AT&T...

AT&T recently announced that they will be moving their corporate headquarters and 700 employees to Downtown Dallas. This marks the second HQ move in a year. Recently Comerica Bank moved into the former Bank One Tower. The City of Dallas is giving AT&T about 6 million in tax subsidies to move here. To me that does not make much sense because they already have 4 sky scrapers downtown (all of which are right next door to where I live). I guess they have their reasons. But overall, it is very nice to see more businesses moving into downtown.

I am back!

Sorry everyone but I have been on haitus for a while. I have many things to post about! I also have a new Cooking with Karen in the works!

Hello Dolly...

The storm is here. Hurricane Dolly is now a category 2 . Luckily the power here is still on. However the itensity is getting worse. What is worrying us is that Dolly has stalled and it just might head slightly north of Brownsville. If that happens then we will probably leave Port Aransas. We are already in the red zone and the surf is at 12' and expected to be 18'. There are tornadoes in Corpus Christi. So, we are going to stay for right now. We have had one major band come in and the rain was sideways and doors inside the house opened by themselves. The pressure was really bad. But now it has let up for now.

A Storm is a-brewin'...

Oh lovely, a hurricane is headed our way! Right now it is tropical storm Dolly. It is expected to be a category 1 hurricane before it hits this afternoon. Port Aransas is under a hurricane warning but there are no evacuation being ordered. We are staying. Actually we can't wait! All the bars here are thrilled as it should be a huge party. Some businesses are closing and boarding up. The clouds are coming in and we will head down to the beach in a while before the rain hits. A few years ago we were here during hurricane Emily and we had a blast.

Vacation Time...

I know I have not been very diligent with the blog lately. There has been many things going on at work that have kept me from my ninja duties. We had our quarter end and it was a mess, I have finally finished the after effects of the quarter end and now I am interviewing for a promotion at work. Second interview is tomorrow!

Fortunately I will be on vacation all next week. I will be in Port Aransas for my yearly trip to the beach. No computer, no phone (minimal actually), no tv, no nothing!! Just me, a book, beer, and sand. I cannot wait to get recharged. When I get back I will definately have new Cooking with Karens in the works, food reviews, and trip memories to share.

The Invasion Has Begun...

Every year the ladies in pink arrive in late July to attend their annual cult meeting at the Dallas Convention Center. Yes folks, the Mary Gay Kay convention has arrived. For three weeks there will be nothing but perpetually smiling ladies (and a few men) dressed in shades of pink all over the place. Downtown will look like it was washed in Pepto Bismal.

Although slightly annoying as it is the Mary Kay convention does pump lots of cash into the local economy. This year’s theme is “Celebrate the Dream”—blah blah blah.

There are more than 35,000 attendees with 6 million in prizes to be given away. These folks rent 46,000 hotel rooms (this number is odd since there are only 35,000 attending). 829 lucky Mary Kayers will take home the pink Cadillac. Last night we went to El Fenix for dinner and the waiters were all wearing pink ties and the tables all had signs welcoming the convention. So for the next three weeks, downtown will be tickled pink. And I cannot believe I just wrote “tickled pink.”

Forkboy on Hook, Line & Sinker

I love fish. I love catfish. I especially love catfish when it is deep fried. The best catfish I have ever had was in Colorado. We would catch the fish ourselves in a creek behind the house and then fry it up that evening for dinner. Nothing like catching your dinner! What comes somewhat close is a quaint little urban-esq hole-in-the-wall called Hook, Line, & Sinker. The restaurant has a “fishing hut” feel about it. When I am eating there I get disappointed that when I look out the window there is not a large body of water staring back at me. There are misters on the patio but that isn’t really the same thing as a lake. Oh well.

The Food:
I just love when 90% of the menu is fried! I usually get the 2 piece fillet basket ($6.25). This includes two fresh catfish filets, four hush puppies, and fries. Nothing is cooked until you order it. The fish, fries and pups all come out steaming hot! The fish is flakey, moist, and has been deboned. The hush puppies are good but taste a little starchy. They could use more seasoning. That does not keep me from eating all of mine and all of Ron’s. I love hush puppies! You can also get the same basket with fried shrimp. The shrimp are huge, juicy and full of flavor. Anything you get fried will not be greasy. I don’t know how they do it but there is not an ounce of grease anywhere. And when I am feeling really in the mood to eat I order the Snow Crab and Boiled Shrimp (market price but usually around $18-$20). You get a pound each of the crab and shrimp with new potatoes and corn-on-the-cob. This is a lot of food and is perfect for sharing.

The Service:
The service is easy but can get really crowded. You order at the counter (from which you can see the entire kitchen), take a vibrating coaster and find a seat. During peak times HLS is so packed that I refuse to go. I will go at 11AM for lunch and be the only one in there. If you eat outside then you order inside and pick up your food outside. The service is overall friendly and fast.

The Atmosphere:
This place is very simple with a nice open and comfortable feel. HL&S is nothing fancy at all. Just about all walks of life dine here. Go during off-peak times because the place is packed!

Food: 3.5
Service: 3.5
Atmosphere: 2.5
Health Score: 94

Hook Line & Sinker
3103 Lemmon Ave.
Dallas, Tx 75204

Coors beer bottles...

Coors Brewery has come out with new packaging. You know your beer is cold when the mountains on the bottle turn blue. I know another way to tell when my beer is cold…..by touching it. How God damn lazy can one be? This new gimmick only benefits those few individuals with no sense of touch. The only other people who just love this are those who buy sofas with coolers built into them. This is truly one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I guess I should not complain since I don’t drink Coors considering it tastes like pee.

White Hole...

There is a Dallas City Hall blog over at the DMN that I love to read. This particular blog entry has to do with John Wiley Price. Yes, the ignorant jack-ass is still at it. It seems that the county commissioners were discussing issues with the central collections office (think traffic tickets):

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.
Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."
That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

I cannot believe that someone has not buried JWP, who is black, somewhere in the Trinity River. The blog did not say whether or not Mr. Mayfield, who is white, apologized and if he did then shame on him.


7/9 UPDATE:
Commissioner Mayfield has no intentions of apologizing!! Good for him!!!!

