Dining with David: Nellie's Cafe

Nellie's Cafe - Las Cruces, NM - December 17, 2010
My goal of eating out while traveling is to visit the best local restaurant; no chain food for me.  Well, Nellie's is truly a local place; seats less than 50 people in a little building.  We had to wait 30 min to get in the door but the wait was worth it.  This place is locally owned and has many 'regular's' there; we were an outsider but treated great anyway.  I had the burrito with green sauce; now that was spicy.  Menu said red was hot and green was hotter; you have to obtain a taste for the hot peppers.  Very good food though.
Rating: 8

Dining with David: LaPosta de Mesilla

LaPosta de Mesilla - Las Cruces, NM - December 16, 2010
http://www.laposta-de-mesilla.com/
When you visit these nice little towns, it is critical to find the right places to eat.  We asked around and was pointed to a mainstay located in historic Old Mesilla.  This building has been around since mid 1800's and is on the National Register; made of adobe bricks with many themed rooms.  We got to eat in the Blacksmith Room with a wonderful atmosphere.  I wanted something local and ordered their famous enchilada plate. In the south, we know enchiladas as round; true Mexican are flat and served like pancakes.  As with most true Mexican food, it requires a special taste as most seem a little bland to Americans.  The food was good but just not fantastic.  We finished off the meal with a little sopaipilla; a quick fried dough served with honey.  Great building, wonderful atmosphere and decent food.
Rating: 7

Dining with David: Rudy's County Store & Bar-B-Q

Rudy's Country Store & BBQ - El Paso, TX - December 16, 2010
http://www.rudys.com/
Well, it has been since July 2009 since I have had the pleasure to visit a Rudy's.  We passed this location on the way to a customer's site and decided to turn-around and go back; very wise choice.  There is nothing like a Rudy's and just wish we had one in AL.  I decided to get their sliced brisket sandwich.  I love to watch them cut this fresh and serve in a plastic coke carry.  I can not believe how much brisket they put on just one sandwich.  At the wood picnic table, you get to choose mild or spicy sauce; of couse, I did a little mixture of both and had a wonderful sandwich.  To top it off, I got to have a nice bottle of Big Red; wonderful flavorful red drink that tops off a very good meal.  This is one of my favorite places and ranks right up there.  If you ever see a Rudy's, don't pass it up; stop in and have a great meal.
Rating: 9.5

Thought of the Week - December 18, 2010

“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'.”     ~ Bing Crosby

Dining with David: The Cajun Corner

The Cajun Corner - Eufaula, AL - December 14, 2010
www.thecanjuncorner.com
Sometimes it just seems you are supposed to go to certain places?  Remember, God has a plan whether we follow-it or not.  In coming into Eufaula earlier today, we passed a little corner restaurant that looked pretty good.  When we decided on dinner, we decided to go to a great place called River City Grill.  River City, have been there before, was a great place with wonderful service.  Well, let's just say Tuesday night is NOT their strong-point.  After sitting for 15 mins with no help what-so-ever, we finally just got up and left; NO service, no thank you, NO Nothing.  Not a good mark for what I thought was a good little restaurant.
Well, we drove right down the street and went to this corner place called Cajun Corner.  As soon as we walked in, we were assisted and taken to our table; service was great and no comparison to the poor job at River City.
I ordered their special Mardi Gras Stuffed Shrimp.  These were large grilled shrimp stuffed with their special crumbs and seasonings and topped with cheese.  Wow, these were very good.  I also had a cup of gumbo that was good with a side of sweet potato strips.  We somehow got an order of cheese bread (yes, that is cheese on top).  What a great little place with good food.  If you want true cajun, this will not serve your taste but if you want a good meal and service, this is the place for you.
Rating: 8.5

Dining with David: Phil's BBQ

Phil's BBQ - Eufaula, AL - December 14, 2010
http://www.bestbuttsinalabama.com/
Are you ever just driving through a small town and need to grab a quick bit, but just don't want some ole chain food?  Well, that was the case today as we had an appointment down in LA (lower Alabama) and needed some quick lunch.  A big sign said to stop on in at Phil's and get some BBQ.  We did just did and it was pretty good.  This place has a great slogan of 'best butts in Alabama'; not bad.  I had the sliced pork sandwich and the meat had a very good taste.  Phil's uses the Carolina style sauce; vinegar based with mustard.  This is a thin, slightly yellow sauce with a different taste than your normal southern red, sweet, ketchup based sauce.  Great atmosphere and good meal.
Rating: 8

