Fort Worth Downtown Review

Click on image to go to website.

j
The premier issue of the Fort Worth Downtown Review is out and on the newstands. Well, actually in the restaurants and hotels of Downtown-South.

Look for a copy --- or go to http://www.fwdowntownreview.com and click on "Pages."

Many Fort Worth food and Fort Worth news weblogs were included in the "Lists" section. The magazine is oriented to Fort Worth visitors as a guide to enjoying our fair city.

Please make comments and suggestions to rsmith@fwsummit.com. She would love to hear from you.

Fort Worth's Best Beer

Fort Worth has its fair share of establishments where a cold pint can be enjoyed in the summertime.

Flying Saucer, Houston Street Patio, Ginger Man, Bull and the Bush, Paddy Red's, to name just a few, are all places that highlight the enjoyment of a fresh draught. The Ginger Man even has the occasional event, such as next week's, " Beer Tasting, Summer Sippers." (August 1, $30, for more information: gingermanpub.com)

The Star Telegram, July 22, ran a good article on the best summer selections for beer drinkers. Included: our very own Rahr Brewery, Summertime Wheat, and Shiner's Smoakhaus.

http://www.star-telegram.com

Have a little known favorite? Please pass it on.

On Writing Instruments.

I was cleaning out a drawer the other day and realized something.

I have too many pens.

I had ten barely used pens in that drawer alone. Elsewhere, in jars, boxes, briefcases and other drawers I have hundreds of them -- and most likely so do you. I have pens from banks, law offices and businesses of every kind, click pens, roller balls, felt-tip, ball point, highlighters, and my favorites, the traditional fountain pen.

Pencils? I like them too. Wood pencils that require sharpening, and the mechanical kind that advance with a click or a screw. And there are the accessories to pens and pencils: ink wells, cartridges, sharpeners, erasers, and rulers. I love rulers.

My favorite pen is the Parker clip-on click pen with a fine-point, blue-ink cartridge. It has the right size, color, weight, look, and ease of use. And it writes very well. They cost about $5 at office supply store. For letter writing, my favorite pen is an old-fashioned Flair with a medium tip. I like the original Pilot pen with the fine tip but they tended to flatten too quickly.

Everyone once in a while I'll think about Thomas Jefferson sitting in a quiet room writing the Declaration of Independence. He had a couple of big sheets of paper, a quill tip pen, and an ink well. Back then, men had time to think as they wrote. I do know Shelby Foote, author of Civil War - A Narrative, wrote with an no-cartridge, fountain pen. Dip and write. He said it helped his writing.

As usual I have wandered off my point about pens, but now that I think about it. I wonder if the quality of writing has gone down as the ease of writing has gone up?

Best Fajitas in Fort Worth.

The best fajitas in Fort Worth are at Pappasito's. Hands down.

The fajita meat at Pappa's is marinated for two days. I know, I helped open the store 12 years ago and watched how they did it. The extra marination makes the fajita meat very tender.

The best time to enjoy their fajitas is on Wednesday night. Why? The fajitas-for-two-dinner, normally $32, is $16. That's fajitas for 2 with all the extras: fresh, hot, flour tortillas, chips, beans, rice, salsa --- and -- half price drinks during happy hour.

I have been to Pappasito's several times this last month on Wednesday night and the place is packed. I have always believed Pappas made the best fajitas in town, getting them half-price makes them taste even better.

Conclusion: they taste delicious, the portions are huge, and the price is the best in town. What else is there?

Trust me -- try it.

Wednesday night. Fajitas for 2, half-price.

Guest post by Stephen, transcribed from conversation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's Note: if you have a different opinion, that is, if you prefer the fajitas from another restaurant, please leave a comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Anonymous Post

Fort Worth Opera, 2009 and 2010 Season.

