“If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love;
If we love, we will serve.”
~ Mother Teresa
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Dining with David: Library2
Library2 Restaurant – Voorhees, NJ – April 21, 2011
http://www.librarytwo.com/
After we finished our all day presentation, we asked our customer, where is the best local place to go eat for a good dinner. They were quick to say Library2, just 7 miles from our hotel. In typical NJ fashion, it took us 30 mins to travel those 7 miles; get me back home to the South please!
We pull up and this is an style building with a barn appeal. We walk in and I cannot see; it is so dark, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the dimly lit rooms. This place looks like an old style library with books (yes, real books) lining every wall and all the way up to the ceiling. Ordering is quite different; you take your ticket up to the kitchen window and select your meal (limited menu) and they select and cut your selection while you watch until it is passed back to the grill. You then get to pick from a large salad/fruit/bread bar.
My salad was very good with lettuce, ham, cherry tomatoes, bleu cheese and topped with a house mango/pineapple vinaigrette dressing. The real treat was the wheat bread with raisins, almond slivers and a hint of cinnamon; topped with honey butter; wow, had to stop eating that. I then got some huge strawberries and fresh cut pineapple; excellent.
My main course is then brought out, a 10oz Filet Mignon. This meat has been aged over 4 weeks and very nice, lean cut. It is served sitting in its own juices steaming hot. Very smooth and cuts like butter with your knife; very good steak.
We then (for some reason) get their special of the night, homemade Jewish Apple cake. An old style thick pound cake with huge chunks of apple and a hint of nutmeg. It is served with a fresh strawberry puree that really hits the spot; thank goodness we split this thing.
A unique dining experience; excellent.
Rating: 9.5
http://www.librarytwo.com/
After we finished our all day presentation, we asked our customer, where is the best local place to go eat for a good dinner. They were quick to say Library2, just 7 miles from our hotel. In typical NJ fashion, it took us 30 mins to travel those 7 miles; get me back home to the South please!
We pull up and this is an style building with a barn appeal. We walk in and I cannot see; it is so dark, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the dimly lit rooms. This place looks like an old style library with books (yes, real books) lining every wall and all the way up to the ceiling. Ordering is quite different; you take your ticket up to the kitchen window and select your meal (limited menu) and they select and cut your selection while you watch until it is passed back to the grill. You then get to pick from a large salad/fruit/bread bar.
My salad was very good with lettuce, ham, cherry tomatoes, bleu cheese and topped with a house mango/pineapple vinaigrette dressing. The real treat was the wheat bread with raisins, almond slivers and a hint of cinnamon; topped with honey butter; wow, had to stop eating that. I then got some huge strawberries and fresh cut pineapple; excellent.
My main course is then brought out, a 10oz Filet Mignon. This meat has been aged over 4 weeks and very nice, lean cut. It is served sitting in its own juices steaming hot. Very smooth and cuts like butter with your knife; very good steak.
We then (for some reason) get their special of the night, homemade Jewish Apple cake. An old style thick pound cake with huge chunks of apple and a hint of nutmeg. It is served with a fresh strawberry puree that really hits the spot; thank goodness we split this thing.
A unique dining experience; excellent.
Rating: 9.5
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Travels with David: Gateway Arch & Riverfront
Gateway Arch & Riverfront - St. Louis, MO - April 19, 2011
http://www.gatewayarch.com/
We finished up with our customer late today and had just enough time to sneak over to the Gateway Arch and catch one of the last rides up to the top. Now, I did have high expectations but let me just say, this is a very impressive sight but not much on excitement. You basically sit in a little car, feels and looks like the inside of a dryer, as you ride up to the top. Once there, you have a very small space to view downtown or the river. It is very nice but low on the excitement meter.
