Yipes...

When I was 13 I was playing with my Legos and watching Punky Brewster. This 13 year old is just pimpin’:

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080324_wz_teenpimp.2278d8a4.html

JK Rowling didn't kill herself...

This just really ticks me off. It is not that she had thoughts of killing herself rather, it is the fact she felt (or the media felt) it necessary to tell the world about it. Does anyone really care that the wealthiest woman in The United Kingdom wanted to end her life years ago while incredibly poor and depressed? What does it matter now? She obviously did not fling herself off a bridge and I would say that she has done well for herself these days. I just don’t understand? Why bring it up now? There is absolutely no reason to. Is she looking for sympathy? Awwwww, poor JK! Poor thing was penniless and depressed, lets all feel sorry her! What the hell ever. She certainly got over it.

Forkboy on Easter Brunch...

Our good friend Michael threw a great brunch yesterday for his friends. I, personally, drank my weight in mimosas! We all chipped in and brought food and adult beverages. I made a cherry tomato salad with onion, basil, and feta. I also prepared a fabulous super gay blood orange and fennel salad with lemon vinaigrette. It was super good!!

Michael recently purchased the cutest house ever in Lakewood near White Rock Lake.

The food…
What I brought was, of course, excellent! Unfortch I cannot, in detail, remember what was all there. Due to the never-ending mimosa glass that was only empty once I cannot fully remember what all was there and who brought what dish. Over all the food was great!!

The Service…
The service was buffet style.

The Atmosphere…
Set in a 1950’s home that was very tastefully furnished. Everyone mainly hung out on the sizable deck in the back yard. Great friends and great food make for the perfect atmosphere!

Food: 5.0
Service: NA
Atmosphere: 5.0
Health Score: NA

American Airlines now offering in-flight happy endings….

OMG! I about DIED when I read about this. Just imagine waking up with spooge in your hair and a creepy dude jacking off while looking at you while in flight. D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G!!!! My question is did he finish and then start over? She woke up with DNA in her hair and he was still choking the chicken. I just cannot imagine anything like this happening (unless perhaps the story that LaNita told me about their subway ride the other day). Just GROSS!

http://startelegram.typepad.com/sky_talk/2008/03/woman-files-law.html

Ford Ad...

Sometimes I really love commercials and then sometimes I am like WTF? I have actually cried at a few American Airlines commercials and one Jeep commercial (then I went out and purchased a Jeep). Anyway, I came across this ad for a Ford Fusion. I love the ad but wtf? I would expect this from Jaguar or Mercedes Benz but from Ford? Ford just does not evoke passion or intrigue like this ad suggests. It is like putting a Picasso in a Double Wide. Click the link to watch:

http://www.adgabber.com/video/video/show?id=546804%3AVideo%3A85969

Forkboy on Grotto Ristorante...

Update: 7/15/2008 Grotto is closed.

Last night I and the Mr. dined at Grotto Ristorante in Uptown on McKinney Ave. I had always wanted to try it but it took a birthday dinner to get me there. I also pass by the place every morning on my way in to the office. So I and the Mr. decided to take advantage of the beautiful evening and take the M Line Streetcar to the restaurant. My first impression was “wow, what a huge bar!” The place just seemed to pull you in and welcome you. Grotto used to be independent but is now apart of the Landry’s chain.

The Food…
The menu reminded me somewhat of the long lost and severely missed Nero’s Italian on Lower Greenville. Dishes like Paglia e Fieno, Fra Diavolo, a great wine list, exceptional deserts really brought back fond memories of my favorite Dallas restaurant. The gigantic menu held a bevy of Italian staples. The Mr. had a Pizza Margherita (9.95). This pizza was about the size of a medium Pizza Hut pizza. Very thin crust with basil, roma tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. It was delicious. We often forget that pizza should be simple, easy, and not loaded down with a bunch of crap that is going to give you heart burn later. I was really in the mood for soup and decided on the Zuppa Mariata (5.95), aka “traditional wedding soup.” This was a blend of chicken broth, chicken meatballs, Italian greens, carrots, tomatoes, celery, and pasta served with a garnish of rustic bread. If there was chicken meatballs in this soup then I certainly wasn’t able to taste them or even find them. I didn’t send it back since I was at a table of twelve and did not want to be difficult. The soup was ok even without the chicken. The carrots and celery had a nice crunch to them, although I would have preferred them to be a bit more cooked. I think a hint of cilantro would have really brought out the flavors of the broth and greens. The soup was just "ok." The wine we had was very good. I had a Cartlidge & Brown Pinot Noir. I found it to be worth the $9 per glass fee. This wine was incredibly smooth and mild and just a delight to drink. The Mr. had the Red Diamond Merlot and it was equally as pleasing. I am not a huge fan of merlot but I liked this one. Not to heavy and overbearing. Next time I will skip the soup for a pasta dish-probably the Paglia e Fieno. We all passed around deserts. I highly recommend the cheese cake-it was like butta!!

