Plus, she thought it hilarious when I started Weight Watchers, when I detested salads.  I will never eat salad.  I don't like salad.  Salad is not a friggin' meal.  I don't feel fulfilled when someone sends me a cheesy bowl of lettuce covered in drippy sauce and stale bread.  Ugh, no thanks.

The first time I did Weight Watchers, I lost 90 pounds.  Yes, 90 pounds and I didn't eat one salad, not one.  I did fall off the wagon for a bit, went back to eating my favorite, potato chips, and gained a large portion of my weight back.  Not all of it, thank God, but a chunk of it.  So now I'm back in WW and the new leader is salad this, salad that.  Carrots for a snack.  What normal, non-anorexic person eats carrots for a snack? 

My last leader told us to only make changes you can live with.  That's my goal this time, changes I can live with.  So, screw salads for lunch.   Just the thought makes me want to start purging so I can get a chunk of nice, well-cooked meat.

Yes, meat.

I know the vegetarians are cringing.  I have a few vegan friends, I  understand the idea behind the thought.  But have you ever met a chicken?  A live chicken?  There is nothing noble about an animal that walks on its own crap, poops in its own food, and will try to peck out your eyes with very little provocation.  Geez, I only walked through the yard.

Not only are the mean and dirty, they are ever so slightly stupid. So while I don't relish the idea of killing one, I don't mind eating one as long as it was killed humanely, and massively disinfected.

I guess that's what the cannibals would say about the missionaries but its all I can give you.  I like meat, so I eat meat.

Now, back to eating chicken.  Grilled or baked chicken in restaurants is always a nightmare for me.  Like pork, chicken asorbs the flavors of what you cook with it.  So restaurants cover it in lemon, powder it with pepper, rub it in non-disclosed seasonings, or kill it with garlic.

I like chicken.  I don't want to taste the seasonings.  I didn't order a plate of garlic and pepper. I ordered chicken and that is what I want.  Restaurants also want their chicken to be 'tender' and 'juicy'.  I'm shuddering now.  If I don't need a knife to cut it, then it isn't cooked long enough.  Anyone who has had food poisoning and vomited from both ends, knows that tender meat is scary.    If you cut into the chicken breast, and juice pops out like you stabbed a juice box, put the damn thing back on the grill.

So to get around this, I don't ordered grilled or baked chicken in resturants.  I save that for when I'm cooking at home and I can cut the meat into tiny pieces to inspect it for pinkness.  I order my chicken in fingers.  Tacky, I know.  Classless even, but the great thing about chicken fingers is that a person can cut it up with  their fork and see each piece of perfectly white meat. 

Although, I will warn you, never, ever order chicken fingers off the kid's menu unless you've seen them first.  Compressed meat is a favorite of kid's menus.  Compressed meat is when the regular meat packing plant has scraped all the meat it can from the chicken bones.  The bits it can't use are then scooped up, packed into patties or fingers, dipped in batter, and sold to kids everywhere.  These are one of the foulest things you will ever eat.  Some of them are GRAY inside.   The meat is GRAY.   This is not the chicken finger you want.

You want a finger that when you pull it apart, you see long strips of real chicken breast, beautifully white.  The meat should tear in strips.  This is real chicken breast.  If it looks uniform inside, push your plate away or push out a couple of kids to eat it for you.

Another consideration of the chicken finger, over-breading.  Some places feel that they have to make the chicken seem larger by dipping it in 4 pounds of beer batter.  Ugh.  I shouldn't need a chisel to get to the good stuff.   Second, the batter shouldn't never stain the meat.  If it turns your meat funny colors, just say no.  Sorry Popeye's, the yellow is hard for me to look past.

Others get carried away with the pepper.  Some pepper is good, just a dash of that and salt in the crunchy batter makes you go MMMM.  To much and that's all you taste. 

Others have the opposite problem.  Blandness.  The batter has no flavor at all, the chicken is tasteless, almost rubbery.

Longhorn Steakhouse has good chicken fingers most of the time.  Just enough seasoning for flavor, the chicken is from the breast, and they have a hearty portion that will fill you up.  Those of you on WW, they are about 3pts a finger so eat carefully, okay?

