Malara’s Italian Restaurant, Omaha, NE

My friend Brian told me about this place a number of years ago, and told me at the time to not tell anyone else. I hope a blog post doesn’t count…

I had dinner here this evening with my friend Wendy. It was excellent. I had fettuccine al fredo with chicken. The chicken is usually grilled, but the chef sauteed it at my request. It was perfect. The al fredo was that balance between too heavy on the butter and cream, and too much filler. I ate every bite without that sensory overload that a too-buttery al fredo can cause. The meal came with a decent salad.

So it was wonderful food and conversation. Service was right on the money. My check was $16.50. Great stuff, I need to come here more than every five years or more!

Railway Inn, Council Bluffs, IA

This place looked decent, and it was near my hotel, so I checked it out this evening. It has potential.

My server recommended the broasted chicken. It was very good, four pieces that were cooked pretty much perfectly. So that was good.

On the downside, the iced tea is Nestea or something like that. The Coke was odd tasting; I wondered if it was diet or something. The mashers were OK, but the gravy had a sharp and unpleasant taste. The soup (a chicken noodle) was OK.

Service was pretty good. My check was $11.33.

I looked at a burger at a table near mine, and it looked pretty decent. I might try that if I get the chance to go back.

Don and Millie’s, Bellevue, NE

It’s been a while since I was at this Don and Millie’s location. It was very good.

I got a Double Don, which is a double meat bacon cheeseburger. I got the fries with chili (very good!) and cheese (nacho queso). The fries were pretty darn good. The cheeseburger was very good, with a nice crust and texture, and very good flavor; just the right amount of juicy.

The iced tea was pretty darn good as well, and service was outstanding and friendly. My check was $10.36. Good stuff.

Lil’ Burro, Bellevue, NE

I haven’t eaten at the Lil’ Burro for a while, so we went there for lunch yesterday. It was excellent. The last time I was there, the place was cash only, and now they take credit cards, which is nice.

I got the ground beef chimichanga. It comes with green chili sauce poured over it, and I asked for chili con carne instead. We had a language issue, at the end of which it was suggested that I try a spicy pork gravy over the chimi. I was warned that it was pretty spicy, but when it came, I thought it was only moderately spicy, and was hugely flavorful. The chimi was excellent, with the right amount of seasoned beef and cheese, and cooked up perfectly. The sides of beans and rice were very good also.

Service was right on the money, and the iced tea was excellent. My check was $11.05. Great food!

HuHot Mongolian Grill, Council Bluffs, IA

I had dinner here last night with a couple work friends. I got the adult dinner, which is a multi-trip visit to the grill. It had the expected meats and veggies and stuff for the hardworking grillers to cook up. I got a combination of pork, beef, and chicken. One thing I would have liked to see was some rice to be fried up, and some curry-based dressings. Regardless, it was good.

Service was outstanding, and the tea was very good. My check was $16.35. A bit more expensive than some places, I think, but it was OK.

IRS Investigations: How Were They Uncovered?

I have heard the howls of outrage from conservatives about the extra questioning that many Tea Party organizations were getting from the IRS. I’m no expert, but I think that the extra questioning, and the granting of tax exempt status in the end means we don’t really have much of a scandal.

Regardless, I think an interesting question to ask is how this “scandal” was uncovered. One IRS office came up with criteria for evaluating these organizations. Agents tried using the criteria, and when it was briefed up the chain of command, the local supervisors disagreed with the criteria, and then called in the IRS Inspector General (IG). That IG report is what kicked off the storm of criticism.

So the takeway here is that the internal processes of the IRS worked, and reversed the criteria. Howling conservatives would not have the knowledge of this except for sunshine on this part of the Government. That’s the way it is supposed to work.

Hartland BBQ, Omaha, NE

I had dinner here this evening with my buddy Brad for no better reason that it was the #1 BBQ place in the Omaha area. We got there around 1830.

I wanted to try a two-meat with brisket and chicken, but was told no. I ended up getting a brisket dinner and a chicken basket (no sides); the total cost was reasonably close to what I would usually pay for a two-meat, but it was a LOT of food. The brisket was OK; it was a little dry, and a little less than fully tender, and had OK flavor. The chicken was pretty good; first of all it was HUGE, and a half a bird. It had pretty good flavor, but was a little dry on the inside (it was huge, after all). I got baked beans and green beans for my sides. The baked beans had quite a bit of jalapeno, and I ate little of them. The green beans were very plain.

They do not have iced tea (Lipton Brisk is not tea). They are a Pepsi shop. I would recommend they make tea, which is good with BBQ. My check was $20.83, a little high but due to the fact that I bought two meals. Service was very friendly. The place was pretty busy. I would probably go again, but would not go out of my way.

Culver’s, Bellevue, NE

I had lunch here today with two work friends. I got the two piece chicken dinner (both breasts) with cole slaw and mashers. Great meal! The chicken was plump and juicy and tasty. The mashers and gravy were very good, and the cole slaw was pretty much perfect. The iced tea was very good.

My check was $10.11. Service was prompt and very friendly. Good stuff!

Cox Brothers BBQ, Council Bluffs, IA

I noticed this place as I was returning from a trip to the nearby Target. I had dinner here this evening after a fine three sets of tennis at Offutt. I got the two meat dinner, with brisket and pulled pork. The brisket was very good, and the pulled pork was OK. The sides I chose were mac and cheese (which was bland, and not helped by the sprinkling of paprika. Paprika, really?), and smokehouse beans (which were OK, even with the addition of red and green peppers).

