Airport area. Airports today not only have hotels, but malls, golf courses (DFW) and the usual assortment of restaurant and bars. And jobs: there 400,000 jobs in a 5 mile radius around DFW.

In the same article, the Dallas-Fort Worth area was recognized as the fastest growing metro area in the USA. Current population: 6 million.

One other world changing prediction: your job is going to China or India, and, also, your paycheck will be coming from a company based in one of those two countries. China and India are growing at breakneck speeds with no slow-down in sight. China is more widely known for its growth but many futurists expect India to surpass China. India's population will surpass China's at current rates of growth. China's population growth is controlled by the Orwellian one-child per couple policy.

Time Magazine's, 10 Ideas That Will Change the World. Link here.

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Why Buon Giorno is busy.

2011-03-18T09:10:00.003-05:00

Have you been to Buon Giorno, lately? They're busy -- all the time -- and I am glad to see it.

They have really good coffee.
The pastries are fresh and very good.
The counter staff are friendly and welcoming without being annoying.

That's it. That's all I have.

I hope the formula is profitable for the owners, ultimately, it needs to be. I hope it's here for a long while.

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A Review of Kiplinger's 24 Best Travel Sites

2011-03-16T09:59:00.006-05:00

I'm not going to list all of Kiplinger's 24 but I will say that's it's a good list for those of us who, on occasion, buy a airplane ticket, rent a car, or stay in a hotel -- and there were a few sites I hadn't heard of before. If you'd rather jump to the Kiplinger piece, see their link at the bottom of post.

My comments on their list:

1. Air travel: Kayak is the consolidator's consolidator. It not only searches Sabre lists it searches the travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. I have never used them but it looked easy to use and comprehensive. Personally, I go to the American Airlines site first then to the consolidator sites.

2. Bing. I like the Bing site for airline ticket comparisons. Their "price predictor" may or may not be accurate but it is pretty cool. Actually, I like the Bing site for several searches.

3. For lodging, Kiplinger lists Hotels.com as their number one site because of ease of use and bargain offers. Next for them is Priceline which I have used, but I have also been put in the room next to the generators more than once when I did. I most often use Tripadvisor. It is the most visited site so it has the most reviews. Reading reviews is always risky because some people complain about everything and some reviews are obviously written by the proprietor's brother-in-law, but you can get an overall impression.

General observation on hotels/motels -- newer is almost always better.

4. Vacation Rental by Owner, not on their list, but my sister uses them for larger family trips and has had great accommodations for a reasonable price. Kiplinger suggests trying HomeAway.com

5. Also, not on the list but an idea that I love is the couch or room for a night concept. There's a bunch of these now, one of them is Air Bed and Breakfast which allows you to "rent nightly from real people in 9,440 cities in 173 countries."

6. Car Rentals. Kiplinger suggests Hotwire, but all of the travel sites pull from the major rental companies and I haven't seen any difference in prices between them. I find Enterprise to be the most service-minded and reasonably priced.

As I have said many times on this blog, air travel today is more pain than pleasure but airlines are giving us what we want -- low fares. Some airlines are better than others, but when the big airlines test more room and more service against low price, low price wins. And the airlines can't help it if we are all treated like a potential terrorist threat. That being said, today, I drive if I can, I dislike air travel that much.

I liked the list of 24 sites. Please comment. I'm curious what you do for travel reservations.

Kiplinger's 24 Best Travel sites. Link Here

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Saviano's. Sundance Square, Fort Worth.

2011-03-14T15:35:00.015-05:00

I've made two visits to the new Saviano's at Sundance Square in the last few weeks. They took the old Zippy's and Sammy's locations and combined them into one restaurant.

I liked what they did to the space from a renovation point of view, it's nothing extravagant, but it's clean and appropriate for a middle-tier, sit-down, pizza restaurant.

Saviano's serves a medium crust, medium-cheese, Neopolitan-style pizza. Kind of a cross between New York style and the Neopolitan style of Il Cane Rosso. I didn't dislike the pizza, but on neither occasion was it served piping, out-of-oven hot. Maybe a minor complaint, but it is something that makes the pizza less than perfect. Besides that, I liked it.

I'm going to try some of their pasta dishes next time we are in Sundance -- but for our "go-to" pizza place, I remain in search mode.

Saviano's has two locations, one in Sundance Square, Fort Worth, and one in Euless.

Saviano's website: Link here.

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Ash Wednesday, T.S. Eliot

2011-03-09T08:14:00.009-06:00

Ash Wednesday. / T.S. Eliot

Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?

Because I do not hope to know
The infirm glory of the positive hour
Because I do not think
Because I know I shall not know
The one veritable transitory power
Because I cannot drink
There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is
nothing again
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To read the rest of the poem go here: tseliot
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From Wikipedia: "Ash Wednesday" (sometimes "Ash-Wednesday") is the first long poem written by T. S. Eliot after his 1927 conversion to Anglicanism. Published in 1930 (see 1930 in poetry), this poem deals with the struggle that ensues when one who has lacked faith in the past strives to move towards God.

Sometimes referred to as Eliot's "conversion poem", Ash-Wednesday, with a base of Dante's Purgatorio, is richly but ambiguously allusive and deals with the aspiration to move from spiritual barrenness to hope for human salvation. The style is different from his poetry which predates his conversion. Ash-Wednesday and the poems that followed had a more casual, melodic, and contemplative method. Wikipedia

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In-N-Out Burger according to D Magazine.

2011-03-07T10:20:00.009-06:00

Before long North Texas will have its first In-N-Out Burger.

In-N-Out triple cheeseburger and fries

A couple weeks ago, D Magazine ran a piece worth reading for In-N-Out enthusiasts and for hamburger lovers in general (thanks, Travis for the link).

Writer, Nancy Luna, covered the food industry in Southern California and she provides some interesting history of the fast-food business.

For instance, In-N-Out took a different path than the other hamburger enterprises that got their start in Southern California. McDonald's being the biggest. They don't franchise, they're still privately held, and the burgers are still made to order from fresh ingredients. That kind of commitment to controlled growth builds a strong customer base.

From the D Magazine article,

It’s the kind of loyalty that Burger King and McDonald’s will never have. While most fast-food chains live and die by limited-time menu creations, discounting, and coupons, In-N-Out never resorts to those gimmicks. Other than combo meals, the most expensive single item sold on the menu is $3.05. It sells burgers, fries, sodas, and shakes. Nothing else. No onion rings. No salads. No chicken sandwiches. Not even a hot dog. The most recent change to the menu, made a decade ago, was the addition of lemonade.

The Double-Double (two patties, two slices of American cheese) remains the chain’s most popular item. But it’s rare to find any two customers who order the same meal. . . burgers with names such as Animal Style, Protein Style, Flying Dutchman, 3x3, and 4x4 are celebrated underground requests never seen on the menu.

Nancy Luna, D Magazine, February 23, 2011. For the complete article in D Magazine go here.

I have never been to an In-N-Out, enthusiasts speak very highly of their fresh beef, never frozen hamburger, and I can't wait to try one.

In our area, Fort Worth will get an In-N-Out Burger on 7th, and Hurst, on Airport Freeway.

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Ellerbe Fine Foods. On Magnolia.

2011-02-28T19:26:00.015-06:00

Ice cream dessert at Ellerbe

Ellerbe Fine Foods is located in an up-and-coming neighborhood of Fort Worth: the north-Fairmount / hospital district on West Magnolia.

This is a guest post by Travis Cooper

The ambience is a trifle odd, but peaceful and pleasant nonetheless. The stark contrast between varnished industrial concrete floors and wooden ceiling rafters actually works. The very soft background music, though composed of a combination of modern pop and covers of older rock/pop, also seems strangely fitting (one of the songs was a woman doing a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” and somehow it didn’t feel out-of-place). The colors are soft and pleasing to the eye: light green and white. Tall, large windows give the interior a feeling of space and a view of West Magnolia – it feels more “open” than most restaurants.

Soon after we sat down, the waitress brought bread, butter, and salt to our table. Apparently the bread – French baguette – is flown in daily from La Brea bakery in Los Angeles. The butter is unsalted, since they provide coarse sea salt to add to the butter and bread. The bread was tasty and of good texture, and the butter and salt were a good combination.

We ordered rabbit terrine as an appetizer: rabbit pate on toast, over arugula with pistachios and wine-soaked cranberries. It was decent, but I’ve only had pate once or twice, so I’m no expert, and besides, I’m not a pate kind of guy.

The two entrees were absolutely wonderful. The wife had boar, rubbed in spices, over mesquite bean blinis fried in cinnamon, accompanied with fried pieces of cactus (“nopalitos”) – a very unique and very tasty dish. I had pheasant, served over arugula and cornbread stuffing/dressing, topped with little pieces of fried squash and bacon and with a barbeque-esque glaze. I don’t usually like stuffing, and squash doesn’t do much for me, and I had never tried pheasant before, so it was a risk. But, the waitress highly recommended it (one of at least two recommendations that were perfect). It was one of the best entrees I’ve ever had – perfect texture, combination of flavors, size, etc. An astounding dish.

