Travels with David: Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV - April 13, 2010
You know the ole saying, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas', well I think you have to be a party animal and that is just NOT our style.  My wife and I had a great time and really liked the area but probably not the ideal vacation spot for us.  It was great to visit and finally see all of the lights and the great buildings and shows.  I would say that Vegas is a not good Christian place to visit and sin is certainly dominate; God bless Vegas.

Travels with David: Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam - Nevada/Arizona - April 12, 2010
http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam
Managed by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Hoover Dam is one spectacular site.  Of all the places I have visited, this is one of my favorites.   Hoover Dam is part of the Lower Colorado Region and is very impressive.  There is nothing like going down into the Dam (Dam tour) and looking out from within (air vent).  With my beautiful bride, this was one great trip.

Travels with David: Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon AZ - April 11, 2010
http://www.nps.gov/grca
You hear all of the stories, but nothing is like actually seeing the great wonder of the world.  Now, this impression lasts for about 15 minutes and then it is time to move on and see something else.
Best part of this trip was my lovely bride was with me and we had a great time just being together.

Travels with David: Titan Missile Museum

Titan Missile Museum - Sahuarita, AZ - April 10, 2010
http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/
How interesting to see the only remaining Titan II missile site in the nation.  Got to see the silo and several levels of the underground bunker.

Travels with David: Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier del Bac - Tucson, AZ - April 10, 2010
http://www.sanxaviermission.org/
Interesting old Mission located just outside of Tucson

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

Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q - New Braunfels, TX - July 7, 2009
http://www.rudys.com/
Well, Glenn outdid himself again. As we headed out of San Antonio going to Salado, we wanted to find a place to stop and have a decent lunch/dinner. We ended up in New Braunfels (most of you will know this as the home of Schlitterbahn; largest water park in US).

• As you will see, we stopped at Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ
• This is not your normal BBQ place. Where else can you fuel up your vehicle and your stomach at the same time.
• Great brisket
• Wonderful sausage
• Fabulous, spicy BBQ sauce
• Best atmosphere for a BBQ place (old gas station format with roll-up doors)
• Note the food is served on butcher paper with a plastic bottle drink holder as the tray
• Ranking: 9.5

Dining with David: Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen - Austin, TX - July 8, 2009

http://www.pappadeaux.com/ & http://www.pappas.com/
Well, it was a treat to travel with Glenn on his BIRTHDAY! Needless to say, we had to work most of the day but then we got a chance to celebrate his big day. Of course, Glenn selected his favorite items combined, cajun and seafood. We ended up at Pappadeaux in Austin and it was my pleasure to treat him to a great meal.

• Pappadeaux is a mid-level seafood restaurant with a flare to the cajun side of the world (spicy)
• This is a chain of all kinds of restaurants that started in Houston and has spread slowly across the country (one of my favorite chains by the way)
• I have been to these restaurants numerous times including Pappadeaux, Pappasito’s, Pappa BBQ, Pappas Bros (high class steak house) and Pappas Burger; there are still others I need to visit
• Appetizer started with boiled jumbo shrimp
• Cocktail sauce seasoned with a chunk of garlic
• Followed up by a great bowl (cup for me) of gumbo; yum
• Thick, rich sauce full of oyster, fish, andouille sausage and shrimp
• Glenn had his norm of fried oysters
• Thick, large fried oysters with a little cajun spice; of course Glenn soaked with Tabasco
• I had my regular of crawfish platter which included crawfish etouffee and fried crawfish
• Spicy, juicy etouffee with dirty rice and a nice heaping of fried crawfish (dipped in cajun cocktail sauce)
• Since it was his birthday (and only because it was his birthday), we had to have dessert
• Glenn had the super large portion of bread pudding, soaked in cream sauce with blueberries; ONE candle (representing, well we will not say how many years)
• I had the itty-bitty turtle fudge brownie with ice cream and just a little extra chocolate sauce
• Wow, what a meal
• Goal was achieved as Glenn had a good birthday dinner
• Ranking: 8.5

Dining with David: Famous Daves

Famous Daves Barbeque - West Jordan, UT - July 21, 2009
http://www.famousdaves.com/
Famous Dave’s (right in front of our hotel) was the selection of the night and it did not disappoint. This is a chain; not a normal selection for me (or Glenn) but we needed a quick meal as we had hours and hours of work to do before getting any sleep.