It’s kind of my opinion that red and green peppers do not belong in the food category at all. Restaurants put them in too many foods, to include baked or BBQ beans, corn bread, chili (heresy!), on chicken, salads, shepherd’s pie, and other food which do not deserve the bad treatment of using peppers.

I heard some other guests get offered a buffet, which I was not offered.

Service was friendly and prompt. The iced tea was OK (it had kind of an odd taste). My check was $14.74. If someone suggested going here for dinner, I would not object, but I would probably not go again on my own.

Johnnie Mars, Sioux City, IA

After a day of hiking at nearby Ponca State Park, NE, Brad and I were hungry and ready for dinner. I picked Johnnie Mars due to proximity, wide selection of food, and good reviews.

Brad ordered a CFS, but got CFC. Regardless, he reported it as very good. I got a chopped steak; since it was a daily special it came with mushroom gravy (with real mushrooms). It came with hash browns (perfect and crispy), soup (I got chicken noodle, which was very good, and had a thick sauce), and a trip to the salad bar, which was basic but very good, including cottage cheese and peaches.

Service was fast and friendly, and the tea was excellent. Our check was $27.11, good value. If I’m in the area again, it’s on the list.

Boxer Barbeque Company, Council Bluffs, IA

I had dinner here this evening after work. It was a mixed bag.

I got a three-meat, with brisket, chicken, and spare ribs. The brisket was very good, smoky and tender (it was the smallest amount of meat on the plate). The chicken was a breast and wing. The breast was HUGE. It was also a bit dried out. It was OK, not a lot of flavor (probably due to being a bit dry). The spare ribs were not very good. They were very fatty. One side of the ribs had no meat, and the top side of the ribs had little meat.

The corn on the cob was pretty good. The baked beans were really good, and the potato salad was also. The iced tea was very good, and serve yourself. I was given a single plastic fork. You can get a plastic knife. They need to provide metal utensils.

The meal was $25.83. That three-meat was very expensive at $21+. I don’t know that it was worth the price. The brisket was decent. A single-meat meal would probably be quite a bit less.

Culver’s, Council Bluffs, IA

I have had burgers at various Culver’s over the years, and liked them. Last evening, I was driving back to the hotel after a great tennis match with Brad, and decided to get some takeaway.

I had not realized Culver’s had fried chicken on the menu. I like fried chicken, don’t get enough of it, and so decided to try it. I ordered a four-piece, but they only had three pieces, so that’s what I took. The leg and thigh were OK. The breast was WONDERFUL. It was moist (not greasy), and tender and tasty. I think that the smaller pieces were cooked the same amount of time as the bigger piece, and so got a little overcooked. Loved that breast piece, though. The meal came with very good mashers and gravy, and green beans that were not very good. I got iced tea that was excellent.

My meal was $10.45, I think a decent value. Especially now that I know they do fried chicken, pretty well. Service was friendly and prompt.

Jack and Mary’s Restaurant, Omaha, NE

I needed to check out a couple places in west Omaha this evening, and for some reason I wanted fried chicken, so I did a quick Urbanspoon search and found Jack & Mary’s. I started off with a bowl of excellent chicken noodle soup. That stuff was great! My main course was a three piece chicken, all light. It came pretty quickly.

So the chicken was not just scorching, piping hot, so I presume it was already cooked when I ordered it. The chicken, which had been cooked connected, had been chopped into three pieces with a serious cleaver. I’ve not had chicken cut up quite like that. The chicken was OK, mostly pretty tender, but was a touch on the less-than-moist side. It didn’t have just a heck of a lot of flavor. In terms of quantity, it was just right for dinner for me.

The dinner came with some very good mashers and gravy. My second side was the soup.

I don’t usually get dessert, but they had a blueberry bread pudding. Since we all need our antioxidants, I got it. It was excellent! But it was HUGE. I think three people could have been fed with it. I managed to eat about half.

Service was very good, and the iced tea was excellent. My check was $21.03 of which $4.00 was the dessert, so I think it was pretty good value. I saw some pretty nice looking food aorund me. I think I would like coming back to the place.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Bellevue, NE

I’ve had lunch and dinner at this location several times over the past couple years. Brad and I had dinner here this evening after a couple sets of tennis at the Offutt Field House.

First, I’ve never seen this location as crowded as it was. We got there about 1815, and the line was out of the door. It moved more slowly than I am used to at other Chipotles locations.

I got one of my two “usuals”: a burrito bowl, white rice, black beans, barbacoa, hot salsa, lettuce, and cheese. It was just as I expected, hot, tasty, and filling. I thought it needed a bit more barbacoa (but not a double order).

The tea was great as always. My check was $9.15. Inexpensive, *not* cheeseburger, pretty fast, and tasty.

Sam’s Italian Villa, Council Bluffs, IA

I was looking for dinner this evening, and Sam’s came up on Google Maps. But… it said that Sam’s was closed this evening. But I drove by the place, the OPEN sign was on, so I tried it. Pretty good.

I got a NY strip, medium, with spaghetti and hash browns. The steak was very good. There was one place on the edge that was a bit on the tough side. It had decent flavor, was tender, and was cooked medium just like I asked. The hash browns were great, just the right combination of crunchy and good potato. The spaghetti was excellent; the marinara was moderately thick and had great flavor (I’ve said before, I like the combination of steak and spaghetti and tomato sauce).

Service was prompt and very friendly. The tea was very good, and kept refilled. My check was $23.47. I wouldn’t mind eating at Sam’s again.