We had oysters on the side – I’ve had oysters only once or twice, and never liked them, but thought I’d give it a shot – and they were quite good. The wife would have preferred them a little more cooked, but then again she doesn’t like her ribeye or filet rare/medium-rare, so . . . Anyway, I liked the oysters, though the texture of oysters does disturb me a bit.

Dessert was splendid. The wife got rice pudding brulee – it was just what it sounds like. The rice pudding was perfect: texture, temperature, and flavor were just right. I got a chocolate mousse dish (called “shokinag pave”) that was tremendous: a layer of stiff but creamy chocolate mousse, covered in melted chocolate sauce with chicory, topped with caramel corn. We split a glass of Sauternes (dessert wine) – brilliant choice (recommended, as was the chocolate mousse, by the waitress).

The service was very good though not excellent (we were very low on water once or twice). As I said before, the waitress’s recommendations were all of them brilliant, for which we were very grateful.

All in all, I would go back to Ellerbe’s again before I went back to two of my favorite restaurants: Saint-Emilion and the Reata. So, yes, two thumbs up on an absolutely wonderful all-around dining experience.

Website: Ellerbe Fine Foods

-----------------------------------------

Editors Note: Mr. Travis Cooper teaches Philosophy at the College of St Thomas More. He is about six months from completing his doctoral dissertation. Travis is married with three children, and lives in the Meadowbrook area of Fort Worth, Texas.

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Fort Worth's Population Growth . . .

2011-02-25T12:09:00.001-06:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about Fort Worth's population growth, and the normal Dallas and Fort Worth comparisons. In the latest reports we grew a bunch and they didn't.

This Wednesday, columnist for the Star Telegram, Mitchell Schnurman, wrote a well reasoned piece on the subject. As much as I like to tweek Dallas and talk about the business that has moved eastward, the facts are that the Dallas area is not in any danger of losing its role as the big city of North Texas.

I'm not talking about quality of life or way of life, or future potential. Fort Worth annexed land in its far north border near Alliance airport and can grow within city borders for many years to come. Dallas is bound by well-established and big suburban cities like Plano, Carrollton, Coppell, and Garland.

But when you look the the numbers that Schnurman skillfully details, we ain't catchin' 'em anytime soon.

Good piece, worth reading.

Mitchell Schnurman Fort Worth Star telegram piece.

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Alias Talk

2011-02-24T11:36:00.020-06:00

Marian and I are in the fortunate phase of life when our evenings are more or less free and we don't really have any interest in going anywhere. After thirty years of the salt mines by day and little league, ballet, school meetings, etc., by night -- we're tired -- and we have found, the television.

For whatever reason we prefer television series' to movies and have worked our way through every British BBC show, many American shows, and even some live-while-we-are-watching shows.

Lately, upon recommendation from my son, we have been watching the Alias series.

We're hooked.

If you haven't seen it, think 24 in a Lost plot. And a beautiful, female lead character instead of Jack Bauer. Jennifer Garner, Sydney, is good-looking and one tough motha. Garner somehow pulls off the part as tough and vulnerable. Feminine -- but deadly if you're on the wrong side. It works for me because I can't handle the attractive, tough female who is not, well, feminine. She's both. I'm sounding like Oprah, sorry.

What Alias has that 24 doesn't have is a lasting romance that is a thread throughout the series, at least through year three. It's believable, and more or less wholesome. The one problem I had with Jack's girlfriends is that I knew that they would all end up dead because Jack was the "man of sorrows." And that they were always well endowed but kind of androgynous, too. I never really liked them. But with Garner -- you can't not like her.

She is the reluctant heroine who has found her home in the kindness of her father and her apparently loving but twisted mother -- and Vaughn, her once boyfriend, who at this point is married to Lauren, the wicked witch of the West. It's complex but satisfying.

As a whole, the acting is great. The strategy room scenes are a little stiff and over-orchestrated as they set the plot for that episode, but the comic figure of Mitchell, (think James Bond's "Q") is perfect.

Sloane is a tragic-hero of the modern sort, driven by love for his daughter, by fate via the Rombaldi prophecy, and by his own weakness for the "end-game." The Rombaldi thread gives Alias the Lost-like quality and keeps the viewer wanting the next episode.

It's a good show. Quentin Tarantino makes a couple cameos. He's great. Alias keeps the suspense up but backs off enough to give the viewer a break. For us it's got the right blend. The only part we do not like are the torture scenes, mild by today's standards, but more pain-infliction than we care to watch.

We're just starting year four, so no hints about the end, please.

Jersey Mike's on Hulen.

2011-02-24T08:49:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, I stopped by Jersey Mike's to try their Philly cheesesteak. I have Jersey/Philly street cred, having lived in both places, so keep in mind, I'm picky.

Conclusion: Just decent. 6 of 10.

Jersey Mike's is a 500 location company; it's not some guy who just moved to Texas with a passion for cheesesteaks. And a company of that size has to make some compromises in the price/quality equation.

Here's my opinion on their approach:

The steak is authentic "chip steak" as used in Philly.
The steak portion of the sandwich is on the light side. The cheese flavor overwhelmed the overall taste.
The cheese itself is American (I think). And American cheese is what? Not much. I prefer provolone. I wasn't offered an option.
Sandwich could have had twice the amount of fried peppers and onions.
The roll is big, fluffy white bread. I prefer a denser roll with a slight bit of crust.

I'm not trying to be a cheesesteak snob. Jersey Mike's is a decent, if pretty generic, cheesesteak but I'm not putting an "authentic Philly" seal on it.

Sorry.

--------------------------------

Jersey Mike's is next door to Five Guys Hamburgers on Hulen south of I-20.

Website: Jersey Mike's.

Foods I don't get. Part 2.

2011-02-21T12:15:00.011-06:00

1. Overcooked, boiled vegetables. Can someone tell me what is enticing about cooking sliced carrots until they have no flavor and have the consistency of baby food? Same with any other vegetable.

2. Pho. The name itself puts me off for some reason, maybe because it's pronounced faux, as in fake, as in not really good food. Yes, I have tried it. My daughter likes it as do other people I know. I just don't get the rice noodle.

3. Rice pudding. Can we talk? Anything that looks as nasty as rice pudding or its cousin tapioca can not taste good. I don't care how you trick it up.

And the worst of them all one more time: chicken pot pie -- yes, I have talked about this before but I have to bring it up again because my wife just heated one up and I took a look inside. Gooey substance, green peas, carrots and an occasional piece of overcooked chicken. Unless I'm starving on some deserted island, there is no way I'm eating that.

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Carmel at Lightcatcher Winery & Bistro

2011-02-18T12:11:00.010-06:00

Friends of ours are performing at Lightcatcher Winery & Bistro this Sunday. Lightcatcher features jazz musicians at their Bistro's bi-weekly, Jazz Sunday.

Carmel is performing Sunday, February 20. Carmel sings and plays a mixture of Soul, Blues, and original Jazz. Samples of their music can be found on their website here: Nightwork Jazz.

Details
-> Carmel at Lightcatcher Winery
-> Sunday, February 20, 2011
-> 4 pm - 7 pm

-> See Lightcatcher Winery & Bistro website for directions. It's 12 miles north and west of downtown

Lightcatcher website

Carmel on Facebook

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After attending comments: the music and setting were fantastic. Comments on the wine were mixed. The bistro's cheese-meat-crackers plate was good but for $20 it should be.

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My Life with Pizza

2011-02-08T18:07:00.019-06:00

I love Pizza. In all its varieties.

As a young boy, I remember the cold, square-sliced pizza of the Three Little Bakers. The pie was rectangular, cut into squares and had no cheese -- just thick bread topped with a sweet, light marinara sauce. A nickel a slice.

Image via WikipediaI graduated to more sophisticated pizza as I grew older. My father would bring pizza home every once in a while for a Friday night treat.

We would eat pizza while dad taught us how to play a card game like poker, or black jack, or pinochle. The pizza was New York style, thin-crust, cheese, no toppings. He usually bought it from "Lou's" (name changed). Lou's sold pizza and assisted select customers with investments in horses, football teams, and such.

The pizza at our high-school, Friday night football games was the cheap over manufactured, synthetic kind, but I liked it.

I lived in Hammonton, New Jersey for a while where Bruni's had as good a pizza pie as I have ever had. Speaking of Hammonton, Marian and I met and were married there -- and we stopped for pizza not long after we left the church and the reception. It sounds funny now, but seemed perfectly normal back then.

Pizza at the beach was Grotto's, for me. I loved Grotto's back in those days, and still love sitting at their boardwalk bar with a couple of slices, a diet-Coke, a book, and an ocean view. My sister, at the age of sixteen, was the first waitress hired at Rehoboth Beach's Nicola's Pizza speaking of the beach and pizza. Nicola's and Grotto's are still thriving.

It didn't take long to find good pizza in Fort Worth. The Meadowbrook area was fortunate enough to have Charlie's Pizza, a Saturday night family favorite for over twenty years. Charlie retired a few years ago. I miss him, his family, the many friends we made there over the years -- and the pizza. It was the best.

