Top Ten Worst Movies of all Time.

Not only have I not seen any of Rotten Tomatoes "ten worst movies of all time," I have never heard of any of them, either. Maybe, I need to get out more often.
 Top Ten Worst Movies of all Time.
10. Witless Protection (2008)
9. Redline (2007)
8. 3 Strikes (2000)
7. Strange Wilderness (2008)
6. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
5. National Lampoon's Gold Diggers (2004)
4. King's Ransom (2005)
3. Pinocchio (2002)
2. One Missed Call (2008)
1. Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever (2002)

From Yahoo News and Rotten Tomatoes.

Starbucks Instant Coffee

The Starbucks Company calls their instant coffee product "Via," and is test-selling the coffee in select US cities.   Via is a "road" to destruction, in my view.

I don't get it. In the last five years the Starbucks brand has been diluted with bad coffee, bad sandwiches, and lower quality pastries. They did have a good thing going with their music until iTunes came along. But that's not Starbucks' fault. What is their fault is the decline in their coffee quality, Pike's Place, and now further dilution of the brand with Via.

Starbucks has a shareholder problem.The value of the shares steadily increased since the issuing the of IPO in 1992. Until recently. The shares peaked at around $40, declined to $10 a few years ago, and are now inching back up to about $20 per share. Understandably, large shareholders hate to see their investments diminish. And they know that the only way back up is to expand, to sell more of the current product, or to create more products to sell. They have done about about all the US expansion they can do, they have a bigger menu in the stores than they need, so what's left?

Instant coffee? Yuuuchh. Fire the brain-child that dreamed this up.

It may work, sure, because it is still "cashing in" on the mystique of the name, but what happens 10 years from now when the Starbucks name is synonymous with Folgers or Maxwell House. Imagine saying to someone, "let's meet at the Folgers store." Instant coffee is short-sighted growth and killing the image goose that lays the golden eggs.

I have a suggestion. How about making a really good cup of coffee? Every cup, every customer, every time someone walks in the store.

College of Saint Thomas More

The College of Saint Thomas More invites students, Tutors, alumni, friends and benefactors to the blessing of the new Chapel of Christ the Teacher by Bishop Kevin Vann on Monday, October 5 at 5:00 p.m.

Bishop Vann will celebrate Mass following the blessing of the chapel. All are welcome and encouraged to come celebrate this joyous occasion with the College.

Details:

Date:	Monday, October 5, 2009
Time:	5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	Chapel of Christ the Teacher
Street:	3011 Lubbock, Fort Worth

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php

Yogolait. Frozen Yogurt.

I have a suggestion the next time you go out for dinner: go to Yogolait for a frozen yogurt dessert. I did last night and boydaddy it is good. The store is in a small shopping center south of Central Market, a couple stores from Starbucks.

The Yogolait concept is self-serve for both the frozen yogurt and the toppings. Yogolait provides paper cups and the customer chooses from a selection of 8 or so flavors and does the dispensing himself. Same with the toppings.

Our favorite: the classic tart frozen yogurt with toppings of assorted berries and nuts, and maybe a little chocolate. (We were daily visitors to a very similar store in Philadelphia)

Pay by the ounce. A small serving costs about $3 - 4.

It is so good it is scary.
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For a detailed list of yogurt flavors and toppings: http://yogolait.com

Yogolait
3250 Hulen St #130
Fort Worth, TX 76107

Candlelighters Run, 2009.

My favorite 5k run in Fort Worth is the Candlelighter's Run & Walk. Here's why:

1. The "nightrun" itself is different and enjoyable.
2. Great food and refreshments. Not every 5k provides as much.
3. Music and festive atmosphere after the race.
4. Downtown Fort Worth as the start and finish points.

Put all of these together and everyone gets a very enjoyable event. More importantly, the Candlelighter's Run & Walk supports an agency that works with children cancer patients and their families. There are 120 cases of childhood cancer each year in Tarrant County and the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Fort Worth has been assisting the patients and their families since 1992.

Following is a summary of event details, and, by the way, I will be there, running in slow motion.

• Cost: $20
  
• Date: October 10, 2009
• Time: 5k Run start time is 8:30 p.m.
• Event begins at 6 pm.
• Start location: 8th St and Main St., Fort Worth, Texas.