Railhead BBQ, DFW Terminal D, TX

I had lunch today at the Railhead BBQ restaurant in Terminal D of DFW. It was pretty darn good.

I had a two-meat plate. They didn’t have the chicken quite ready yet, so I got chopped brisket and pulled pork. Both were pretty darn good, if a bit on the dry side. They had good smoky flavor, and were fairly tender. A bit of extra BBQ sauce (good, and served hot!) alleviated the slight dryness of the meat.

My sides were BBQ beans (OUTSTANDING!) and green beans (OK, but a touch undercooked and a bit tough). For drink, they had decent iced tea (but refills were $0.81 each; c’mon, guys, that’s pretty cheap). Service was very friendly. My check was $14.31. Not bad value.

A Thermal Inversion Demonstrated By A Coal Plant

This is interesting. The smokestack of the MidAmerican Energy coal plant in Council Bluffs, IA is at the bottom of the picture. The condensation plume is several hundred feet higher, indicating a cold layer over the warm air at the surface, which causes the warm and moist exhaust of the plant to condense.

This photo was taken from the parking lot of the Bass Pro Shop in Council Bluffs, IA, looking to the SSE.

First Watch, Oklahoma City, OK

Raegan and I were looking for breakfast in a new location this morning, and I noticed First Watch on Google Maps. There are a number of locations in Tulsa. We decided to give it a try, and got there around 1000. There was a 15 min wait.

We both ordered a variation of the “Tri-Fecta”, which is a pair of eggs (we both got over easy), some meat (we both got bacon), and either a Belgian Waffle or a pancake (I got the BW, and she got a blueberry pancake). In order: while her eggs were right on the money, mine were right on the border of over hard. The bacon was good. Both the waffle and the pancake were very good, but I do think that the pancake could have used some more texture (Raegan adds some wheat germ to hers, and that’s really good). The pancake was HUGE. I had part of it, and we didn’t finish it. We also shared the Muffin Of The Day, banana. It was a bit crumbly, but good.

The iced tea was good. Raegan got hot tea, and they brought her a large carafe that she got two mugs out of (she brought her own tea bags, which was good as First Watch only provided herbals). Service was pretty good overall, but a bit slow on occasion (they were *very* busy, so there really is no reason to complain).

Our check was $23.26. I think it was a good visit. It’s not a typical diner-style breakfast. The menu is somewhat limited and healthy-oriented. The only gravy option I detected was turkey sausage gravy. We would like to go back and try some of the other food options.

Fat Elvis Diner, Yukon, OK

So in some places, this is called Sid’s Diner, and others, it the Fat Elvis Diner. Regardless, it’s pretty good.

I would classify this place as a “dive”. The decorations are tacky, the interior a mishmash. The food is very good. Raegan and I had late lunch here today. We were in Yukon as Erin had a Girl Scout awards ceremony in a nearby park, and then were having a skating party about 200 yards west of the diner.

Raegan got a hot ham and cheese, and I got a King cheeseburger, double meat. Mine had some fried onions and pickles. She liked hers just fine, I liked mine a lot. The beef was well textured and had great flavor. About the fried onions: I am not a huge fan of them. In fact, I asked for them this time, light, and that’s the way they came. While I didn’t dislike them, next time I would probably get the burger without. But it was a very good cheeseburger.

We shared a 1/4 order fries, they were great! The amount was just right for the two of us. We also shared a [Frito] chili pie. It was very good, with meaty chili (no beans), and lot of chili.

I got iced tea, it was excellent. Raegan got a root beer float, and like it (I tried part of it, it was good).

Service was pretty much right on the money, and our check was $18.32, which I think was great value for all we got. If I get to Yukon again around a mealtime, I will go back.

Deep Fork Grill, Oklahoma City, OK

Raegan and I ate at Deep Fork Grill shortly after they opened, many years ago. We recall that the verdict at the time was, “ok”. Even though we drive past the place at least a couple times a day, usually, it never really occurred to us to go back.

Last weekend, we needed a place to have dinner that was near school and Harding Fine Arts, and I considered Deep Fork. Last evening, Raegan and I were kidless, and we decided to try it. We got there shortly after 1900, and in spite of the parking lot being completely packed, we were seated immediately (turns out there was at least one large party there).

Raegan ordered the cedar salmon, and I got beef stroganoff. To sum it up, both were perfect. The serving sizes were larger than we expected. Raegan described hers at possibly the best salmon she had ever had. I do know that for mine, the noodles were perfectly cooked, the sauce was a rich, full of flavor, thick, and delicious binder for the beef, which was cooked a perfect medium, had great beef flavor, and tender. Hers came with whipped potatoes that were very good (here was the only minor error, she had ordered cheese potatoes). Both meals had asparagus spears as well.

The tea (iced for me, hot for Raegan) was very good and kept refilled. Service was attentive without being intrusive.

Our check was $68.76. This is more than we usually pay for a meal. On the other hand, the atmosphere was a little more than we usually enjoy, and the meal was perfect, and the quantity was more than filling. When I think on similar places (Paseo Grill, or even Ranch Steakhouse), I would have to say that Deep Fork fills a value niche; the food was more expensive, but it was better. So for “special” meals, I think I would lean towards Deep Fork. I like the fact that they are not just steak oriented. And that strog was very good. I look forward to our next visit.

One other thing: I went to Urbanspoon to click “Like” for DFG, and noticed it was only 62% Liked. I went to read the reviews. So many were very, very negative, for both food and service. None of those reflect our visit in the least. It really makes me question the validity of negative reviews. I’m glad I didn’t read those reviews beforehand or we might not have even considered the place.