The Arch is the tallest national monument in the US at 630 feet. It opened back in 1965 (before I was even born) and is a pure catenary curve; 630 feet span on ground, same as height. Now, it does sway being that high and had a little sway today; they say it could go as far as 9” each way; no way I would be up there with that. Great views and another item checked off my list.
http://www.gatewayarch.com/
We finished up with our customer late today and had just enough time to sneak over to the Gateway Arch and catch one of the last rides up to the top. Now, I did have high expectations but let me just say, this is a very impressive sight but not much on excitement. You basically sit in a little car, feels and looks like the inside of a dryer, as you ride up to the top. Once there, you have a very small space to view downtown or the river. It is very nice but low on the excitement meter.
The Arch is the tallest national monument in the US at 630 feet. It opened back in 1965 (before I was even born) and is a pure catenary curve; 630 feet span on ground, same as height. Now, it does sway being that high and had a little sway today; they say it could go as far as 9” each way; no way I would be up there with that. Great views and another item checked off my list.
Dining with David: Pappy's Smokehouse
Pappy’s Smokehouse – St. Louis, MO – April 19, 2011
http://pappyssmokehouse.com/
Well, it has happened! I thought I would never find another place like the famous Pat’s in Salt Lake City, UT or Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, AL, but I did tonight. In the midst of severe storms moving in to downtown St. Louis, we decided to go out and get some food; we did make it down there, eat and get back before the hail hit; tornado warnings were sounding as we pulled into the hotel. This place has been voted one of the top restaurants in St. Louis and one of the 101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down in America by the Travel Channel.
I was torn between their famous ribs or trying their famous pork or brisket. I asked the nice lady behind the counter and she said no doubt, the ribs. I am glad I went with their suggestion. This was a half slab with a great crust on both sides. The best part is the smoke rings of apple and cherry wood in the meat; very good. It seems the dry rub is famous and maintains its secrecy. This rub provides a very unusual taste with a little bite of heat and lots of flavor. I then got to top off the ribs with three different sauces: Original, Sweet Baby Jane or Holly’s Hot. I would have to recommend the Original for its consistent taste. The Hot was very good but more like normal sauces while the Baby Jane was too sweet for my tastes.
If the ribs were not enough, I got to have one of my favorite healthy foods; Sweet potato fries. These are your normal sweet potatoes thinly sliced and then sprinkled with a little seasoning. Wow, when you top with some BBQ sauce, now you are talking.
Nothing but a hole in the wall restaurant with great food and great service. Excellent! If you ever make it to downtown St. Louis, this is a must.
Rating: 9.90
http://pappyssmokehouse.com/
Well, it has happened! I thought I would never find another place like the famous Pat’s in Salt Lake City, UT or Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, AL, but I did tonight. In the midst of severe storms moving in to downtown St. Louis, we decided to go out and get some food; we did make it down there, eat and get back before the hail hit; tornado warnings were sounding as we pulled into the hotel. This place has been voted one of the top restaurants in St. Louis and one of the 101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down in America by the Travel Channel.
I was torn between their famous ribs or trying their famous pork or brisket. I asked the nice lady behind the counter and she said no doubt, the ribs. I am glad I went with their suggestion. This was a half slab with a great crust on both sides. The best part is the smoke rings of apple and cherry wood in the meat; very good. It seems the dry rub is famous and maintains its secrecy. This rub provides a very unusual taste with a little bite of heat and lots of flavor. I then got to top off the ribs with three different sauces: Original, Sweet Baby Jane or Holly’s Hot. I would have to recommend the Original for its consistent taste. The Hot was very good but more like normal sauces while the Baby Jane was too sweet for my tastes.
If the ribs were not enough, I got to have one of my favorite healthy foods; Sweet potato fries. These are your normal sweet potatoes thinly sliced and then sprinkled with a little seasoning. Wow, when you top with some BBQ sauce, now you are talking.
Nothing but a hole in the wall restaurant with great food and great service. Excellent! If you ever make it to downtown St. Louis, this is a must.