Mayfield remains unapologetic about his use of the word.
"Anybody who's offended by that statement needs serious psychiatric help,"

It seems that everyone else is on Mayfield's side. Which means that about 95% of Dallas County believes that Joh Whitey Price is a fucking idiot.

No Longer Loyal...

In just a couple of weeks I will be headed to Port Aransas for my yearly week of sitting my ass on the beach and drinking cheap beer and boxed wine. I am flying to Austin then heading down from there. I will not be flying on American Airlines. The airline as discontinued its service from Love Field to Austin. I would have to fly out of DFW. It takes longer to drive/train to DFW from downtown than it does to actually fly from DFW to Austin. I am also fed up with the lateness of AA. But the largest factor here is the price. Booked 2 weeks in advance the round trip on AA is $445.00 for a 30 minute flight. Sorry American, but it is time for a divorce. So I will be flying Southwest from Love Field at a price of $150.00. I still think that is a little high but I think that coming back on a Friday is what is causing the price increase. Oh well, at least it isn’t 445.00.

Pink Eye...

My poor beloved has a raging case of pink eye. I feel so sorry for him because he is in pain and miserable. He even got an eye patch and looks like a pirate! Due to his prolonged conjunctivitis his eye is the color of blood and is so swollen. Every time he blinks or basically moves his body his head pounds. When looking at him I ask myself, “I wonder when he had his Borg implants removed?” He is getting better. I threatened to kill him in his sleep if I got pink eye. I am headed to the beach (sans RonStar unfortunately) in a few short weeks and if I get pink eye I am just gonna open fire. Really though, it isn’t his fault. I think that he caught the bug when we went to the Choctaw Casino. But how seriously cool would it be if all of a sudden some Borg nano thingie popped out of his eye!

Just too damn lazy...

Some lazy kids in Salt Lake City decided to start their own protest over high gas prices. The reason? The family needed to cut back expenses in order to pay for gas so they cut the cable television and now their two daughters are protesting. The last time I checked it was summer in Utah and school is out. Why not get off your lazy asses and go play?

When my brother and I were their age we were outside all the time: playing, swimming, shooting each other with bb guns, climbing trees, and riding our bikes all over the city. In fact, I would sometimes walk or ride my bike to the movie theater and watch .50 cartoons or I would find some creek to go play in. I guess by today’s standards the actions I listed are completely dangerous and will cause irreparable harm to children. Whatever, I turned out just fabulous. Most kids (and some parents) today are just total wussies!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_KID_PROTEST?SITE=TXDAM&TEMPLATE=STRANGEHEADS.html&SECTION=HOME

The Bridge...

Well I cannot believe it! After what seems like an eternity, the City of Dallas has finally started on the new Margaret Hunt Hill bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. The Mayor wasn't kidding around when he said it was time to get this Trinity River Corridor started!

Cooking with Karen...

Hey all,

CWK will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks. We are in the middle of an incredibly busy time at work and I will not be getting home until very late. I will get right back to it as quickly as I can!

Karen

Adios Reunion...

Reunion Arena will soon be a pile of ruble. The City of Dallas has decided to demolish the 30 year old arena. I have fond memories of going to the circus, hockey games, the ice capades, and numerous other events. Since the American Airlines Center opened the traffic over at Reunion has been slowly trickling down to nothing. The only events lately booked there were religious gatherings and a Barak Obama rally. I speculate that the arena will be torn down before summers end. People are speculating what they are going to put there. I am pretty sure that it will be apart of the new Trinity Toll Way bull shit. You know, they are putting a freeway in the Trinity River but that is an entirely different blog.

So long Reunion Arena! You have had a good life but now you are just the ugly step child of AAC.

Click the link below for pictures from the DMN:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/pt/slideshows/2008/06/pho_22reunionarenahistory_2008/

Ron the strong arm...

No question about it, Ron is a big strong man. I fear not when I am with him. His commanding presence is felt by all. I am worried though that he will eventually break everything we own. At times it seems that he does not know his own strength. My gentle nudge does nothing. His gental nudge sends me on a collision coarse with the wall. There is also likely to be an antique of some sort in my way as I desend. Why, just the other morning his alarm goes off at 5:30 am.
His push of the snooze button sends the alarm sailing off the night stand waking the neighbors both next door and under us and me.

Garden & Gun...

Last week I had dinner at the Urban Cafe and there, on the bar, were two magazines. The first was Dwell and the second was Garden & Gun. I had seen Dwell before but had never heard of G&G. Curious, I began to thumb through it and found it to be entertaining. It was certainly southern. There was a special article on Sweet Iced Tea. I just knew that I had to read it. After reading it I was a bit dissappointed that there was no mention of a gun but I certainly had a hankerin' for a tall glass of tea. The next article was a riveting black and white photo spread of the Water Women of Cedar Key. Apparently these women make a living digging for clams and oysters. And finally, there was the article about Beauregard Turner, the son of Ted Turner (you know, Jane Fonda's ex-husband). He looks totally gay and even gayer with a 100 year old 12 gauge shotgun flung over his shoulder. The article was very dull. It went on and on how he runs land acquisitions and his love of children and hunting and hunting with his children at his home Avalon Plantation. Perhaps we should name our loft, something dramatic would work. I am certainly not going to hurry out and order a subscription but I did enjoy the magazine.

Williams-Sonoma = Porn…

I become giddy and wide-eyed as a little school girl every time I walk into a Williams-Sonoma. I could do some serious damage in that store. Why do I have such an addiction to kitchen ware? Luckily I have my wits about me enough to not buy crap. I hold out for the higher-quality appliances and wares. I want my stuff to last! I was in there earlier today just browsing and found at least 4-5 things I want NOW! Unfortunately the 4-5 things would run a grand total of around 800-100 dollars. I want to complete my Wustoff knife collection, add a Kitchen Aide stand mixer, several cookbooks, several small specialty gadgets, etc. Oh well. There is no need to stock up on stuff I really don’t need. Perhaps I could write it all off as a business expense for Cooking with Karen. Eh, probably not.

Cutting back...