Another bonus is that Longhorns has a decent baked potato.  I hate a shitty potato.  But I will talk about that next week.

So the pickiest eater in the world is signing out.

Good luck and good eating and remember...don't take a finger from just anyone.

Today I felt a bit queezy but I think had to do with all the ice blocks i have eaten tonight. Toscani's is so lucky i did not get sick they would have got themselves in a bit of trouble had that happened.
I am still shocked that the chief would out right lie about the chickens cooked state to save face... useless and out right negligence.

I once watched this show where this lady was crippled by salmonella and 10 years later is still trying to regain all her motor skills... Salmonella is not a good thing.
I love chicken and I will probably order it again not from Toscani's though. I suppose the leason to take home here is that it does not matter where you eat you should always check the food you eat, if it possible.

Happy dinning

Em

Vinu, our friend from Mumbai, just came in to have lunch with us and we decided to check all the new restaurants in The Collection. Toscano caught our eyes with its Olive green and Mahogany interiors. We have always been fond of salads and pastas so we decided to check that place and were completely bowled over by the service, decor and food quality. The place is a little expensive so in case you are looking for value for money this is not where you should go but if you are looking for a classy, delicious food at one of the most beautiful places in Bangalore, then Toscano in UB City is the place to be.

The lunch buffet is priced at 400/- though we went for ala carte. Grilled fish is something that one must try for the main course. Mixed salad is a must try for all cheese lovers. Since I am fond of chocolates, I would also recommend the cappuccino brulee.

The service is quick, efficient and the staff courteous. After a heavenly meal we all went to the kitchen to give our compliments to  Chef Gautam.

Here are the details of the Restaurant for you:-

Toscano,

Wine Bar, Resturant, Pizzeria,

Fine Italian Cuisine

The Collection-U.B. City, Level II, Concorde Block,

24, Vittal Mallya Road,

080-4173 8800

www.toscano.co.n

NOTE:- Photo Courtesy Vinayak Das

Anyhow, I had heard one of my team members was being treated a little harshly by one of the supervisors.  Words have been harsh as of late, but I took the attitude personally because it was something that could have been handled in a more professional manner.

So I went and confronted the offending individual and asked if how they acted was true.  She vehemently denied such actions taking place, and the next thing I knew she jumped out of her seat and started to storm away.  How quickly she grew angry struck a chord with me with and it made her look instantly guilty.  She was going to go charge the person I was defending.

Anyhoo.  She was on my left side and proceeded to stomp her way behind me and towards the other side of the building.  She didnt' get far...past my right butt cheek.  The next thing I knew my left arm stretched like Stretch Armstrong's, then grabbing her shirt at the waist I pulled her back around behind me to my left side again and made her stop in her tracks.  She was speechless.  I just smiled as if it was something I did on a regular basis, but I let her know I could get physical if needs be.  She huffed, puffed, then went to her desk and pouted for a good while.  All I wondered was if I stretched out her shirt because I could hear the strain of fabric and snapping threads as I put her in her spot.

That was my day.  Next I'll be taking care of the ones who sent me hateful emails.

But this post is supposed to be about the great meal I had this past weekend, before I forget.

I took the mothership to a place we saw by the wayside last time we were in Tulsa.  I'd gotten lost on the turnpike and we ended up back in Tulsa instead of heading out as we had hoped.  We'd seen a resturant packed to the doors and I told her we'd stop and eat there if I remembered the next time we were in town. 

Let me say that the White River Fish Markert and Restaurant is one of the best places I've eaten in a long time.  We both ordered the catfish and shrimp dinner, which came with hushpuppies and two sides.  I had the baked potato and green salad.  The hushpuppies were made with Mexican cornbread, which I usually won't eat Mexican cornbread, but it was really good.  All of it was good.  The batter used on the catfish was to die for, and I inhaled that baked potato like there was no tomorrow.

So by the time we finished our meals the place was packed and had formed a line at the front door.  I was also stuffed because I ate everything on my plate.  Definitely going back.

Other than the food being excellent the atmosphere was very down home and hosted a great mix of folk.  No need for multiple utensils here and white table cloths there. 

Go.  See.  Eat.

Iced Water Jars, originally uploaded by andai.