The Service…
The wait staff was all pleasant and knowledgeable. For twelve people our waiter was good and no mistakes were made. I loved the fact that black cloth napkins were used. I hate white napkins. The waiter also refolded the napkin if you got up.


The Atmosphere…
The space is open and large but very inviting. The bar is at the front of the house and is a huge piece of black granite with mahogany everywhere. There is also a small area with a few tables and a roaring fireplace. And with the lights as dim as they were I just wanted to snuggle up near the fire. We sat by the open kitchen. Usually this would annoy me but not this time. The kitchen is separated by glass. I could see the chefs flipping their creations over an open flame. It was all fun to watch. Over all I was impressed with everything but the soup. I will definitely be going back.


Food: 3.5
Service: 4.5
Atmosphere: 4.0
Health Score: 90 (very good) as of 1/23/08

Grotto Ristorante
2222 McKinney Ave.
Dallas, Tx 75201

http://www.grottorestaurants.com/

The Tooth Fairy...

I came across an article today on the Tooth Fairy and the value of teeth. It got me thinking about when I was little. When I lost a tooth I would carefully place it under my pillow and would awake to a shiny silver dollar. I would be so excited. My mother would then tell me that she would keep it in a special place because silver dollars are special and should never be lost or spent. I believed her and handed over my silver dollar for safe keeping. Every time I lost a tooth I would get yet another shiny silver dollar and my mother would put it away for me. This went on for a while, at least until I lost my baby teeth. I was a fool. You see I would forget about the silver dollars. I knew they were kept in my mother’s bedroom, I even knew where, but I never though anything of it. Not until years later did I realize that both my brother and I had been taken for a ride. My mother was using the same silver dollar for each tooth. That woman owes me at least six or seven dollars.

Read the article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/03/12/toothfairy.economics/index.html

What a Sleeze...

By now I am sure ya’ll have all heard about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and his expensive little habit of ordering hookers at a cost of $5,500 an hour. This man has had an incredibly distinguished career of fighting corruption, injustice, organized crime, and yes he has been very successful in fighting prostitution rings. Jay Leno said it best: “Spitzer brought prostitution to its knees one girl at a time.” I have never understood why people who make the laws feel that they are above those laws. And why do the wives of these Politician’s stand by their men? Mrs. Spitzer looks incredibly PISSED in the pictures she has taken with her husband since the news broke. I saw an interview with her online. She was giving a tour of the Gov’s Mansion and she seems very cool and actually kinda hot! She needs to dump his ass and get her a 25 year old and write herself a book—she could make a fortune on top of the fortune she would take from her sleazy husband!!

Gas Prices...

It seems that gas prices in Dallas have now reached about 3.69 for regular unleaded gasoline! And oil has reached an unheard of, until now, price of $109 per barrel. I am so happy that I take DART. If you are looking for cheap gas prices around the area then check out this website : http://www.dallasgasprices.com. If you would like to learn more about DART then go here: www.dart.org.

Southwest Death(Air)lines...

I do not care for SWA. Never have and never will. It seems that the darling of the airline industry has been fined 10 million plus for flying cracked planes while the FAA knew about it. I feel this will get so much worse before getting better. Hopefully this will give a boost to other carriers. Why has the FAA overlooked this? Why has SWA been putting their passengers in danger with cracked fuselages? Read the latest at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/031108dnbussouthwest.3b2e20a.html.

"Git down ta binis..."

Thanks Kevo!!!!! (www.funnytexans.com)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s

Bowling...