I have been complaining about my growing waist. Lack of exercise, work, bad food choices, work, getting married, work, etc have contributed to my weight. Well, this past week I have been really cutting back. For breakfast I eat wheat toast, for lunch I have been eating less (portions the size of my fist) and for every diet coke I have I drink 2 large glasses of water. For dinner I do the same, eating better choices, eating out less, and no alcohol. I had a greyhound on Monday because it is low in calories and sugar. Well the grapefruit juice in the beverage has broken my mouth out in sores to the point it hurts to drink or eat. Anyway, I am now able to button my pants and shorts!! I am going to continue this although I would kill for a margarita!

Cooking with Karen...

Caesar Salad with Pancetta

2-4 servings

Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce, washed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup pancetta, cooked

Dressing:

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 tsp dijon mustard (country style preferred)

1 clove of garlic

3 anchovies-optional

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Dice pancetta in 1/2 inch cubes and cook over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes until brown and crisp.  Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Wash romaine lettuce and cut into cubes

Dressing:

Combine egg yolk, mustard, garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor. If using anchovies then omit the salt.  Pulse the machine several times until the mixture is combined through.  Add olive oil and pulse until mixed through.  

Toss salad with dressing until leaves are coated.  Add pancetta and 1/2 cheese and toss.

Enjoy!

Forkboy...

Forkboy has been kinda dormant lately.  Actually he has been eating at home-mostly.  Look for a new review on Hook Line & Sinker soon!  

This is so going to pass...

The Dallas city council is overwhelmingly in favor of a total smoking ban and I say get that bill passed pronto!! Dallas already has a smoking ban in place for most public spaces but now they want to extend it to bars and clubs. I can't wait! This goes in front of the council in August and will probably be law if it passes by the end of this year.

Choctaw Casino...

We felt the need to get out of town. Even if for just a few hours. We were supposed to attend a birthday party but decided instead to head north to Durant, OK with some friends to gamble at Choctaw Casino and Resort. I am not certain just what their definition of "resort" is.

We left around 6:30 and we were starving. We stop in Sherman, I think, at McDonalds because everything else looked just way to "k"ountry. Have you seen that video with the retarded kid singing "Ding, fries are done....would you like an apple pie with that?" If not then click the link at the bottom. Well, the dining experience was like that. I ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, dry and got blank stares from William who looked like and sounded like a girl but had one of those chins reserved for morbidly obese, which he wasn't, or someone like Corky from that tv show whose name escapes me.

Anyway, after eating at the special McDonald's we get to Durant, OK. We go in and the place was packed! This place ain't Vegas. If you do not smoke then a few moments spent in this casino now qualifies you as a chain smoker. Luckily there was a non-smoking room however, it resembled the special kids table in high school. Ron and I set a high-rolling budget of 20 bucks each. We work hard for our money and would rather not flush it down the drain. I love playing the nickel and quarter slots so that is what I did. On my first bet I won $17 and was content on being done for the evening. Overall, I lost it all. The biggest disappointment/relief was that this was a non-alcohol serving casino. Had there been booze involved then I am sure we would have had a better time while dropping next month's rent payment. Since there was no booze served then we left after about an hour. At this point we just could not breathe with all the smoke. Unlike Shreveport and Vegas this place did not have the nice air filtration systems.

Overall, we had a good time. We consider our losses a mere donation to the Choctaw tribes of Oklahoma. Now I am off to buy Nicorrette.

Ding! Fries are done:

Getting by without a car...

There was a CNN poll that asked “Can you get by without a car?” 15% said yes and 85% said no (out of 53,393 votes). What they should be asking is “Do you WANT to get by without your car?” I have a feeling that the percentages would stay relatively the same. Living in cites with mass transit is really a blessing. Cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have it made! Dallas and Atlanta have very sophisticated, young mass transit systems that, while not near the scale of NYC or Chicago, get people to and from many destinations stress free, quick, and cheap. I know many people who would rather die than give up “their God given right to drive.” And these are people who cannot really afford $4 gasoline (really $3). Why spend 200+ dollars a month when you can spend 50 a month for a DART pass? Just makes no sense to me to live in a city with busses and trains and not use them. Everyone complains about gas prices and I admit that they are high for the United States. But take a look at how much money it takes to fill up a tank of gas in Europe. They pay in upwards to 10 dollars a liter. That’s right, a liter, not gallon. Basically all I am saying is that if you live in a mass transit city then use it and stop bitching about how much gas is. Gas is high, that is a fact that isn’t going to go away.

Cooking With Karen...

Episode 2 of Cooking with Karen! Enjoy!



Next week: Ceasar Salad

I was a bit inconsistent with the cooking time on the video: 1 hour, 20 minutes @ 400 degrees.


Turkey Meatloaf:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup good beer
1/8 cup Worcestershire
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 slices of bacon (optional)

preheat oven to 400˚

combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mush all together until well mixed.
place turkey mixture in a loaf pan
place pan in oven and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
optional-add bacon after 1 hour of cooking and return to oven for remaining 20 minutes.

Waist size...

Every since I started at FCS I have gained weight. Which is perfectly fine. I needed to gain a few pounds as it was. I started in July 2007 and was 140. Last month I weighed myself and I was 162. Now I am probably pushing 170 if not already. The problem I have is that my clothes do not fit. I broke down a month ago and bought two new pair of Jeans. The jeans were 31 waist. I threw on a pair this morning and they didn’t fit-both pair!! I was in NYC a few weeks ago. I brought a pair of dress pants with me. There was NO way I could fit into them. So now I am having to wear my pants-that remotely fit-unfastened with a rubber band through the button hole and wrapped around the button. WTF? I am done buying new pants to accommodate my growing wait line. I am hitting the gym. People also tell me that part of this is married weight. Well, crap. I am hitting the gym today!

Texas Govna's Mansion...

Why in the hell would someone set fire to the the Texas Governor's Mansion??  I know Rick Perry, along with every other governor in the nation, has their haters but WTF?  There is just no reason to burn down the 152 year old house.  

Before:

After:

Sex and the City...

This as a fabulous movie! I LOVED it! I was kinda worried about the 2.5 hour running time but forgot all about that. The only disappointment was that the movie ended. It was certainly the Miranda and Carrie show but the funniest moment went to Charlotte and I certainly hope that I look as good at 50 as Kim Catrall does (not that I want to look like her...that would require some therapy). If you are a fan of the show then you will love the movie. Highly recommended!!