Brick oven, Neopolitan pizza is popular now, and I like it. Cavalli's and Il Cane Rosso, are two good examples in the area, but they are popping up everythere these days.

If an evil food god insisted that, for the rest of your life, you could only eat one of the following three: pizza, hamburgers, or tacos, which would you choose?

I'd take pizza. No question about it.

Chop House Burgers, Arlington, Texas. The Best?

2011-01-31T08:40:00.006-06:00

First, let me thank Lynn for the suggestion. I don't first-time-try Arlington restaurants much these days and wouldn't have found the Chop-House if Lynn hadn't said something.

The Chop House Burger is as good as you can get. Period. I could stop there, give you the link, and say, next time you are in Arlington, stop by.

But for those interested, Chop House Burgers is the venture of long-time steakhouse chef Kenny Mills, who, among many other things, ran one of my favorite steakhouses in the country, The Capital Grille, in Washington, DC. I mention that because after you have tasted one of the Chop House burgers you know that this is a hamburger that has had some thought put into it.

The "Best" burger in the area? I don't know, but it should be an entrant in any DFW competition. If you have been, or you go, PLEASE, tell me your opinion. Am I missing something or is that a great burger?

The fries, by the way: medium-thin cut, fried perfectly, hot, and delicious. One order is enough for two people, at least for Marian and me. The prices are similar to any of the better hamburger places in the area, about $10 per person for a meal. They do have soups and salads, as well.

Chop House Burgers is in a little strip shopping center at the corner of Park Row and Fielder.

I'll be going back. What else can I say.

Chop House Burgers Link: Here

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Zestfest, 2011. Irving, Texas.

2011-01-26T17:40:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure why they moved Zestfest to the Irving Convention Center. No offense, but Irving...Zestfest? Something wrong with that.

Anyway, here are a few reminders from my last year's visit and some general information. It is a great show for taste testing and for buying.

There is a $10 entrance fee but you can come and go all day.
It can get crowded, if you want more space, ask when the "down" times are.
There are drinks to purchase, including Coors beer, but no food except 1 concession stand serving hotdogs and such. Of course, there are hundreds of sauces, salsas, and relishes to try with plenty of tortilla chips.
Try the super hot peanuts. Wow.

DETAILS:

Friday, January 28, 2011 11:00-3:00 TRADE ONLY
Friday, January 28, 2011 3:00-7:00
Saturday, January 29, 2011 10:00-5:00
Sunday, January 30, 2011 10:00-4:00
--------------------------------------------
Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas
500 W Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, TX 75039

http://zestfest2011.com/

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Super Bowl XLV. A Few Random Thoughts.

2011-01-24T16:13:00.008-06:00

Super Bowl XLV at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, on February 6, in Arlington, Texas will be the biggest sporting event in the country in the year 2011. That's saying something. Super Bowl numbers are staggering: the number of people watching, the number of pizzas consumed, rooms and cars rented, the list is endless.

In the video, they say that 150,000 people will be visiting North Texas Super Bowl weekend. I hope they all feel welcome and that North Texas looks good.

We have no single-ticket draw here. No mountains, beaches, or slot machines. No French Quarter, or Colosseum, or natural wonders of the world. We do have amenities that match nearly every city in the nation. Great restaurants, hotels, parks, lakes, rivers and the like. And lots of wide open space.

In many ways, I think Fort Worth has more to offer SuperBowl visitors than Dallas, even though it is smaller in scope. Fort Worth has a model downtown with plenty to do and see. Traffic is a little lighter, it's closer to the Stadium and it's not quite as overwhelming as Dallas. Plus, it has an authentic western quality to it. We like the nickname, Cowtown.

I know many people are opposed to the intrusiveness of events like this and maybe the cost is a little daunting. But in my mind, the end does justify the means. The benefits are not just the immediate monetary bump, but the exposure that brings people and businesses back for years to come. Billions of people watch the Super Bowl on TV and they all will be seeing the mural at Sundance Square as ESPN plays SuperBowl host. We couldn't get that kind of exposure with twenty years worth of advertising.

I love the Super Bowl being right next door to me. Love it. And anything I can do to make it come off a success I will.

Oh, and Jerry, have your people call my people. I might have time to stop by your luxury suite on Sunday.

Sprouts Farmers Market. New in Fort Worth. Opening Wednesday.

2011-01-23T17:04:00.027-06:00

Remind me never to go into the grocery business.

I'm serious.

The competition begins with the old-line Albertson/Kroger/TomThumb stores, and is followed by Walmart and Target super stores, Sam's and Costco bulk-discount stores, plus, Whole Foods and Central Market on the high end, and Aldi, Trader Joe's, and a cast of thousands on the low end. It's a tough world for selling a can of beans these days.

Entering this not-so-friendly fray: Sprouts Farmers Markets.

Spouts fresh produce department

Sprouts is a grocery store devoted to fresh foods, some local, some organic, but not solely so, and healthy-living products, like vitamins, supplements and skin care products.

I visited the my first Sprouts store Saturday, at the Hulen and I-20 store's pre-open. I liked it and for what my opinion is worth, I think they will do well in Fort Worth. Healthy living and environmentally safe products are the new normal. And the lower prices at Sprouts makes shopping there very attractive.

Sprouts has a meat department with some grass-fed beef selections, a fish department, a bakery, fresh produce, and two hundred bins of fresh nuts, grains, beans, chocolates, etc. They also have their own private-label products, peanut butter and spaghetti sauce are two that I saw as I walked around. And they have special sale days every Wednesday. I noticed raw almonds for $3.99 a pound, on sale, and granola for $1 a pound, again on sale. Coffee beans normally at $8.99 a pound on sale days will be $5.99 a pound when they are on sale.

Final somewhat random observation: the store seems more set-up for the female shopper than your average grocery store. I don't know if that is the intentional vibe or just my reaction from shopping at Home Depot too much lately.

Anyway, Sprouts' stores are in four states and based in Phoenix, Arizona. They currently have fifty stores, this is the first in Fort Worth. There are four in Austin (weird). They are a privately held corporation.

To the folks at Sprouts Farmers Markets --- welcome to Fort Worth.
---------------------------------------
Store Details
Opening day: Wednesday, January 26. (Special prizes for first 500 visitors)
Website: Sprouts
4650 SW Loop 820
(NW corner of I-20 and Hulen the old Albertson's)
Fort Worth, TX

Disclosure: at the end of the tour I was given a "thank-you" tote-bag with a few treats like berries, puffed rice chips and lotion samples. It was thoughtful and appropriate.

...

Cost of gasoline adjusted for inflation.

2011-01-22T11:48:00.007-06:00

I noticed gasoline over $3.00 per gallon today. And I hear talk of 50 or 75 cents more per gallon by the summer.

Painful? Yes, especially for long-commuters.

But when adjusted for inflation the price is not not much different than other "above average" times in the last 90 years. Gasoline was 25 cents per gallon back in the '60's, but when adjusted for inflation, that is, when adjusted to the buying power or value of the today's dollar, the price today is not wildly different from the price back then.

That being said, 2011 prices at $3.00+ a gallon are on the high side of the mean.

Want to feel better? In London, gasoline works out to be over $8.00 a gallon, US.

Inflation Adjusted Average Gasoline Prices, from InflationData.com

Chart: © Copyright 2010. Timothy McMahon and InflationData.com
For more information on this chart please go to: InflationData.com

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The Wall Street Journal's New Books Section

2011-01-17T19:30:00.016-06:00

Some readers will not find this post very interesting -- but, since I have yet to write anything very interesting anyway, I thought, why change now.

If you haven't picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal's Weekend edition, you should. If you haven't seen one in a while, and you like newspaper reading, you ought to give it a try.

The Weekend Edition is especially good, partly because it is new, and has started with a "clean slate" of ideas, and partly because it has taken parts of the old Friday edition, my old favorite, and expanded them.

Within this Saturday edition, the one section I would like to talk about is the Books Section. In the old Friday edition, the Books section was barely a page, last week the Books Section was a full eight pages. Here's a sample of what they covered.

1. The Greatest of Them All -- a review of three books on Alexander the Great. A summary of eight other books of the same subject.

2. Mysteries Chronicles -- Dorothy Sayer's, Lord Peter Whimsey lovers will be glad to know that the Sayer's estate has deputized someone to finish her last novel. There's a brief essay on that.

3. Joseph Brodsky. A Literary Life. A full review of a new book on the Russian poet and writer.

4. Growing Pangs. A half-page review on the Maud Hart Lovelace books.

5. Five Best: Fury and Terror at the High Seas. Each week WSJ does a brief review of the five best books in a field. This week, they reviewed the five best books on sailing and the high seas. Coincidentally, I had just downloaded one of them for my Kindle. Free.

So, if you like books and book reviews, including the classics, you can't do much better than the Wall Street Journal Saturday Books Section.

(While I am at it, and just in the off-chance somebody from the basement level of the WSJ reads this: if you are going to publish a magazine once a month, do you think you could broaden the appeal to more than the NYC crowd? Thanks.)
..
..