Mulligan’s Grill, Tinker AFB, Midwest City, OK

There are not many places to eat on base. Mulligan’s used to be the “snack bar at the golf course”, and last year it was rebuilt. It’s not a bad place to get lunch, which I did last Monday.

I got a “sandbagger”, which is a double bacon cheeseburger. It was pretty good; the beef had decent flavor, and it was cooked on an actual grill. The beef had good texture. The bacon was perfect, just the right amount of crunch. I had chili-cheese fries on the side, pretty darn good as well. The chili was the kicker, no beans and lots of meat, the perfect compliment to the fries.

My only gripe is that they don’t have real iced tea. The soda fountain there has Fuze (I think it was). It’s not bad, but it’s sure not good either. I switched to Coke after my first glass.

It was very busy due to a gold tournament, but my order got there fast. My check was $9.10, not bad. I should eat here more often.

Of course, it’s a little depressing watching people tee off right in front of you, knowing you have to go back to work. Got to hit that lottery one day…

Gitmo Gets Some Attention Again, Finally

I was glad that President Obama got some questions today about the American Gulag at Gitmo. That stain on the Constitution needs to be closed, immediately.

Every prisoner there needs to be tried or released. Period. Jailing people without charges for years is one of the reasons the American Revolution happened in the first place. We should be better than that!

Any Senator or Representative that whines that it’s too dangerous to try accused terrorists on United States soil is a coward.

Close Gitmo. It’s a gulag that’s no better than the political prisons of the USSR or China.

Bent River Cattle Co, Moore, OK

Last evening, Raegan and the kids and I were at her parents house doing some yardwork. We were hungry afterward, and I had seen Bent River coming back from Dallas Friday, so we decided to try it.

I started off with some beef and mushroom soup. EXCELLENT! That was a rich, thick soup, and the chunks of steak and mushroom were perfectly balanced. Raegan ended up getting a bowl of that soup for dinner. Ian got a caesar salad that was pretty good. Erin got a plate of fettuccine al fredo; she didn’t eat much of it, but I tried it and it was good. I got a ribeye and baked potato. First, the potato. It was undercooked; it needed another 20 or more minutes. I had asked for just butter, but it came with butter and sour cream (that’s easily fixed, of course, but it shows a lack of attention to detail). The steak was very good. It was cooked medium just as ordered. It had a bit more black pepper than I usually like on a steak, but not excessive.

We finished with two desserts, a chocolate mudslide, and a peach cobbler, both with ice cream. The cobbler could have been a bit more evenly heated up, but it was good. The mudslide was HUGE; we couldn’t finish it.

The iced tea was great, and kept refilled. Service was attentive. Our check was $67.66, not unreasonable.

The hostess told me on the way out that the restaurant has only been open for a couple weeks. I hope it hangs around.

Braum’s, Del City, OK (I-40 and Sunnylane)

I’ve been to this Braum’s numerous times over the past year or so, most recently this morning. This is my go-to stop for breakfast on the way into work. This morning I had a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit and a large milk. I always get through the drive through in a minute or so, and the crew is always friendly and gets the order right.

My check this morning was $5.25. Good, fast, and inexpensive.

Now if Braum’s could just get the burger situation fixed.

Cafe Brazil, Richardson, TX

Ron and I had dinner here this evening. It was very good.

Ron had a ham and cheese omelet and I had a chicken quesadilla. While the quesadilla was very good, it could have used a bit more of the quesa part. It came with some very good salsa to dip the quesadilla, and I changed out the default roast potatoes for hash brown casserole (which I really liked, although it was a $1.39 upcharge).

The iced tea was very good, and service was right on the money. My check was $11.88. Nice place, I would like to add it to my Richardson lunch rotation.

Soulman’s BBQ, Richardson, TX

This was really good! A group of 10 of us went to Soulman’s for lunch Monday. It’s a large facility and we easily found seats.

I got a two-meat lunch with smoked chicken and sliced brisket. The brisket was very good, tender and smoky and flavorful. Great stuff. That chicken was perfect! It was moist and flavorful all the way through. That might be the best smoked chicken I’ve had. The BBQ sauce was very good (and a bonus, it was hot!). I got mac and cheese and BBQ beans as my sides. The mac and cheese was a bit on the runny side, and OK. The beans were great! They had BBQ sauce, brisket, onion, and some fatty meat (pulled pork, maybe); yummy.

The iced tea was great. The crew was super friendly. This was a superior BBQ experience. My check was $16.65. I look forward to eating here again.

A note: I’ve been coming to the DFW area for years, and this was the first time I’ve heard of Soulman’s. Good recommendation from Kim!

Angela’s At The Crosswalk, Plano, TX

Ron and I had dinner here Tuesday evening. First of all, Plano has a very nice downtown area! There were a lot of people walking around, eating, and the like, on a blustery Tuesday.

I started off with some fried pickles. They were very good, but there were a LOT of them! They came with a decent ranch dressing. I also got some chili. This was a finely ground chili with no heat, and again, it was a lot of chili.

I got a chicken fried steak; it was very good. I rated it an 8 out of 10. It was fork tender. The breading was a bit thick, but it didn’t detract from the beef flavor, which was very good. I liked the gravy, also. The green beans were pretty good, but the mashers were excellent.

I couldn’t finish the meal, it was just too much for me. The iced tea was good. Service was variable, but overall OK. My check was $22.57. Not bad at all.

On the Border, Edmond, OK

We don’t go to OTB as a rule; it’s just not something we think about. Last Thursday, we were being indecisive, and the OTB in Edmond was suggested, so we decided to give it a try.