Sex and the City...

Unless you are living under a rock on the Pacific Ocean floor then you know that Sex and the City opens today! I proudly admit that I am a fan of the show and I can’t wait to see the movie. It is a must for me to love the show—I’m a homo! And I know that there are closeted SATC straight guys who will sneak off to see the movie. I just purchased my ticket for a 10:15AM showing at Northpark tomorrow. I can’t wait!! The reviews are pretty good and I keep hearing that the movie is heavy on Carrie and Miranda. I love me some Miranda so I am sure to be happy with the outcome!!

Relationshipy…

Yesterday Ron informed me that we had received our first “relationshipy” mail. I could not figure out what in the hell it could be. When I got home I discovered that it was our new visa cards for our joint checking account. There it was-a solidification of reality. The small blue card with lots of numbers and my name. You see, I have done a nice little budget for us that will allow both of us to pay our bills and save more money than what we were doing. So we went over to Chase and opened a joint account from which we will pay or “relationshipy” bills (rent, car, utilities, etc). We sleep in the same bed, we eat off each others plates, we do “relationshipy” adult things and now a certain percentage of each income is our income. I guess I have officially grown up and no remnants of bachelorhood (except Ms. Kitty) remain. Not that I am complaining about it, quite the contrary!!

Cooking With Karen...

Ok everyone! I have finally got all this worked out and now the first episode of CWK is ready for your viewing pleasure!!!!

Beeping...

There is a beeping noise that has been going on ALL NIGHT LONG!  We even walked around last night to find out where it was coming from.  It is almost like morse code!  Three long beeps followed by a pause (--- --- ---).  It is seriously driving us both crazy and now the parking people are power washing the garage.  So we have the sound of that motor and sprayer and --- --- ---.  Oh the joys of urban living!  Ugh.

Forkboy on A Casa Fox...

There are few restaurants that really rock my world. Nero's Italian, Cafe Charbon, Monica's, and a few others really inspire my taste buds. Not everything is about the food. The atmosphere, the people, the location, etc can really make a place special. Over the weekend in New York City, instead of the old standby Cafe Charbon, The Hazard's introduced me to A Casa Fox. Like Nero's Italian this restaurant made me feel at home, like sitting around my own dining table. I felt just as responsible for the food as the chef did. If the food was not perfect then there was something wrong with me, not the food. The restaurant is tiny, not shocking considering some of the eateries of New York. I once had Pad Thai in a restaurant the size of my bathroom. A Casa Fox is new and the brain child of Melissa Fox, a New York girl with some serious Nicaraguan roots. She is just as cute as a button. Don't let the cuteness fool you. Melissa is one tough cookie. She put that restaurant together herself and when the contractor screwed up the fireplace (I believe he eventually stopped showing up) she added stone and brick masonry to her resume. She rebuilt it herself and it looks beautiful. We walk in and she greets us heartily like she was expecting good friends for dinner. The Hazard's have already been there and she new them by name. 

Atmosphere:
The space is small and cozy. There are two large tables that seat large parties and small tables for that more intimate feel. She does not have her liquor license yet so it is BYOB, which is the best way in my opinion. Mr. Hazard selected two fine bottles from his collection. He handed over the bottle of white wine to chill. That was for the white wine sangria. The sangria is homemade with a "special ingredient." Fresh cut fruit (apples, mangos, etc) were plentiful in each carafe we had. The beverage was the perfect ending to a somewhat stressful afternoon and the perfect beginning to a relaxed and beautiful evening. The tables are set with a bottle of salsa and the silverware is wrapped in traditional red/white or blue/white bandanas (which I could not stop smelling because I could smell the fabric softener!).

The Food:
We began with a few Empanadas ($5 each). I started with a Portobello Mushroom and Smoked Gouda Empanada and it basically melted in my mouth. Her Empanadas are not fried, rather they are baked. I had never had a baked one before and I will probably never have another fried one for as long as I live. Instead of tasting the fried dough, you actually tasted the inside-which is were it counts. The combination of the mushroom and gouda is brilliant. It had just the right amount of cheese. I mean, this ain't a Totino's pizza roll I am talking about-full of grease. In fact there was nothing greasy about it at all. I ended up ordering two more; another Mushroom and Gouda and one Chorizo and Manchego. I am not usually a fan of Chorizo but this one was tasty and not to greasy. I was tempted to try the Black Bean and Queso Blanco but didn’t want to fill up. Served on the table is a wonderful spicy salsa. It was tangy and quite spicy and went well with the Empanadas. After stuffing ourselves with Empanadas, and still enjoying our Sangria, we tried the fried plantain chips with three sauces: fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, and black bean molido. The guacamole and pico were fairly standard but the black beans were excellent. People either screw up black beans by adding too much spice or not enough. This was just right. The plantain chips were thinly sliced and not greasy.

Now it was dinner time.

I cannot believe I kept eating. I ordered the Costillas de Cerdo ($24). It was worth every penny. Pork ribs marinated 24+ hours and slowly braised in their own juices until they become lightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The meat literally fell off the bone. This was served with Spanish fried rice (which apparently looks just like white rice) and black beans in a clay pot. Perfect portions all around. Although I really could have done without the dollop of sour cream on the beans. Mrs. Hazard enjoyed the Pollo Machada ($16) which is shredded herbed chicken and seasonal vegetables marinated in spices and slowly simmered. It to was mighty tasty.

Service:
Our waitress seemed a bit off that evening and kind of slow and clueless. Mainly Ms. Fox was the one who took care of us. She even sat down and shared some wine! Then she brought more wine-it seemed someone couldn’t finish their sangria! We all sat there and talked and enjoyed ourselves. Then she insisted we have desert. So she ordered someone in the back to put an apple crisp in the oven. This was served with crème fraiche. So decadent and tasty it lasted all of about 2 minutes. The bill was paid we got up to leave and she came over to hug our necks. When visiting I recommend you bring an appetite! We left stuffed to the gills.

Bottom line:
I simply cannot wait to return.