For Want of a Bar of Soap.

2011-01-06T17:05:00.011-06:00

I have lived in my house, "lo these many years."

I have paid for my house, or contributed towards its payment, I have painted its wood, mowed its lawn, and washed its windows. I have, for over thirty years, added my sweat and equity to this house in which my wife and I have lived. And she has turned out rather nicely, if I do say so myself.

Yet . . . yet, when I am searching, in this modest little house of ours, for a bar of soap, a simple, little bar of shower soap -- I can find not a one.

Oh, we have soap. We have soaps in many colors and shapes. Soaps wrapped in fancy papers, bearing fancy names. Some even wrapped in rough, corrugated paper with hemp bows tied around them. Impostors. Wolves in sheep clothes. I do not want these soaps.

I do not want to smell like oatmeal, or wheat, or honeysuckle, or shea butter. I do not want soap made from goat's milk or peaches. I do not want sand, or salt, or pieces of maple bark in my soap, and I certainly do not want lavender. But, right now, in my house I find all of the above and not one that bears the old names in which I am familiar.

Dial, Irish Spring, Zest . . . oh we few, we happy few . . . I know you are out there somewhere . . .

,,,,,

Best Of Fort Worth. 2010

2011-01-05T10:00:00.006-06:00

Food and Fort Worth's

Best of Fort Worth

(and a few worst, and one I'm really upset about)
2010

Best new retail and restaurant development: The West 7th and So7 (South 7th) developments have to be the biggest, and in my opinion the best, mixed-use development we have seen for many years. What the Target area south of Montgomery Plaza did wrong, West 7th has done right. The area south and west is developing now and adding to the whole cool vibe. Sundance Square, if I may say respectfully, feels a little touristy compared to what's going on at 7th Street.

Best Mexican Restaurant / upscale: I still think Mi Cocina's downtown is the most enjoyable upscale Mexican restaurant, when you look at it from food quality, service, location and price. Their recent corporate problems notwithstanding, I like to go there. Cantina Laredo is a pretty close second, but doesn't have quite the buzz of Mi Cocina's. Chuy's is a step down in atmosphere, but I liked their sauces and will be returning. Antonio's near the NorthEast Mall is an excellent upscale restaurant. I don't care too much for the location, though. I have not been to Lanny's.

Mexican Restaurant / larger, family owned: Benito's is a local favorite. I agree, it deserves the support it receives. Same with La Familia and La Playa Maya. I have tried dozens of locally owned Mexican restaurants but I always go back to one of these three. Maybe it's because I did not grow up in Fort Worth, but Joe T's has never been on my radar.

Sunni: El Asadero (Stockyards).

Mexican Restaurant / small building. Salsa Fuego was selected 3 of 50 in the "Best Mexican" in Texas Monthly magazine and it too deserves the praise it gets. It's a long way from my house so I have been only twice. But it's good. Melis, on Vickery is good for a quick taco or burrito. And El Pollo Regio on Belnap is really good -- okay it's not going to win any restaurant design awards but I love the half-chicken with beans and rice.

Mexican / Taco stand or coach

I like the coach at Lancaster and about Oakland. It's been rolling in and out forever. Three tacos, beans and rice for about $4, and man it's good. There's a new taco stand on Berry across from Fuzzy's. I have heard that it is good.

Mexican restaurant opening soon downtown: Los Locos? I think. Kind if hard to see and read the sign. I hope the food is better than the sign design.

Fajitas: The best fajitas in town, in my opinion, are at Pappasito's. Their Wednesday night two-for-one fajitas is a ridiculously good deal. Many of Pappa's dishes, including the cabrito and shrimp, are really good, as well. Uncle Julio's is a Pappasito's knock-off. It's good and well attended but it's just too noisy for me

Worst Mexican: Last year, I criticized the Yucatan Grill. They are, by all appearances, surviving well without me. This year we are giving the You call this Mexican food? award to Habenero's in south Arlington. It makes Yucatan Grill look good. God-awful food, with guacamole that I swear was made without an avocado.

Pizza: Cavalli's in Irving is the best in the DFW area. Il Cane Rosso, is a very close second. Patrizio's is good. Many of you like Rocco's. It's okay by me. The great thing about Cavalli's is that it is the least expensive and it is the best. Fireside Pies? Well, we won't go there for now. All of the above are southern-Italy style thin-crust pizza. The New York style pizza which I like is getting harder to find.

Jake: Il Cane Rosso at Times Ten Cellar

Frozen Yogurt: Yogurtland is my favorite because it is good and it is inexpensive. Only 30 cents an ounce. Yogolait and Menchies are both excellent, as well. I hope the fro-yo trend sticks. I love the stuff.

Bread: Let's talk about bread for a minute. Most of us love a good loaf of bread. In my opinion, Artisan Baking Co. bakes the best bread, cookies, scones and assorted baked goods in town. Period. The more I shop there the more I believe that. Artisan's bread has a wholesome, clean taste, it stays fresh five or six days when covered, it's moist, it has a perfect texture, and it works great for toast, sandwiches, or just sliced with butter. Proprietors Gwin and Mark Grimes have a bigger vision, though, for which they can be commended: they use locally grown products, like eggs, wheat, and milk. That's not an easy commitment to make when you are competing with modern "economy of scale" purchasing, but they do it nevertheless, and for the consumer it means a fresher, better tasting product.

Jake: Sweet Potato Rolls at Artisan Baking.

Red Rooster Bakery. We have been to Red Rooster twice and I like their traditional French bread. Crusty exterior and great texture. Red Rooster promotes their use of a 24 to 48 hour fermentation which gives their bread a distinctive flavor. I'm not a baker. I don't know what that means. But I like their bread.

Public Service Announcement: Please continue to support our local bakeries, coffee shops, farmer's markets, restaurants, and merchants of all kinds. Large and small.

Burgers: My current favorite is M&O Grill. Consistently good hamburgers. Five Guys on Hulen is new, and also one of my favorites, Smashburger is good, they are new, on University and in Arlington, and, drum roll please, In-N-Out Burger will be on 7th Street in 2011. I have not been to an In-N-Out, but everyone tells me they are good. Not new, but still good: Fred's, Kinkaids, Tommy's, Love's, Jakes. My least favorite "gourmet" burger is Dutch's and Pappas. Sorry, nothing personal, but that's the way I see it.

Sunni: Love Shack So7 Great burger with great atmosphere. Great place to take the kids.

Jake: M&O Station Grill

Coffee: Buon Giorno. New, with very good coffee. Buon Giorno roasts their coffee beans at their store in Grapevine. The Grapevine location has been operating for several years, in contrast to most independently owned coffee shops which have the lifespan of a tsetse fly. They must be doing something right. Avoca on Magnolia opens soon. Aduro Bean is a local roaster with excellent coffee for home brewing. Cafe Brazil will be coming to Fort Worth at TCU, soon. More on that as it develops. I still like McDonald's coffee in the morning. Starbucks: I have loved you, but please bring Sumatra back. Pike's Place is nasty.

Steak and "Finer" Dining: I'm just not doing much anymore in this category. People tell me good things about Bonnells and Eddie V's. And of course, Saint Emilion. Your comments most appreciated in this department.

Becca (E): We love Eddie V's bar for drinks, dinner, and music.

Jake: Bonnells. Fantastic, their grits are insanely good..

Sunni: Eddie V's- I just haven't uncovered any weaknesses yet. For cocktails, Tillman's bar area. Warm peanuts, good drinks and selection of beers on tap. For a girl's night out: Winslow's, especially on the patio by one of the fires if it's a nice evening.

Italian Restaurant: My father and grandfather owned and operated an Italian restaurant. It's hard for me to get spaghetti and meatballs out even today, probably because I want to to taste my grand-pops sauce and never do. Nonna Tatta, La Piazza, Ruffino's (under new management) get good reviews. I have heard good things about Taverna, downtown.

Stephen: Patrizio's for everything. Our favorite restaurant.

Newcomer of the Year: I'm going with Il Cane Rosso. That's good pizza.
Jake: Lunch at Terra Mediterranean Grill (started in Austin). Their babaganuesh is fantastic.

Barbecue: Angelo's on White Settlement is my old favorite. Cousins is good. Wilson's in the Meadowbrook area is my new favorite. Sorry Jenn, please don't stop reading.

Thai: Suk a Thai, in Arlington, is a repeat favorite of ours. Thai Tina gets good reviews from friends I trust, but I prefer Suk a Thai. I am never disappointed there.

Chinese: Like always: Help! I don't get Chinese food.

Best Hang-out restaurant-bar: Buttons on Hulen at I30.

Ice Cream: Braum's, $1.50 for a single dip of good ice cream.

Jake: Sweet Sammies (though they keep raising prices)

Favorite new fast-food: Jack in the Box Steak and Burrito taco. Not bad, not bad at all. I also like the KFC baked chicken breast. Very tasty.

