Favorite Childhood Pre-packaged Food?

No, I'm not calling it junk food. That phrase is reserved for food that tastes bad. I'm refer-ring to pre-packaged, store-bought, high calorie treats, and my childhood favorite was Tastycake's Butterscotch Krimpets, and that is not junk food. I loved them and still do. Unfortunately, they are sold only (I think) in the Philadelphia area. In Fort Worth, I have heard of Fried Pies and Little Debbies, that have a similar loyal following. Any other suggestions. I'll post the list.

Food Disproves Theory of Evolution!

Sunday's -- serious thought for the week.
Here's my thinking. Get your rotten tomatoes ready.
We eat and drink to grow and to sustain our body's health. You're thinking, "Yes, gotcha so far." But, we don't eat just for sustenance, otherwise Braums triple-thick-shake might not be around for long, nor would Dunkin Donuts, because, we also eat for the enjoyment. We like to eat what tastes good, and we eat (and drink) for the enjoyment of being in the company of others. Who wants to eat alone all of the time?
How does this enjoyment fit into a closed-system of evolution? The complex integration of taste, smell and touch, that makes a crusty piece of toasted, french bread so enjoyable . . . evolved? Hmmm. Why? The impersonal forces "deduced" that enjoyment would encourage sustenance? Wow and amazing.
Also, why so many different kinds of tastes? Like sweet and sour. If a full stomach is the final enjoyment of a meal, why not an automatic cut-off switch so one doesn't overeat? That would be healthier, wouldn't it? So, why did enjoyment evolve as the way to get us to eat? Why not something less prone to abuse? It makes evolution without a personal (and benevolent) Deity somewhere in the creation equation seem implausible to me.
Philosophers refer to the "problem of evil" in relation to a Good God. How about the "problem of pleasure" in an only material universe? The reality of the immaterial. That's the real proposition modern man must either accept or reject.
Your turn, let me have it..

What's Right About Central Market & Why I Worry

What's right is somebody cares. I mean the management at Central Market care about their product. I've met them, from the top down, and it shows, or at least it has for the last 5 years. They work in a Disneyland for grocery shoppers, and most of them enjoy it. It shows in the way the fresh foods are cooked and presented, the way the breads are displayed, and even in the cleanliness of the aisles. The cost of this care may be a higher prices, sometimes, but not compared to dining out for a comparable meal. Consider this: In less than 5 minutes, you can make the salad of your choice, with 15 different fresh vegetables, plus chicken and cheese and those kinds of things, grab a small fresh roll and a drink, and still be around $10. Can you get a comparable salad for lunch at a restaurant? Probably not. It's not cheap but it's not high rolling either.
Now to my concerns.
Every enterprise, once it surpasses a certain benchmark in gross sales, success in public perception and overall profitability, has to decide how to address the question of how much quality-management-service it needs while keeping these same levels of profitability and growth. In Central Market's case, they have to decide if each store is to have an on-site, experienced GM, assistants that are well trained in their departments, and employees that actually enjoy what they are doing. That is difficult to do. And expensive. Like any business, if it's not profitable, it can't continue, but if it is profitable, the temptation exists to fiddle with the formula t try and "squeeze out" a little more profitability.

I worry that a boatload of bookkeepers at the end of some long, Central Market office hallway, are looking over their little spreadsheets, asking the purchasing agents, "why can't you buy this cheaper? Or, "Can we buy less expensive cuts of meat for our sandwiches?" I worry that they will pursue short term gain, and eventually lose the "it" that they speak of when they say, "he gets it", referring to this grocery store concept. Places like Central Market need high employee and shopper enthusiasm for food in order to maintain the standard, and bookkeepers seldom understand loving something outside of the dollar based price-benefit equation. That's what I worry about. That they will forget that there is just a little of "art for art's sake" in the concept.

Is the Central Market division of the HEB Grocery Stores profitable? I don't know, HEB is not a publicly traded company, so it is not public information. I hope it is very profitable. And if it is I hope they don't mess with a good thing.
Have I noticed a downward trend? Only slightly, in that less frequently do I notice the managers walking the floor, and more frequently do I notice long lines forming, and employees just trying to get through the day. But that could just be a temporary lull after a pretty energetic start, or it could be a trend, whichever, I hope it doesn't continue.

Sometimes Weird Things Happen . . .