Atmosphere: 5.0
Food: 5.0
Service: 4.0 (based on our waitress, not Ms. Fox)
Health Score: Who cares (the place was spotless)

A Casa Fox
173 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
212.253.1900

www.acasafox.com

Photo credits: Eric Hazard

New York in Spring...

Isn't there a song about New York City in the spring?  I think there is and if there isn't then there should be.  I just recently was in New York City to visit my friends and fellow BP's The Hazard's.  The weather was absolutely fabulous!  I just could not believe it.  I arrived Friday night, delayed of course.  I walked out of the airport to locate my car service and it was somewhat misting/raining and all I wanted to do was to rip off my glasses but then I would not be able to find my car if it was two inches from me.  I make my way into Manhattan chauffeured in a silver Town Car/Indian restaurant whose special that evening was beef kabobs-heavy on the curry.  The only English I could understand of my turban clad friend was "car 970, cross street, thirty-four dollars."  I lost interest in his musings as we crossed into Manhattan.  That view should be one of the wonders of the world!  When I arrived I declared that I MUST EAT NOW!  The rain had stopped and Ms. Hazard and I walk over to Charlie's Pizza.  Look for a review of Charlie's soon from Forkboy.  

The next morning I awoke from the light of a thousand suns and it was only 5am.  Lying on the sofa I should have brought my sunscreen.  Saturday was such a beautiful day that it would have been a crime to stay inside.  Our purpose that morning was to get ready and head over to a memorial service of a friend who passed away way to soon.  The memorial was very nice and there were a ton of people there.  She will be missed by many and I only wish I had known her more. 

So, afterwards we head back to the apartment to change clothes and head out to an early dinner.  In true Hazard fashion we walked to the East Village.  I am starving and searching out a pretzel with none to be found.  We end up at A Casa Fox, a Nicaraguan restaurant that had recently opened.  It was so fabulous that it is difficult to speak!  Look for a review soon from Forkboy.  Afterward we head over to a friend of the Hazard's for drinks and a courtyard viewing of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Sunday we head on out to Madison, New Jersey.  We take a train out of Penn Station and honestly I was not all thrilled with the swampy scene.  As we got further from New York the scenery turned lush and green.  Unfortunately it began to rain when we arrived.  What I saw of the town reminded me of my grandparents town in Arkansas.  The quaint little houses, quiet streets, and super lush greenery really took me back to my childhood.  We here there for a BBQ.  Now being from Texas I get a little skeptical of BBQs outside of Texas but Mr. Hazard's friend from South Texas now lives in NJ and had a bunch of mesquite wood shipped to him since you can't get it up there.  He also had cases of Shiner Bock that is apparently almost impossible to find.  The grilled food was so good and the company was even better.  

Now I am back at home.  I go from 60 degree weather to 99 degree weather.  Damn the humidity!!!  

Overall, I had a wonderful time and can't wait to get back there soon.  I think Ron and I will be making a trip up there late summer or early fall.  I ain't going when it is 5 degrees outside again!  

Texas Polygamist Folks….

With all this talk about the children and mothers.....what I want to know is….where are the men, the father(s)?

Cooking with Karen...

Damnit!  I am having al kinds of issues posting the Cooking with Karen episode.  I am working to correct this and as soon as I do I will get the damn thing posted.

I am headed to New York City on Friday to see my fellow BP's, The Hazard's. I am exicted to get to NYC and see my peeps. Due to the quick planning of this trip I opted to cash in miles instead of paying the rediculous price of $800. Anyway, we will also be attending a memorial service for a fabulous person who left us way to soon. I will be posting more about this trip later.

Sooooo......

Friday morning before my flight I will be doing a real quick Cooking with Karen. I will edit this on the plane and by the end of the day friday there should be a completed version posted. I PROMISE!!! I will be making a nice summer salad that requires no stove and will be easy enough and quick enough to get posted!

Maury Povich Part II

Ok, I haven't seen another episode of Maury since the last post but a co-worker sent me this video:

Me Talk Pretty...

We all know about the ongoing debate that is illegal immigration but I think she should take a dose of her own meds.  This woman is from Houston, Tx and is obviously wearing a quilt.  She should be deported post haste!!

Cape Day 2008

Cape Day in Dallas is a large gathering of comic book people, artists, and weirdos.  My friend Jeff asked me to go with him this year.  He was dressing up as Batman and he needed a boy wonder and apparently I am small enough to fit into the costume.  98% of our costumes were made by Jeff and his mother and are incredibly authentic.  I had a blast!  It is amazing what happens when you put on a mask!  

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

Alright ya'll, tell me what you think about this video.  I added music, credits, and fades!  Next post will be an actual show.  Promise!  I still need to mess around with the editing but I will worry about that later!  Rome wasn't built in a day!

Central Expressway in 1959...

This is Central Expressway in 1959.  Looking south...the building that you see near the top of the picture on the side of Central is The Meadows Building, which is still there today-that is off of Lovers Lane.  That overpass at the bottom is Walnut Hill.  Park Lane is the next overpass and then the cloverleaf overpass is Northwest Highway (which, on the right, would be North Park Mall.

Maury Povich...

Since I took the day off due to exhaustion and a terrible ear issue I have been watching daytime television.  This is something I rarely do but decided to indulge a little.  I allowed myself one show to watch since I needed to get a few things done around the house  and I really did not want to waste brain cells watching a full day of trash tv.  So I chose what was on at the moment...The Maury Show hosted by Maury Povich.  I remember seeing him as the host of A Current Affair.  Maury has also been a news anchor and also served two terms as president of the New York Chapter of the Television Academy.  He has been married to Connie Chung since 1984.  

I would have to say that his show is a higher class version of The Jerry Springer Show.  Mainly he sticks with shows dealing in paternity tests.  He should trade mark the phrases "You are the father" and "You are not the father."  Today's show dealt with the husbands taking a lie detector test to prove they were not cheating.  The last freak show was a couple who married really young (she is 16 and he is 23)-is seems her mama let her marry this dude.  Well she was concerned that he was cheating and he was just saying that she is being paranoid.  In the end, he wasn't cheating but he was concerned that the baby was not his.  BINGO!!  I got a two-for-one this afternoon with this episode.  So they performed a paternity test and yes the baby was his.  I was kinda bummed that they all had a happy ending.  I guess I had already gotten my fix from the previous couple where the lie detector test confirmed that he was having an affair with his wife's mother.  I mean how ghetto fabulous is that?  

