Fort Worth has a its share of large and independent restaurants, though not as many as we did 25 years ago. Some of them, like Joe T's, even have a state-wide reputation. I'll rate them, again, based on food quality and overall value.
Reata --- Actually, I'd put the Reata in the lower end of premium restaurants, but it is one of our more well known independents. The Reata was one of the original southwestern cuisine restaurants and still serves unusual dishes like quail and buffalo. It's an "experience" restaurant, big spaces, big a-typical menu, hundreds of people having a good time. But, it is very hard for a big restaurant to serve good food night after night, unless they have a limited menu. Mexican restaurants can do it because of that. To me it's best suited for a large- group business dinner or special occasion. If you go not expecting fine dining but casual dining with good food you'll be happy. Food quality and overall value: 7 of 10.
Joe T Garcias
Joe T's is the Fort Worth local restaurant. Saying anything bad about it brings the wrath of the local gods. It is a large restaurant and it has a very limited menu, but it's good. It's not great in my opinion, but it is good. I have never sat in the outdoors patio but I hear that is a great dining experience.
Food quality and overall value: 8 of 10.
Angelos Barbecue
Another restaurant has a long established tradition of good food. In my view, it's hard to distinguish the quality of our better barbecue restaurants. Angelos is good barbeque. But Fort Worth has a lot of good barbecue places. I prefer Railhouse. Angelo's is an old fashioned kind of place that you can feel comfortable bringing a bunch of friends, have some barbecue, and drink a few beers.
Food quality and overall value: 8 of 10.
Ruffino's Italian
In my opinion the best Italian food in town in the price range. But that's not saying much. Italian food is not our strongest cuisine.
Food quality and overall value: 8 of 10.
As I write this I scratch my head in search of more independent restaurants to write about and conclude that like every other enterprise, the family owned and operated restaurants have moved aside to big business establishments for the same reason that farming, automobile producing and retail shopping went the way of the national management, that is, lower prices and more consistent quality due to economy-of- scale purchasing and assembly line style cooking (watch the cooks "assemble" at Pappasitos). This is where Allen, over at The Whited Sepulchre, and I may part ways. I understand it, I defend it it to some extent, but I don't like it. It is a market-driven reality, but, we have lost something -- what we have lost is a discussion better had with a bottle of wine and some Charlies pizza.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I'm Blue, Bear With Me . . .
Certain subjects are off-limits here. So it is against my better judgment that I draw your attention to the most un-believable ad I have seen in a long time. I don't mean unbelievable as in good, amazing or weird, I mean unbelievable, as in -- it's not believable.
Have you seen it?
Four or five men between the ages of 40 and 50, all country-music musicians, are sitting in a circle jammin' on their guitars as friends do. One of them, obviously the leader, starts singing about Viagara. He just starts playing the guitar and singing, like he was Waylon Jennings and the other guys join right in and start jammin' along with him. About Viagara. They are not being sarcastic, they are not joking, they are jammin' about a medicine for men and they are being serious. This ad is stupid for many reasons, including:
1. There is a better chance of snow flurries in hell than a scene like this ever happening.
2. No self respecting man talks about Viagara with anyone except, and this only under duress, his doctor.
3. If he is drunk he might talk about it with a very close friend.
4. Never, ever, ever would he talk about it with more than one guy present. Ever. Why? The two guys listening will turn and look at each other, start laughing, and turn the occasion into a barrage of ruthless fun-making. Immature? Maybe, but accuse a couple of laughing guys of immaturity and they will only laugh more. We can't help it. Our maturity governor stops at age 15.
Why does Viagara's manufacturer think this is a good commercial? Are they appealing to men? Impossible. Woman? Why? I don't get it.
Have you seen it?
Four or five men between the ages of 40 and 50, all country-music musicians, are sitting in a circle jammin' on their guitars as friends do. One of them, obviously the leader, starts singing about Viagara. He just starts playing the guitar and singing, like he was Waylon Jennings and the other guys join right in and start jammin' along with him. About Viagara. They are not being sarcastic, they are not joking, they are jammin' about a medicine for men and they are being serious. This ad is stupid for many reasons, including:
1. There is a better chance of snow flurries in hell than a scene like this ever happening.
2. No self respecting man talks about Viagara with anyone except, and this only under duress, his doctor.
3. If he is drunk he might talk about it with a very close friend.
4. Never, ever, ever would he talk about it with more than one guy present. Ever. Why? The two guys listening will turn and look at each other, start laughing, and turn the occasion into a barrage of ruthless fun-making. Immature? Maybe, but accuse a couple of laughing guys of immaturity and they will only laugh more. We can't help it. Our maturity governor stops at age 15.
Why does Viagara's manufacturer think this is a good commercial? Are they appealing to men? Impossible. Woman? Why? I don't get it.
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