The Baseball Metaphor.

I'm lying here listening to the Texas Rangers play the Oakland Athletics. They're playing in Oakland so the game is on late in our Central Standard Time. The Rangers just hit into a double play and a third out followed quickly, we're down 4-3 in the 7th.

My son sent me a text the other day saying how nice it was to have the game on in the background of whatever he is doing. I agree. For me, it's a habit going back to childhood lying in bed with an AM-band transistor radio listening to Richie Ashburn do the play by play for the Philadelphia Phillies' games.

And for those of us so inclined baseball became the metaphor for life. Just tonight I used the phrase "it's a Mays/Mantle comparison," meaning whether you come down on the side of Mays or Mantle as the best player you're right.

Who hasn't said after a successful activity "I just hit one out of the park." Or the opposite. Maybe the boss threw you a curve ball when he said you could have Friday off but asked you to work Saturday. And your plans for Saturday are now a big swing and a miss. But the boss plays hardball and you just have to deal with it.

Many people face life with two strikes against them and hope just once someone would throw them a softball instead of the brush-back.

But that's life. If you bat near .300 you're doing pretty good. And if you really don't like something you can take your bat and ball and go home.

Captain America, the Winter Soldier and Downtown's Newly Renovated AMC Palace 9

If you like comic book hero movies you'll probably like Captain America, The Winter Soldier. Unlike some comic book movies this one has a attention-grabbing plot and at the heart of the plot is the always enjoyable political and philosophical question, "Can one perform an evil act if it accomplishes a great good?" I shouldn't be imputing grand significance to a comic book story but I like it when there is such a theme weaving in and out of the story line.

SHIELD, the CIA/NSA-type agency that Sgt. Fury has led since after WWII has grown powerful. HYDRA, the evil opposite and enemy of SHIELD, is alive and well, and has infiltrated the highest offices of SHIELD, and, without giving away too much, has proposed a plan to rid the world of all the bad guys in the world before they act badly.

Captain America being an old school kind of guy--remember it's not been long since he's being out of the frozen tundra--and intuitively understanding the higher philosophical ideal sees the corruption for what it is, the desire to control through power, and comes to the defense of the Good, the True and the American way.

The movie has some suspense, a few very good chase scenes, hand to hand combat in the new style, and lots of things shooting and blowing up. Add Scarlett Johansen and Emily VanCamp (Revenge) and what else could a guy ask for?

I was a Sgt. Fury comic book reader back in the day when it was set in WWII and was about thirteen when SHIELD was started and Fury took the helm. I loved it back then and think Samuel Jackson makes a great modern but tough Fury. Anthony Mackie who plays the Falcon and Chris Evans, Captain America, work well together. Robert Redford is great. Put it all together and this is not a bad movie.

As to the AMC. It's really hard to criticize a place that has honest to goodness fully reclining chairs.  They're very big, very comfortable, electric, and I have to say they're almost a cause for embarrassment when you first go full recline though I'm not sure why. AMC will soon be selling beer and wine which for me would only mean that post-pint and in full recline mode I'd be asleep within minutes no matter what was playing. Food and drinks are at the counter, unlike a Movie Tavern, and priced like any movie theater. The particular theater Captain America played in was small, maybe 100 seats, but very comfortable, the screen is digital as I guess they all are now. I get sticker shock at movies these days but if you're going to go to the movies this AMC is a good one.

Best of Fort Worth, Texas, 2014.

It's been a few years since I have done a "Best of." Three to be exact. A lot has changed. Honestly, Marian and I don't go out as much as we once did and I'm not always going to be able to say with any kind of authority that restaurant X is better than restaurant Y because I may not have been to restaurant Y.

But here's what I like best in Fort Worth right now -- and of course we'll start with the hamburgers.

1. The better than fast-food burger and fries: I like 5 Guys when I'm going for a good hamburger. I know there are lots of options now in Fort Worth, Dutchs, Jakes, Smashburger, M&O, Kincaid's, the Chop House in Arlington, but when decision time comes it's tough to beat the burger-fry combination at Five Guys downtown.