Thought of the Week - December 11, 2010

“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.”
~ Agnes M. Pahro

Thought of the Week - December 04, 2010

“Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”
~ Og Mandino

Dining with David: Custred Christmas Cooking

Christmas Cooking - Pleasant Grove, AL - December 4, 2010
It is that time of year again.  The family (and friends) get together and cook all day.  Our goal is to provide a little joy to others with little special Christmas treats.  Of course, the real treat is just having the family together all day working on one mission.  My Mom and Dad are thrilled to have everyone (with all the kids around) at their house.  This day was long, 13 hours, but did include a little SEC championship football game and lots of cooking and fun.  Treats included: lizzies, oatmeal raisin cookies (new), cowboy cookies, date balls, party mix, pecan muffins, raspberry/dark chocolate jelly rolls (new), chocolate peanut butter cookies, dark/white chocolate covered pretzels, and chocolate/raspberry cookie cups (new).
Merry Christmas!

Dining with David: Anton's Restaurant

Anton's Restaurant - Waite Park, MN - December 1, 2010
http://www.antonsrestaurant.com/
Coming back to St. Cloud, I could remember a quaint little restaurant located on a river with great food.  Well, I just had to take my travel partner to this place and it did not disappoint.  This is an old log cabin converted right on the Sauk river; great atmosphere and great food.  This place also has themed rooms and we sat in the River Room; looking over the river, of course.  The 'Original' room has several covered wagon style booths; very neat.
Our meal started with the famous Popovers; these are fresh mushroom looking style bread served with honey butter; wow, these are good.  How could a place be bad if they are specialize in great bread?  I then had their homemade chili which was very good.  Main course was their Bacon Wrapped Scallops.  These were large scallops wrapped in smokehouse bacon with a side of hot butter for dipping.  These were very good scallops; just the right balance of meat, bacon and butter.  I also had their hashbrowns asiago.  If you want a great meal at a local place, this is it.
Rating: 9.5

Dining with David: Nelson Bros. Bakery

Nelson Bros. Bakery - Clearwater, MN - December 1, 2010
http://www.clearwatertravelplaza.com/
Well, who would have 'thunk', a great bakery at a truck stop.  When traveling across I-94 in MN, just stop at exit 178 and go visit the Nelson Bros. Bakery and Restaurant at the Petro fuel station.  I had heard this was a great place and known for their famous Fritter Bread.  We just had to stop and sure enough, they have these wonderful loafs of bread in apple, blueberry, cinnamon and raspberry (my favorite).  These are soft on the bottom and inside with a nice crunchy crust on the top drizzled with a little sugary topping.  If only my wife & kids were with me to enjoy this goodness.
Rating: 8.5

Thought of the Week - November 27, 2010

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
~ Jimmy Dean

Thought of the Week - November 20, 2010

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”
~ Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

Dining with David: Custred Kitchen

Custred Kitchen - Adger, AL - November 18, 2010
Decided to do a little cooking tonight for the office Thanksgiving party tomorrow.  Whipped up a little treat I had seen on good ole Food Network; Jelly Rolls.  This is very simple but just takes a little time. I decided to make most of them as raspberry.  My first batch was ok, and then decided to add some sugar to the top for just that little glaze; much better.  I then made some special ones as dark chocolate raspberry; wow, now these were good.  They had that tart raspberry with the distinct dark chocolate taste; just melts in your mouth.  I decided to finish off the last batch as Apple Barn apple butter.  Yes, this is the special apple butter you can only get at the famous Apple Barn.  Not bad for a little appetizer treat for the team.

