Roots Coffeehouse. North Richland Hills.

I had to venture out of the comfortable confines of Fort Worth yesterday to take my son to the airport. My first thought on such occasions is to be thankful that my days of working in Dallas but living in Fort Worth are over. Nevertheless, to the airport we went, and on the way back I decided to try the coffee at Roots Coffeehouse, a new coffeehouse in North Richland Hills. I'm not sure where I heard or read about it, but I did, so I went.

First glance: very attractive interior, spacious, and well furnished. And to my liking, not over-stuffed with Roots gear and bric-a-brac. I hate bric-a-brac and I never wear apparel with a company's name on it ( if you want a billboard, buy one).

Anyway, Roots is new, comfortable, and inviting. The store is in a condo/retail complex, something like W7th but more suburban, and is part of the newly developed North Richland Hills/Precinct Line Road area. Not interesting to everyone but it is to me.

The coffee: I asked for a dark roast coffee to go and was served a good cup of coffee. Very hot. No complaints, not an A+, but I will go back when I am in the area. Coffee is best immediately after brewing -- mine may have been at the tail end of the holding time limit, at least it seemed that way. Regardless, it was a good cup of coffee.

The business: Some of my friends (you know who you are) will be interested in their fair-trade coffee commitment and their association with small independent businesses.  This from their website:

Roots Coffeehouse is one of DFW’s first coffee-shops serving all fair trade, organic coffee. Located in the heart of North Richland Hills (right across the street from Tarrant County College), Roots Coffeehouse invites you to come try out our specialty fair trade coffee, our signature RED Espresso, or perhaps a soy vanilla latte paired with a freshly baked blueberry muffin.

Summary: Any new venture in the area gets my support. The coffee is good. The pastries looked fresh, the attendants were friendly, and they have free wifi. What more could you ask for?

Roots Coffeehouse:  http://www.rootscoffeehouse.com/

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What's New in Fort Worth Food.

Fort Worth has reached a size and population where a new restaurant, coffee shop, pub, or winery is opening every week. I'm aware of about half of them -- maybe. Here are a few -- new -- food-related enterprises:

1. Not Just Here for the Food. A new weblog from Gwin Grogan Grimes. Ms. Grimes is a former Star-Telegram food editor, a chef, the co-owner with husband, Mark Grimes, of Artisan Bread -- and now a blogger. She is active in the Fort Worth Farmer's Market and in the local-food movement. The breads, pastries and such baked at Artisan are made using locally grown products. Eggs, milk, wheat, all local. I go for the scones and the breakfast bread, but it's all good, as they say.

As to her new blog. Not Just Here for the Food is her take on food, restaurants, Texas, and anything else on her mind. Gwin's a real writer, unlike yours truly, who still hasn't written a sentence he is happy with . .  a sentence with which he is happy . . . who still hasn't written a decent sentence.

Anyway, read her blog: Not Just Here for the Food. It's good.

2. Local chef Callie Salls has started a new venture: Linguine & Dirty Martinis. She is offering chef services for private dinners and catered parties, and gourmet cooking classes. Her website provides the details. Ms. Salls would like it -- if you "liked her"-- on Facebook. We wish her well.

3. Pizza -- "Napoletana" style. Jay Jerrier, owner of Dallas-based Il Cane Rosso is coming to 7th Streeet's, Times Ten Cellars with his mobile, wood-fired, Neapolitan pizza.  Starting September 7 at 6 p.m. Jay will be doing a "pizza night" that is open to the public. Mr. Jerrier trained with the Neapolitans from Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana and earned his certification. His pizzas get nothing but excellent reviews in Texas-wide publications.

Website: Il Cane Rosso

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Josie, Russ y familia: Buen Viaje!
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Am I missing anything?

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Got a big yard? Rent-a-Goat. Seriously.

Leave it to industrious Americans to find a way to make a couple of bucks replacing traditional lawnmowers with mother nature's original lawnmower/weedeater combination. The goat.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, August 4, that goat-rental companies are popping up all over the country with website names like, Rent-a-goat.com. Their mission: clear your lot of grass, weeds, wood-hay-or-stubble with a good old fashioned goat. The Journal reports that in many cases goats are not only better for the environment, they are cheaper, too.

I have a personal interest in this story.

At least twenty years ago a close friend of mine, who is a potter by trade and a lover of all things mother earth, decided that he and his family were going to spend a few years teaching in Namibia, Africa. So he needed to unburden himself of all the things he couldn't store or care for. Two of those "things" were a male and female goat. He knew I had an acre lot with a fenced pen in the backyard and concluded that I was his best option for the goats.

"I need you to take my goats," he said, "they are no trouble and your kids will love them." Only one of those two statements was true. I didn't reply with a "yes" or a "no" to his request, but one day he arrived at the house and in the back of his green Ford station wagon sat the goats.

"Nobody else would take them and we're leaving tomorrow."

I took the goats.

I am city boy. I grew up thirty miles south of Philadelphia. Bottled milk was delivered to our door every morning. By a dairy. In a truck. My mother could walk to the grocery store. I walked to school. Nobody, and I mean nobody, had a farm animal in his yard within 10 miles of my house.

But that day, my daughter who had talked us into getting chickens and rabbits and kittens now had two goats.

All that to say -- when the Wall Street Journal story says that goats will clear a hillside of every living thing -- I believe them. I couldn't feed our goats enough shrubbery, pecan leaves, pecans, and yard clippings to keep them happy. They ate everything in sight.

Our goats lasted about six months at our east Fort Worth home, then we gave them to a goat farm. My friend is still teaching in Namibia. And the Wall Street Journal article is well worth reading.
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My friend, John Hunter, teaching pottery in Namibia: click here
Wall Street Journal article: (click here)
Rent a Goat: (click here)
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