2. Fast-food burger and fries: Whataburger and In-and-Out. I like them both for different reasons. There's something about the efficiency of In N Out that I like but I probably choose Whataburger more often.

3. Beef Fajitas: still number 1 with no competition is Pappasitos. Their Tuesday night 2 for 1 special on Fajitas is a great deal and enough food for two meals for two people.

4. Coffee: you might not like this but I still say a fresh cup of Starbucks dark roast is as good as you can get in the city. And thankfully they've stopped hawking Pikes Place which in my view is just god-awful. I tried the special brewed coffee at Starbucks a couple weeks ago and thought it bitter and over-priced. I think it was $3.25 a cup.

5. Steaks and finer dining: I haven't been to any of the newer steak restaurants at least at the Fort Worth locations. I had been to Bob's in Dallas and the Capital Grille in Washington and Philadelphia which I liked. Marian and I did go to Eddie V's for our anniversary and I liked it with some reservation.The twice-baked potato was very ordinary and the steak was not what I had hoped for but everyone says good things about Eddie V's and they're probably right. I'm going to go back and try again. I still miss the Swiss House on University: mandatory coat and tie, piano, beef-Oscar.

6. Mexican. In Fort Worth I still think Mi Cocina is very good. For family run restaurants I like Benitos on Magnolia. I think La Familia has gone down in quality in the last couple years. Marian and I really like Lupe's in Lincoln Square in Arlington. It's real food, cooked with some care and their brisket tacos are as good as you'll get.

7. Retail disappointment of the year. The loss of Barnes and Noble at University Park. I have nowhere to go now when the wife is shopping down there and I just hate to see bookstores closing everywhere.

8. Pizza. The best pizza is probably Il Cane Rosso, new on Magnolia.

9. Thai: Spice on Magnolia

10. Best new development in the planning: 34 acre Left Bank development on the Trinity at 7th. "Centergy’s plan calls for about 1.5 million square feet of construction, 1,500-1,700 residential units, 100,000-120,000 square feet of retail space including a 50,000-square-foot grocer, and a 150-200 room hotel on the river levee." Fort Worth Business Press 

11. Favorite new spot for a night out dinner: Bird Cafe'

12. Most changed area in the last three years: Magnolia, 7th, or Sundance. Pick one.

13. Best new development: Sundance Square

14. Most unexpected outdoor venue: Panther Island Pavilion

15. Sounds good I need to go: Coyote Drive In movie theater and Melt ice cream cones, on Rosedale.

+++

Bird Cafe' Sundance Square

If you have traveled much and been the decision maker on all things travel related: hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, or the gas station most likely to have clean restrooms, you know you get some right and you get some wrong. I hope to bat about .700, 7 out of 10 is a good guessing-right record.

One of the things I do to improve the odds is to make rules, rules that I have developed through observation, and failure. They work sometimes and sometimes they don't. Like gas stations, "dirty on the outside, dirty on the inside," works most of the time.

One axiom I keep fairly strictly is to never eat at a restaurant that caters to customers who are there for reasons other than the food. A restaurant overlooking the Grand Canyon sort of thing. There going to be busy whether the food and service is good or not and it usually isn't. The San Antonio Riverwalk comes to mind. Parts of center-city Philadelphia come to mind. The Vatican Museum cafeteria comes to mind because it was the only bad meal I have ever had in Italy. There are exceptions: Thrashers french-fries at the beach is one.

Sundance Square could become such a place, not on the scale of the examples mentioned above of course, but the convention business is growing and downtown is attracting more and more visitors. If you went to the Main Street Arts Festival on Saturday night you know what I mean. You could not move on Main Street it was that crowded. We're all happy about it but will the restaurants go all touristy on us?

That's a way too long introduction to our visit to the Bird Cafe'. So if you've read enough and are looking for an opinion, here it is: I loved it.

The food is very good and I'm picky. Marian had the fish and chips and with her being British she should know the good from the bad, and she loved it. I had an assortment of tapas-type things including hummus which was very good. The pita bread was a little stale, a fresh, warm baguette with the hummus would have been perfect, but all in all mine was a good meal. too.