Yesterday we closed our office early and went bowling. We do this as a chance to chill out with our co-workers and management also likes to think of it as a “team-building opportunity.” Initially I really did not want to go. The weather was bad and getting worse but I went. Free bowling and free beer! So why the heck not? Anyway, we went to 300 in Addison and I must admit that this was the nicest bowling alley ever! I like to bowl but do not always get a chance to do it. I usually suck at it. But yesterday I bowled better than ever. I averaged 110 and had a 152 game!! I was very proud of myself. Today I can hardly move. I am very sore from five games. I guess I should work out more (actually I should start working out period!).

Forkboy on El Fenix...

UPDATED 9/18/2008

El Fenix has been a Dallas institution since 1918. Founded by Mike Martinez Sr., El Fenix is the oldest family-owned Mexican food restaurant in the country. The original location is on McKinney Av. just north of downtown near Victory Plaza. I am convinced that the same people have been working there since 1918. I have been going there since I was a child. I always got the soft cheese tacos. Corn tortillas covered in melted cheese with onions. I thought I was in heaven when that steaming plate was placed in front of me! Ahhh, such fond memories. The formula has not changed much at all. The chips are the same thin and crispy goodness and I am sure that I have consumed about a ton of their salsa. It is so comforting that with all the uncertainty in this world that I can walk into El Fenix and enjoy a meal that hasn’t changed in almost 100 years. Senor Martinez also started the Mexican food revolution when he decided to inject a hint of Texas into his soft cheese tacos by adding Texas chili and hence forth the cheese enchilada came to life. The enchiladas are served with rice and beans. I have never been a fan of Mexican rice as it tends to be too coarse and dry for my taste. I usually have a bite or two and that is it. The beans are good but not my favorite. I prefer my beans a little more blended and smooth. A black bean substitution would be nice.

The Food:
The tortilla soup is seriously the best! But what brings me back every week is the Wednesday special. Two cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans all for $4.99!!! Add a few margarita’s and some good friends and you have yourself a great night in store! The enchiladas are just basic corn tortillas with cheese and onions and covered in chili. Just good old-fashioned down home Mexican cooking. Healthy? Of course not. The food sitting on that plate is simply a lovely mirage for the pound of lard that awaits ingestion. I don’t care. It is good and everyone else thinks so as well. There are many other dishes on the menu that I could try but why would you? The special and the soup are the best ever!

The Atmosphere:
The establishment is old and there are pictures of dead relatives hanging all over the place. There are ancient newspaper clippings about El Fenix hanging around as well. There really isn’t that much to the place except it just feels kind of homey and relaxed. Everyone eats there from the poorest to the wealthiest of Dallasites.

The Service:
Many of the wait staff have been working there since the dawn of time. Prompt and friendly service is standard. On Wednesday the special is served just as soon as you order it. Nothing fancy at all.

Food: 1.0
Service: 4.5
Atmosphere: 3.5
Health Score: 97 (very good)

Snow in Dallas...

I am sure that Wal-Mart is cleaned completely out of food. The mere mention of the word "snow" or, even worse, "ice" makes people around here crazy. They immediately run out to Wal-mart or other stores and stock up like the end of the world is coming. If this was Fargo I could see the justification to stocking up but this is Dallas. The snow, if it even sticks, will be gone in a day. Ice stays around a little longer but still.......there is no reason to stock up with 10 loaves of bread and 8 gallons of milk. If you don't believe me....go to you local grocery store and check out the bread isle.

Slow the Fuck Down...

Last night a small dog was hit by a taxi in front of my building. My first reaction was to kill the taxi driver but it seems that the leash that was on the dog broke. So really it was not the taxi’s fault at all. The reason for my initial reaction towards the driver was that it seems Jackson St is the new Autobahn. People speed down the street like they are fleeing some sort of global catastrophe. There is a crosswalk with a one measly flashing yellow light. Hardly anyone pays any attention. The area is heavily populated with residents and thousands work in the adjoining AT&T towers. I am surprised that a person has not been hit yet. Give it time…I am sure it will happen. There is no reason to drive so fast. If anyone is going to hit someone it will most likely be a valet. I think I might start a petition for a speed bump at Jackson and Browder. If you live and /or work in the area and agree then send me an email!!!

The Gayest Songs of All Time...

http://gawker.com/364256/the-gayest-songs-of-all-time

This is gonna be bad ya'll...

I would hardly call this the "most anticipated motion picture of the year."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEon9IGYabM

March 4th Primary...

Don't forget to vote today!