Yesterday, when I wrote the review of Pappas Burgers, I did not know that the Fort Worth Star Telegram was going to have a review of the new burger places in their GO section of Friday's paper (columnist:Amy Culbertson). I also did not know that they were going to use boxing gloves in the cover photo with a burger in the middle when I wrote the headline, In This Corner . . . (okay it's an obvious image, but still, it's weird). My little competitor buddy compared the new Dutch's, near TCU, the Love Shack on Exchange, and Pappas, burger-to-burger, and added a sidebar on the old standbys of Kincaids, Goffs, Tommys, etc. They (actually, she) chose Dutch's. Also, the Star-Telegram corrected me on Pappas' source of meats in that it is ground by the Papas Steak House not aged (they have some obligation to journalistic integrity, I don't), but they agreed with me on the bun at Pappas, that it was "smooshed". My mission over the next few days is to try the other new burger places to see if I agree with Ms. Culbertson (great job, by the way) and our local press.

In This Corner, Pappa's Burgers . . .

Just back from my first trip to Pappa's Burgers . . . but first a little background of the Pappa's restaurants. Most of us are familiar with Pappasito's and Pappadeaux' restaurants, two in the group of the Pappa's restaurants. But there is also, Pappa's Bros Steaks, Pappa's Barbeque, and even Pappa's Pizza. The chain of privately held restaurants is based in Houston, Texas and is run by the two grandsons of the original "Pappa" who emigrated from Greece and started a restaurant equipment business in Houston. The two grandsons started in the restaurant business in 1976 and have built a very successful company.
They have a formula and it works. Quality food, strict procedures for cooking, cleaning, table setting, and guest treatment which keeps a certain uniformity and quality to their restaurants. Now the burger....
The restaurant is the walk-up and order style, with a "server" bringing you your meal after you are seated. The decor is typical Pappas' style. Open beams, wood, funky old fashioned. It's comfortable and it works. I chose to sit at the bar, because the line was long. I asked the friendly bartender for a cheeseburger, cooked medium well, the fries come with the order. I spoke to the bartender while I was waiting. The beef is select and aged by the Pappa's Bros steak house in Dallas. It is very good. Here are my complaints though: It has little fat in the meat which keeps it from being hamburger-juicy and also keeps it from being hot enough by the time you get it. That's a personal preference I know, but also, the bun seemed to be steamed and not grill-top toasted and kind of formless, and pushed down, which is not preference, that shouldn't be. The fries were fair at best, but plentiful. The kicker to me is that I spent $12 + 2 tip for a burger, diet Coke and fries. Will I go back? Yes, if it's a business setting or I'm taking friends out to have a beer and burger and watch a game (they have at least 20 flat screens on the walls). But just for a quick lunch? Probably not. I still think the Pappa's brand is as good as their is in the industry.
Is it a gourmet burger? Yes. Do I still prefer Kinkaid's? I do. You might not. See the poll.

The New Botanic Gardens

Fort Worth natives and long time residents consider the Botanic Gardens and the Fort Worth Zoo two of our finest amenities. If you haven't been to the Botanic Gardens lately you should go. After entering the main entrance find parking and instead of walking through the rose garden turn the other way (North) and check out the boardwalk, gardens, and fountains that are a relatively new addition. Many of the trees and plants are identified and there are children-friendly interests. The beautiful walking paths are perfect on a cooler summer day. It is still free. Across the street from the Gardens is a local best kept secret for runners, walkers, and bicyclists. The paved path along the river extends from East Fort Worth to Benbrook Lake, with additional side routes. I have cycled the route, it is mostly quiet and unpopulated and sometimes without any other users in sight. Bring a picnic lunch, sit along the river and watch the kayakers go by...

Does Fort Worth Have Fine Dining?