And, though a simple pleasure, something I particularly liked was the bottle of carbonated water for $2 refilled at no additional cost.

All that and great outdoor seating; inside seating with slightly more formal settings if you like.

Which brings me back to my original point: people will be frequenting the restaurants around the Square if only for the setting. And that's like gravity pulling the owners to decrease costs and increase profit. I hope I'm wrong, I like it down there as it is.

The Bird Cafe is at the old Flying Saucer location on the Square. And it's good.

Bird Cafe website.

Who's On First?

Today, Wednesday, I was in a part of town that I don't get to often and I thought I'd try a local Mexican place for tacos to go. The restaurant signage for this fine establishment read Today's Lunch Special: Tacos $4.98.

My attempt at placing an order went something like this:

ME at the counter (italics) : I'll take the special advertised on the sign outside.

-- OK sir, will that be ground beef or fajita meat

Whatever the special is, probably ground beef

-- OK sir Today's Special, anything to drink?

Diet Coke

-- Sorry we only have Diet Dr. Pepper.

How about an unsweetened iced tea?

-- OK sir, let's see (cash register starts) that's 6.98 for the special and 1.75 for the iced tea.

I thought today's special was 4.98?

-- No, that's Monday's special.

But the sign says today's special . . . 

-- I guess the owner forgot to change the sign, do you want me to get him?

No, I'll just pay it and maybe you can remind him.

MEAL ARRIVES, I pay and go to the car, open the container and its a cheese enchilada. I GO BACK.

Ma'am I ordered the tacos.

-- No, you said you wanted today's special which is the cheese enchilada.

But the sign says tacos. Today's Lunch Special: Tacos.

-- I know sir but like I said that's Monday's sign, today's special is enchiladas.

But I don't want an enchilada I want tacos.

-- OK sir we'll get you the tacos, let me see how much they are.

I don't care keep the 6.98 just please can I have tacos?

-- But the tacos aren't a lunch special and the enchilada was a lunch special price  . . .

: \

What's New on Magnolia Avenue (East): Spice, Brewed, and Il Cane Rosso

Fort Worth is changing before the very eye. And Magnolia Avenue, my favorite boulevard in Fort Worth, is changing faster than most. To wit: the restaurants in the title SPICE, BREWED, and IL CANE ROSSO, are all new and all on Magnolia.

SPICE
I can't say I know much about Thai food or any of the Asian cuisines or American versions of Asian cuisine. I like some of it but most of it leaves me with a "ok, now what." Thai food is a slight exception because of the use of hot spices which I like. I say this to say that I don't know how SPICE compares to the best Thai food but I think it's pretty darn good.  In fact, Marian and I like it enough that we'll stop by for a to-go order. If you don't agree tell me, I'd like to know.

BREWED
Brewed is a mix of living-room-style coffee shop, craft beer bar, and restaurant and it all kind of works together in that Magnolia kind of way. I stopped by for a coffee and to do a little work the other morning and decided to stay for lunch. The coffee, frankly, was not so great but I got there late morning and maybe it was the end of the pot. For lunch I had the Brewed burger with duck fat fries and it was excellent. I like the place and it seems to be settling in well with the locals. The bar serves Texas-made beers, on-tap and bottled, and wine as well. I think there is some church affiliation but I can't swear to it.

IL CANE ROSSO
Everyone who starts a restaurant hopes to have an opening week like Il Cane Rosso had. I think even they were surprised. Marian and I tried to get a seat on the second night of opening and the wait was an hour thirty minutes which is ok if you're planning on spending some time at the bar but we weren't so decided to return another time. I've reviewed Cane Rosso's pizza from the days they were at Times Ten (see Il-Cane-Rosso ) and it's good Neopolitan pizza. Cane Rosso has an assortment of entrees besides the signature pizza. It's getting very good reviews and it is very busy. Like I say, every restauranteur hopes to start like this.

All three of these restaurants are new and within steps of each other and I predict all will do well. Magnolia is busier now than it has ever been on a Friday and Saturday night and is a great place to find a new restaurant and to stroll down the boulevard afterward. We even stopped for an ice cream cone the other night.