We started out with the bowl of queso, with some seasoned beef added. Very good, I liked that stuff a lot.

Three of us got a “choose your own combos”, with various enchiladas, tacos, and the like. Raegan got a chicken chimi. It was all pretty good. I really liked my enchiladas, all with ground beef. The kids ate all of theirs, and Raegan left some as it was big.

One kind of drag: sopapillas cost a buck each. Really?

The iced tea was good, but drink refills were occasionally slow. Our check was $60.40, which isn’t too bad. I wouldn’t mind eating at an OTB again.

The Cow Calf-Hay, Edmond, OK

Ian and I had dinner here two weeks ago. It was pretty good! He and I both got burgers, his a plainish cheeseburger, mine a western BBQ burger. Ian got fries, I got onion rings. I also got an appetizer of fried pickles. Those were excellent; they came with a very nice ranch dressing to dip the fried pickles into.

The burgers were pretty good; they had a nice crust and texture, and very good flavor. That was some good beef. They were cooked medium well as requested. Not a scrap was left.

The iced tea was very good. Service was super friendly and prompt. Our check was $29.50. I look forward to another visit.

Smashburger, Oklahoma City, OK (Belle Isle)

I had lunch here Monday; it was conveniently between the school and the bank. I got there around 1145 and left about 45 min later.

I got a Classic Smash (large) with chili cheese fries as my side. First, those fries were really, really good. The chili was a good consistency and tasty. The burger was OK. It had nice texture and decent flavor. The iced tea was excellent.

I like Smashburger OK. If I was crusing by and hungry I would not mind grabbing a quick meal there, but I don’t know that I would ever get the urge for one.

My check was $10.70. Service was very friendly.

Taco Bell, Seminole, OK

I took a group of Scouts here a week ago Sunday for a lunch break while working on Ian’s Eagle project. We got a variety of things, beef combination burrito, soft tacos, a HUGE burrito, and a locos tacos. It was all pretty good. I like Taco Bueno, but I think that Taco Bell is neck-in-neck with Bueno. Our boys chowed down and left nothing.

The iced tea was great, and the counter service was very friendly. My check for four was $24.27. Good stuff.

Shady’s Burger Joint, Richardson, TX

We had lunch here today, a party of 10 people.

I got a double meat bacon BBQ burger. It was very thick, probably six inches. I got it with onion rings. The burger: it was OK. It didn’t have just a lot of beef flavor, but it was OK. The burger had a nice crust and decent texture. The BBQ sauce was pretty tasty. The onion rings were excellent! I asked for sides of mayo and BBQ sauce and made a very nice fry sauce.

Our service was pretty much prompt and attentive. We had one issue: one of our group didn’t get her burger for quite a while; we guess there was a mixup in the kitchen. The manager comp’d Kim’s meal, which was the right thing to do.

The iced tea was great. My check was $15.50, not bad for the huge burger (it was $3 extra for the double meat). I wouuldn’t mind eating here again.

Wholly Guacamole, Midwest City, OK

I had lunch here with a group of work friends a couple weeks ago. I got the lunch special ground beef chimi. It was really good! It was a bit smaller than at most places, but it was a lunch portion. It came with the expected pinto beans and rice. It had a good serving of tasty ground beef.

The queso and salsa served before the meal was very good. The chips were kind of thick (I prefer the thin variety). The iced tea was excellent, and service was fast and very friendly. My check was around $8. I look forward to another visit.

Sonic, Marlow, OK

I haven’t learned, apparently.

I’m in a catch-up mode for blogging. I’ve been super busy for the past several weeks, and have a pile of reviews to post.

Ian and I were at Camp Ekowah last Friday evening helping Troop 756 get set up at Council-wide camp. We had been running behind all afternoon and had skipped dinner. We saw the Sonic in Marlow as we headed home and stopped. Now, we were really hungry. We both ordered cheeseburgers (me, a couple, Ian, a single), tots, and drinks. Big mistake. We ate them, because we had paid for them. The burgers were tasteless and without texture. The tots were room temp at best.

We did like the Cokes.

I have now written off Sonic for cheeseburgers. The last time I got popcorn chicken at Sonic, it was OK. The last time I got a chili cheese dog at Sonic, it was pretty good. Those are the things I will get at Sonic the next time it is late, Sonic is the only thing open, and I am starvingly hungry.

To any Sonic corporate people: You used to make an outstanding cheeseburger. Most locations made very good burgers, some less so, and some amazing burgers (the former location at Kelley and I-44 in OKC comes to mind). Now, I cannot think of any of the Sonics that I regularly visit that make a burger that is worth a darn. I think that you have used cheap meat, and they are poorly cooked. You made decisions that made the burgers crappy, you ought to make decisions to fix the problem.

Bricktown Brewery, Oklahoma City, OK

This was my first visit here, and it was pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised.

Raegan and Ian and I met Erin, her friend Claire, and her family at the Brewery after a longish Saturday. It was a crowded evening; we had about a 20 minute wait for a table for eight. It didn’t help that there were a lot of Final Four stuff on TV, and a ball game.

It took a bit for us to get drink and an appetizer order in. I got the table a chop and chip nachos. They were really good! The pulled pork on the nachos had goof flavor, was tender, and had some (I think) chipotle sour cream with the cheese. It was large enough that we didn’t finish them. Great stuff.