In the August 2009 issue of Opera News, Fort Worth Opera was favorably reviewed for their 2009 season: The opening paragraph of a long review:

Add a new destination to the American opera-festival circuit. In only its third run as a spring-to-summer festival, Fort Worth Opera, this year, offered casting as good as you'd get in Sante Fe, and more consistent than in recent years at Glimmerglass or St. Louis. In the pit, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra played with more finesses than even the St Louis Symphony.

Classical music and Opera are finding audiences thought impossible just a few years ago. Texas is the a major contributor to that trend, as well as to traditional folk, country, jazz, and independent label music of many genres. Austin's SXSW (South by SouthWest) is the most popular but just one of Texas' many music festivals.

Congratulations to the Fort Worth Opera for the complimentary reviews.

The 2010 season looks promising to me. Give it a try.

Dunkin' Donuts Promotion.

I am a fan of Dunkin' Donuts, the products and the company.

So much so that even though we have only one store in the greater Fort Worth area, if asked to announce something, I do.

In Texas, Dunkin' Donuts does not have the presence that it does in the Northeast. But they have around 8,000 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide. Sales of over 5 billion. Not to shabby for a donuts and coffee company. Like McDonald's, they sell franchises.

Starbucks, on the other hand, has mostly company stores. I prefer Dunkin's coffee to Starbucks. And I like the direction in which the company is going. Starbucks continues to disappoint me. Dunkin' Donuts has slowly transformed a sit-on-a-stool-eating-donuts image to a fast food outlet with very good bagels, good coffee, donuts, and low calorie sandwiches that are good and inexpensive. I frequently get the flatbread egg and vegetable sandwich for about $2 and it is very tasty and around 200 calories. And the service is fast.

Some Dunkin' Donuts franchisers are struggling, the weak economy has effected them, too. But I like company's aggressive disposition, right now. They are going after the weakened coffee giant with good coffee, lower prices, and better food.

That's my opinion.

The current promotion: 50% off all coffee and iced tea-based beverages during Happy Hour weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Starts July 15.

Okay it's not the happy hour I frequented years ago, but at least you can't get arrested for a DWD. (Driving While Donuted. Sorry, terrible dad-quip. Unforgiveable, actually -- but it stays.)

-------------------------------------------------------
The new Hurst store is at 1661 Precinct Line Rd Hurst, TX 76054.

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/store

Paul McCartney at Dallas Cowboys Stadium

For those of us who cut our musical teeth listening to Sergeant Pepper's, The White Album, and Abbey Road, the thought of one of the four Beatles playing to packed houses is a little strange. At least to me.

But play Paul McCartney will, on August 19th, at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

The final, full-cast Beatles' concert was in 1966. If the Beatles had had a concert, in say, 1969, at the time of the Abbey Road release, attendance would have been unmanageable and higher prices would have not kept the crowds from attempting to get in. They were that good and that popular.

The Beatles were over as a concert band years before their last albums; their friendships had ended and Yoko was on the scene, as was the the Maharashi. Their long-time manager, Bryan Epstein, died in 1969, and the thing just ended bad -- which would have made a concert, with all present, even more popular. 500,000 in attendance would not have been impossible, I hypothesize. If they had performed at Woodstock the numbers would have doubled.

The only other entertainers in my lifetime as influential and popular were Sinatra and Elvis, and possibly, Michael Jackson. The only current pop musician with the talent is Dave Matthews and Band. (Granted, I'm not exactly up to date, nor do I want to be after having seeing the Lady Gaga train wreck on American Idol).

I wish Paul McCartney well. I suppose the attendance will be 50,000 plus, I will not be one of them. When I'm 64 is not that far off for me.
--------------------------------------------------
My favorite Beatles song? It changes over the years, but probably Harrison's, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Let It Be, would have been at one time. Back in the USSR, is probably my favorite satirical one, Blackbirds, my favorite anti-establishment song. There were very few I disliked.

Your favorite?
--------------------------------------------------
More information: http://www.dallasnews.com

Lili's Owner Opening New Restaurant . . .