You know a restaurant must be really good when you get stopped by a family leaving the restaurant and they proceed to rave about the food for the next 15 minutes. This is what happened to me when I went to Alder Wood Bistro a couple of weeks ago. The dad, the mom and their daughter and son-in-law just couldn't stop talking about how great the food was. And they were not the only ones. This place had actually been recommended to us by a number of people in Sequim so we knew it was going to be a great culinary experience.

Alder Wood Bistro is owned by a husband and wife team, Gabriel and Jessica. The restaurant is in a quiet residential area (only about 3 or 4 blocks from the main street), a house that was converted into a restaurant with inside and outside seating. Although the outside looked warm and comfortable, my wife and I decided to sit inside.

The The staff was great and friendly. We were served by Jessica who was really awesome and gave us (at our request) the history of the restaurant.

Dinner was great, I ordered the Grilled Lamb which is described on the menu as "grilled Shepard's Pride natural lamb with fig-balsamic demi, olives, buttermilk mashed Nash's potatos, seasonal wood-fired vegetables and fried Nash's parsnips". The food was very delicious!

My wife ordered of the special's which was the Alder Planked Salmon which was a wood-fired fresh Salmon, "Lazy J's fingerling potatoes and seasonal wood-fired vegetables". This was also great.

For dessert we had a rhubarb cobbler and ice cream. That choice was decent but not supper memorable.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and next time I find myself in Sequim, I will certainly go back there for dinner

Kells, The Irish Restaurant, originally uploaded by andai.

Kells, the Irish restaurant down in Post Alley at Pike Place Market is a pretty nice pubby restaurant... actually I don't really know why they don't just call it a pub. Anyway they have a nice darkish atmosphere that like... well... a pub but the one thing I really like about this place is that they have great sausage rolls.

Now their sausage rolls don't compare to the Oven Door Bakery that I used to go to in Westlands (a suburb of Nairobi) but they are still pretty good... and a pretty good size! These are interesting too in that they come with a nice rich gravy. The downside is they are not quite large enough to fill you completely busting to the seams, but are large enough that if you did order a second one, you probably would not be able to finish it.

I highly recommend the place though...

Di Paolo's, originally uploaded by jrumanes.

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this restaurant before! This is my absolute favorite restaurant in the world! We go there for every special event. With how wonderful and affordable this place is, we should go there more often. But I don't want to loose it's "specialness".

Di Paolo's is located on Holcomb Bridge Road in Alpharetta in a discreet shopping strip at the intersection of Nesbit Ferry Road and Holcomb Bridge (where the Stein Mart is located). It's not big. There are maybe two dozen tables and a small bar. The atmosphere is very intimate, but we've celebrated there with a dozen people at a table before and it was great. The service is outstanding and the semollier is the best around! So is the wine list, of course, and the food, wow, is so good!

The last time we were there was last month for our anniversary. Of course, they remembered our special occasion and comped our desert. But even after my glass of wine, my husband's beer, a clam appetizer, two entrees and two coffees our bill was less than $70. And we walked away with extremely satisfied bellies and wallets!

I really can't say enough about Di Paolo's. You have to check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

I have heard so much about this place, so you can imagine I was really excited to check out. But to be honest, I don't know if I would really want to go back there again... even of someone else was picking up the tab. Its not that the food was horrible or anything like that, in fact some of the dishes were great. Others I think were ok. But just the fact that they really emphasis herbs in their meals really got me thinking about how the proper herbs can really make a world of difference to any meal I think made the visit there worthwhile. Its just that we got there at 6:00 PM, and the meal ended at Midnight... 6 hours is a long time to be at a restaurant!

Nothing like a bit of a resturant break after a revision lecture.

Mmmm, now this was seriously good. Bit of everything: Rice, Beef with onions in Teriyaki sauce, Prawn Tempura, Sushi Rolls and Strawberries & melon. Mmmm.