IL CANE ROSSO: http://ilcanerosso.com/

BREWED: http://brewedfw.com/

SPICE: No website that I could find

Uh-Oh. I can relate.

From the Onion:

Vacationing Man Excited To Try Fast Food Franchise Not Found In Hometown

 

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA—Having driven to Virginia Beach to visit his sister for a brief vacation, fast food consumer and Pennsylvania native Don Turnbee expressed his interest Friday in eating at Carl’s Jr., a fast food chain not readily available in his hometown. “I’ve seen commercials for it on TV, but there isn’t one where I live, so I haven’t tried it before,” Turnbee said of the establishment, which he said is supposed to be better than Sonic but not as good as Jack in the Box. “The closest one is five hours away, and I’m not going to drive that far just to eat there.”

“The one near my sister’s is pretty close, so that’s better,” Turnbee added. “It’s as far as the Burger King is from my house in Erie. So like a 10-minute drive.”

While Turnbee told reporters he is looking forward to trying the restaurant, he said he doesn’t quite know what to expect, adding that he’s unsure if Carl’s Jr. fries are “any good,” whether or not they do chicken nuggets or chicken tenders, or if it is the type of fast food restaurant that... (Full text here:  Onion) . .

Renee Fleming, Lo How a Rose E're Blooming

Always a favorite of mine, and yea, she can sing a little. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is, as always, just right.  Merry Christmas one and all.

Sundance Square 2.0

Okay, it's not the Piazza Navona. But on a scale of 1 to 10 I'll put the new Sundance Square square at a 10.

Marian and I have been for several visits since it opened a few weeks ago and I have the same thought everytime, what a difference space makes to the downtown feel. This makes Fort Worth feel like a city instead of just buildings and streets.

Add the shops, dining, coffee, benches, fountains and some very attractice inverted umbrellas and I give the design and execution an A.

Another observation from a Friday night visit. Downtown was packed with diners, sightseers and shoppers, as in clothes shoppers, downtown, who would have thought that was possible twenty years ago?

Last year I commented on the sound of the vacuum sucking money from downtown to 7th Street -- this should help. Downtown has a solid convention business, especially post Omni, it draws local DFW visitors, and another segment not so widely recognized: vacationeers from Mexico shopping, dining and seeing the sights. It's safe, it's relatively inexpensive travel and Texas is Spanish-speaking friendly.  San Antonio is the number one USA destination from Mexico, number two is DFW especially when the Cowboys are playing.

Final thought: the number one location in Fort Worth for a drink and a quality hamburger, salad, or steak is the Del Frisco's Grill on the Square. Great seats inside and out, great food, and plenty of places to go after dinner.

Watching West Wing

I think I have mentioned that Marian and I -- in our earned home aloneness -- are enjoying the genius of Netflix streaming video and particularly the television series offered by the same.

Over the last few years we have watched on Netflix: Lost, 24, Revenge, Merlin, Robin Hood, Doc Martin, Ballykissangel, Alias, All Creatures Great and Small, Foyle's War (my all time favorite) and many more. Now I have a favorite American television drama and it is West Wing,

Before I explain what is so great about it I'd like to bury what is not so great which is the reason I had never watched even an episode of this Emmy winning show.

West Wing, as I am sure you know, is about life in the White House during the administration of Jed Bartlett, a Democrat not only by tradition but by conviction, and the show, as well it should, reflects his administration's left of center interests: women's rights, universal healthcare, union promotion, etc.. It became known as The Left Wing to conservatives.

That alone I can take. What was harder to take was the condescending disposition towards anyone who takes a different view. In West Wing, the high water mark of ethics is women's issues as the Democrats see them. It's a little too in your face and "how can you be so barbaric as not to accept my view on things." If you've seen the show Josh and his annoying girlfriend, not Donna, the one in the middle episodes, were the chief offenders.

Well enough of that.

You might think that all of this was enough for me not to like the show, indeed when my brother suggested I watch it a few months ago I told him that the agenda would bother me, he persisted, and so I followed his advice. And I still say that WW is one of the best American drama series ever made. At least in the last 20 years.