Dining with David: River City Grill

River City Grill - Eufaula, AL - November 16, 2010
www.rcgrill.com
Well, I just thought that Eufaula, located down in LA (lower Alabama), was a small town, but no way with this type of quaint, nice restaurant.  This was my first time down in Eufaula and it did not disappoint.  What a nice little place and I loved the wonderful houses coming into town; historic, prestige houses right down main street; my wife would love this place.  The restaurant is right in the middle of town and in an historic building.  Great service and wonderful, friendly people.  The food was great too.  We started with a little tuna and then moved to a chicken and wild rice soup.  I ordered their special; the petite filet mignon wrapped in bacon (yum, yum) and a side of blackened/grilled shrimp.  I was forced to take a bit (or two) of  a shared dessert; their famous bread pudding.  Now I was just in Louisiana last week and had several versions of bread pudding but this one was very good.  Great place to go.
Rating: 9

Thought of the Week - November 13, 2010

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."
~ Warren Buffett

Dining with David: Poor Boy's Riverside Inn

Poor Boy's Riverside Inn - Broussard LA - November 10, 2010
www.poorboysriversideinn.com
Well, you cannot come to Lafayette without having some Cajun.  Was directed to one of the local hot spots, a converted house in a local district.  We started with their famous Seafood Gumbo or Gumbo Aux Fruits De Mer.  Very different stew with a thick, grainy sauce.  For my main course, I had the Grilled Tilapia fish with fries and salad.  The fish was good.  This was a business/work meal so spent most of the time reviewing for my presentation tomorrow rather than enjoying the food.  The food was good and great locale but food was really just normal; nothing special
Rating: 7

Travels with David: Homestead Hollow

Homestead Hollow: Christmas in the Country - Springville, AL - November 6, 2010
http://www.homesteadhollow.com/
Well, my youngest daughter and I had a chance to spend the day together (since my wife left me to take our oldest down to LA, Lower Alabama).  We got up early and headed for the beautiful area of Springville; just northeast of Birmingham.  Homestead is a great little setup with lots of arts, crafts, food and great people.  This event is well handled and everyone is very friendly.  We got to visit all of the booths and see some very interesting items.  Meredith just happened to find her some stuff but the goal was really just OUR time.
After we visited every booth and all of the events, we then got to try some little snacks.  I have a weakness for those special little donuts called Dinky Donuts.  These are those fresh little fried donuts from the little machine/fryer and then coated with powdered sugar; yum, yum.  My favorite of all is the Kettle Corn.  Nothing like a huge copper pot over a fire with a little sugar, salt and lots of popcorn.  When that corn explodes with the mixture of salt/sugar, nothing like it.  This is the way popcorn should be.  Of course, Meredith found the horses and was in hog heaven; no pun intended.   All in all, a great day with my baby (well, not anymore, as tall as me).  Thank you Lord for all the small blessings.

Thought of the Week - November 6, 2010

"All people fit into two categories:

1) You Stay Put
2) You Move

Keep Moving."
                     ~ John Madden (NFL Coach, Sportscaster)

Thought of the Week - October 30, 2010

“Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.”
~ Jerry Garcia (Musician)

Dining with David: Tortugas Pizza

Tortugas Pizza - Hoover, AL - October 30, 2010
http://tortugaspizza.com
Well, it has been over a month since I have been to this great little spot in Birmingham.  I had the pleasure to spend the day with my Dad on Saturday.  He had wanted to go to Pasquale's Pizza but they have now closed in Hoover; what a shame.  So, we made the best of it and just 'had' to go to Tortugas for lunch.  I had the Carne Stuffed Pizza Slice while my Dad had the CTA Sub.  My huge slice of pizza had it all; sausage, Canadian bacon, bacon and pepperoni.  The crust is fabulous.  As usual, Tortugas never fails; this was a great lunch.  Best of all was the time able to spend with my Dad.
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Pugliano's

Pugliano's Italian Grill - Plum, PA - October 28, 2010
http://www.puglianositaliangrill.com/
We got the chance for one of our customers to take us to a special, local Italian restaurant off of the Golden Highway in PA.  This place is unique in that it is designed for jazz festivals and even wedding ceremonies.  I asked for their famous dish and was told their pizza.  So, I ordered their personal (10") Meat Lover’s Pizza that included pepperoni, hot sausage, ham, bacon and meatball; yes, that did include pieces of a meatball.  It had a homemade crust that was cooked in a pizza open with a solid crust; great taste.  You can always tell the true Italian places by the meat and cheese they utilize; the best is the smaller, better tasting pepperonis that have crispy edges and are never greasy.  I could only eat two pieces which left some for me to eat on the plane ride back home.
Rating: 8