Rating: 9.90
Dining with David: Mosaic - Modern Fusion Cuisine
Mosaic Tapas – St. Louis, MO – April 19, 2011
http://www.mosaictapas.com/
I had the pleasure to walk down the street (downtown St. Louis) from my customers office and have a nice little meal with my client. A very unique place with a different style menu. I ordered the luncheon special of Grilled Flank Salad (yes, for those of you who really know me, this is a surprise; I did say salad). This was a good mixture of greens with grape tomatoes, bleu cheese and several thin strips of flank steak. Now the special part was the light oil bacon dressing; very light with a slight hint of bacon; really sets off the bleu cheese. Overall a very good salad and great place to eat.
Rating: 8.75
http://www.mosaictapas.com/
I had the pleasure to walk down the street (downtown St. Louis) from my customers office and have a nice little meal with my client. A very unique place with a different style menu. I ordered the luncheon special of Grilled Flank Salad (yes, for those of you who really know me, this is a surprise; I did say salad). This was a good mixture of greens with grape tomatoes, bleu cheese and several thin strips of flank steak. Now the special part was the light oil bacon dressing; very light with a slight hint of bacon; really sets off the bleu cheese. Overall a very good salad and great place to eat.
Rating: 8.75
Monday, April 18, 2011
Dining with David: Drunken Fish
The Drunken Fish – St. Louis, MO – April 18, 2011
http://www.drunkenfish.com/
When you come to St. Louis and you stay right across the street from the Gateway Arch, where else would you eat but right across from the Arch park in Laclede’s Landing; right on the riverfront. It is very nice to see the old cobblestone roads and walk right up to the (flooded) river. We wanted some good seafood and decided to risk it with a Japanese restaurant called the Drunken Fish. Was this a right decision! A very eclectic place with a sushi bar, of course.
We started off with a their special Sticky Fries. These are Japanese sweet potatoes, hand cut, caramelized with pure sugar and coated in black sesame seeds. I love sweet potatoes but these are more like a mix of a new potato and russet potato; more light yellow than dark orange. What a great little start; some of the best (healthy) fries I have ever had.
We then got our (unexpected) pre-entrée soup and salad. The soup was called Miso which is a mixture of soybean broth, tufu, seaweed and scallions. Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea but this was very good; very clean and fresh and definitely cleared the pallete. The salad did not look good at all; basic iceberg lettuce with house-made ginger dressing. This surprised me as the ginger was very sweet and complimented the lettuce very well. I loved this salad.
Then the main course came. My travel companion had the Teriyaki Salmon; could not tell how good it was as he eat the whole thing; I think he even licked the plate. I had the special of Sesame Tuna Steak. These were thinly sliced tuna strips crusted with sesame, seared and served with soba noodles, shiitake mushrooms and coated with wasabi-sesame sauce. Wow, this was very good. Just a little wasabi for taste but not hot and the sesame crusted tuna strips were great.
Not to be outdone, we then split a Fried Banana. This was a banana spring roll that is fried and covered with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The banana was stuffed with a touch of liqueur in a normal spring roll wrap. This just topped off the whole meal; glad we split.
Great overall meal from start to finish. Great service and great location/atmosphere. I would recommend this place to anyone. Wished my bride was here to enjoy.
Rating: 9.90
http://www.drunkenfish.com/
When you come to St. Louis and you stay right across the street from the Gateway Arch, where else would you eat but right across from the Arch park in Laclede’s Landing; right on the riverfront. It is very nice to see the old cobblestone roads and walk right up to the (flooded) river. We wanted some good seafood and decided to risk it with a Japanese restaurant called the Drunken Fish. Was this a right decision! A very eclectic place with a sushi bar, of course.
We started off with a their special Sticky Fries. These are Japanese sweet potatoes, hand cut, caramelized with pure sugar and coated in black sesame seeds. I love sweet potatoes but these are more like a mix of a new potato and russet potato; more light yellow than dark orange. What a great little start; some of the best (healthy) fries I have ever had.