Favorite Food Event of the Year: I doubt anything will ever surpass the Hatch Chili Festival at Central Market. I love the chili peppers, I love the pepper-filled air, and I especially love a hot, Hatch Chili sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Best Developing Street, 2010: 7th Street has developed far more and more enjoyably than I expected. I still love to walk along Magnolia and think its development is the most promising in the long term. But right now 7th has it locked up.

Best Developing Street Still in Development. South Downtown near the Convention Center, St Patrick's, and Houston Place Lofts.That will help tie together all of downtown.

Best Retail News of the Year: Barnes and Noble on University is staying open. Great news. Second best retail news: Central Market has been painting, cleaning and generally updating the store. And speaking of Central Market. I was pretty hard on them last year. The Fort Worth store, after nine years of pretty hard use, was looking run down and not quite maintaining the standard they had established -- but -- it's improving. They've cleaned, painted, and even repainted some of the needy areas. The aisles are less cluttered, the outdoor dining area is cleaner, the outdoor tables and chairs have been cleaned and varnished, and, the fresh food section has been updated a little. They had "set the bar high" nine years ago, maintaining that standard is harder than starting it, no matter what business you are in.

Hippest New Store I Will Never Visit: Anthropologie. New at University Plaza. The Anthropologie in Philadelphia is in the old Drexel family mansion on Rittenhouse Square. It's a beautiful building, but when I walked through the store a few years ago I got weird looks.

Hippest New Store I Do Visit: Apple

Hippest Store that I hope does well because she works hard marketing it but that I won't frequent because I'm too old: Dean-Kingston off 7th near La Familia. It's hard competing with the big clothing retail chains, you have to like it when someone does.

Best Beer in the USA: Stephen: Dogfish Head IPA. Wins national awards, too.

Fast-food I do not get: Chick Fil A. What is it about a bad slab of chicken, a pickle slice, and a cold, white bun that people like?

Places that give me the eeba-jeebas: Chick Fil A, World Market, Ulta, any mall, Marble-Slab, IHOP, Waffle House, old Burger-Kings, Wal-Mart, TCC campus in Hurst. I have no idea why, maybe some psycho-analyst will find a connection.

Places that give me good vibes: Omni Hotel, Apple Store, Barnes and Noble on University, Magnolia Street, So7, Central Market, St Mary of the Assumption, Downtown Fort Worth, Trinity River Walking path just north of downtown,

Kevin Buchanan

Best post by a Fort Worth weblog writer: Steven Wade Smith's, piece on the family dog, Cassie. Also, Kevin Buchanan's work on the light rail.

Best New-to-Me Fort Worth Blog: Horsebits. Filled with interesting links, book reviews, charts, business-related information, and opinion.

Coolest Fort Worth related graph of the year: Where Americans are moving?

Almost Best Addition to Downtown: Light Rail. Didn't happen. I wish it would have. Yes, I'm a Republican, yes, I prefer a limited civil government, yes, I wanted the light rail to pass, and no, I don't want to talk about it.

Favorite TV ad of the year: Apple TV ad. Apple gets advertising. Steve Jobs understands the TV "stimulus-response" medium. All the iPhone4 ads were good.

My favorite Radio Sports Talk: The Ticket, 1310 am. The Fan is making a run at them with the Ticket's former host, Greggo. Tough to beat Reins and Co. and I sincerely doubt they will.

Most Impressive Architecture: Dallas Cowboys Football Stadium. It may not be hosting a very good football team but it is one impressive piece of engineering. Best in Fort Worth is So7. It just works.

Greatest Sports News of the year: The Rangers beating the Yankees and making it to the World Series is not only my favorite event of the year but one of the highlights of my sports enjoying life. I still think about it. Second: ESPN's announcement to host their SuperBowl XLV show from Sundance Square. Very cool.

Favorite New Product of the Year (for us): Netflix, wireless, via the Wii. Love it. Cut the cable, too. Number two is the Kindle 3.

Worst Chain Restaurant Meal of the Year: El Chico's in Arlington on Collins. Just terrible.

Worst Movie I saw This Year. Expendables. The name says it all. Hey Sly. Dude. It's over.

Worst on video: Have You Heard about the F'ing Morgans? Booooring. And stupid, stupid, stupid.

Worst Sound of the Year: Click here

Trainwreck We Couldn't Stop Watching: Click Here

Best New Wine by the Glass: Becca: Times Ten Cellars, but don't forget Zambrano's.

Worst Tech Decision of the Year: GroupOn was offered $6 billion by Google and turned it down. Their IPO comes out late 2011. They're expecting to gen-up around 7 Bil from the offering, a little more than Google offered them. It all comes down to continued coupon sales which I do not think is a sure thing. Sorry, boys, there's already competition nipping at your heals. A $6B bird in the hand is worth more than . . .

Local Retail Store on My Pissed-me-off Radar: Half-Price Books. My son-in-law had his expensive graduate school classroom books stolen from the trunk of his car. A few weeks later my son found one of the books at Half-Price with the original purchase receipt in it, and with my son-in-law's signature on the receipt. It was his book. So... Half Price Books buys books that have been stolen and resells them? I thought that was illegal.

Food-related Words I will Never Use: Foodie and Yum. As I have said before, if you are a guy and you are using the word Yum, you need to stop.

What I would like to see in Fort Worth about once a year:

Getty Images

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Unchanged from last year's "Best of". Still the best:

View of Fort Worth: From the hilltop at Channel 5.

Best Bicycling: the bicycle/walking path on the north side of downtown.

Bagels: Yogi's on Hulen. They are good. The breakfasts are a little expensive for what you get but the bagels are still good.

Best Donuts: Pauls, off Magnolia. Good people, good donuts. Dale's gets lots praise from our readers. I love Dunkin' Donuts but the closest is in Hurst. Kountry Donuts on NW Hwy in Grapevine are the biggest donuts I've seen and very good. Whatever happened to the Krispy Kreme craze? They were always a little too sweet for me. My favorite donut is a fresh cinnamon and sugar cake donut, if you want to know.

Sandwich: Carshon's makes a good sandwich. Whichwich sandwich is a pleasant surprise for a chain store. For the money, Central Market probably still has the best sandwich in town, although I wish they had a "double the meat for a buck" deal like Subway.

Most Dependable Good Meal: Charleston's on Hulen. Okay, I'm 58 and 5 years younger than the average diner, but the food is still good.

Only Good Pool Tables in DFW: Dave & Busters / Dallas (also, real snookers table)

Beer Downtown: The Flying Saucer is still going strong. The Pour House opened on 7th St. this year and is busy, as did many others along 7th, like Durty Murphy's. Ginger Man still gets good reviews.

My favorite sushi: has always been Hui Chuan Sushi, on Camp Bowie. Blue Sushi Sake Grill on 7th is getting a lot of buzz. Confession: I haven't been out for sushi in a while.

Best Intimate Dining: Zambrano's downtown. Lili's on Magnolia. Both places: good people, great atmosphere, and good food.

Best Traditional Fine Dining: Since 1985, Saint Emilion has been serving Fort Worth traditional French cuisine. Same owner, same location. Great food, honestly priced. If you like a quieter atmosphere, good food, and personal treatment, this is the place.

Best Bookstore in North Texas: The used bookstore in Denton.

Best Bicycle Shop: Colonel's, on University. Panther City on Magnolia is closing, sorry to say, Trinity Bicycles is now open in the Magnolia Street area.

Most Under Appreciated Great Amenity: Trinity River Park, Botanical Gardens, Trinity River Trail. About 30 miles of paved walking and bicycling along the river and improving every year. Parks along the way. Tough to beat and not used much except along University.

Places that need your support:

1. Fort Worth Opera Festival, 2011.

2. Cowtown Farmer's Market.

3. Locally owned and operated shops, restaurants, bars, cafe's, bakeries, etc.

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"Best Of" ground rules:

Some restaurants or shops are my favorites every year. I separated these selections and placed them at the bottom of the list so that I am not boring you with what you already know.
Comment at will, please. Disagree at will, please. But mean-spirited or personal attacks will be deleted without comment.
The list is not exhaustive. If your favorite is not on the list, please tell me. I want to know.
The posts on this blog are my opinion. Sometimes it's an educated opinion, sometimes it's an impulsive reaction. I try to be civil and to treat every "reviewee" with respect, especially the ones I criticize. Sometimes, I get a little horsey, but not often.
With the above in mind let me say this: some weblogs, magazines, and newspapers, are one puff review after another. I find that annoying and dishonest. If everybody is the best then nobody is the best.
Names in blue are the favorites of friends and family: Jake, Sunni, Becca, and Stephen
Please add your favorites in the comment section and disagree at will. Thanks for stopping by.

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Congratulations, TCU. Rose Bowl Champs, 2011.

2011-01-01T23:04:00.001-06:00

Cafe Brazil Coming to Berry Street near TCU.

2010-12-31T09:48:00.003-06:00

Here's a link to the DFW.com announcement about Cafe Brazil.

I first saw it on Facebook, thanks to Gwin Grimes. The word is spreading fast.

Anyone who has attended a late night show, bar, concert, or opera in Dallas has made a late night foray into the Cafe Brazil world of omelets and such.