• I had the BBQ Buddies
• 4 mini sandwiches of pork, brisket, chicken and hot links
• Very, very good
• MikeA had the special
• 6 (or maybe it was 14; didn’t count) of the $1 per rib
• Nobody really knows as not sure there was even any bones left over
• Glenn had Rib Tips
• He devoured those and of course, put very hot BBQ sauce on them
• The best part of the food is their sauce
• Rich & Sassy
• Excellent, basic, rich texture
• Georgia Mustard
• Not bad, if you like strong mustard style
• Texas Pit
• Heavy pepper based and not bad on brisket
• Sweet & Zesty
• Sweet taste; pretty good
• Devil’s Spit
• Excellent, hot and spicy
• Spice kicks in on the back of your tongue
• Glenn’s favorite
• I preferred to mix the Rich & Sassy with some Devil’s Spit
• Maybe this matches my personality (just sassy and spit ?)
• Great on the chicken and hot links
• Excellent meal
• Does not match up to Rudy’s in TX though
• Ranking - 8

Dining with David: Pat's Barbecue

Pat's Barbecue - South Salt Lake, UT - July 23, 2009
http://www.patsbbq.com/
Hit the jackpot!  It took a 70 hour week (still have to get home) and 3 full days of presentations to finally get to some excellent food.  Glenn, Mike and I ventured out to the world famous Pat's BBQ.

• Located in a old commercial building with some tables (big wooden picnic tables) on the inside and numerous outside by the old building dock
• Limited parking in front with a big parking lot down the street
• We got very lucky
• Pats is known for its’ Burnt Ends which are only sold on Friday’s
• Since tomorrow is a state holiday for UT, they offered the famous Burnt Ends tonight
• All three of us got the Burnt Ends
• Sides of Jambalaya and Black Beans & Rice with cornbread
• Burnt Ends
• Wow, what a fabulous cut of meat
• We all put limited sauce on it as it needed nothing else
• Delicate, tender, heavy smoked piece of meat with nice, crusty ends
• Nothing can really describe the juicy, burnt end pieces
• Jambalaya
• Spicy combo of rice, chicken and delicate sliced sausage
• Excellent
• Black Beans & Rice
• Spicy dish that Glenn inhaled
• Pork Ribs
• Glenn forced us to order a side of ribs
• Large, tender, smoked KC style ribs
• Excellent taste but not as good as the Ends
• Atmosphere
• Not to be beaten
• Outside tables with great views
• Rustic with nothing but the food in mind
• Only way to go
• Rating- 10

Dining with David: LaCarreta

LaCarreta - Miami, FL - July 28, 2009
http://www.lacarreta.com/
This was a special meal as it was the last trip with a great team-mate who is retiring, Glenn.

• Great atmosphere with even a little pick-up/take-out window on the side of the building
• Glenn ordered the Sautéed Strips of Filet Mignon
• Filet strips with onions and peppers in Espanola sauce
• He seemed to enjoy it along with the black bean rice
• I ordered the Cuban sampler of The Criollo
• Fried pork chunks, beef in creole sauce, tamale, ham croquette (looked like a fried cheese stick), plantains (yum, yum), yuca and black bean soup
• We topped off the meal with a little Cuban coffee
• As Glenn put it, this is coffee on steroids
• A very good meal and just right for the locale we are in
• My favorites were the fried pork chunks and the Cuban coffee (I may be up a while tonight)
• Rating
• 8.5
• Dinner companion: 10

 Thanks for the memories Glenn!

 

Travels with David: Franklin Covey Field

Salt Lake City Bees Baseball - Salt Lake City, UT - July 22, 2009
http://www.slbees.com/

• We had great seats behind home plate and reserved parking (gift from a great client); easy to get in and out.  Of course, we just had to eat at the ball field.
• I had the special of the night
• $1 Wienerschnitzel hot dogs; had to get two
• Very good dog
• Only had mustard and ketchup; would have been much better with a special sauce (like Sneaky Pete’s)
• This was not a night for food; this was a night for just relaxing and that got a big 9
• My team-mates (Glenn & Mike) had large sausage dogs
• Could not tell how many they ate as they didn't last long enough to know
• Beautiful scenery, Wasatch Mountains, just sitting there watching the game
• The Bees lost by the way
• Rating: 6

Dining with David: Capt. Anderson's

Capt. Anderson's - Panama City Beach, FL - June 3, 2010
They have finally renovated the place and the front is nice; the eating area looks the same; the food is much better though; we had a party of 13 and still had great service from Leslie

• Greek Style Open Hearth Red Snapper Filet soaked in healthy oil and butter; wow, wonderful and very, very fresh
• Cup of Seafood Gumbo; yummy
• Crab Fingers in healthy butter sauce sauteed
• O yea, had a salad with a spicy, pepper based honey mustard dressing
• Dessert was just terrible; had to share the chocolate mousse on top of a brownie with cherry sauce sitting in an almond bowl

