Carrabba's Grill at the Northeast Mall

My wife suggested Carrabba's Grill  for a late dinner last night. Carrabba's is a new restaurant in the south section of the Northeast mall near the Rave movie theater. I had heard some good things about their version of Italian food, but my expectations were not high.

The problem is that I grew up with very good (read: the best) homemade, Italian food. Because of a permanently lodged comparison meter, the idea of eating-out Italian is not appealing. I am not a food snob, I'll eat darn near anything, but when I am paying for it, I do not want a tomato sprinkled with oregano and garlic salt passed off as Italian food.

But back to Carrabba's.

Our dinner was a shared mixed-greens salad tossed with oil and vinegar, and a three-cheese pizza. Both were very good. It's hard to hurt a salad if the lettuce is fresh and cold, which it was. But pizza is another thing. The crust was thin and crispy with just enough body to give it a little chewiness and it was sprinkled with some tasty dried tomatoes. It isn't the best pizza I have ever had but it was very good.

My only criticism, and it is not enough to keep me from returning, is that the portions were on the small side. A ten dollar salad and a ten dollar pizza could be a bit bigger than what they were serving, and still be very profitable for the restaurant. The cost for two without tip was $24 which included a liter bottle of Pelligrino water.

I liked Carrabba's. The service was good and friendly, and the food was good.
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One final note from the curmudgeonly side of my brain. One of the reasons that I have never tried a Carrabba's is that the two guys that play the "Carrabba's boys" in the TV commercial play up the "I'm a real Italian boy with a real Italian mama" thing way too much for me. It's annoying enough to have kept me from the restaurants.
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The Details:
Carabba's Grill / Hurst
(817) 595-3345
1101 Melbourne Rd, Ste 6200, Hurst, TX 76053
Mon-Thurs: 4pm-10pm
Fri: 11am-11pm
Sat: 11am-11pm
Sun: 11am-10pm

Arts Goggle

Congratulations to Fort Worth South, Inc. for their Arts Goggle / a near Southside experience. The event showcases the area just south of downtown and includes outdoor music, art exhibits, food, tours -- and Molly the Trolley to get visitors to different venues.

For more information visit their online brochure: http://www.fortworthsouth.org

Details:
October 3, 2009
Fort Worth South ( Magnolia Street area)
3 pm -- 10 pm

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