Dining with David: Primanti Bros

Primanti Bros - Pittsburgh, PA - October 27, 2010
www.primantibrothers.com
Well, they say good things come to those who wait.  We got the chance to go to the 'almost famous' landmark in the strip district (warehouse row) of Pittsburgh, Primanti Bros.  Yes, this is the same place that Food Network has featured numerous times on several shows; the original location.  Can you say atmosphere?  This little place is in back of a warehouse with very limited seating; walk in and try to find a seat.  We had the chance to sit at the bar over the grill watching all the sandwiches being made; WOW!.  I ordered the famous PASTRAMI & CHEESE sandwich while my travel companion ordered the healthy, soon to be famous COLOSSAL FISH & CHEESE; he is the fish man.  These things are made with special, hearty bread with the meat grilled and covered with cheese; then stuffed on the bread with slaw (coated with oil, salt & pepper), tomatoes and fresh, homemade french fries; Yes, I did say the fries in the sandwich.  These fries are my kind too; fresh cut with skin left on and flash-fried; crispy outside and just a little soft on the inside.  A touch meal to eat but I managed.  The hot pastrami, cheese and fries clash with the cool slaw and tomato; a great sandwich.  Now, this is not your high-scale kind of place but your local famous dive; my favorite; cash only btw.  After eating, we just sat there and watched all the sandwiches being cooked; what an experience.
Rating: 9.5

Dining with David: Winking Lizard

Winking Lizard - Canton, OH - October 26, 2010
http://www.winkinglizard.com/
Well, we were recommended to go to another local place tonight; really a super sports bar that has a focus on food as well as other stuff.  Anytime a place is called Winking Lizard, that has to get your attention.  We started off with their famous chicken wings (flavors included spicy garlic, spicy sesame, goldfinger, teriyaki and BBQ).  These were some good chunky wings; very nice taste and good cut of wing.  I asked for their 'known dish' to assure I would get the best they had to offer.  I was told and got their hall of fame BBQ St. Louis ribs with their special Pfred's Preferred Pfries.  Now, I was born/raised in the south so you better have some good BBQ; let's just say they have some work to do.  These ribs were a little meaty but very fatty cuts.  The sauce was way too thick and had the only taste.  There was not even a smoke ring on the meat; what a shame.  The fries, which looked great, did not meet expectations.  They had way too much cheese and came nothing close to the standard of cheese fries, Outback.  Overall, a decent meal and great experience; the wings were the best.
Rating: 7.5

Dining with David: Menches Bros.

Menches Brothers - Uniontown, OH - October 25, 2010
http://www.menchesbros.net/
What is billed as the "Inventors of the Hamburger and Ice Cream Cone" turned out to be located right across the street from our hotel.  This place was recommended by our client as a must try; not necessary the best but very unique.  The atmosphere is a little mix of a family and bar type.  I just had to try the famous Festival Burger (named for one of the winners of the National Hamburger Festival).  This thing was a nice juicy piece of meat with jalapenos, jalapeno jack cheese and bacon (always a good thing).  I will not say this is the best burger I have ever had, not even the best in the past week (Five Guys was much better), but it was a good burger.  Not exactly one of those places you go back to a lot but good to try.
Rating: 7

Thought of the Week - October 23, 2010

“Responsibility comes to one who is prepared for it as certainly as harvest follows seed time.”
~ Robert H. Jackson

Dining with David: Five Guys

Five Guys Burgers & Fries - Homewood, AL - October 22, 2010
http://www.fiveguys.com
My wife and I got the chance to eat lunch together (for a change) and she decided on a  great chain (yes, normally not my selection, but this is one exception), Five Guys.  This is one great little burger place.  I think I love the fries even more though.  You get to start off with a little basket of peanuts just to kick in the taste-buds.  Your meal is fixed to order so you know it is fresh and tasty.  The burger is normally two patties of hand pressed real meat on a toasted bun with a selection of your choice of toppings.  My favorite is the bacon (yes, bacon makes anything better) burger with mustard, ketchup and BBQ sauce.  The fries are hand-cut and fried with crispy outside (with the skin still on) and soft on the inside.  These are one of my favorite fries anywhere.
Great meal and even better company; love the special times I get with my bride.
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Hilton Biltmore Park