I suppose Maury needs to keep working since Connie's career tanked after she interviewed Kathleen Gingrich (Newt's mama) back in the 90's.  You know the interview where she asked her what Hillary was like "off the record and off the camera?"  And ol' Kathy said Hillary was a "bitch."  LOVE it!  Anyway, Maury is bringing home the bacon now.

Camping...

Our camping trip was a success.  The weather was great and our camping spot was isolated and pretty.  Very wooded and a beautiful view of Lake Murray.  

In my personal opinion I believe that there were too many people that went. Overall about 24 people were there.  Parts of the group became a little cliquish which bothered me.  Oh well, I had a good time anyway!

This was also Moses' first real trip.  I was worried at first that he would run off.  I kept the leash on him but then started to feel bad about it.  So I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him loose.  He went exploring a few times but mainly kept close.  Poor thing, he was so tired toward the end but he hung in there.  He even went for a little swim in the lake.  

Now I am at home not feeling 100%.  I am fairly certain that I have an ear infection and am generally just worn out.  

Camping...

This weekend we are headed to Lake Murray for the annual (sometimes semi-annual) Out Bitch camping trip. It is called Out Bitch cause it is a bunch of drunken bitchy queens who are trying to out bitch each other. There will be food, fire, and fabulousness. Details to follow on Sunday!

Cooking with Karen...

Ok, I know I have been really bad about not posting any CWK episodes. I am starting to get angry emails and complaints! After doing a few I decided that I needed some equipment-mainly clear glass bowls and a other things to really make CWK better. I have not been happy at all with what I have done thus far. So, I am going to start with incredibly simple dishes. Also, learning iMovie has proved very time consuming. I will post a revised CWK intro that I did a while back. This time there is an into, music, fad-ins, fade-outs, and credits!!! Tell me what ya'll think. I will have that posted this evening sometime so check back!! I promise that I will have a real episode up soon!

Last night's storms....

Here is cool shot of Downtown during last nights storm. The electric storms in Texas are just the best!

Forkboy on Hunky’s…

Saturday evening was full of gayness. We all went and played Gay Bingo at S4. Proceeds benefit the Resource Center which is a great foundation. Anyway, after bingo we were starving and decided to head over to Hunky’s across the street. Hunky’s is located at Throckmorton and Cedar Springs in the heart of the Gayborhood.

Food…
Mainly burgers and sandwiches. I usually get a cheese burger (3.95) with swiss and tator tots (1.55). This visit proved a bit frustrating. The place was really not busy which was surprising on a Saturday night. Our food took forever and my order was wrong. I always order a burger dry no pickles with swiss cheese. This burger had everything on it. I took it back in and the nice lady behind one of the counters took care of it for me. They cooked it immediately as I waited. Once the order was good I devoured the cheese burger. The meat at Hunky’s is ground fresh everyday and patties are all hand-formed. The meat is well seasoned and quite tasty. Of course they used shredded lettuce-which I HATE WITH A PASSION! But I digress. The tots are nice and crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. The fries are cut thick and are good but I like mine thin and crunchy. You can sit at the bar and eat and watch your milk shake come to life! The shakes and malts are good but for some reason I keep comparing any shake I have to Sonic (best shakes in my opinion).

Service…
You walk in and stand in line and order from the counter. During peak times the line can be slow and basically a cluster *&^%. But everyone is nice.

Atmosphere…
The restaurant resembles a 1950’s era diner. Shiny vinyl booth seats and dark tables. There is a low bar with stools. The kitchen is all open as well. The place is quaint and very bright. There is a patio for outdoor dining. I highly recommend sitting outside. The people watching is great. Bears, trannies, drag queens, etc all walk by headed to the clubs. This is not a place that I love. But if I am in the area I will usually eat there if it isn’t busy.

Food: 2.0
Service: 2.0
Atmosphere: 3.5
Health Score: 90

Hunky’s
4000 Cedar Springs Rd.
Dallas, Tx 75219

www.hunkys.com

There is someone out there for everyone...

And good ol' Tyra Banks has to prove it...

The Barefoot Contessa...

We all know that I love food and I love to cook. Ron has his sports programs and I have my food network. My favorite television food personality is Ina Garten. She is known as The Barefoot Contessa and I simply adore this woman. Watching her show is like taking a chill pill. It totally relaxes me and puts me in such a good mood. It is apparent that she is well balanced and loves her life and her husband of 40+ years. She started out working in the White House as a budget analyst writing the nuclear budget under Ford and Carter. Not surprisingly she got burned out (no pun intended & she even has a pilots license!). Eventually leaving Washington, she purchased a specialty food store called The Barefoot Contessa in Westhampton Beach, New York. To make along story short she ended up selling the store years later (it eventually closed) and then The Food Network came-a-callin. She declined many times but finally caved in and her show is the highest rated on the network. Her show is filmed in her own kitchen in The Hamptons and often features her good (and most fabulously gay) friends.

If you have never seen her on TV then I highly recommend watching. Her cooking style is incredibly elegant and incredibly simple. I like to think of her as my informal mentor in the kitchen.

I came across an article in The New York Times that just make me love her even more:

“Bright-eyed and apple-cheeked,” Garten is enjoying unexpected success in the second half of her life. After 20 years of running a gourmet shop in the Hamptons (named for the Humphrey Bogart/Ava Gardner film The Barefoot Contessa), she sold the store and invested her own money in a cookbook, never expecting it to take off as it has. Now approaching 60, she has five cookbooks, a top-rated show on the Food Network, and a line of prepared foods.
But here’s the great part—Garten has rejected opportunities to expand even more. “She has turned down offers to start magazines or to be host for more TV shows. She has declined to endorse other food products beyond her own line and has rejected opening a chain of food shops.” Garten wants to preserve her quality of life, despite success. “There is a balance between having a life and having a business,” the article quotes her as saying.

That media whore Rachel Ray can suck it!

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/

Weather and TV...

Last night I was so looking forward to a new episode of 30 Rock. But it rained.