I realised that Tokyo Diner aint so great in terms of variety. Still cheap and good for central London, but there's a very nice Japanese place near H's called Poppy Hana. Much better and cheaper Bento for cheap-ass students like us =D

One of the things I miss about living in Texas are the taco stands or trucks. They offer inexpensive alternative to the usual fast food. The fare is authentic Mexican food and quite different from gringo style tacos. The tacos are usually served on corn tortillas with meat, onions, and cilantro. That's right no cheese. Tortas are my favorite. Tortas are Mexican sub style sandwich. Tacos, tostados and cheese quesadillas sold for a dollar. While tortas and quesadillas with meat cost about $1.50. Of course that was about 5 years ago so I am sure the prices have gone up a little.

Instead of passing laws banning competition maybe the restaurants should offer a better value. The actions on behalf of the resturants reminds me of Demolition Man where the only restaurant available was Taco Bell. Do we really need to put people in jail for selling tacos? If the owner of a taco stand has business licenses, health inspection and pays taxes then they should have the right to be in business. One on the Taco stand owners mentioned in the NPR article even paid rent for the curb space he uses.

Hello!!  I just came from my dream trip 2 Maldives with the my grate family it’s a dream come true :) …….we stayed at the Four Seasons at Landa Giraavaru 4 one week and believe me its more than fun 2 go there J they have 4 restaurants Blue is the Italian ALbarakat Arabian cuisine they have the and amazing kebba and sheesh tawoog lol jd yummy and the  place is very Arabic style with Arabic music, as will they have Asian restaurant and Tibnyaki 2 also a BBQ restaurant near 2 the pool…..that’s about the food coz I love 2 eat ……….i cant tell u about it all but what I know its amazing in every thing The Spa  OH MY GOD dream Set over crystal waters, each water pavilion has an attached steam room and deep bath that overlooks the ocean…..

They have many activities 2 do from jet sky 2 snorkelling sealing and fishing …etc ummmm…..That’s all 4 now this is the website enjoy J

Brostein,

I’ve been enjoying your tales of wonder down in South Beach, Miami. Your poetry is beyond impressive. I’d say you were on fire. So it’s the land of the supermodel is it? Perfect, I hope your eyes are in a constant state of laser beam; or conceivably, you are cross eyed by now. Me thinks I’ll head down and join you for a few. But first, I have to tell you what’s been happening; my apologies for not being my responsive self, hence the long letter.

I left Seattle with four hundred dollars and not a clue. I hit the wall with all the hypocrisy that goes on within a corporate restaurant; mindless fools who have no clue what it means to work the floor; nothing but numbers and policies. They claim to care about the guests, but in reality, it’s a façade, just like all jobs and the belief that we are what we do. The art of service is dead. I walked out in the middle of my shift, went back to the pad, grabbed my stuff and headed south. When I got to I80, I did the traditional coin toss; heads I go east, tails I keep going, possibly to the border; Mexico border that is. Heads it was, so I made a left and kept going.

I ended up in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I was down to my last fifty bones and no thoughts on what to do next. It’s the so called last stop of Doc Holiday. I never made it up to pay homage at the tombstone the locals claim is his. The natural hot springs are impressive though; especially the caves which have a natural eucalyptus pouring out from the walls; it killed a cold I had in one day. I was walking down the main street, which isn’t much, and see this chubby little guy hanging a sign. He had the face of a cherub and I laughed when he turned to look at me and smiled. In a classic, french accent, he has says “bon jour” and how am I. It turns out he’s opening a French restaurant and is a chef. We gabbed for quite a bit and I convinced him I was the greatest waiter on earth. I know you actually believe that, and God love you for it, but I was pouring it on. I took my last dough, bought some clothes at the second hand store, and showed up the next night. Well, I sold the shit out of it; every table had a spendy bottle of wine. The Frenchman comes out and looks around, walks up and hugs me! He made me Matri D’ and the rest is history. I’ve been camping out by the Colorado River, going to the gym to shower and pulling down over three bills a night, and yass, the food is excellent!

We also get our share of rich Aspenites. The Frenchman has all this crap he bought at Wal-Mart on the walls and thinks it looks European. There was this one quilt in particular; that I know runs around $45.00, which an obviously wealthy woman was admiring. She called me over and asked me about it. I looked at her, and with my fake Italian accent, yass; I’ve been doing it the whole time. (It’s really my Grandpa Sammy as an Italian.) it’s too much. Since I don’t speak French, Italian it was. I just couldn’t resist. Oh to be European, different then the norm; suave, sophisticated; it’s all entertainment, and who better then I, to put on a show.