Hilton Biltmore Park - Asheville, NC - October 16, 2010
http://www.biltmorefarmshotels.com/hilton/
Well, what another great day.  Visited Hickory, NC and then back to downtown Asheville for the Mast General Store and Grove Arcade.  Then came back to our nice hotel, the Hilton, and we both got a wonderful massage from the Sparrow Spa.  With that kind of day, no need to go out for dinner.  We ordered room service and we did good.  It came hot and fresh, the bread was still steaming, and was a very good meal.  We had the arugula salad to start; then had the special of the day, blackened salmon with pineapple salsa and finger potatoes. The salmon had a good texture and tasted great.  The best part, and surprise, was the sweet potato fries; these things were lightly fried with a slight coating; no need to put anything on these things; we just downed them.  What a great meal to have in-room.
Rating: 8.5

Travels with David: Hickory Furniture Mart

Hickory Furniture Mart - Hickory, NC - October 16, 2010
http://www.hickoryfurniture.com/
How could a day in NC get better for Molly than to go to one of the largest furniture stores around.  This place is huge (4 stories) with nearly 100 stores; all representing 1000 manufactures.  Sad part (or good) is we didn't buy a thing.  Molly found a kitchen table but left it there.  I found a massage chair but she would not let me buy it; only several thousand $$$$; best chair I have ever tried.  This thing is like a space ship with a control panel and it auto adjusts you in the ideal positions for the massage; great idea for Christmas present!
Once again, just another great day with my beautiful bride.

Thought of the Week - October 16, 2010

“Begin somewhere. You cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do.”
~ Elizabeth Smith

Travels with David: Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate - Asheville, NC - October 15, 2010
http://www.biltmore.com/
Well, Molly and I wanted to find our dream estate, this is it.  Love the house, but love the estate even more.  Anytime you can have a private 3 mile drive to your house, this is a good thing.  Nothing like rounding that corner and BAM, there it is.  We spent 6 hours inside/around this massive house.  This included the normal tour and the behind the scenes rooftop tour; this extra was well worth it.  The views from the very top roof were fantastic.  Even to see how the granite tiles are hand tied to metal bars for the entire roof is unbelievable.  This house is huge and done the right way; guess if you have unlimited funds you can do that.
The best part of the whole day was just spending time with my beautiful bride!

Dining with David: Cedric's Tavern

Cedric's Tavern - Antler Hill Village-Biltmore, Asheville, NC - October 15, 2010
http://www.biltmore.com/visit/dining/cedrics_tavern/
After 6 hours at the Biltmore, we drove over to the Antler Hill Village, on the Biltmore grounds, and split  a late lunch.  We started with some pretzel rolls and Lusty Monk butter mustard; wow, these were good.  Big pretzel balls with hard, crusty, pretzel exterior and soft interior; the butter mustard was really good on these.  Our meal was a split barbecue chicken sandwich; bbq chicken with chipotle ketchup, bacon and cheese fondue on Texas toast.  Either we were very hungry or this was a very good open sandwich.  We changed the side to get home-made chips; these were waffle chips fried just right.  Very nice, quick meal.
Rating: 8.5

Dining with David: Asheville Pizza

Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co - Asheville, NC - October 14, 2010
http://ashevillebrewing.com/
Well, we got into Asheville and decided we were hungry; no lunch today.  Molly decided she wanted pizza for dinner so I searched for the best pizza place in town.  Once I saw this place, very unique, I just knew we had to go.  Now, let me first say that this is not Molly's kind of place.  Where else can you have self seating in a small area with a game room on one side and a 150 seat movie house ($3 per) on the other.  Now, the crowd in attendance is not your normal run of the mill (maybe why Molly kept giving me the look).  The pizza was good; the crust was the best part.  We got a split, one side with all the healthy meat stuff I like and the other with all that nasty, bad for you vegetable stuff for her.  The atmosphere is great; would love to have something like this back home.
Rating: 7

Travels with David: Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock State Park - Chimney Rock, NC - October 14, 2010
http://chimneyrockpark.com/
As part of our mini-vacation, we wanted to stop somewhere on the way to Asheville; well, we picked a great spot.  Chimney Rock is the poster child for NC and it is a great view.  The drive to the little village and up the mountain reminds you of Chattanooga and LookOut Mountain; not good.  I made the great decision for us to walk up to the chimney rather than ride the elevator; and well, let's just say that was fun; 30 minutes of straight up wooden stairs and rock steps; at 2280 feet above sea level; with several breaks on the way.  Molly is still reminding me of that decision.  A great place to visit.  Notice my own photo of the chimney taken from the Opera Box.