We then got our (unexpected) pre-entrée soup and salad. The soup was called Miso which is a mixture of soybean broth, tufu, seaweed and scallions. Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea but this was very good; very clean and fresh and definitely cleared the pallete. The salad did not look good at all; basic iceberg lettuce with house-made ginger dressing. This surprised me as the ginger was very sweet and complimented the lettuce very well. I loved this salad.
Then the main course came. My travel companion had the Teriyaki Salmon; could not tell how good it was as he eat the whole thing; I think he even licked the plate. I had the special of Sesame Tuna Steak. These were thinly sliced tuna strips crusted with sesame, seared and served with soba noodles, shiitake mushrooms and coated with wasabi-sesame sauce. Wow, this was very good. Just a little wasabi for taste but not hot and the sesame crusted tuna strips were great.
Not to be outdone, we then split a Fried Banana. This was a banana spring roll that is fried and covered with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The banana was stuffed with a touch of liqueur in a normal spring roll wrap. This just topped off the whole meal; glad we split.
Great overall meal from start to finish. Great service and great location/atmosphere. I would recommend this place to anyone. Wished my bride was here to enjoy.
Rating: 9.90
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thought of the Week: April 16, 2011
“Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine.” ~ Kathleen Norris
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Travels with David: Ghirardelli Soda Fountain at Downtown Disney
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop – Orlando, FL – April 9, 2011
http://www.ghirardelli.com/
A great co-worker and his wife (Mike & Susie) asked me to go with them to Downtown Disney for a little treat at the great Ghirardelli. I am still in pain from my little experience but decided I could hurt at the hotel or someplace fun; so away we went. This Ghirardelli store is split between a chocolate store and an old style soda fountain right in the middle of Downtown Disney.
We got a nice little covered table out by the lake and had a nice treat and conversation. I had the special Midnight Reverie Intense Dark Sundae. This treat is made with chocolate ice cream, homemade dark chocolate hot fudge, dark decadent chips, whipped cream and topped with a pure Intense Dark Midnight Reverie 86% chocolate square. To say this was rich is an understatement. A very good treat on a hot day. Only could have been better if my beautiful bride would have been with me; seeing Minnie all around only reminded me of my better half.
My friends got the world famous sundaes; one in cup and the other in a waffle bowl; I think they enjoyed as they were gone.
Downtown Disney was very busy as usual but clean and neat. It was nice to sit outside and just relax for an hour before heading back to the conference. Probably the most impressive feat was I did not purchase anything at any of the Disney stores while there. Not because I didn’t look but just couldn’t find anything unique that my babies or I might actually enjoy. A great place, a wonderful break.
http://www.ghirardelli.com/
A great co-worker and his wife (Mike & Susie) asked me to go with them to Downtown Disney for a little treat at the great Ghirardelli. I am still in pain from my little experience but decided I could hurt at the hotel or someplace fun; so away we went. This Ghirardelli store is split between a chocolate store and an old style soda fountain right in the middle of Downtown Disney.
We got a nice little covered table out by the lake and had a nice treat and conversation. I had the special Midnight Reverie Intense Dark Sundae. This treat is made with chocolate ice cream, homemade dark chocolate hot fudge, dark decadent chips, whipped cream and topped with a pure Intense Dark Midnight Reverie 86% chocolate square. To say this was rich is an understatement. A very good treat on a hot day. Only could have been better if my beautiful bride would have been with me; seeing Minnie all around only reminded me of my better half.
My friends got the world famous sundaes; one in cup and the other in a waffle bowl; I think they enjoyed as they were gone.
Downtown Disney was very busy as usual but clean and neat. It was nice to sit outside and just relax for an hour before heading back to the conference. Probably the most impressive feat was I did not purchase anything at any of the Disney stores while there. Not because I didn’t look but just couldn’t find anything unique that my babies or I might actually enjoy. A great place, a wonderful break.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thought of the Week: April 8, 2011
“Not everyone is a connection, but each person you meet is an exercise in connecting.”
