Happy Anniversary Daniel & Ashley!

Happy Anniversary Daniel & Ashley!

Today is Ashley and Daniel's First Anniversary!

Here is a pic of Ashley throwing the bouquet:
Hope there are many more!

Dave

Jalapeno's Mexican Grill Allen

Now this is a casual place I have gone many times. You can get out of there for about 8 bucks including tip. The many times I have been I always order the same thing, (lunch portion of the fajita tacos (3) that come with rice and beans). The chips are nice and light and they don't put an ocean of salt on them. Not only do they come with a fairly tasty salsa, but they also put some thin, nearly tasteless melted cheese food (it adds texture and that's it).

Now I must say the tacos have always been consistently good for the price. Another thing that Jalapeno's is very consistent in and that's HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!! This has happened EVERY time without exception. The servers are surly, inattentive and rude. They ignore you at any cost, I always have to fill my own water (I have seen other guests doing the same). I have even been so bold as to get my own chips and salsa refills by going (undetected) into the waiter's station.

This time being no exception, my "could care less about me" waiter sat me after reluctantly walking to the front. This time I figured it was time to branch out and see whatelse this place has to offer. As I browsed the menu I saw the words fat guys and former fat guys everywhere hold in reverence: ALL YOU CAN EAT.

It was all you can order from a huge combo menu, tacos (soft, hard, beef, chicken), tamales (pork, chicken), enchiladas (Cheese, beef, chicken, con carne, con queso), in every combination imaginable. So I started with 2 enchiladas (beef), and one crunchy taco (beef). At this point I was looking forward to the experience as I filled my own water.

The presentation was sloppy as hell but I persevered and dug in, BLEAH, Where is the Flavor? I added some salsa and the enchilada and taco became just a delivery device for the salsa. Sad, I thought "maybe it was a bad batch of beef". So I ordered two chicken taco (one hard, one soft). BLEAH, same problem NO FRIGGIN FLAVOR OF ANY KIND!!!!

I left feeling glad, glad that the price for this stomach filler was $6.25. I don't think I will go for the all you can eat next time, if there is one.

Service D-
Food C-

Boomer's back!

Daniel and Ashley went to Hawaii for their first anniversary, so FOR EIGHT FRIGGIN DAYS WE HAVE THAT HORRID DOG BOOMER!!!!!

Below you can see how thrilled Barkley is to see him:

Boomer being vocal
Boomer laying on Barkley
Seven days and counting! Come on January 26th!

Boomer is a 3 year old Black and Tan Coon Hound
Barkley is a 13 year old Pure Cocker Spaniel (I challenge you to find one cuter at any age)

Driving in Dallas

Driving in Dallas is a daily challenge. The mix of pick up trucks and mildly retarded individuals wreak havoc on our roads.

Things to know about pick up trucks if driving in the DFW Metroplex:

Trucks:

Trucks think they have right of way in every situation

...always HAVE TO go at least 20 miles over the speed limit even in school zones

...Never use turn signal

Never obey traffic laws (Will Uturn when there is a sign not to, turn left on right only lanes

Will always be 1/2 an inch from your bumper until you move

Always speed up to block you if you use your turn signal

Will NEVER let you in if there is traffic

will NEVER get behind you, only in front, even if they run out of pavement.

Will NEVER yield for pets, pedestrians, priests

Will always have bumper stickers that say, "If you can read this BACK THE HELL

OFF" or "Smith And Wesson is my Co-pilot" or "Jesus is coming, Look Busy" and you always read these AFTER THEY CUT YOU OFF!

Will always drive the same no matter what the weather, and will always pass and honk at you on 3 inches of ice (Hell they have 4X4 suspension why don't you?)

Will always wonder what right you have to be on their road.

I think it's all a control issue, these people have little control over their lives, but when they are in a 3 ton vehicle, in front of someone, on a one way, one lane road, all the sudden they are in control of someone's time and speed. (These people will always speed up once another lane opens, but hey, for a few fleeting moments they were in control!)