For more information or to sign-up: http://www.candlelightersfw.org

Ellerbe Fine Foods

Food in Fort Worth... there's plenty of it... and there's plenty of personality behind the wonderful eating establishments... Places that come to mind: Nona's, Fred's, JJ's, , the list goes on and on.

More recently, the Magnolia area has seen another addition that has taken off and really shown Fort Worth what personal attention to ingredient selections and home town tastes can do for a great meal.

Ellerbe Fine Foods on 1501 W. Magnolia St. is the new spot to get very good service, great wine selection, and incredibly fresh/tasty meals.

My wife, Becca (of the West), Josie Singleton (Eat This Fort Worth), and myself took a "neccessary" trip to Ellerbe's for an article in the current issue of Fort Worth Foodie. The article was about focusing on locally grown organic foods and their importance (not to mention their fantastic taste).

Enough rambling... Here's the quick rundown of dinner... Probably one of the better meals you can get in Fort Worth. I'm not kidding. We've ventured out to many different establishments, but the tastes that we had at Ellerbe's, was quite possibly unmatched.

We sample several of their appetizers, entrees, and even deserts. Here's the quick breakdown...

Apps:
Homegrown tomato salad - nice, big, flavorful tomatoes with hushpuppy croutons. Good, strong flavors.
Texas peaches and Deborah’s Farmstead Chevre - lovely comibination of cheese and peaches.
Watermelon, cantalope, shaved proscuitto, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction - my favorite, flavors were very bold, sweet, savory, all over the place!

Entrees:
Curried Lamb Chops, Latte De Feta, Warm Couscous Salad, Tzatziki - incredible. The lamb chops were perfectly done (moist, pink, spiced just right)... The couscous was nice with the smooth feta.. and the Tzatziki gave a cool topping to the spiced lamb.

Grilled Airline Chicken Breast, Port Glazed Lightsey Figs, Mascarpone Polenta, Grilled Asparagus - Very tastey polenta with the mascarpone. Very Earthy feel to it. Chicken was properly prepared and mixed very well with the polenta.

Dessert:
Texas Peach and Prosecco Semifreddo - sweet, sparkling, tastey...
Maw Maw's Bread Pudding - not bad, really really rich...
and a pot of French pressed coffee - they put the water in too hot, slightly burnt

Overall, like I said earlier, the service was prompt and attentive (and very knowleadgeable)... the meal was no less than great, and I definitely put my seal of approval on the place...

More Burger Talk.

1. I hate to admit it but -- I visited Kinkaid's last night and the cheeseburger was good, but not as good as I expected. Was it a bad night for an otherwise good burger spot? Or have they grown beyond their ability to keep up? The bun was exceptionally wimpy and the onions could have vaporized the ink off of the Fort Worth Business Press I was reading while there.

2. So Smashburger is coming to town? I have never been to one. Anyone have an opinion?

3. I still can't get over the fact that DFW.com chose the Fred's hamburger as the best in the area. And while I'm on the subject, congratulations to the Star-Telegram for their new website which is usable and eye-pleasing, unlike the last one which was the visual equivalent of a Chuck E Cheese restaurant.

4. I saw that Pappa's burgers is having a half-price night. That would be worth a visit, unless it's on the same night as Wednesday night's half-price fajita for two night, which is like fajitas for four in any other part of the world. And their beef fajitas are very, very good.

5. The best part of the Star Telegram's Smashburger article was the mention of the possibility that In-N-Out Burger from California is considering a DFW location:

"We often look at potential new markets, and North Texas has been part of that evaluation process," said Carl Van Fleet, In-N-Out’s vice president of planning and development. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Keep saying your prayers.

Jazz by the Boulevard. Changes Due to Rain.

Jazz by the Boulevard is moving inside for tonight's performances.

New venue: Amon Carter Exhibit Hall in the Will Rogers Complex.

See the Star Telegram for details.

House Prices in Fort Worth. Good News.

The Fort Worth Business Press reported today that house prices are relatively stable in Fort Worth as compared with U.S. cities with populations of 600,000 and over. Fort Worth ranked 4th.