Anyway, they're coming to Fort Worth. Can't wait.

DFW. com Cafe Brazil link.

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A Quiet Sunday's Observations.

2010-12-26T13:05:00.006-06:00

Making lots of money is overvalued. Freedom from debt and unnecessary financial obligation is undervalued. It's not how much money you make, it's how much you keep after you've paid your bills.
All objects attract objects of their own kind. Cars, people, money. No matter where I park someone will park near me.No matter where I sit, someone sits near me. I do not understand this phenomenon.
My great grand-kids will have no knowledge of me or my life. What do I know about my grandparent's parents?
Everyone deserves "do-overs" in life. But life shouldn't be one do over after another.
Nature doesn't dispense anything in measured proportions.
Over-evaluating anything produces confusion and disappointment.
Contentment is a choice.
Being right doesn't justify being annoying.
The hurt we receive is the hurt we inflict.
Every generation creates its own hierarchy of virtues. (10b) The majority opinion is almost always wrong.

Merry Christmas One and All

2010-12-24T19:02:00.004-06:00

LO, HOW A ROSE ERE BLOOMING

Recording has some static but it was still my favorite.

From wikipedia: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, most commonly translated to English as Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming or A Spotless Rose, is a Christmas carol and Marian Hymn of German origin. The text is thought to be penned by an anonymous author, and the piece first appeared in print in the late-16th century. The hymn has been used by both Catholics and Protestants, with the focus of the song being Mary or Jesus, respectively. In addition, there have been numerous versions of the hymn, with varying texts and lengths.

2010-12-24T10:47:00.001-06:00

Pepper and Salt, Wall Street Journal, December 24, 2010

Our Best of Fort Worth, 2010 is coming soon.

I haven't had a comment in a week now . . .

2010-12-20T18:57:00.001-06:00

Talk amongst yourselves.

Texas expected to win more congressional seats with Census

2010-12-19T23:36:00.007-06:00

Fort Worth Star Telegram, Anna M. Tinsley, December 19, 2010

"By 2013, Texans likely will have three or four more congressional members than it has today."

"Any discussion where new districts would go and who would benefit is purely speculative right now," said Matt Leffingwell, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth. "All we know right now is that much of the population growth in Texas has been in the Metroplex." (Bold and italics from this blog)

Read more click here

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

2010-12-19T01:40:00.001-06:00

2010-12-17T12:04:00.002-06:00

Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2010

Buon Giorno Coffee. Fort Worth.

2010-12-14T17:59:00.012-06:00

Buon Giorno Coffee opened its doors for business on Monday, December 13. They took the recently vacated House Coffee Bar location, just west of downtown. I stopped by today to see the new digs and and to get a cup of coffee.

They had several blends in the self-serve carafes, I asked for a dark roast and was told to try the Papua, New Guinea blend. I did.

Perfect -- a really good cup of coffee.

Buon Giorno is also a coffee-roaster and sells fresh coffee by the half-pound and pound. Besides coffee and coffee drinks, Buon Giorno serves grill-toasted paninis, and pastries made at Main Street Bakery in Grapevine.

I hope that there is a place for the privately-owned coffee shop. There should be. I have never been a Starbucks basher; knowing I can get a good cup of coffee anywhere in the country is a service I appreciate. But local distinctiveness is lost when a business is run from 1500 miles away, to say nothing of the other benefits to the local economy a small business provides.

If Buon Giorno consistently serves coffee like they had today, I'll be going back often.
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Buon Giorno is open Monday through Saturday, 6:30 am until 10:30 pm in the week, and 7:00 am till 11:00 pm on Saturday nights.

Buon Giorno website

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Third Sunday of Advent

2010-12-12T14:01:00.001-06:00

Why I Like the Kindle 3. A Review.

2010-12-10T11:14:00.011-06:00

The Kindle 3 was a birthday gift.

The truth is, I did not know if I would use the Kindle after the initial blush of newness wore off. At fifty-eight years old, I don’t make transitions as easily as I once did. And reading is not as easy as it once was.

But the price is right at $139 for the wifi-only version, and we thought it was worth the risk.

Three months later: I have been using it and I like it.

Here’s what I Like:

It is easy to read in daylight, the text is crisp, and the font size and line leading is adjustable. All of that makes reading easier than a book -- especially for older eyes.
Books, magazines, and newspapers can be wi-fi or 3G downloaded in seconds. Many classic books are free. This seems almost too good to be true -- but it’s true and it works great. Books for purchase are less expensive than the same book in print.
The InstaPaper web app makes “Read later” possible on the Kindle. Love it.
Portable, well constructed, and the page movement buttons are large with just the right amount of tactile response.
Every book you are reading opens wherever you stopped reading.
Newspaper subscriptions arrive every morning, rain or shine, and remain in archive. Currently subscribing to the Fort Worth Star Telegram and Investor's Business Daily.
Amazon website is very good for Kindle users.
The battery life is reported at 10 days. That seems about right. The USB charger can be used at a normal house outlet or from your PC.
Storage capacity is more than I will ever use.
Light weight and fits in a large jacket pocket.

Dislike:

The experimental browser is very experimental. It's not exactly worthless, but it's close.
The Wall Street Journal / Kindle edition is more expensive than the print edition and is incomplete compared to the print edition.
The five-way cursor-mover button could be bigger and a little more responsive. It’s the button most often used and it’s the least user-friendly.
Getting in and out of books and newspapers can be a little tedious and cursoring down a list of books is cumbersome. We’re spoiled by the cursor movement of the PC and touch screen products. This is definitely a step backwards.

Suggestions if you buy:

Get the leather case with the light built in if you plan on reading at night a lot.
Read through the Kindle Guide book. There are helpful keyboard functions that make it even a better tool.
Set up your Amazon profile and get familiar with it.

Surprises:
It’s not back lit. I knew it wasn’t backlit but I still expected to be able to read it in the dark without a light. I know that’s stupid. But if you want backlit reading take a good look at one before you buy.
After a lifetime of reading with a printed and bound book it takes some adjustment just holding an e-book. It’s hard to explain unless you have used one. The leather holder helps because it has the same book feel.

Not Yet Tried
The Kindle 3 can be used for audio-books and has an earphone jack.. Have not tried.

Summary
The portability, ease of use, storage capacity, price, and eye-friendly screen and typefaces make the Kindle a keeper product for me.

If you use a Nook, Kindle, iPad, or other e-reader and have an opinion on their usefulness, please comment.

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Chef for Farmer's Market Dinner at Times Ten Cellars. Dec. 5, 2010.

2010-12-03T09:47:00.010-06:00

I am late in announcing this, nevertheless, this Sunday, December 5, Chefs for Farmers is hosting their second benefit dinner. Tickets, if they are still available, can be purchased from the Chefs for Farmers website. Here.

The idea of this dinner is to support the connection between our local restaurants and our local farmers, an idea that is hard not to like.

Ticket Cost: $150. Six-course, chef prepared meal with wine. Benefits Meals on Wheels in Tarrant County. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails begin at 3 PM.

Chef's participating:
Blaine Staniford – Grace
Dan Landsberg – Tillman's Roadhouse
Dena Peterson – Cafe Modern
Jon Bonnell – Bonnell's
Michael Morabito – Colonial Country Club
Zach Townsend - Pure Chocolate Desserts
Ryan Tedder - Grace
Gwin Grimes - Artisan Baking Co. Food & Fort Worth's very own. ( yes, that's a Ticket reference)
Jay Jerrier - Il Cane Rosso

Location: Times Ten Cellars, Fort Worth. (Just off 7th Street)

Chef's for Farmers website

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Virgin America -- Now Flying from DFW

2010-12-01T17:48:00.023-06:00

I heard a radio interview of Sir Richard Branson today.*

He's the British guy that owns everything that Mark Cuban and Bill Gates don't own. He's also the guy who's financing and developing space travel for anybody who has the $200,000 for a ticket. Peanuts included in price.

Branson's in town promoting the launch of Virgin America Airlines, which, as of today, is flying out of DFW to San Francisco and Los Angeles. His vision for flying is simple: "make flying good again."

All I can say is good luck. Air travel is cheap, but it's more about endurance than enjoyment these days.

American Airlines controls more than 85% of flights out of DFW, and as much as I appreciate what they do for the area, I believe we need the kind of competition that Virgin America will bring. DFW airport must agree, they offered Virgin America $2 million in incentives to enter this market.

The options are limited for now. Virgin will have two flights daily to San Francisco and two flights to Los Angeles.

Read more about Virgin America in the Star Telegram: http://www.star-telegram.com

Virgin America website

* yes, on the Ticket's Hardline.

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Fireside Pies. Well . . .

2010-11-29T10:39:00.033-06:00

This is a tough one.

We got off to a bad start. Our seating was a booth placed too close to a table of eight. My instinct was to ask for a different table but I didn't. My instinct was right because our server forgot to put in our pizza order. Our pizzas arrived twenty minutes after we had eaten our salads and appetizers. Too long.