Forkboy on Urban Cafe...

Urban Café began about two and a half years ago. It shares the first floor with a bar and Urban Market at the Interurban Building in Downtown Dallas. Coincidentally I live in the same building six floors up. The convenience factor is off the chart! If I am hungry or want a drink and just want to hang out then I head downstairs to Urban Café (usually the bar area). The Café has seen its share of managers and chefs. There has always been a hint of instability in the restaurant but that seems to have changed with the new management. The food is comfortable with a hint of southwest and tex-mex. This is evident in the fire roasted tomato salsa, fresh guacamole, and queso offerings. The nachos are wonderful. A huge pile of hot, thin tortilla chips with all the fixins including creamy refried beans.

The menu really has not changed all that much from the time the café opened. There is a Sunday brunch that is decent. I am particularly fond of the biscuits and gravy. Big ol’ biscuits with sausage cream gravy. Order the gravy on the side because you will get more. My opinion is that the gravy should completely cover the biscuits. Overall….very tasty. There used to be a kids menu that I miss greatly! The fried chicken fingers were the best ever!!

Breakfast:
The breakfast tacos are a favorite among the downtown crowd. I particularly like the basic bacon, egg, and cheese taco. American cheese, eggs (scrambled soft), and thick cut bacon. The thick slices of bacon make the taco! I also like the potato egg and cheese taco. There is a chorizo taco that is good but does not set well with my tummy. All tacos are $1.99 and are served with salsa.

Lunch/Dinner:
There is a great selection of salads and sandwiches available. My favorite is the 3-Layer Club (7.95). Fresh bread and great meat (they only use Boar’s Head). It is just a good sandwich, period. I was less than impressed with the Texas Cheese Steak Sandwich (7.95). It was ok but had more peppers than it needed (actually there should not be any peppers on it) and the roast beef seems far to dry. The only redeeming quality was the pepperjack cheese. The salads are huge and in my opinion count as a meal just by themselves. Stay away from the Taco Salad (6.95). It is super greasy. I am not a fan of the Black Bean Corn Relish that is mixed into it. The corn just seems completely out of place and tasted odd to me. More substantial offerings include the quesadilla’s (6.95-7.95) and the chicken fried steak (8.95). The best quesadilla on the menu is the Spicy Chicken Chipotle with grilled chipotle chicken, poblano peppers, onions, cheese, and jalapeños. This dish has some major kick and if you have heart burn issues then you might want to take your meds before ordering this. I order it without the poblano peppers because they tend to talk back to me within an hour or so (if you know what I mean…). Without the peppers, the dish is very enjoyable and still spicy and juicy. The crown jewel of southern cooking, specifically Texas, is the coveted Chicken Fried Steak. The CFS is so important that magazines run CFS specials (D Magazine just ran their CFS edition a few months ago). The best CFS is at the original Black Eyed Pea on Cedar Springs Rd. Urban Café’s CFS is fairly close in my opinion. Their CFS is a large and thick piece of meat surrounded by a golden brown crust. The steak is so tender that you don’t need a knife. Nothing gets on my nerves more than when a CFS is served with a tiny bit of gravy. I do not want to see my CFS. All I want to see is the gravy covering the CFS. So order the gravy on the side as you tend to get more gravy that way. The CFS also comes with toast and mashed potatoes that look like they belong on an elementary school plate (think ice cream scoop shape). They are a bit dry so cover them with gravy and all will be good. I would like to see Texas Toast instead of the whimpy slices of toasted white bread. Again, cover those in gravy as well! Over all the food is decent and the atmosphere is great. A large open space with lots of natural light greets you when you walk in. You can sit and watch the passers-by in comfort. There is also free wi-fi available.

Service:
There is none. You place your order at the counter and take a vibrating thingie and find a table (think Café Express). The vibrating thingie starts vibrating and you go up and get your food. Very easy and quick.

Food: 3.0
Service: NR
Atmosphere: 4.0
Health Score: 91 (very good)

Urban Cafe
1500 Jackson St.
Dallas, Tx 75201
http://urbancafedallas.com/

A Rough Landing...

ok, planes should never land sideways.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/03/germany.plane/index.html

Cooking with Karen...Test...and Intro

This is a test video and a small intro.  The audio is a bit odd so I will be playing around with that for now.  And the jingling you hear at the beginning and end is Moses.  I will need to take his tags off during production.  I need a theme song.......any ideas????