Travels with David: Special Painting - Bear

Sips n Strokes - Vestavia Hills, AL - October 7, 2010
www.sipsnstrokes.com
Well, my wonderful bride (of 22 yrs) and my daughter decided to go do a little painting.  I did help in picking the subject matter but they went and did the work, painting.  What a great time for a little mother/daughter time and dad gets the rewards; not a bad deal.  My beautiful bride painted an historic, grandeur picture of the one and only Bear Bryant.  I love it.

Thought of the Week - October 9, 2010

10 Commandments for Big Ideas:

1. Be passionate about the idea
2. Let quality differentiate your product or service
3. Select your company name carefully
4. Believe in yourself
5. Step out of your comfort zone
6. The "devil is the details"
7. Experiment and listen to your customers
8. Select the right people for your team
9. Value your employees
10. Persistence wins the race

~ Mac Anderson (Simple Truths)

Dining with David: Zed451

Zed451 - Chicago, IL - October 6, 2010
http://www.zed451.com/
Well, it was bound to happen; my co-worker and myself, traveling together the past two weeks, have had good but not great food; this was about to change.  After a long day of work and a little research of local activities, we thought we wanted steak; best we could do was a 09:30 reservation; not going to happen.  I decided to punt back to our original choice last night, a restaurant called Zed451.  This is the best choice we could have made. 
What a great atmosphere and wonderful service; everyone was pleasant and truly wanted to have fun and assist anyway they could.  With great atmosphere and service, only thing left is the food.  Not to be disappointed, the food was wonderful.  We had grilled ribeye, asian pork belly, salt cod brandade, red deer, blackened catfish, moroccan chicken, ahi tuna with miso soy vinaigrette, rump roast, citrus dusted atlantic salmon, amaretto & pistachio duck breast, buttermilk bottom sirlon and the topped with truffle oil bread.  The food was fantastic.  Not to be outdone, we ended with a piece of banana cream pie (caramelized bananas, crunchy brittle outside with a homemade chocolate guinness ice cream); this is not any dessert I have had before; this was just fantastic (wish my bride could have been here).
Wow, what a great meal!
Rating: 9.80

Travels with David: SkyDeck Chicago

SkyDeck Chicago - Chicago, IL - October 6, 2010
http://www.theskydeck.com/
What used to be known as the Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower.  What a great marvel to actually go up 103 floors and view several states and the entire city of Chicago.  Even better, walk out on the Ledge and look straight down over 1,300' below; this is good stuff.

Travels with David: Navy Pier

Navy Pier - Chicago, IL - October 6, 2010
http://www.navypier.com/
I had the pleasure to be here over a month ago for the Tall Ship Festival; since there was so much going on, I was not able to really enjoy Navy Pier.  This trip allowed me the opportunity to visit the park again and actually ride the Ferris wheel this time.  What a great little park area with so much to do.  With a 150' height, the Ferris wheel is great.

Travels with David: Sheraton Chicago

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers - Chicago, IL - October 5-7, 2010
I was forced to stay in a hotel that our company was reviewing; now, not just a regular hotel but the Sheraton Chicago downtown.  They put me up in the Illinois suite which was not bad; in addition, they provided lots of little goodies to help sway my thoughts about the hotel.  My corner room up on the 33rd floor was not bad at all; great view at night and in the morning; love the views of Lake Michigan and the canal going through town.