Fort Worth Business Press reports today that Vance Martin, owner of Lili's, is opening a new restaurant on Magnolia named the Cat City Grill. The restaurant will feature “signature sandwiches, steak and seafood,” according to a statement. The plans call for 2500 square feet and seating for about 90.

A representative of the new Grill said, "Cat City Grill’s creative sandwich menu will highlight famous sandwiches from favorite American restaurants, such as a cheese steak from Pat or Geno’s in Philadelphia . . . "

Great idea and knowing Vance the food will be good.

My only suggestion is to use Tony Luke's in Philly as the high water mark of cheesesteaks and not Ginos or Pats. I can walk to both places from where I am right now -- and don't. The best cheesesteak roll in the world is at Sarcone's Bakery, which supplies the better cheesesteak sandwich shops in Philly. The rolls at Pats and Ginos are pretty wimpy. (Vance: just had to get my 2-cents in)

Regardless, good luck to the folks at Lili's, I love the idea and the location. Magnolia is still my favorite street in Fort Worth, and Lili's my favorite place on Magnolia (well, St. Mary's is my favorite place, but that's not a restaurant).

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com

The Best Burger Contest at DFW.com

DFW.com is having a best hamburger contest. I really never tire of the debate. Not that I pay that much attention to the winner. As they say, my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts.

If you have visited all the best burger places in Fort Worth, you have your favorite. As do I. As does everyone, and that is as it should be.

Mine is still Kinkaid's, which has something to do with the ease of ordering, the location, the seating, the price, etc. I just like the way the place works and I always get a good burger.

I need to try the Love Shack burger with the egg. That looks good.

My favorite in the Metroplex will always be Coppell Deli. Their double burger is unbelievable.

If you are interested in voting:
http://www.dfw.com/118

It's Summertime, and that means . . .

Baseball. . . the great game.



At some point every summer, when the heat rises to a certain level and the smell of a fresh mown lawn blows my way, I think of baseball.

The game of summer. The game of skill, and strategy, and luck, and endurance. The game of failure.

The slow moving game with occasional seconds of excitement. Like life, itself.

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

I think of the sound of the wood bat meeting the leather skinned ball and seeing that connection before hearing it.

I think of handsome Johnny Callison, Cookie Rojas, Tony Taylor, Richie Ashburn, Pete Incaviglia, Nolan Ryan, Julio-Julio, and Charlie Hough, who would catch a smoke between innings back when a knuckle ball pitcher could do such things.

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

When summer hits, and the air is still, I'll hear a distant radio and the baritone-voiced announcer calling balls and strikes, and I will think of the nights at the ballpark watching the Texas Rangers with my boys, my daughter, and my wife. And the Pony League games, and hitting ground balls to the boys in the front yard and . . . there is no end of baseball memory.

God, I loved that game.

Palin - tology

I am amazed at the continued national interest in Governor Sarah Palin. I am amazed at my interest in Sarah Palin. But for some reason she gets our attention. After 4 days of non-stop news coverage I have just one word. GiveThatWomanABreakForCryingOutLoud.

Here's my opinion on why she is quitting the Alaska governorship before the end of her session:

Put your hand in front of you, 5 fingers extended, palm towards you. Take the first finger to the right and bend it palmwards, thumb holding it down, now take the two fingers to the left and again bend them over . . . what you have left is what she is telling the news media, and maybe you and me, and can you blame her? After 16 lawsuits, 15 of them dropped, and the 16th soon to be dropped? Not to mention the ridicule her daughters received.

Do I care for her home spun, soccer-mom-in-Alaska personna? Not really. Is she the sharpest knife in the drawer? No, again. Do I respect her? Yes, I do. Do the cannibalistic media drive me crazy with their holier than thou, what is the dumb broad thinking attitude? Yes, more than I can say here.

I hope she runs for President and wins just to piss them off.

Governor Palin, whatever you do, you are alright by me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unrelated Cartoon of the Day:

Recession by Paul Zanetti, Australia