Forkboy on Taco Diner...

Ok, I said my first review was going to be Urban Cafe. I changed my mind. Last night Ron and I took the train to Target to buy a hack saw. But on our way back down to the depths of the underground station I thought it would be a swell idea to go and get some gelato at Paciugo in The West Village. The weather was fabulous and everyone was out. We had our ice cream and decided to take the M-Line Trolley back downtown. While waiting for the trolley we could smell the aromas from Taco Diner. So we decided to have dinner there. I had never eaten there and was looking forward to it since all I ever hear are great things. The place was packed both inside and outside. One thing about Dallas....good weather=a packed patio. We ended up eating inside. Ron went in and ordered us margarita's on the rocks while we waited.

Our table was now ready. The inside of the restaurant was very simple and bright. White leather booths and white tables. The music was a bit loud but the tunes were great so I didn't really mind that much. Of course, chips and salsa were brought to the table. The chips were ok, I have had better. They were a bit thick with an uneasy crunch. My first reaction was that they had been sitting out way to long. Two different styles of salsa were available. A red salsa made from charred tomatoes, jalepeno's, and garlic. It was good. The second salsa was FABULOUS! Salsa Avocate is a pale green, room temperature salsa made from avocado's, lime juice, and chili's. I wish I had asked to take some home. It is not very spicy and has the consistency of a slightly thickened soup. Absolutely the best, non-texas style, salsa I had ever had the pleasure of consuming.

The Margarita's:

There are all kinds of different Margarita's available. In my opinion any Mexican or Tex-Mex establishment should focus on their house margarita instead of the froo-froo crap some places like to call their speciality. Taco Diner's house Rita on the rocks (with salt) was excellent. Served in a tall glass this Rita was so smooth and did not have that shock of acid with each sip. I think that a house Rita at $8 is a little steep but it was so good I didn't care. We both had two each!

The food:

Of course I wanted to try the tacos. For $9.45 you get four tacos and rice. The tacos come wrapped in corn tortillas. The meat is inside the tortilla and you put it together yourself. Let me tell ya.....this ain't Taco Bell! I ordered two Carne Bistec (grilled steak with olive oil and garlic) and two Puerco al Pastor (pork loin marinated in achiote citrus marinade). The Bistec was tender and cooked perfectly. Although I would liked to have tasted a skosh more garlic. The Puerco seemed a little overdone but still was tasty. The use of garlic and citrus though is perfect for pork.

The service:

The restaurant was PACKED! But our wait was only about 10 minutes. I would like to have sat outside but thought that it would have been a much longer wait. The service was good. Even thought the place was full the waiter answered my questions and was attentive. Most importantly...he left us alone.

Overall, Taco Diner was a great dinner. I will certainly be going back.

Food: 3.0 on a scale of 1-5

Service: 3.5

Atmosphere: 3.0

Health Score:* 90 (very good)

*Health scores are provided by the City of Dallas

I need to find some tiny fork symbols and yes I used the word skosh.

Taco Diner

3699 McKinney Avenue Suite 307

Dallas, Tx

http://www.mcrowd.com/tacodiner.shtm

Cooking with Karen...

I love cooking shows and have always wanted to have my own.  With my Mac and iMovie now I can!!!  I have decided to start my own show in my own kitchen.  The name of the show will be Cooking With Karen.  The reason I am calling it that is because my friends call me Karen.  As in Karen Carpenter since I am so skinny.  They tell me to eat a sandwich.  Anyway, I thought that would be the perfect name.  So I will soon be posting a video blog once I learn how to edit on iMovie.  Basically I will be using the camera on my Mac to record the cooking and I can use iMovie to edit for time and content and also add music and credits!!  I hope to have something posted by the end of next week.  

Forkboy...

While I was in college and living on campus I ate most of my meals in the crapateria.  During my stint there management erected a cork board and solicited for comments.  From this Forkboy was born.  I became the Midwestern State food critic.  Oh how I wish I had saved my commentary--journalism gold I tell you!!  GOLD!  

Anyway, I love to eat out and try new restaurants.  I have been somewhat bad about trying new places lately but hope to try something new every week.  For now I will comment on places that I have already tried.  So I am, henceforth, bringing Forkboy back from the dead.  The posting will be Urban Cafe so look for this in a day or so.