Dining with David: Pizzeria Uno

Pizzeria Uno - Chicago, IL - October 5, 2010
http://www.unos.com/
Well, I have said I had always wanted to go to the one and only, the original Uno's; well now I have been.  Talk about a great atmosphere; small corner restaurant with little tables jammed in next to each other; they even take your order when you put your name on the waiting list (save time to get your pizza).  My comrade really wanted to go and we just had to try it out (now it did take $17 to park; big city, uck).  We ordered the favorite, the Numero Uno.  I have to say the food was nothing but just OK; nothing special what-so-ever.  The pizza crust is bland with a little corn meal while the sauce is very runny and big tomato chunks and not really that much taste.  The sausage is a huge patty spread across the pie and takes up most of your taste buds.  The pepperoni is on top (different for Chicago style) and not even fully cooked; weird.  I would recommend anyone to go for one time, try it out, but the pizza is not near as good as Gino's East right down the street.
Rating: 6.5 (Atmosphere)

Thought of the Week - October 4, 2010

Happy National Customer Service Week 2010 - A Tradition of Service
http://www.csweek.com/

Dining with David: Pat's Barbecue

Pat's Barbecue - Salt Lake City, UT - September 29, 2010
www.patsbbq.com
Well, I guess a trip to SLC would just not be complete with a little side trip to good ole Pat's.  It is hard to believe that this good of a BBQ joint (and I mean joint) could exist in SLC.  My two travel companions had not been to Pat's so we decided to stop by after numerous client visits for a little lunch.
Once we parked a block away and stood in line for 20 minutes, we finally got to our seat; a wood picnic table mashed up with numerous others in a long room with a local singer playing the guitar and entertaining everyone while they ate.  Can you say atmosphere?
Now, this is the place famous for their burnt ends, only available on Fridays; made famous by locals and then Guy Fieri.  I had the brisket (trying something new) today along with their great bowl of Jambalaya.  This is great BBQ with an atmosphere to match.  Don't shoot me, but this place is better than most southern BBQ joints (not all, but most).  Note the grand entrance below and the modified trailer (that tells the whole story right there).
Rating: 9

Travels with David: Park City

Park City, UT - September 28, 2010
I'm sure everyone is aware of the site of the 2002 Olympics; for those who have not visited during the summer though, you are missing out.  What a great day to see Park City and the surrounding area.  There is certainly plenty to see and do; all in God's surroundings.  Just look at the clear blue sky and the great nature; got to love it.  Also, very little crowds; only downsize is ski resorts are closed; take the bad with the good.

Travels with David: Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake - Salt Lake City, UT - September 28, 2010
Where else in the US could you go to see a lake with such a high salt content, NO where!  Only one with higher content is the Dead Sea.  This lake is over 2000 sq miles and is located just west of the city.  As many times as I have been in SLC, I have never had a chance to visit this famous lake. 
It was very impressive and very unusual; something you want to see once, but probably never again.  We stopped at the Saltair III and walked nearly a mile out to the water; walking over the old bed covered with a crust of salt.  Most unusual part is there was no life; nothing in the water, nothing flying around, just nothing alive anywhere; weird.

 

Dining with David: Squatters

Squatters - Salt Lake City, UT - September 28, 2010
 http://squatters.com/
It is tough not to visit a great little burger place in the heart of downtown SLC.  Located in a old hotel location, what a great atmosphere.  This place has one of the best burgers I have had.  The BBQ Buffalo burger has a good BBQ sauce on top of a thick buffalo meat patty.  The bread was extremely fresh (critical) and tough enough to hold the sauce, thick patty, jack cheese and the onion strings.  Now, of course, I had to upgrade and get bacon added to my burger; nothing like bacon to make something even better.  I had to eat healthy, so I got a salad to go with my meal instead of fries, etc.  Wow, what a great place.
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Market Street Grill

Market Street Grill - Salt Lake City, UT - September 27, 2010
www.marketstreetgrill.com
Well, my travel companion just had to go back to Market Street; and of course, I just had to go too.  This is a great little seafood restaurant in the heart of downtown SLC.  Normally, we have to sit in the Oyster Bar next door but this time we made reservations and actually got to sit in the Grill part; I think I liked the atmosphere of the Oyster Bar better.
We started off with a little shrimp cocktail and oysters Rockefeller; I loved the cocktail, not big on the oyster part.  Next was the soup/salad and I just had to get the Clam Chowder; wow, with lots of fresh ground pepper and soak it up with fresh bread, nothing like it.
Dinner was the best part.  I ordered the truly fresh Columbia River Sturgeon while my team-mates had the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna.  The Sturgeon had a nice hazelnut crust, very tasty with a honey lemon jalapeno glaze.  Now you know, I love tart and a little hot; great mixture.  The fish was very tender with great flakes and the crust and sauce was out of this world.
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Tortugas Pizza