The weather reporters must feel that they do not get enough camera time so when it rains they preempt prime time. I think my feelings here can best be summed up from a text message I sent a friend of mine last night:

I hate the God damn weather service interrupting my tv shows! 30 Rock didn’t even show cause David fucking Finfrock had to break in with a “hey everyone…it’s raining” message for two fucking hours and now the fucking satellite is out! I get pissy when I miss my 30 Rock. And for the next three days the news will be nothing but “I lost my barn” stories.

So that was my frustration. Instead we played Wii. However, I will say it was a pretty decent storm and I thought this was a cool picture of what was about to pounce on Dallas:

Jennifer Garner...

For those of you who know me well you know that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Jennifer Garner. Today is her 36th birthday. I love this woman. She is sweet and smokin hot! She kicks major ass in action movies and makes me go gaga in her romantic comedies. And yes, I watched Electra and yes it was bad but I loved it because she was in it. I own the Rambaldi Cube from her show ALIAS and have a Sydney Bristow action figure. I even have her fabulous face decoupaged on a rock. So I just wanted to throw out some birthday lovin to my girl!!! Happy Birthday Jenn!!!!

Walking Tour...

I saw something this morning while waiting on my bus downtown that I have never seen in Downtown before….a large group of people taking a historical tour of Downtown Dallas. Being a native Dallasite that made me feel kind of guilty that I have not taken the time to really know the history of the city in which I dwell.

Getting Older...

My grandmother always said that “it is just hell to get old!” Her mind was as sharp as a tack but it was her body that ultimately failed. As I get older I am noticing things about myself that are changing. Some are surprising and some are just down right odd but it is the way the cookie crumbles. I have always thought of myself as a healthy person. I try and eat right and I have never smoked a day in my life. I don’t exercise as much as I should now. I know there are things that I could be doing better and I am working on that.

We all grow older together and as a result things start to happen that we are not always prepared for. A friend in New York is very sick. She had an aneurysm burst and the news is not good. I just think she is simply a fabulous person-so full of life and love and just so much fun. I just think it is unfair that at age 37 this should be happening. My mother recently went through a procedure to repair an aneurysm in her brain. I am certainly thankful that it was caught before any rupture. However, do to the same condition I never got to know my grandfather and my aunt. I love my friends dearly and I know that it is inevitable that situations like this arise. We would all be fools to think that we are invincible. Anything could happen to anyone of us at anytime. I am hopeful that Kellie will pull through and I am hopeful for her husband Ben and all their family and friends.

Happy Old People...

This weekend was the annual Pilsbury Bake-Off and it was held in Downtown Dallas. This was also covered by The Food Network so you know I was keeping up with the goings-on!! I just love to see happy old people, especially when happy old people win one million bucks! So this video clip gave me a warm fuzzy inside! She is just sooo happy!!!!

http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=236082

The Murse...

I need a new murse. Actually I just really want a new one. I don’t NEED a new one. Generally I purchase a new murse every 18 months or so. What is a murse you ask? Murse = man purse. The murse is also known as a “mag” or “man bag” and can also be referred to as a “mote” or “man tote.” Ron just recently purchased his first murse (although I believe he preferres “mote”). He has started taking DART to work and needed something to carry his stuff in. We found a handsome black and blue mote at Target. It has lots of pockets and is suitable for a lap top. I kinda got a little jealous. I like his mote and we found the same one in all black. I think I just might have to venture out and get it. A murse is great for all occasions especially when traveling and comes in handy for everyday commutes. I highly recommend one!

The 44...

Ron starts a new job today at Perot Systems. Well, not a new job per se…he is going back to Perot. He decided that he wanted to ride DART to work to save money and save gas. I told him that we should do a trial run on the bus that will take him to and from the office. So yesterday we got on the route 44. This is the route for lazy people. We really didn’t notice it on the way up but on the return trip it got annoyingly funny. There was a stop every 5 feet! And there were people at every stop! I was stunned. The ride was stop and start, stop and start. A little ridiculous if you ask me! DART could shave off about 10 minutes on that route if they cut every other stop. Just annoying.

The Homeless Man...

Living downtown certainly has its pros and cons. One of the cons that we must deal with on an almost daily basis is homelessness. Lately it seems to be getting worse. Walking home, walking the dog, sitting on a patio of a café, or just existing in downtown we will all eventually have an encounter with a homeless person. They always ask for money and I always just ignore them and keep on about my business. Usually this is enough and they move on to someone else. There have been times when they become a bit pissy and try and guilt you into giving. Still I just keep on walking, headphones firmly in place.

Lately there has been a homeless man standing in the dark corners of the Dallas Power & Light tower directly across the street from my building. He is, by looks alone, an older black man with a grey beard. Very dirty and smelly. I have seen him many times. I pass by and he says nothing and I say nothing. Just the way it is. When he does speak he simply mutters. Obviously mentally ill and/or drunk-usually both. He has taken to standing in the dark recessed windows of DP&L and masturbates when a woman passes by. You can see it all! People have called the police and yet he still returns. Last night as I was walking Moses out he was sleeping in our lobby. I didn’t say a word to him and just walked out as usual. I called 911 and told them the issue. A policeman came along and removed him. I am not sure what they did with him but he certainly was no longer in our lobby.

I guess I have become immune to all this. I used to worry about them and give them money. But now I just step over them and then take an elevator ride to my luxury loft. I also get pissed when I see other people giving them food and money. It just makes things worse. A solution to keeping the homeless out is about as forthcoming as world peace. Ain’t gonna happen. Sometimes I feel bad and wish they had help. Sometimes I wish they would just disappear.

Forkboy on Dan's...

On the way back to the airport in Austin we stopped and had lunch at Dan's Hamburgers. I was starving so anything sounded good. Dan's is not in a great part of town and the building itself looks like a Dairy Queen. But, the 35 year old restaurant seems to have withstood the test of time. After stepping into the place my first reaction was that this was a former Dairy Queen. Old white tables crammed into what is a decent sized space. All the blinds were drawn so there was this eerie feeling of the place closing in on you. Just odd. We walked up to the cash register to order. The story goes that Dan and his wife Fran worked together until a divorce where she got half of everything and started her own place called Fran’s. Apparently, according to the locals, the food just ain’t the same since the bitter divorce.