Anyway, I began telling her the story of the quilt. This quilt from Wal-Mart has really been in the Frenchman’s family for generations. In fact, it was used during the French Resistance of WWII to keep patriots warm. On and on I went with the fascinating history of the quilt from Wal-Mart. It doesn’t look new because The Frenchman rolled it around in the dirt and then washed it a bunch of times; guess it looked more French with some dirt on it. The now taken woman asks me if the Frenchman would consider selling it. I tell her I’m not sure but I’ll ask.

Now in a European kitchen, it’s so quiet you can here a pin drop; it’s just how they do things; bullshit if you ask me and as you know, I’m well versed in bullshit. It’s one of the few workable gifts my father left me. So I walk in and just stand there for a couple of minutes not saying anything. The Frenchman finally looks up and says, “What are you doing?” I tell him “nothing” and go back out. I tell a now very excited, Lady Rolex draped patron, that though he appreciates the offer, it has huge sentimental value. If I’ve read her correctly, I know she won’t take no for an answer. Now she takes out the checkbook and looks me dead in the eye and says, “Do you think he’d take five thousand for it?” I look quizzical and tell her I’ll see.

I go back into the kitchen and just stand there. The Frenchman puts down his knife and says, “What are you doing now?” I say, “Nothing” and go back out. I tell this woman who doesn’t understand the meaning of no; the Frenchman is impressed by her eye for antique quilts and will accept her offer. She writes the check and asks to see him to say thank you. I inform her he had to leave and won’t be back for the rest of the night. She looks disappointed but I take the quilt down, fold it up and carry it out to her Rolls. You would have thought it was Christmas. I timed it so the transaction happened as I was dropping the check. She drove away, quite pleased with her acquisition. I’m sure this woman has never stepped foot inside a Marty’s, so all should be kosher. I’m sure her friends will love how she stole it for five grand.

I said not a word, and began counting the till. The Frenchman came out with dinner for the crew. I love that part of working in a European joint. He sits down and looks up at the wall and says, “Where is my fucking quilt?” I looked at him with a straight face and said, ‘Oh, I forgot” handed him the check for five grand and told him the story. He stared at me dumbfounded, broke into the biggest grin I’ve ever seen, hugged and kissed me and said, “You fucking crazy American, I fucking love you!” The next day, he handed me a grand and had another quilt in its place, with price tags on all the shit he bought at Wal-Mart; marked up two hundred percent. Perception is relative, obviously, so is money.

Anyway, the season is over in a couple of weeks and I gave notice. He begged me to stay, but some things you just can’t explain; The Road is one of them. I told him thanks but no, I have to move on. He told me I’ll always have a job with him. That’s nice to know. So, as before stated, I’ll be seeing you in two weeks for complete buffoonery and lazy living; I’m sure you’re pleased. It’ll be good to hang with you; I’ve missed your company and brilliant conversation.

Leonardo Binderelli

New reviews soon!!

:D

It is a pizza place, but not your run of the mill pizza place.  This place is a classy "wine and pizza" resturant.  But, it is perfect for a couple who doesn't have tons of money to spend on an expensive date night, but yet want to go some where fun, and out of the ordinary.  It is fun and hip and well just a great place.  My husband and I enjoy trying out little places off the beaten path for dinner or nights out, or just moments when we have time away from the kids...which isn't very often.  We usually find some of the greatest little spots and have fabulous meals.  This was no exception.  So, while we were supping or lunching as the case may be, on our chicken ceaser salad pizza...basically a salad on a pizza, I decided I needed to be an amatuer resturant critique for this one brief moment in time and tell anyone who has a Sauce resturant near you to go...nay run to the nearest one and eat heartily!  It is wonderful, inexpensive and a great date resturant...yet it is also kid friendly if you would want to bring your family there as well!  So, there it is.  My resturant review!  bon apetite!

Pita pit-This place is SO delicious. I would totally eat here every day If it wasn't like 6 bucks a pita. But really they are So amazing. and they deliver. which rocks

Papa Murphys- I eat more papa Murphy's then anything else. faith brings home pizza all the time so its just always around to eat... and other pizza just isnt as good.