I got Brewers Beef and Gravy. This was braised beef poured over mashers, with some roast gravy, and onion straws. It was not bad at all. The beef was pretty good (although it was a touch overcooked on what I presume was the top side of the beef cut), and the mixture had a very slight smoky flavor that was hard to pin down, but very good. It’s a rare meal for flavor to be subtle; usually it’s either all or nothing. I had a side of mashers (the Department of Redundancy Department). The mashers were really good, skin on red potatoes.

Raegan got a chicken finger dinner; it looked good, but I didn’t try any of it. She liked it.

Erin got a decent looking burger. I didn’t try any of it either.

Ian got a CFS. It… was… huge… It had to be 8-9″ in diameter. The server assured us that they made the CFS on-site. I tried it; it was wonderful! The breading was a little sweet for my taste, but the beef was thick, great flavor, tender (the couple bites I had were easily fork tender), and the gravy was simply outstanding. I would rather have had the CFS than my meal.

Our friends got burgers and more of the Brewers Beef; no complaints at all.

The tea was excellent, and our server did a decent job of keeping it refilled. We got our food faster than I would have thought; there were at least four groups of eight or so, and the place was full when we were seated, and didn’t slack off for a while.

Our check for eight was $94.24, which I think is pretty good for eight people, especially since $10 of that was that huge plate of pulled pork nachos. I liked the Brewery, and I’m glad we were able to try it. I’m going to see if I can get some people to try it for lunch.

Hiking Equipment: Merrell Geomorphs

I am somewhat of a cheapskate. Frugal, even. I bought a pair of Cherokee lightweight hiking boots in 1991, and literally put several thousand hiking miles on them. They cost me $20. Those boots served me well, obviously.

Then one of them failed spectacularly. In August 2010, the front sole of the right boot came completely off on top of Lassen Peak in California. My foot went right into snow, brrr… I carry string and such, and managed to tie the sole back to the upper for the walk back down. 19 years out of those boots.

I went to Academy shortly thereafter and bought a pair of Navados, I think for $34. They seemed to fit OK, and I started walking in them. Less than a year later, I got a huge blister, my first ever hiking, while at Yosemite backpacking. I had noticed that my socks each day were very, very dirty, but figured that the trail dust was sifting in from my ankles. I checked the boots out when we got off the trail, and found that the sole on one had split completely through for about six inches, fore and aft! Not side to side (which is where the bending stress is). The huge amount of dirt was coming into the boot from the bottom! That was the reason I got the blister. The other boot was failing exactly the same way, but the split wasn’t as long or wide. Those went into the trash. They had about 150 trail miles on them.

I went somewhere and bought a pair of Ozark Trail boots for about $35. A year later (now we are in September 2012), I did another Yosemite trip and while on the trip, noticed that the darn boots were starting to split side-to-side along the sole. Grrr… The splitting was not too bad, but it was already letting water into the supposedly waterproof boots. Those boots accumulated about 250 trail miles in that year.

I’ve used trail miles several times here, but I also wear my boots when it’s cold outside, or rainy or snowy, or if I am working out in the yard, so there is additional wear on them.

I started reading the boot reviews in Backpacker, and looking at new boots casually over the holidays. Finally, I had a business trip to Omaha in February, and there was a huge snow event forecast, so I determined to hit various outlets in search of good boots. I talked it over with Raegan, who encouraged me to be a little less of a cheapskate, especially given how much walking I did.

So I did some web searching, and visited a couple stores. The Dick’s Sporting Goods in La Vista was visited. I tried on a couple pair, and then put on a pair of Merrell Geomorphs. I described it to someone a while later, it was like when Harry Potter picked up his wand the first time, it glowed and the wind blew. My feet slipped into those boots like butter, and they felt molded to my feet.

I walked around the store for almost an hour. The Geomorphs have a goodly amount of padding inside on the sole and the uppers. They weigh just over two pounds, and are very comfortable. I walked out of the store in them (literally). They set me back $129 and sales tax.

Here is a picture (taken from the Merrell website):

One note: these boots have Vibram soles. I noticed while I was walking around in the store that the soles gripped the slickish store floor very well. I noticed that extra grip a couple times on the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) a couple weeks ago; the whole area was wet, and the Vibram did a great job of hanging on to the slick rocks.

So far, I’ve worn them on three hikes and one backpacking trip. I have about 40 hiking miles on them, and a lot of walking around. I wore them all last week when it was raining heavily, and they kept my feet warm and dry. On the backpacking trip, they walked in snow, sleet, and rain. I forded a number of creeks where the water came to right below the top of the boot, and they didn’t leak a drop. I use polyprop socks, and even though the boots are waterproof, I don’t get sweat-soaked (we’ll see how that works this summer, though).

So I am very happy with these boots. I hope to get 10+ years of service from them.

Billy Sims BBQ, Oklahoma City, OK (Memorial)

After a long week, we had dinner here tonight. As usual, it was very, very good.

I had a three-meat of chicken, sliced brisket, and pulled pork. I also stole one of Ians ribs. And had some of Raegans turkey. And rib. It was all excellent. The chicken this evening was a touch on the almost-dry side, but still was great. It was a feast.

I had a side of chili, outstanding (they make GREAT chili!). Raegan had green beans and potato salad. None of this was left.

Service was the expected fast and friendly, and the iced tea was excellent. Our check was $48.91. Great BBQ!

Hiking Red Rocks Open Space, Colorado Springs, CO

This is a bit of a catch-up post. Back in January I had a business trip to Colorado Springs, and found myself without much to do around 1400. I did a quick bit of research and headed to Red Rocks Open Space on the west side of town.

The photos from the hike are here on Google+.