Tortugas Pizza - Hoover, AL - September 24, 2010
http://www.tortugaspizza.com/
Now Birmingham is not Chicago, but if you like Chicago style pizza, you will love Tortugas.  This is a quaint little place that has the best true deep dish pizza in Birmingham.  We had a 12" Chicago style stuffed pizza with our normal, pepperoni.  If that was not enough, we also had the standard thin crust style pizza with pepperoni and bacon.  The crust makes the pizza and their homemade, slightly flaky, tasty crust with the strength to hold a deep dish is great.  This is one great little pizza place; a true secret of Birmingham.
Rating: 9

Thought of the Week - September 25, 2010

“In order to improve communications with others, a good first step is to understand your own communication style. Ask yourself:
1. What motivates me?
2. What gets in the way of my communicating well?
3. How do I like to receive information?”
~ Sherry Buffington, PhD

Thought of the Week - September 18, 2010

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.”

~ Abraham Lincoln

Dining with David: Dreamland BBQ

Dreamland BBQ - Birmingham, AL - September 15, 2010
www.dreamlandbbq.com
When you think of ribs, you think of Dreamland.  What started as a small cafe in a shack in Tuscaloosa back in late 50's is now a famous restaurant that has numerous locations.  I had the pleasure to take one of my special customers there twice this week.  The ribs are cooked on the open pit right there and have a rich taste; nothing like their special sauce on bread (regular white bread).   Decor is nothing rich, but great atmosphere; where else can you go and get a plastic plate, spork (spoon/fork combo), paper towels (on table) and served plain white bread with cups of sauce.  Ribs, chicken and sausage are great.  The one dessert is not to be missed, Banana Pudding; great stuff.
Rating: 9

Travels with David: Bart Starr

Bart Starr - Birmingham, AL - September 14, 2010
Got a chance to meet (again) the great Bart Starr; who else has won 5 NFL championships, MVP and Hall of Fame.  This man can speak like no other.  He incorporated great speaking points along with music in his presentation; he even used 'You Raise Me Up' by Josh Groban, all I could think of was my oldest daughter, huge fan of Groban.
I think we all felt like we should get down in the stance and play ball; win, win, win
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Edgar's Bakery

Edgar's Bakery - Birmingham, AL - September 14, 2010
What started as a joke, actually became a reality during our company's very hectic users' conference.  In a great joke and a stunt that caught me speechless, yes, I was speechless, I was presented the famous Edgar's Strawberry Cream cake.  This cake is large with three layers of moist strawberry cake covered in strawberry icing.  There is no doubt of the flavor of this cake as one bite will make you just stop and enjoy the berry.
Yes, this is a very good cake and I am not a big cake person.  I tend to prefer pies as I like moist and juicy.  This cake was a great cake though.  Thank you to that special person who thought of me and got the cake.
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Charm City Cakes

McLeod Software Users' Conference 2010 - Birmingham, AL - September 13, 2010
Had the option to actually have a custom cake from the great Ace of Cakes made for our company and presented to our president during our users' conference.  Cake was not bad in detail and certainly surprised our boss.  Extra cake made for actually eating was fair; not very moist with very little taste other than butter cream; strong butter cream and nothing else.  Not sure it was worth the expense but something different anyway.
Rating: 5

Travels with David: Bryant Denny Stadium

Alabama vs. Penn State - Tuscaloosa, AL - September 11, 2010
What a great chance to attend the legandary game of Bama and Penn State; the great Jo Pa on the sidelines and Bobby Bowdon visiting.  Fortunate to be invited for full tail-gating and sky-box seats; nothing like sitting in the comfortable theater style seats and having the windows rolled back and the wonderful game noise of crowd and game come following through; also great to be served food and drink
Of course, main reason was the game and it was great; best part was my beautiful bride was with me and Bama won; nearly 102k in attendance with another 50k outside just to be there.
Rating: 10