Well, yes, when viewed in the light of 2007, most definitely. I remember when we first moved to Texas, on the very occasional special occasion, my wife and I would go to the Swiss House on University. The food was great, the service was great, they had live piano, and by request, a table by the window overlooking the Trinity river jogging path. Our entree of choice was the Beef Oscar: a bacon wrapped, beef filet, topped with fresh crab meat in a Biarnaise Sauce, with asparagus spears, and fresh bread. Add a glass of red wine and the evening was just about perfect. After dessert and coffee, we walked along the river path. This was 25 years ago, and our tab with tip, was around $100. I have been to the Mansion on Turtle Creek, and the Pyramid Room at the Fairmont, and Morton's in Dallas and Chicago, but I preferred the Swiss House. Others will disagree I am sure, but a great dining experience is about the evening as a whole and only partly about the meal, and I think the Swiss House pulled together all the components well.
The Swiss House is no longer with us, but there are some great places for special occasions. I have mentioned before, the Fort Worth Chop House, downtown, a favorite of mine, with the added benefit of a walk around downtown after dinner. La Piazza, in University Park is a wonderful place, and you can window shop with a Starbucks coffee afterwards. The Reata is good, but a little too big and fast-paced for me. I haven't been to Lonesome Dove downtown, but it gets good reviews. I have been to St. Emilion's once and it was excellent, and to Del Frisco's downtown, when it first opened. Great steaks, but the tables are just too close together for me. The Silver Fox, on University is good, though somewhat lacking in atmosphere. I wouldn't put Charleston's in this category but their food is excellent, and their service is good. A couple of years ago I went with friends to Cool River, in Los Colinas, it was embarrassingly bad. But that's often what you get when you mix a popular bar with a steak house restaurant. High prices and a mediocre meal.
We don't live in a formal or even semi-formal attire world anymore and fine dining restaurants have adjusted to the demands of the times, that's business, but I think our best restaurants are as good as any, at least in the general sense of American cuisine. You will find better Italian food in the Northeast and better Cajun food in Louisiana, and there's nothing like a home cooked steak from pasture-raised cattle in Idaho (or Texas), but those exceptions notwithstanding, we have good food here in Fort Worth and some great restaurants. My top two are the Chop House and La Piazza.
For the record: Del Frisco's is the only one that rates in the Zagat DFW top 5.

One more thing about Starbucks . . .

Starbucks: Convenience and ease of purchase, a consistently good product, high perceived value, and a clean, pleasant environment. It's tough to have all four and hard to think of another national franchise that does the way they do. Central Market? They do all four, but since they are a division of privately held HEB, we don't know that they are profitable. But yes, they are very similar to Starbucks, as is Whole Foods. What about McDonald's? I have great admiration for the franchise but, no, they have one maybe two of the four and their product has tanked in the last ten years (though they are taking steps to bring it back). The Pizza Delivery companies have ease and convenience down, but the pizza is bad, and that's being nice. Could someone charge say $2 more per pizza and have a good product? Sushi bars: yes, that is the whole idea of sushi. But there is no national sushi franchise, as far as I know.
Believe it or not, I think Subway gets close. Before you think I'm crazy, consider this: Very easy to get in and out quickly, you get what you want on it, the sandwich isn't that cheap, some of them are pretty good, and they are clean. Their one big problem: they are busy 2 hours a day, though they are working hard to sell the dinner hour.
Locally, Kincaid's has it figured out and they are expanding (Southlake, for one). Tommy's did, but I'm not sure what happened there, they are not quite as good as they once were. Mi Cocina's and the Pappa's group of restaurants do a great job for larger chains. And little Nina Tota on Magnolia, says the heck with convenience, I'm serving great food at a fair price and people are lining up.
Next, Pappa's Burgers. New to Fort Worth, are they as good as Kincaids?

Since we're on the subject . . .

Panera Bread: I was not a fan after a few visits to the local Panera Bread on University. The sandwich was very mediocre for the price, but . . .
I was traveling on the east coast a few months past and needed internet access for a few hours everyday and happened to be staying near a Panera Bread. Free wifi. After spending a few hours the first day working and accessing the internet I decided to tell the manager what I was doing and thank him for the table use and wifi. After that, every day for 3 or 4 days he would stop by my table and we would chat about the business . . . and all of this to say . . . I'm a convert. I like them, I like their approach, I like they way they treat their people, I like that they bake the bread on-site (at least some of it) so the room is filled with an authentic aroma, and they have a certain efficiency to the way people move in and out. And they are busy, very busy. I ate at least one meal a day and ordered at least one cup of coffee every day for almost a week and I have to say it's good. Not great, but good. A fair deal. The salmon salad is tasty but not quite enough for me. The sandwiches are tasty but not quite enough meat for me, and that's pretty much my conclusion. The pastries are good not great. Fresh, tasty, but not quite enough.
(For the record: Panera Bread, annual sales: $820 million; total stores 1027; founded 1981).

Can Eurotazza buck the Starbuck trend?