I did just over six miles in about three hours. It was about 40F when I got started, and in the low 30s when I finished. Most of the most interesting rock formations are in the west side of the park. As you go south and climb, the rock is somewhat replaced with forest. It’s all very pretty.

As I got up a little bit, I could look to the northwest and see the burned areas from the Waldo Canyon fire.

There were a LOT of people out there! That’s always impressive to me. There isn’t any water anywhere in the area that I found, so be sure to fill up your water bottle before coming out. A very pretty area very close to town, a worthy hike any time.

An Interesting RADAR Artifact

I was looking at the wx on Channel 9 this evening. I noticed a small echo in north Oklahoma that didn’t seem to be a storm. I looked at the NWS site for OKC, didn’t see it, but switched to the Vance AFB site, and there it was. This is a screen capture:

I checked the Google map and satellite image of the area, there doesn’t seem to be a lot there. I wonder if it is smoke from a grass fire. It changes geometry, but the east and west ranges don’t move. Smoke usually has a fixed point on the upstream end, and then widens and lengthens with time.

I’ll check the news tomorrow and see if anything is mentioned.

31 March update:

I sent an email to the NWS office in Norman, and got a very nice reply back in just a couple hours (that’s a professional!). The echo is from a wind farm that was built in the last half of 2012. The wind farm is marked on aviation maps already, but it doesn’t show up in Google Earth images yet. Very cool.

Soda Pops Cafe, Oklahoma City, OK

Raegan and the kids and I were headed to Moore to visit her folks this evening, and decided to check out Soda Pops as it was nearby.

We started out with a plate of excellent bacon and cheese fries. They came with some exellent ranch dressing. These were consumed rapidly.

I got a chicken fried steak. It was excellent! I rate it an 8.5 out of 10. The CFS was fork tender and had good breading. It wasn’t just absolutely chock full of beef flavor, but it had enough. It was bedded down in gravy, and I asked for some extra. The gravy was pretty darn good as well. My second side was green beans was very good as well. Erin got a cheeseburger. I tried it, and it was pretty decent. Again, not a lot of beef flavor, but better than average. Ian got chicken fingers, good stuff. Raegan got deep fried catfish, and liked it. It was huge!

The iced tea was excellent, and service was great. Our check was $49.14. This was a good restaurant and a good value. I will be glad to visit again.

11-Worth Cafe, Omaha, NE

I have not been to 11-Worth in a while. I don’t get to near downtown Omaha nearly as often as I used to (I would stay at hotels downtown before nice ones were built in Bellevue). Today I got done with work in time to get there for lunch. Great stuff!

I got a CFS with mashers and chili. That chili was great stuff, not too many beans, just the right amount of heat, and served up in an oversized coffee mug. Yum! The CFS was excellent, 9 out of 10, fork tender all the way through, and breaded up and cooked just right. I asked for their famous sausage gravy instead of the standard cream, excellent stuff (even if it did cost an extra $3.25). I wasn’t too impressed by the mashers, they seemed to be too uniform and didn’t have a lot of flavor.

All of this was eaten up with no problem at all. The iced tea was pretty good, and service was just the right blend of visits and solitude. My check was $15.72. Need to get there more often.

That’s Amore, Bellevue, NE

My friend Clark and I were looking for a late dinner this evening. We drove by Stella’s, but there was a line out of the door. Instead, we drove to downtown Bellevue and checked out That’s Amore.

We started off with a plate of BBQ chicken wings. Yes, BBQ wings at an Italian place. They were great! Plump, tasty, the BBQ sauce was very good, and with very nice homemade ranch and bleu cheese dressing to dip them in. I liked those wings.

The meal came with a very nice mixed greens salad with more of that ranch dressing. Good stuff.

I got fettuccine and chicken al fredo. I can’t say this part of the meal was bad, but I will say it was bland. There wasn’t just a huge amount of al fredo on the dish, but what was there wasn’t rich or overly flavorful. The noodles were OK. So I think that the meal could have been somewhat more tasty.

Service was super friendly and outstanding. My check was $21.94 (the wings were $7.50 of that). So not a bad meal, but could stand some improvement. I’d like to go back and try the meat sauce.

Panera Bread, Bellevue, NE

I had a late snack today at this Panera. I like the food at Panera in general, but I find myself stopping by for snacks more than anything. Today I worked through lunch, and was quite hungry around 1700, so I had a peanut butter cookie and iced tea. The PB cookie was really good, and the tea was pretty darn good as well.

Yesterday I did the same thing, except it was really cold, so I had a a large hot tea and a chocolate chip cookie. One thing about Panera: they will give you very nearly boiling water out of their steamer, and that extra hot water certainly helps the tea steep in all it’s goodness.

Service was a little slow today, but they quickly brought two more cashiers to bring the line down. My check was only $4.47. Great place for a snack and a place to read the paper, or catch up online.

Ixtapa Mexican Grill, Bellevue, NE

I had dinner here this evening with my friend Clark, on the recommendation of my friend Karren. It helped that it was only about a block from the hotel.

First of all, I loved the salsa; it was a perfect consistency, and just the right amount of heat. I think the chips could be a little thinner and crispier.

I got mixed chicken and beef fajitas. They were pretty darn good. Kind of heavy on tomatoes. I was concerned the onions might not be fully cooked, but it turned out to not be an issue. The fajitas had very good flavor, and both meats were nice and tender. I crushed a couple pieces of lime over the plate just after the “sizzle” stopped. The sides of beans and rice were decent.

The iced tea was outstanding, strong and dark. Service was very good. My check was $14.70. I would gladly go back to Ixtapa.