.
You know when there is a wreck and four lanes are down to one? There are these people who feel they are too important to wait in line. They drive in the abandoned lanes, right up to the blockage and expect someone who has been waiting for twenty mins to let them in. Please, for the love of whoever you worship, don’t let these wastes of space in, let them hit you, it would be their fault and you would have many witnesses on your side. These people need shock treatment.

Then there is the merge-hog. No matter the circumstances of the merge, they will never yield. You are supposed to obey the zipper pattern when merging. But that does not apply to these people. “Didn’t you see me coming, I’m in a 50 thousand dollar vehicle, make way Peasant” , “Hey, look out Boy, I’ll crush your tiny car like a roach with my penis-extension, I mean my Huge Pick-‘em Up Truck”

Any of this sound like you? Think about it the next time you get behind the wheel.

This is only my warped view, yours may differ

Jasper's! Plano

I was watching FoodTV one day as I often do. There was a show on the best of foods (not the show "best of" though) and they mentioned the number two rated BBQ joint in the country was in Plano Texas! Woo Hoo! It was Jasper's at Legacy and the Tollway. I clicked my way to their website and saw that this was no ordinary BBQ joint. Kobe Beef, Maytag blue cheese, tuna sashimi, etc. Then I looked at the prices and Kurtz was in my ear whispering "The Horror, The Horror". When I see whole number prices I get scared. Looked way good, but way out of my poor ass's budget.

I told someone I know about it just in passing, before I know it we are on the way there.

We opted not to have the car valet parked but it is an option there. We were warmly greeted by the hostess who invited us in to dine. The atmosphere is relaxing and comforting. From the bamboo trees along the windows to the freaky swaying artwork on the ceiling. We sat in a nice leather booth.

The first time we came the service was OUTSTANDING and the food was quick to arrive and evenly spaced. I had the shrimp pizza, that was phenomenal, fresh shrimp and herbs with a pizza crust cooked to crispy perfection in a wood fired oven. We also had the Maytag blue cheese potato chips, fresh fried potato chips oozing with a tangy cheese sauce and covered with Maytag blue cheese crumbles. The bite of the cheese is cut by the fat in the chips so you get a smooth , crunchy treat. It is very rich however, so be sure to follow up with something light. I made the mistake of having the ribs (best around) that come with a hot potato salad that is just as rich as the chips. The potatoes are par boiled pan fried in small cubes. The cheese sauce is similar to the tangy sauce they put on the chips. I'm pretty sure there is some blue cheese in there some where. Served with fried onion strings on top: Hot Potato Salad: Done!

This time the service was a bit slow and the food took way too long to come out given the time of day. The waiter was not as "In" to the job as ones before him. The food was again outstanding, the ribs fell off the bone, every morsel was full of smoky flavor and tenderness. I do like a bit more spice in a bbq sauce, that would have brought out the flavor a bit more. I think even a bit more vinegar would have been nice.

The person I know had a prime ribeye that had a killer sear on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. This was perfectly done steak. Flavor, Flavor, Flavor.

Take a look in the kitchen while your food is being prepared. An open kitchen tells me they have nothing to hide, always a good sign.

Great lunch Jasper's, we will be back.

Service: B
Food: B+

Amado's Mexican Cuisine Christmas Eve

OK picture this, two people searching for some place to munch down on of all nights. Christmas Eve. We meandered down Beltline in Addison and hit several spots: Clay Pit, CLOSED!, The better Blue Goose, CLOSED!, Denny's, OPEN, Screw That! So we came across Amado's Mexican Cuisine, I know I eat tex-mex alot, but circumstances dictated this visit.

The atmosphere was your basic casual dining place, nothing outstanding besides the impressive tequila bar.

We were promptly seated and greeted by a waiter that was a few cervesas short of a bucket.
the menu was your basic tex-mex fare with no signature items.

The chips were heavy and greasy, and after eating the salsa no one could accuse me of not having my V8 for the day. Watery with no depth of flavor, I added some lime juice and sugar to make it more palatable.

I always gauge a tex-mex eatery by the fajitas, so I ordered beef, Medium, with no beans (I hate those vile legumes). We hoped the waiter got the order right, as his communication skills were in question. Most importantly proper meat temperature (we both ordered Medium). We pounded down a few more chips and the person dining with me had what he said to be fairly decent Margaritas.