Today: Why does Starbucks have no nationwide competitors? Or strong local competitors?
The closest thing they have to nationwide competition, is Dunkin' Donuts. According to the Wall Street Journal, Dunkin' Donuts has begun profiling their coffee and coffee specialty drinks in their big market areas, hoping to attract the Starbucks customer with a good product at a lower price. It seems to be working where Dunkin Donuts has a strong presence like the Northeast. If Coca-Cola spawned Pepsi, Home Depot: Lowes. McDonald's: Burger King, and Holiday Inn spawned dozens of competitors, why no competition for Starbucks?
Honestly, I try to frequent the privately owned coffee shop when I travel but I am disappointed over 50% of the time when I compare the coffee to Starbucks. It has usually been sitting in the canister too long. You have to admit that the Starbucks people took the Ray Kroc franchise model to another level. They are amazingly consistent from store to store.
Here in Fort Worth, couldn't someone make great coffee, have funky stores, free wi-fi, a lower price and pull off enough of their customers to make a good business? I have been to every independent coffee shop in the area, like Four Star, Panther City, and Eurotazza, and Eurotazza is the only one that comes close in consistency to the Starbucks. I stopped in for a coffee at the Four Star downtown location and it was god-awful. Eurotazza is a recently opened coffee bar on Camp Bowie and is beautifully designed, they have that right; but you have to have good coffee all the time, which means you have to have fresh coffee all the time, which means if you are not selling it you are throwing money down the drain. And maybe they do have consistently good coffee, I don't go there enough to know. The point is if one store is working why not have two or three or more. Starbucks has proved it works but no one is copying the formula. 8 billion dollars a year in annual sales with virtually no competition on the horizon. I don't get it.
(For the record, as of 2006: Starbucks: annual sales: $8.5 bill. / DD: annual sales: $4.7 bill. Starbucks started in 1971, DD in 1952. Starbucks: 11,000 stores; DD: 8,900 stores. By the way, don't write off DD as the future competitior, but they have a ways to go.)

Reviewed next week. Panera Bread, Lili's, Pappa's Burgers. Boooring!

Mi Cocina's Has Got it Figured Out . . .

Mi Cocina's: First of all, their food is good; their menu is small and controllable, so it is easier to keep the quality up and inventory down. It's not cheap but it's not wildly expensive, either. They have low turn-over in their managers and staff, and they pick great locations, and adjust the ambiance accordingly.They know what their business is about: providing an enjoyable meal outside the home. They do that well and Fort Worth residents have shown their appreciation. The downtown Mi Cocina's has an outdoor patio that is as nice a place to eat as you will find in the area. My selection: Mama's salad with sliced chicken breast, salsa as a dressing, with a diet Coke (served in a can). Warm, corn tortillas, with butter on the side. The lettuce is a good mixture of dark greens and lighter and it is served cold, except for the chicken which is warm. Total tab with tip: $15.00.

Speaking of breakfast at La Madelaines . . .

I have always thought that Cowtown needed a good breakfast restaurant that focused more on fresh bread, eggs, and fruit, than pancakes and waffles. A place where they actually crack the egg open when they make them and not have them poured from a box. When McDonald's first introduced their breakfast and before they stopped toasting their bread, their Egg-Mcmuffin wasn't bad, and their steak and bagel breakfast sandwich was as good as you could get for $2. But as for a nice, sit-down breakfast with real eggs, bacon and toast. I don't know. The choices are mostly chains like Denny's (not bad), IHOP (better), and Waffle House (ehhhh, no); the non-chain locals, are places like Ol' South Pancake House on University and Yogi's on Hulen. Yogi's gets a little noisy and crowded, but right now, that's my choice for good food at a good price. Unfortunately, I think the days of a nice restaurant (not formal, but not t-shirts and sandals) with a good breakfast are over. The Marriott Easter brunch, at DFW Airport, is the last of its kind. Suggestions?

A Comment on "La Madelaine's"

At one time, many years ago, La Madelaine was the corner bistro for coffee, fresh bread, great pastries and a real Caesar salad. The founder, Patrick Leon Esquerré started in Dallas in 1982 and built a very profitable franchise. I was a frequent visitor to his second store on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth. I remember young men and women from France taking orders behind the counter and the smell of fresh bread baking. Not anymore. I don't know how many times it has changed hands in the last fifteen years. And I think it is, for the most part, terrible. My son says the breakfasts are good and a good value. I thought I raised him better. I try it every six months or so for a salad and pasta and am always disappointed. Sorry. Their bread manufacturing is efficient and centralized but I never get the sense that anyone cares about the taste. There was something authentic and attractive about the bags of flour that once were stacked high near the ovens and the white flour dust that covered the oven area. Maybe they can survive on image and reputation, but I doubt it. Another thing -- the average American coffee palate has improved in the last ten years because of Starbucks, yet La Madelaine still serves the same mediocre cup as if no one was noticing the obvious. Somebody buy it and fix it, or stick a fork in it and get rid of it.