But people make mistakes and I can deal with a lot when the food is good. So, let's talk about the food:

We ordered an appetizer: meatballs with marinara sauce. Five very small meatballs with a steamy, just-right tomato gravy (that's Philadelphia for spaghetti sauce). Really delicious, but they could be called meat-dots.

Salads: good, cold, fresh lettuce and other leafy vegetables.

Pizza: The pizza is Italy-style, not New York style. The crust is like Il Cane Rasso or Cavalli's. I liked it. Crispy crust, tasty, nice sauce and cheese. Baked in big 550 degree ovens.

Now the tricky part because I want to be fair to Fireside Pies.

Fireside Pies is a very good looking restaurant and bar. Beautiful woods, nicely finished, comfortable seating, Big cylinder-shaped pizza stoves. It's an attractive place to eat and the vibe is upscale pizza. It's a place for the younger business crowd to drink, talk, and enjoy good pizza. If that's what you are looking for I can understand going to Fireside Pies. But for me it's an expensive pizza restaurant.

The pizzas are in the $13 - $14 range, the salads in the $12 - $13 range, and the appetizers, $8 - $15. There were four of us in our party. We ordered one appetizer, two pizzas and two salads -- our server suggested that the salads and pizzas could be shared. But, we discovered, the pizzas are small for two people, especially at $14 a pie. Our bill was $64, without tip and without beer or wine. That's not bad for four people, but considering two of the party left hungry, I think it's expensive.

Put it this way, take off the appetizer, add a 20% tip and you're at $17.00 a person for a smallish portion of pizza and salad, and an iced tea.

Fortunately, any evening Marian and I have with our son, his wife, and their daughter is a good night for me. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate. If you have been to Fireside Pies, please comment.

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I rank the quality of the pizza in the restaurants that serve this style of pizza, thusly: Cavalli's in Irving, Il Cane Rosso at Times Ten Cellars, Fireside Pies, and finally, Patizio's at 7th across from Fireside Pies.

There are five Fireside Pies in the DFW area, including one in Fort Worth, and one in Grapevine.

Fireside Pies website
Fireside Pies - Fort Worth
2949 Crockett
Fort Worth, TX 76107

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1st Sunday of Advent.

2010-11-28T12:58:00.004-06:00

Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Caravaggio / 1595
Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome

Advent is the beginning of the Christian calendar for the Western Church. It starts four Sundays before Christmas Day, so the first Sunday of Advent is not a fixed date. The word Advent is from the Latin adventus and means coming and commemorates the coming of the Messiah and the parousia or the Second Coming of the Messiah.

In the United States it is common to refer to the "Christmas season" as the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year, but the Advent season and the Christmas season are distinct in the Church and have distinct liturgies, hymns, and rubrics. The traditional hymns of the Advent season testify to the expected coming of the Christ child, and the Christmas season, of his joyful arrival.

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"The scene, in the early Caravaggio painting, is based not on any incident in the Bible itself, but on a body of tales or legends that had grown up in the early Middle Ages around the Bible story of the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt for refuge on being warned that Herod the Great was seeking to kill the Christ Child. According to the legend, Joseph and Mary stopped on the flight in a grove of trees." Wikipedia.

Fort Worth Parade of Lights. 2010.

2010-11-26T12:34:00.000-06:00

Don't forget the annual Parade of Lights downtown. Friday night, November 26, 2010. And the lighting of the Christmas tree at 3rd Street.

For parade details, including the schedule of afternoon activities: Fortworthparadeoflights.org

From the Parade website:

The Sundance Square Christmas Tree will be illuminated following the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights presented by CHASE, at approximately 7:38 PM on November 26, 2010.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2010. And thank you for stopping by and contributing your thoughts to these pages.

2010-11-25T01:01:00.042-06:00

Every Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving Day, for over 40 years, the Wall Street Journal has reprinted two essays on its editorial page. The first essay, "The Desolate Wilderness," is a brief chronicle based on William Bradford's account of the Pilgrim settlement.

The second essay, "And the Fair Land," reminds us to remember our good fortune in a world not often so blessed.

I'm not sure that we can exorcise the cynicism that is a part of the age in which we live, at least I can't seem to, but I do think, especially on Thanksgiving Day, we can remember that we have much for which to be thankful. Like the Pilgrim standing on the Plymouth Rock, Americans still look hopefully towards the wilderness. That's just the way we are.

The following are excerpts from the Wall Street Journal essays. Links are provided if you desire to read the entire essay (both are short):

--------------The Desolate Wilderness -------------

Here beginneth the chronicle of those memorable circumstances of the year 1620, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton, keeper of the records of Plymouth Colony, based on the account of William Bradford, sometime governor thereof: So they left that goodly and pleasant city of Leyden, which had been their resting-place for above eleven years, but they knew that they were pilgrims and strangers here below, and looked not much on these things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, where God hath prepared for them a city (Heb. XI, 16), and therein quieted their spirits.

To read the balance of the editorial: http://online.wsj.com/article

------------ And the Fair Land -----------

Any one whose labors take him into the far reaches of the country, as ours lately have done, is bound to mark how the years have made the land grow fruitful. This is indeed a big country, a rich country, in a way no array of figures can measure and so in a way past belief of those who have not seen it. Even those who journey through its Northeastern complex, into the Southern lands, across the central plains and to its Western slopes can only glimpse a measure of the bounty of America.

And a traveler cannot but be struck on his journey by the thought that this country, one day, can be even greater. America, though many know it not, is one of the great underdeveloped countries of the world; what it reaches for exceeds by far what it has grasped. So the visitor returns thankful for much of what he has seen, and, in spite of everything, an optimist about what his country might be. Yet the visitor, if he is to make an honest report, must also note the air of unease that hangs everywhere.

To read the balance of the editorial: ttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB119

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i - THiS

2010-11-23T09:59:00.016-06:00

Okay, I admit it.

I have a little i-envy. But, it's justified.

I can't walk into my favorite restaurant without thinking that some undeserving diner is becoming its mayor because of the i-app, Foursquare.

I can't ask a friend where the closest Jack-in-the Box is without getting an, "excuse-me-while-I-whip-out-my-imap," response.

If I want to change seats on an upcoming flight I have break out my laptop, or even worse, call an 800 number, which is today's equivalent of yesterday's pay phone.

The problem is I don't really NEED an iphone/pad/pod. I wish I did, but I don't.

I've considered getting one of those high-pressure/make-contacts jobs that would require the appropriate i-gadget, but I haven't.

There's just no compelling reason for me to to i-up, as it were, unless one considers an iPhone-for-iPhone's sake a compelling reason to buy. (Does the iPhone possess an intrinsic value or an assigned value?)

Regardless, I guess I'll be like Aesop's fox who, when he couldn't reach the sweet-looking but high hanging grapes, walked away saying, "they were probably sour anyway" . . . but not on Apple's i-Phone.

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New. Chuy's on 7th Street.

2010-11-17T19:50:00.021-06:00

I'm not one to turn down a free meal, so when I received an invitation to the Chuy's Monday night pre-open I replied in the affirmative.

Before going, I scanned through the Chuy's website and learned that each restaurant prepares the chili sauces fresh, and that they use peppers from Texas and New Mexico, including the now famous, Hatch chili peppers.

Okay, now I'm ready.

Monday night: I ordered the Southwest enchilida dinner. That's a chicken enchilida with a spicy-hot, green sauce, and served with a fried egg on top. It was Deeeelicious. Marian had the chicken enchilada with a less spicy, green tomatillo sauce. I tasted the sauce from her dish. Again, very good. Both plates come with beans and rice.

The chips were light, the way I like them, and served hot and lightly salted. We ordered guacamole for an appetizer (hey, it was free) and I am happy to say that it, too, was good. It needed a little salt, and maybe some more chopped onions, cilantro, and peppers, but the avocado was fresh.

Chuy's salsa is pico-de-gallo-like and was my least favorite item. I prefer the more spicy-hot, but sweet, tomato-based salsa (think old, old El Chico's). That being said, Mexican salsa, like Italian spaghetti sauce, is very much a regional and family thing. As long as it's fresh I am happy. And it was.

Prices were in the $8 - $14 range, fairly priced. The portions: huge. If those are the normal portions, no one will walk away hungry from a $9 enchilada dinner. I did not have any of their hand made tortillas. My mistake.

The building layout, its design, and atmosphere are all fitting a new, mid-size chain of restaurants. It's a colorful, funky blend of the Southwest, Mexico, and Texas. I liked it.

Monday night's mood was festive, the restaurant was very busy, and everything seemed to be working well. I predict that this 7th Street location with its mid-range prices and Chuy's style of Mexican food will stay busy for a long time.

The biggest compliment I can give the Chuy's on 7th is this: I will be returning for that southwest enchilada dinner plate. It was very good.

http://www.chuys.com/
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Chuy's, the company, has been around a long time. They started in Austin in the early 80's, found success, and move outward from there. They now have about 25 restaurants, mostly in Texas, but also a few in the southwest USA. I think this restaurant is a nice addition to 7th Street.
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FAQ: What do you post if you don't like a "special invitation" dinner, considering it is free?
I won't post anything at first, I return for a paid meal and then post my opinion, good or bad. For more information see: Policies

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Wilson's Barbecue. The best I've had?