Rancheritos- That was a big tortilla filled with chicken. like no like it was massive and all it had was chicken in it. but the chicken was good. and the horchata was awesome.

Indian oven- Blech, Indian food. between the curry and the ginger I couldn't handle it. freaking nasty. but my roomates loved it.

Firehouse Pizza- They have these fh' zookies, cookies with ice cream and stuff on them and they  were SO good. I could eat like five.

Wok on wheels- ahhh Chinese food. It was Delicious. and they gave you alot of food. but... the egg roll was a little shady.

5 dollar pizza- I like it. Its more delicious then little Cesar's, but smaller.

Olive garden- not huge on Italian food, it smells bad. and I don't remember what I got, but I didnt really like it.

View from our room.
The balcony is enclosed so it was taken through the screen.

Fountain near the Golf Hall of Fame.

Nate, Me & Kat

Nate, Me & Chief

Kat, Me & Chief.
Chief got a several comments on his HSU shirt.
Go Cowboys!

Then it was back to the resort for movie night; Night At the Musuem.

I should have pictures up tomorrow evening.

My first topic will be the Risotto restaurant, 4605 Golf Course Road at Lone Tree Way, the second restaurant at that location, and the second Italian joint in town, Olive Garden was the first, Vinette (the original at this location), and then Johnny Carino's. Of course others may have come and gone, but these are the major choices.

This weekend my Wife and I were going to the new fat-free-all-healthy-completely-organic frozen yogurt shop in the same plaza when we decided to dine at the Risotto. Walking into the building is quite a pleasant experience; a country Italian truck to the right displaying seasonal ornamentation, a handful of Italian wines, and a choice variety of other fun-to-look at items. To the left was a wonderful looking dessert cabinet. Straight ahead was a grandiose bar.

The wait was trivial, and the hostess shuttled us to our table, in the main dining area. While we were dining, there were at least ten other parties and the room was generally quiet.

The new Risotto décor is so much better than the original. The art is more Italianesque and the original deconstructive architecture was removed covered by linens hanging from the ceiling. An Italian restaurant should be Italian; the original was not, but Risotto is better now.

The menu has a curious slow dining label, warning the hasty American population that this restaurant will serve its food when it likes. I found that entertaining, however, there service was not especially slow. We had a pleasant conversation while our food was being prepared. And the spinach pear salad was delightful, while the linguini carbonara was equally wonderful.

Absolutely no complaints.  Risotto has become a wonderful dining experience. Risotto would be a wonderful location for a prom dinner, a night out (as their bar is well stocked), or a simple dining experience.

My daughter got one of the new Spiderwick toys from McDonalds today , and to my amazement the toy had a built in laser pointer.  It also came with a viewfinder - monocule type piece of plastic thru which the child can use to look thru at the laser pointer to see a special image.   Correct me if I am wrong, but don't most laser pointer's come with warning labels  not to look directly at the laser?  Also, why would we allow our kids to think looking directly at a laser is a good thing?  Wouldn't this lead to them looking at other things, which we know are dangerous to our eyes?  To add insult to injury, this hazardous piece of merged plastic and laser was made in China, a place known for using paints that contain lead , which has been determined to be a cause of cancer.

  McDonalds,  I suggest you recall these toys, or else you'll have another "Coffee burning lawsuit" on your hands.  Imagine if some kid did in fact do damage to their eyes with this toy? 

 We all know McDonald's uses China because China sells cheap crap (Chinese worker's opinion of Americans buying cheap crap).  Pehaps we as Americans step up and stop buying from McDonalds in boycott.  I wonder how long it would take for McDonald's to wake up and realize their mistakes.  

As for me, I will never purchase anything from McDonald's again until they have corrected their ways.

As the commentor has suggested, a bright LED is one thing, but weren't we taught not to look directly into any kind of light as a kid?  Maybe I have overly protective parents, but having a toy that requires a child to look directly into a light, laser, whatever seems kinda pointless to me.  Thanks for the input though, but I will continue to teach my child not to look directly into any kind of light.  Sunlight or otherwise...