Dining with David: Village Tavern

Village Tavern - Birmingham, AL - June 14, 2010
Pleasure to eat at a great, consistent place
Got the special of Tilapia with crab meat and grilled shrimp and sweet potato fries; Wonderful food
Tilapia was very tender and the crab meat had a great texture to offset the fish; the shrimp tasted great
Nothing like the sweet potato fries coated in cinnamon sugar; only better if drizzled with Karo syrup
Desert just had to be banana crepes; wow
Great place to take clients

Dining with David: Fincher's Catfish Kitchen

Fincher's Catfish Kitchen - Renfroe, AL - July 27, 2010
Wow, can you get any better grilled catfish than this!
Local place that has some of the best grilled catfish ever; just look at the grill marks and the juicy texture; what a great taste (& healthy too).
Have not found any better catfish than Finchers

Dining with David: Angelo's Steak Pit

Angelo's Steak Pit - Panama City Beach, FL - May 30, 2010
Home of the Big Gus

Travels with David: Texas Motor Speedway

Texas Motor Speedway - Fort Worth, TX - May 24, 2010
http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/

Dining with David: Babe's Chicken Dinner House

Babe's Chicken Dinner House - Roanoke, TX - May 24, 2010

• Fried Chicken
• Just like grandma used to make
• Thick, crunchy crust with juicy, tender meat
• Mashed Potatoes w/Cream Gravy
• Green Salad
• Corn
• Biscuits
• Wow, with the honey on top; excellent
• Big Red to drink
• Great stuff; have not had that in a while

Just a couple of miles from Texas Motor Speedway

Thought of the Week - August 28, 2010

“As a rule, pre-game pep talks do more harm than good. Inspiration at zero hour is a poor thing to rely on. Good mental attitude the day of the game stems almost entirely from attitudes built up over a long period of time.”
~ Robert R. Neyland (College football coach)

Travels with David: Tall Ships Chicago 2010

Tall Ships Chicago 2010 at Navy Pier - Chicago, IL - August 26, 2010
www.navypier.com/tallshipschicago
Wow, they say once-in-a-lifetime experience and they mean it; how spectatular of these massive tall ships.  Had the pleasure to stop by Navy Pier on the way out of Chicago and see these ships for a brief time.  I can say me and my business partner were more than impressed.  I can only think back to how it must have been back in 'those days' and the work and effort involved.  In one word, MAJESTIC!

Dining with David: Anthony's Cafe

Anthony's Cafe - Highland, IN - August 25, 2010
Lunch at a quaint, local restaurant and with temps in low 80's, great to sit outside and just enjoy the view in a little courtyard.  Cafe located in small town with sidewalks and local shops all around.  Picked the lunch special of grilled chicken panini with large, thick strips of bacon and covered in cheese; included a side of bow-tie pasta with red sauce. 
Good food with nice lunch quantity servings; not too heavy and just enough to get through the rest of the day.
Rating: 7

Dining with David: Ottimo Ristorante Italiano

Ottimo Ristorante Italiano - Orland Park, IL - August 24, 2010
http://www.osteriaottimo.com/
A rustic Italian restaurant feel with an authentic flair while being small and local; great atmosphere.  With a beautiful night (in the 70's) in IL, it was great to sit out on the patio with a calming water fountain and enjoy good food and great company.  I, of course, was looking for the healthy menu item (yea, right!) and decided on one of the nightly specials: grilled swordfish cooked/coated in special EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, just for those Rachel Ray fans) and covered with 3 different kinds of tomatoes; a swirl of balsamic topped off the taste.  This fish was very delicate and cooked just right while the EVOO and tomatoes provided a smooth, even taste; very nice.
My arm was twisted and so as not to upset my guests, I was forced to order desert too.  I had to pick the healthy item here too: chocolate brownie warmed with pecans, caramel and topped with a nice, big scoop of chocolate gelato.  Wow, what a rich and nice way to end a meal.
Food was great and my local guests were, as usual, wonderful; what a nice evening (wish my beautiful bride could have been here).
Rating: 8

Dining with David: Gino's East

Gino's East - Chicago, IL - August 23, 2010
http://www.ginoseast.com/
The one and only, the original Gino's on Ontario & Wells.  This place has a unique atmosphere (handwriting on walls everywhere) and great food.  I ordered the Deep Dish Meaty Legend: 2" thick of pepperoni, sausage, canadian bacon, bacon with plenty of cheese and sauce.  This is not your typical pizza, it is your true Chicago style pizza.  After 2 slices, I was toast; had to eat three though.  The crust is that special mixture of corn meal and flour with a slight taste of cornbread with a lighter texture; not buttery of greasy; just enough to support all of those ingredients.  Don't be in a hurry, this is not a meal but an experience.  Nothing like that true Chicago flair at Gino's.
Rating: 9