2010-11-06T15:31:00.012-05:00

Those of you who live in the Meadowbrook area as I do, will recall a little building at the intersection of 820 and Brentwood Stair which has housed every kind of eatery from fried chicken to fried donuts. The average lifespan for each is around three months.

It's now Wilson's Barbecue. I noticed it the other day, so stopped by for lunch -- and I hope it lasts a long time.

Is it the best I have had?

It's hard to say in one visit, but I will say this. Wilson's sliced beef barbecue sandwich was lean, juicy, tasty, and stacked high in the sandwich -- and the thought did run through my mind, "this might be the best barbecue sandwich I've ever had."

I ordered the dinner plate which was a good portion of sliced beef, pinto beans, potato salad, two slices of bread, and an iced tea. The potato salad was a little sweet and over blended for my palate, but good, nevertheless. The pinto beans were perfect. The beef was as good as you can get, in my opinion. Price: $11. Probably about what you'd pay at any good barbecue place, but a little higher than my normal lunch budget.

This is very good barbecue, if you've been, please tell me if you agree. Wilson's also serves the usual rib plates and the like.

Wilson's has two locations, one off Camp Bowie, and a new location on the Eastside at Brentwood Stair and 820. It's right off the freeway, next door to the What-a-burger .

Two Locations:
Wilson's Barbecue
5633 Lovell Avenue (after post note: Jake says this location is closed.)
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 763-9482 ‎

Interstate 820 & Brentwood Stair Rd.

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Two election graphics.

2010-11-04T15:47:00.009-05:00

I spend way to much time looking at election statistics and graphics. I need to justify the time somehow, so I thought I'd post two that I thought particularly well constructed. Republicans had a good day on Tuesday, some readers are happy about that, some are not; this post is not an editorial on the election's outcome but on the reporting methods.

As a side note, this is the first election that Twitter was a big part of, and in some ways, the first election web-based advertising and reporting made itself almost indispensable. That is, print, television, and radio are being forced to incorporate Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, etc.

If you have any thoughts on the subject, please comment. I think this is an interesting trend.

Back to the graphics.

The first image is pulled from a group of ten depicting Republican and Democrat swings in House membership for the last 50 years. It was produced by the New York Times. The link is here: NYTimes Wave.

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The second takes statistics from Twitter use and highlights the number of posts related to candidates running for governor or the Senate. It also is a creation of the NYTimes. Click Here

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Ranger Fan? Read this.

2010-11-01T13:39:00.005-05:00

Brandon Thibodeaux for The Wall Street Journal

Saturday, the Wall Street Journal ran a front page article on two Texas Rangers fans who have been believing in their team since day one, almost 40 years. The paragraph below is pulled from the article. To read the rest: Wall Street Journal article.

"When Tom Schieffer was president of the Rangers from 1991 to 1999, the nuns were never shy about giving him advice about how to run his team, he says, and which player "needed to pay attention to his personal life."
Sister Frances is no fan of former owner Tom Hicks, and was none too pleased when, in 2000, he signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year-deal worth $252 million. Hicks Sports Group was forced to sell the team in bankruptcy court this past summer.
"He didn't know beans from bull foot about baseball," Sister Frances says of Mr. Hicks."

Sisters Frances and Maggie attend every home game and they are still predicting the Rangers to win in seven.

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Halloween in Fort Worth. Food, entertainment, costumes and candy.

2010-10-26T09:23:00.019-05:00

Here are a few of the Halloween-themed parties and events I have noticed this year. If you have one you particularly like, let me know. The indented quotes are from the respective websites. Please confirm the dates and times.

Chipotle
Adults
October 31 / Halloween

"Come in after 6pm this Halloween dressed as a horrifying processed food product and we'll give you a burrito, bowl, salad, or an order of tacos filled with freshly cooked, naturally raised ingredients for only $2."

Central Market
Children -- Saturday, Oct. 30 – 2:30-5 p.m.
Adults -- Saturday Oct. 30 7:30 p.m.

"Bring your little ghosts and goblins down to Central Market Fort Worth for a cauldron-full of fun! Grab a scavenger hunt map and start out at the main entrance. You'll wind your way through the store, stopping at each Scavenger Hunt station to figure out a trick – and get a treat! Once you've visited all 7 stations, make your way out to the patio for our Bean Bag Toss, Cookie Decorating, Cake Walk and Costume Parade. We'll have treats galore and tons of fun for the kids at Central Market's annual Halloween Carnival.

Moms and Dads will want to hang around for our last night of live music on the patio of the 2010 season, featuring original rockin’ blues from Dave Millsap, 7-9:30 p.m."

Uncle Julio's
Adults and children
Oct. 22 - Oct. 31

"Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food has something for everyone this Halloween. Adults can enjoy limited-time Halloween Margaritas from Friday, October 22 through Sunday, October 31, while kids (12 and under) can compete in Uncle Julio's costume contest. The judging takes place at 5 p.m. on Halloween Day and the winner will take home a $100 Uncle Julio's gift card. In addition to showing off their scary outfits that day, kids in costume will receive a free kid's meal with purchase of a regular entrée after 4 p.m. Guests can also enjoy Uncle Julio’s famous pumpkin flan ($5.25), only available through Monday, November 29."

Fort Worth Zoo
Adults and Children
Oct. 25 - Oct 30

"Spiders won't be the only animals crawling around the Fort Worth Zoo. Bring the entire family out for some not-too-scary fun at Boo at the Zoo Thursday, October 25 through Tuesday October 30, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Children are welcome to wear Halloween costumes and enjoy of night of safe, fun-filled activities. This year's Boo at the Zoo features more than 10 treat stations, live animal presentations, a hay maze, live musical acts and much more!"

Sundance Square / Scat Jazz Lounge
Adults
Oct. 30

"Last year's 20's theme was a hit, so Scat Jazz Lounge is doing it again! And, they're upping the ante by bringing in the Sinapore Slingers Orchestra - THE band for this era! Costume contest, flapper girls, mobsters, and no prohibition. Scat becomes the Speakeasy it's really always been for this one-of-a-kind Halloween party. The fun gets underway at 9 p.m."

Artisan Baking -- In the baked goods category, Artisan Baking is baking Halloween cookies.

". . . we're keeping it simple with our all-natural decorated sugar cookies in holiday shapes like cats, bats, ghosts, pumpkins and leaves. They not only taste great, all the colors are naturally derived from vegetables, so no artificial colors or flavors are used."

To see the Artisan Baking October newsletter and for information on their Thanksgiving Day breads and desserts, go here: Artisan Newsletter

T.G.I. Friday's
Adults

October 29 - 31

Halloween is the perfect excuse for any adult to bring out their inner child. Donning a scary mask or flirty outfit is the new normal for adults of all ages. To kick off the Halloween weekend celebrations, customers can stop by their local T.G.I. Friday’s on 10/29 for a costume party and a free appetizer. To accompany the free food, special Halloween drinks like the Venom Crush and the Red Bull Bite will be available for $5 and $6, respectively.

Steak-Out Char-Broiled Delivery / Buy One, Get One Free Halloween special

"Through November 1^st, to help treat families to an affordable and convenient meal, Steak-Out Char-Broiled Delivery of Fort Worth, located at 2209 W Berry St, is offering customers a free kids meal with the purchase of one dinner entrée."

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My Failed Job Interviews

2010-10-25T09:39:00.039-05:00

Image: Psychology Today

If human resources departments gave grades for job interviews I would be given an F. That's right, an F for Failed, or another word that begins with the same letter.

I'm just no good at it.

I guess I have been fortunate. I had never needed to do a serious job interview until I was near fifty, then for whatever reason, I decided I needed to get a real job, the kind where you have to take tests, and answer scientifically chosen questions about yourself and your knowledge of the business.

And then to be interviewed, which was to become my stumbling block.

"Why do you want to work here at Schmedly and Sons?"

This is a tricky one. "Because I'm looking for a job you stupid SOB," is not the right answer.

"Tell me a weakness you have as it relates to business."

If I know that I am supposed to say, "I work too much and expect too little in compensation because that's the way my depression-era parents raised me," shouldn't I assume that he knows I am going to say it and that it's not true.

Once, when applying for a sales position, I was asked why I considered myself a good salesman. My answer was that I must not be a good salesman because if I was a good salesman I wouldn't be looking for a job. Wrong answer. I didn't get the job.

On another interview I was asked to talk about myself and my experience. I hate talking about myself, so I asked her if she had read my resume. She replied, yes, curtly, and asked me to talk about myself anyway. I said, read the resume, that's what they are for. Wrong attitude. She ended the interview.

The weirdest HR guy I ever met didn't say much of anything. He just smiled, nodded, and said, "go on," like a priest in the confessional. I soon ran out of things to talk about and by the third, "go on," I think I was rambling on about my kids and camping or some such nonsense.

Needless to say, I wasn't offered the job.

I do think it's about time for a more human approach to the hiring process, but even then, I doubt if I will be very good at it.

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