And then came the Fajitas. We could hear the sizzle while they were still in the kitchen. When they set them down the ingredients were being vaporized in front of our eyes. They must have put the skillets in a blast furnace. I quickly piled up all the meat on top of the onions to prevent incineration. Some of the meat I got off the metal was BLACK!!!! I noticed the meat also had black specs all over them, pepper? no, smoked chilies? no, carbonized food? Why Yes! After the smoke cleared I saw that these skillets had never or seldom felt the cleansing bite of a brand new Brillo pad. The carbonized remnants of portions past adorned the surface, giving the food a bitter, burned taste, and unpleasant aftertaste.

Any chance of the kitchen filling the order correctly (temperature of the meat) is destroyed by the skillet. Even if they send the meat out raw it would be extra well done by the time it got to the table. This is like ordering the Kobe Beef hot rock and having the meat brought to you already on the rock. LAME!
As for the rice, gummy, dry, flavorless. The guacamole was grainy, over processed and could not hold it's form, it was almost like a foam. The beans (According to other diner) had a rancid meat flavor. Even the pico was made from less then fresh veggies. The tortillas were bought in, come on if Taco Cabana can make them fresh then a real restaurant can.

Needless to say this meal was crapola, from the service to the food. Ricardo the Manager (couldn't tell by his attire) was making the rounds asking if all was well. At that point the person dining with me went off and let him know that we were indeed not satisfied. During his rant he said he wanted to pay in full tonight, we were only trying to give constructive feedback. Smiling and saying it was good when it's not is deter mental to the growth of the establishment. So we were stuck paying for the crap but Ricardo promised he would "Take care of Us" on our next visit. We'll see....

Food: F
Service: D

Blue Goose Cantina Plano Dec 18th 2007

T and I went to lunch at the Blue Goose Cantina (Tex-Mex) in Plano. We made a point to go early when most lunch specials are in effect. We wanted to get out for no more than a ten spot each. Upon entering, the smell of Mesquite smoke was both appetizing and memory triggering. It smelled like the original “On The Border” in Addison back in the late 80’s. Back then it was always fresh, delicious, and consistently so. Needless to say I was a bit excited about the meal to follow.

We sat down and were reluctantly greeted by our “Server”. We inquired as to the times of the lunch specials (It was 1:58). She replied “Like, um I think they end at two, not really sure” At this point I was interested to see if as a server who wanted to get a tip, she would offer the lunch special menu anyway, she did not. We both ordered beef fajita quesadilla appetizers trying to stay within budget. I figured the lovely smell of mesquite smoke would translate to a nice flavor in the meat. The quesadillas came with the option of green chilies and being a chili pepper lover I did not hesitate to add them as did T.

We ate our first bowl of chips and salsa (Mediocre at best) while waiting, also polishing off our beverages. We literally did not see more than a fleeting glimpse of our server until she brought the food, at which time she said “"Whoops! I checked and the lunch specials were till 2:30" Whoops!?! Yea a guess it was tough luck for me and T. That!, is appallingly bad service.

Now the food: Beef Fajita Quesadillas from the appetizer menu.

First of all they came in one tortilla folded over, as apposed to the traditional one on top of the other method. So the ingredients were bulging and oozing out all over the place. This was sloppy, thrown together, poor excuse for a quesadilla.

When I tried to pick it up, it fell apart, why? Because they put the green chilies (disappointingly canned and pickled ones) on without draining them! So I had to eat my soggy mess with a fork. The meat was tough and tasteless; it had absolutely no hint of mesquite smoke flavor. We commented that they must light mesquite incense in the back to make you think they are using it to cook the food, LOL.

Overall a very poor experience, we will not go back to that one.

Follow Up: I had gone to the Blue Goose Cantina website and posted my concerns on the feedback page. I received an Email from the District Manager of BGC. He apologized and said he would send out a gift certificate so they could have another chance. That was Dec 20^th, so far no mail for Dave!

Will post follow up upon further review.

Food: F

Service: D-