The top ten markets with the best expected performance in home price are:

1. Baton Rouge, LA
2. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
3. Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX
4. Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
5. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
6. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
7. Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. San Antonio, TX
10. Syracuse, NY

The article does go on to say that the areas that saw the boom cycle are now most likely to be in the decline. Likewise, the markets such as ours, that did not experience a boom real estate cycle are more likely to have price stability. Fort Worth and the area has the added benefit of business growth and an increasing population.

See the Fort Worth Business Press for additional information.

Love Shack. So 7. Very Good.

Four of us went to the Love Shack off 7th Street today. I hate to admit it but I ordered the Penne Pasta salad-- it's a diet thing. The salad was very good, but this place is about the hamburgers.

Andrew, who had a hamburger, gave me his review:

1. Nice festive atmosphere. Not enough indoor seating in the summer. A good atmosphere all around.

2. Dirty Love Burger. The burger was excellent, the bun was toasted well, the bacon was a real piece of flavorful bacon, not some wilted piece of shingle. The meat was perfect: juicy, thick, hot. Perfect. Special sauce was great as well. One question: why the quail egg? It was overcooked and flavorless. I was hoping the yoke was going to break and spill out onto the burger. I was even eagerly anticipating the moment. But nothing.

3. Anasazi beans were a welcome side dish. Something different than french fries.

4. Very impressed. Will go back very soon.

. . . If only So7 had other tenants . . .
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Editors comments: I tasted the pinto beans and they were delicious. I tried the french fries and they were good, not great. Then again, I have been eating Thrashers Boardwalk fries at Rehoboth Beach all summer and it just doesn't get any better. Love's fries were a little wimpy, but they were fresh cut real potatoes. As far as the egg on the burger -- I'll take an egg on anything and love it. But if it is overcooked and the yoke is hard I think it tastes rubbery. I tried Andrew's Dirty Love Burger and the egg was overcooked for my taste. But the important point is that Love Shack makes a very good hamburger at a reasonable price.

Sukhothai. Great Thai Food in Arlington

Sukhothai is a small, family-operated, Thai restaurant in Arlington off Fielder road. I like it as a restaurant for a small group, here's why:

1. The food is good, really good. I had the mixed vegetables with beef, Thai hot, and it is fresh and very hot. Several in our family had the chicken curry and loved it.
2. The plates are served hot as they are prepared. This might be off-putting to some. I like it. As the cook is plating his dishes they are served, which means your food is right off the stove. We had a party of eight and the last person served was a few minutes behind the first.
3. It is quiet. The music is not blaring and the room is small so it is easy to carry on table conversations.
4. BYOB. I don't always like this but for family outings it is great. Eight of us enjoyed dinner, great food and service, and several bottles of wine and the bill (before tip) was only $100. (Come to think of it, my wife and I don't drink, Elizabeth is pregnant, so that leaves 5 people with three bottles, one of them the extra large bottle . . .)
   
5. When you make frequent visits to a small, family owned restaurant you begin to feel like family with the owners, staff, and other frequent visitors. A good meal is about good food and drink in a pleasant setting with free-flowing conversation and somebody else doing the dishes. If you are fortunate enough to have that -- "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places." Psalm 16.
   

For great Thai food almost in Fort Worth:
Sukhothai

423 Fielder North Plz
Arlington, TX 76012
(817) 860-4107

It's Saturday, May I Digress?

White People.

They are a strange bunch of folks.

Friendly? Yes, annoyingly so sometimes. But strange.

I say this because I have a Facebook account and I look at the pictures. Yes, the white people pictures.

Go to a white persons wedding on Facebook and find me a white person dancing who doesn't look stupid; the arms and legs always flaying around, facial expressions distorted, tie's loosened, white sweat everywhere. It's embarrassing I tell you. I say if you can't dance don't. You may not mind being your uninhibited self on the dance floor but the rest of us find it damned awkward.

I think white people are trying to act non-white. They would be much better off doing the fox-trot or the waltz or some such thing. Watch the old Lawrence Welk show. That's how white people are supposed to act.

Everybody's happier that way.

Celebrated Living Magazine

Celebrated Living, a magazine published by American Airlines for their First and Business Class customers, celebrated their 10 year anniversary Wednesday night at the Joule Hotel in Dallas.