Sophabella’s, Oklahoma City, OK

Wow, great food! We’ve wanted to try Sophabella’s for a while, and decided to give it a try Monday. Well worth it.

We had an extended pre-dinner wait while Ian drove across town. We started with zucchini chips, which are breaded and deep fried zuc, and garlic cheese bread. Both excellent. We had an outstanding ranch dressing, and an amazing marinara to dip the stuff in, a perfect appetizer. I loved those zucchinis in particular. Raegan also had lobster bisque, and loved it. I had a single meatball. Permit me a short diversion. My standard for meatballs are those my Dad made. I think they were 90% beef and 10% bread crumbs, and they were wonderful, with flavor and great texture. I think most meatballs that are restaurant made are a 50% each mixture, and as a result they have little texture. This meatball made by Sophabella’s was very close to the standard meatball I would like to have all the time. It was flavorful, had beef texture, just all around outstanding.

For dinner, Erin got fettuccine al fredo, Ian chicken parmigiana, Raegan chicken gnocci, Pat mostacciolli, and I got chicken mushroom marsala. I tried parts of the meals Raegan, Ian, and Erin got; in each case, simply outstanding for flavor and heat. My chicken marsala was the best I have ever had. Pat reported hers was excellent.

After that fantastic set of main courses, we ordered desserts. Erin got a brownie and ice cream dessert, Raegan and I (and everyone else!) shared a banana cobbler (really!), and Ian got a sundae. None of any of this survived.

The iced tea was excellent, and all drinks were kept refilled. Service was outstanding. There was nothing in the slightest in the negative that could be reported about this meal. Our check (for five) was $152.34. Expensive, yes, but the meal was entirely worth it.

Would be go to Sophabella’s regularly? Not for long . But it’s the top place in my book for special events in the future. I’m already thinking of our 25th…

Hiking Elk Mountain, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, OK

On 16 February, I hiked Elk Mountain in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge (WMWR). The hike was 4.5 miles and 1,124 ft of altitude gain.

Pictures from the hike are here on Google+.

I tried to park at the actual trailhead, but for the nth time, a Park Ranger was blocking the road, and he rudely told me to go elsewhere (this same guy I’ve seen several times over the year, and he is uniformly unhelpful at best). I drove over to Caddo Lake a mile or so to the west, parked there, and headed out overland at Elk Mountain.

I popped over a ridge after a bit and found myself near a herd of bison. I move away from them, but the herd crossed in back of me, and one of them charged me; it was a bluff charge, but it was intended to get my attention, and it succeeded.

I got to the parking area for Elk Mountain, and went over to the Charon’s Garden trail, as I thought that was also the trail for Elk Mountain. It wasn’t. I decided to bushwhack straight up the slope. It was pretty tough. I used bouldering and some rock climbing techniques.

When I got to the top, I was amazed. I had sort of thought that Elk Mountain was very much a peak, but it wasn’t; it was a jumbled almost-mesa! Probably 20 acres of area. There were numerous “high points”, and I walked around up there a while looking at all of them.

Eventually, I worked my way to the eastern part of the top, and found the trail down. It was a nice trail; I got to the bottom in short order, and walked cross country back to my car.

I really enjoyed the hike; I have wanted to hike Elk Mountain for a number of years, and on other trips to WMWR, I either didn’t have time, or the parking area was full. I’m glad I took the cross country route this time, it was well worth it.

Burrito Beach, O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL

I was passing through O’Hare a week ago Friday, and needed lunch. I decided to check out Burrito Beach. Which was nowhere near a beach.

I got a chicken quesadilla. It was pretty much perfect, the right right size, just crispy enough. The chicken was really good, tender, and great flavor. They have iced tea that was pretty good. It was fast, and good. My check was $9.04.

Braum’s, Guymon, and El Reno, OK

El Reno location.

Guymon location.

As we traveled to and from camp a week ago, the Troop 15 convoy stopped at these restaurants for dinner, and lunch.

Unfortunately, in both cases it was a typical Braum’s burger. Tasteless and without texture, the cheese was the best part. Even the fries were disappointing, mushy and little flavor. The vanilla milk shake, excellent.

I am more and more disappointed by Braum’s burgers (I will not eat their chicken sandwiches, I’ve ever had one I was able to finish). The check for Ian and I was $15.31 in each case.

Great American Grill, Hilton Garden Inn, Council Bluffs, IA

I’ve stayed in a lot of Hilton Garden Inns, and they are uniformly excellent hotels. Most of them have Great American Grill restaurants, but the quality and service at the Grills is less excellent.

This one is one of the really good ones. I’ve stayed at this HGI at least ten times, and of course I’ve had breakfast most of the days, and a number of dinners. The breakfasts have all been outstanding. I’ve occasionally just had the non-cooked-to-order stuff, and the selection of those items (cereal, oatmeal, breads and muffins) is really nice. I’ve had omelets, eggs scrambled and over easy, pancakes, and waffles, and all were cooked well. Service is also consistently very good (that’s one of the most variable things at GAGs).

Now that I look at that acronym I just typed, I realized it is most unfortunate.

My only down is that the iced tea has never been very good; don’t know why. My checks are usually around $12.00. Good stuff.

La Mesa, Council Bluffs, IA

I had dinner here this evening, as it was very near my hotel. 

I had my usual, which is mixed chicken and beef fajitas.  Excellent, excellent, excellent.  La Mesa has pretty much the best fajitas I’ve had, anywhere.  It is even so at this location.

The iced tea was great, and service was also.  My check was $14.72.  Recommended.