Food…
The menu is basic. Mainly burgers. You could order your burger by the size-which I thought was brilliant. Small, medium, or large burgers. I ordered a medium burger, small fries, and an iced tea. The burger was ok, nothing to write home to mamma about. I think it makes great hangover food. The meat was not overcooked but not very seasoned. I had to add lots of salt and pepper. There were plenty of onions and two big slices of tomato. This pleased me. However, I was incredibly annoyed at the shredded lettuce. I HATE shredded lettuce on a hamburger. Just totally pissed me off. The fries were thick cut and fairly good. The best part of the entire experience was the iced tea.

Service…
It helps if you speak Spanish. They seem all friendly but have a blank look on their faces. You order at the window and pick up at another window when they call your number. Listen carefully cause the speaker system is as old as the restaurant.

Atmosphere…
Dark and old feeling. Not inviting at all. All the ultra white table made me feel like I was in a hospital-very sterile feeling. When we pulled up there was an old Town Car with “Jesus is Coming” written all over it. That was the highlight of the dining experience at Dan’s.

Food: 1.5
Service: 1.5
Atmosphere: 1.0
Health Score: 73 (acceptable)

Dan’s
844 Airport Blvd.
Austin, Tx 78702

Forkboy on Rattlesnake Inn...

I flew down to Austin this weekend for a friends birthday. It was decided that we would go to to a hole-in-the-wall place in a town called Florence, Tx(pop. 1080). The place was not as such a dive as I had imagined. It was very open and airy, concrete floors, large garage doors that opened up. There were pool tables and a shuffle board table as well. There are few places I go to that remind me that I am certainly a Texan. Kinda nice to be reminded sometimes. The Rattlesnake Inn opened the day after prohibition ended in 1933. The original building is still standing and there is a new section that was added for expansion.

The food...
They offer a small but diverse menu. Hamburgers, BBQ ribs, pizza, salads, and such. The price is super cheap too. There were 5 of us and I was STUNNED to find out that our bill was $70. After all the beer and ribs we consumed I was amazed at the cost. The burger I had was good size and perfectly cooked medium rare-just like I like it! The bun was sweet bread which seemed odd at first but I love sweet bread. I was very disappointed to see shredded lettuce on my burger. I HATE that!!! I prefer a whole piece of lettuce. So the meal was very messy since they piled it on. Overall the burger was fantastic-one of the best I have had in a long time. The fries were mushy and slightly undercooked. I had a bite of my friends pork rib and found it quite tasty. Very meaty and tender and very messy-just like a good rib should be. I did over hear from some that the potato salad had way to much mustard.

Service…
Our server was dressed in mostly tattoos and piercings, very little else. Service was attentive, fast, and friendly.

Atmosphere…
If you can get past the feeling of eating in your garage then I think you just might enjoy this place. We sat in a newer section where the pool tables and stage were. A very interesting mix of people were scattered about talking, drinking, playing pool. Lots of bikers and country folk. All very nice people. Lots of smoking as well so if you are sensitive to smoke then perhaps you should stay away. I came home smelling like a night out at the clubs. The band was excellent and covered a lot of Johnny Cash.

Food: 2.5
Service: 4.0
Atmosphere: 3.5
Health Score: I am pretty sure they don’t care

http://www.therattlesnakeinn.com/

6060 Hwy 195
Florence, TX 76527

Gastroenteritis…

Poor little Moses got sick. Poor little Moses pooped all over the house. Poor little Moses started bleeding from behind. Not good. He was lethargic and not eating. Apparently when he gets sick he gets in the bathtub. This was a good thing. I went to take a shower one morning and when I pulled the curtain back I could not help but notice the blood bath. The shower looked like a ritual sacrifice had occurred. So Moses was taken to the vet. He was severely dehydrated. So fluids and meds were given and he is perfectly fine now. He had Gastroenteritis which refers to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and resulting in acute diarrhea. Not fun stuff people, not fun stuff.

In The Best Interest Of The Child...

Such a heartwarming tale of two loving parents…

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15851207/detail.html

Been Away...

Sorry I have been away and haven’t post much of anything lately. Things have been incredibly busy for me but now I am back! I will start posting again soon!

I will never look at a picnic table the same again...

Ya'll...this is disturbing. I mean WTF?????

http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=8082496

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.

Check this site out...

You know everyone loves a good story about some of the idiots and issues here in our great State of Texas. You should head over to my friend Kevan’s blog and read all about it.

http://www.funnytexans.com/

Sopapeople...

On Wednesday nights we go to El Fenix for the Wednesday special. $4.99 for 2 enchiladas, rice, and beans. A few margaritas and good company. El Fenix is, I believe, the oldest Mexican food restaurant in Dallas. It opened in 1906 and I think the same people are still working there. Anyway, on the menu are Sopapeople (think Sopapillas). The menu describes them as “shaped like kids (with honey)” and for $4.75 you get an order of 5 kids or a single kid for $1.75.

Pervs.

Thursday...

Thursday’s suck. I say this because it is true. They just blow! It is very difficult for me to get up. All I want to do is stay in bed on Thursday mornings and sleep. And I am in an instant bad mood because I have to get up.

White Trash at it again...

OMG! Have you seen this? Southwest was apparently rude to these girls. It seems that they were causing a ruckus on board-talking loud, swearing, annoying the people around them. So much so that they were escorted off the plane after it landed by 4 police officers.

The girls claim that they were being discriminated against because they were too pretty. WTF?? These white trash whores think they are pretty? They are just way to full of themselves.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/02/25/porter.too.pretty.to.fly.wtsp

Ordering Checks...

The only thing I use checks for are the following: rent and utilities, parking, and the occasional magazine subscription. I am running low on checks currently. So I call Chase to order checks and was told that because I just changed my address that I had to go in person to a branch and order them. Are you fucking kidding me!? I about ate the guys face through the phone when he told me “those are the rules.” He said that it is fraud prevention. I informed him that it was convenience prevention. I even played the employee card and he said no. Useless sons-of-bitches!!!! So now I have to go to a branch which all close before I get home. Guess I will have to wait until Saturday. I am just pissed.