West Wing tells the story of fairly normal men and women, of success and failure, the admixture of high ideals, our fallen nature, and our limitation in understanding anything perfectly. You fall in love with the characters, almost to a one, because they are human and because they are good and because they are trying to overcome all the fallenness, even their own.

President Jed Bartlett is a liberal but middle of the road Democrat who goes from governor of New Hampshire to President of the United States. President Bartlett, though socially liberal on many of the top ten agenda items, ain't your normal post-Reagan era liberal. He'll threaten to drop a bomb on anyone that pisses him off and he's closer to JFK than to Bill Clinton and makes President Obama look like the far left Dem that he is. Bartlett is a New Hampshire boarding-school-to-Notre-Dame Catholic with a working knowledge of Latin, the Bible, classic literature, poetry and has a PhD in economics. He's no slouch.

Here's what's good about it:

1. Real drama. The notion that drama requires magnitude goes back at least to ancient Greece. Oedipus Rex, The Iliad, Odyssey, and the Aeneid all have at stake the future good of the "polis" and West Wing gets that. The nation's future lies in the administration's hands but one gets the sense that the national mood rests on the shoulders of the President as well, and in reality in some sense it does. Bartlett and supporting cast play that well. They also get and don't shy away from classical literary types as seen in Toby, Jed, and Leo.

2. Real dialogue. Real comic relief.
It has been criticized for its machine gun style of dialogue and the fact that no one thinks that fast and responds that wittily. But I liked it. It's thoughtful dialogue and sometimes very funny.

3. Real people whose lives are made up of what all lives are made of: movement from happiness to sadness, pleasure to pain, meaningful activity to boredom -- and back again, all of which are the consequence of either our own actions or the hand of fate. There is a sense that the gods are at play in the West Wing.

What's not so good:

1. A tendency to characterize Republicans as religious fanatics with neanderthal views hiding selfish intentions and the Bartlett administration as hard working people with only pure motives who are fighting for the common good. There are no normal Republicans in the Bartlett team sense. The Bartlett team is good everyone else is bad.

2. The final two seasons lack the punch of the other five, I'm not a big fan of Alan Alda, he shows up around season 6.

Favorite characters:

Toby -- speechwriter who is the Jewish prophet of old, who never witholds the truth and who is singleminded and socially clumsy. He's the behind the scenes guy that reminds the king he is human, the opposite of the yes-man, he is the Socratic just man who is thought to be unjust because he has an immovable ethical plumb-line and if that makes him unlikeable, so be it. Also, he's a baseball guy.

Donna -- Josh's assisrtant, she's attractive, kind of lovably naive, unselfish, has a dry wit and was able to chorale Josh without him knowing it. The Josh - Donna relationship gives the show the romantic tension it needs.

Leo is the man of constant sorrows, whose life is his job and who carries the burdens of the President in order that he may lead. Chief of Staff, he is the man every leader needs at his side.

Charlie -- Charlie is the 18 year old black kid who was just looking for an intern gig and winds up being the President's aide. Great actor, great kid, without him the show is not the same.

CJ - she's just a great character. Maybe the most human and likeable, certainly one of the smartest. I loved CJ.

Least favorite

Josh's girlfriend, not Donna the other one, and the Presidents wife. Her whining is terribly annoying.

The Main character

Without Martin Sheen, Jed Bartlett, the show is probably a one or two year hit. He is a great often bombastic character and provides the foundation for the supporting actors. Was he my favorite? Not really, Do I like his real life politics? Hell no, but I'm not sure he was supposed to be liked in the same way as the others, and without him the show is anchorless.

The show had its critics: the characters were too idealistic, the swirling activity of the White House was overdone, the dialogue was too witty, right and wrong was too easily defined, but all of that notwithstanding, and my own criticism notwithstanding, Marian and I looked forward to each episode. Not all were good but most were, and some were great.

It is well acted, well written, and I am told, fairly accurate in its depiction of life on Pennsylvania Avenue at least as much as a TV show can be.

Agree/Disagree?