At the invitation of Megan Broussard, F&FW contributor Rebecca Shivone Smith attended, with husband Britton, and made these observations on the food, the wine, the hotel and the magazine:

After attending the celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Celebrated Living I can definitely say that they can put together a first class party as well as a first class magazine. The Fall 2009 edition of CL features a food and wine theme and touts Meryl Streep on the cover who recently starred in the “foodie” movie, Julie and Julia.

Master Chef Charlie Palmer, of the Michelin-starred Aureole in New York, has recently opened a restaurant in the Joule Hotel in Dallas and was offering guests a range of delightful hor d'oeuvres paired with wines from around the country. He is featured in this issue of Celebrated Living and provided the party a perfectly enjoyable American epicurean experience . I enjoyed meeting and speaking with him -- and Charlie -- the quail legs were to die for, and I cannot wait to come by the restaurant and eat more of that delicious chocolate ganache espresso torte.

Brinton and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and look forward to flying first class with American -- maybe just to get the next edition of Celebrated Living!

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The Fall Issue of CL has a "Food and Wine" focus and has many articles of interest for food lovers -- especially those that like to travel.

My favorite article: Ten Trends in Food.
Becca's favorite: West Coast Wine Weekends. "Enough to make me want to hop on a plane and head straight to Napa."

Celebrated Living Magazine: www.celebratedliving.com

Yahoo News: "The Alamo is a Tourist Trap"

Yahoo makes some bad decisions and this was one of the worst. A few weeks ago their lead news story was, "Overrated US Tourist Traps," and the Alamo was listed as one of them. Quoting from the article:

The Alamo, otherwise known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, sits on roughly four acres in downtown San Antonio, a short distance from the River Walk. Much of the original structure is no more, and what remains are a few small stone buildings and some neatly trimmed lawns. The audio tour concludes in an exceedingly well-provisioned gift shop. Andrew Harper

I have a difficult time considering a monument to bravery and selfless actions a tourist trap. It may not be of interest to everyone but respect dictates a more honorable description. Whether or not all of the buildings are there is not the point. The Lincoln Memorial is a monument to a great President, does it need a multi-media presentation to be considered "worth it." Maybe we should add some rides and interactive games to the Alamo. How would that do?

I took my school-aged children to the Alamo to show our respects to the men and women who died there. I considered it hallowed ground, like the battlefields of Gettysburg. I asked my children to walk around quietly even though they did not understand why. I did the same at Gettysburg and Valley Forge. They too are nothing but fields and a couple of huts, by the way.

A nation is a kind of family and a certain respect needs to be shown those who make sacrifices for the other members. We all find different things interesting, but some things should be sacred.

I'll be less polite. Mr. Harper is a dumb-ass for writing the tourist trap story. I suggest he stay on the north side of the Red River. Find a casino. Have some fun.

Zestfest 2009

------------------------- Event Day Alert ------------------------------

1:30 pm / September 12, 2009

I just returned from the Zestfest. If you are attending here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Bring an umbrella. It's raining and looks like it will continue. There are several events there today and it is a little bit of a walk to the hall.
2. It is a $10 entrance fee but you can come and go all day.
3. It was crowded when I left about 1 pm.
4. There are drinks to purchase, including Coors beer, but no food except 1 concession stand serving hotdogs and such. Of course, there are hundreds of sauces, salsas, and relishes to try with plenty of tortilla chips.
5. The website is not very good at explaining where to go. The exhibit hall is actually in the Amon G Carter Building / West Texas Hall. That is just east of the new construction for the Science Museum.
6. Try the super hot peanuts. Wow.

------------------ Original Zestfest Post --------------------

A reminder that Zestfest 2009 is only days away. From the Zestfest website:

ZestFest 2009 is the ultimate party for bold and flavorful food enthusiasts. Hosted by Chile Pepper Magazine in Fort Worth, Texas ZestFest will be action-packed. Cooking demos by celebrity chefs, live music, interactive contests and thousands of bold food samples will make September 11-13, 2009 the zestiest weekend of the year!

If you think you have a winning spicy dish, enter the Fiery Food Challenge.

http://www.zestfest2009.com

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Visiting Forth Worth? See also:

"My Top 20 Best Places to Visit in the Fort Worth Area"