~ Jeffrey Gitomer (The Little Black Book of Connections)
~ Jeffrey Gitomer (The Little Black Book of Connections)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Travels with David: Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, FL – April 5, 2011
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
Well, I finished up some visits with customers today and had a little time before heading back to Orlando for a conference. I took advantage and headed straight for Kennedy Space Center.
Can you say impressive! If are you not America, then the goose bumps probably don’t show up; otherwise, just seeing the shuttle Endeavour sitting out there on the launch pad sends chills down my spine. As part of the tour, you get to go out to a viewing station and there sits Endeavour, the last shuttle, just sitting there on LC-39A (Launch Complex 39 - Pad A), waiting to launch the end of this month. In case you didn’t know, good ole Alabama river rock lines the special road that the transporter uses to move the shuttles out to the launch pads; no friction, no spark, no bang. In addition, viewing all of the Apollo items makes you proud and gives hope that we could reach that far in our goals again. If you ever get the chance to go to Kennedy, take advantage.
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
Well, I finished up some visits with customers today and had a little time before heading back to Orlando for a conference. I took advantage and headed straight for Kennedy Space Center.
Can you say impressive! If are you not America, then the goose bumps probably don’t show up; otherwise, just seeing the shuttle Endeavour sitting out there on the launch pad sends chills down my spine. As part of the tour, you get to go out to a viewing station and there sits Endeavour, the last shuttle, just sitting there on LC-39A (Launch Complex 39 - Pad A), waiting to launch the end of this month. In case you didn’t know, good ole Alabama river rock lines the special road that the transporter uses to move the shuttles out to the launch pads; no friction, no spark, no bang. In addition, viewing all of the Apollo items makes you proud and gives hope that we could reach that far in our goals again. If you ever get the chance to go to Kennedy, take advantage.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Dining with David: Florida's Seafood
Florida’s Seafood Bar & Grill – Cocoa Beach, FL – April 4, 2011
http://www.floridas-seafood.com/
Known as a little local place that has become famous, Florida’s Famous is right against the causeway bridge in Cocoa Beach. The story goes that the owner actually discovered the first shrimp when he was swimming in the Atlantic between Greece & America. Whether that is true or not, they do serve many kinds of shrimp from big, regular and rock along with lobster, snow crabs, fish and scallops.
I asked for the early bird menu (amazing what you can get when you ask) and ordered the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp ($6.00 off regular price). This started off with a Summer salad; regular greens with walnuts, strawberries, pineapple, feta cheese and served with a lite dressing; yummy! Then they serve you their famous ‘fritters’; basically small fried hush-puppy style bits dusted in powdered sugar. Then the medium shrimp were skewered and wrapped in bacon and covered in a spicy Southern sauce. I love shrimp and I love bacon and these were broiled just right. You have to like a place that serves you sorbet at the end of your meal to clean your palette.
A very good meal at a little more of a ‘tourist trap’ than what I would have liked. This placed was the number one recommendation from several locals and I can see why. Maybe one of the best parts is the small tables, perfect for one, were located by the fish tanks and I got to have some dinner companions. The little blue fish with the yellow tail was watching me; I just know it.
Rating: 8.75
http://www.floridas-seafood.com/
Known as a little local place that has become famous, Florida’s Famous is right against the causeway bridge in Cocoa Beach. The story goes that the owner actually discovered the first shrimp when he was swimming in the Atlantic between Greece & America. Whether that is true or not, they do serve many kinds of shrimp from big, regular and rock along with lobster, snow crabs, fish and scallops.
I asked for the early bird menu (amazing what you can get when you ask) and ordered the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp ($6.00 off regular price). This started off with a Summer salad; regular greens with walnuts, strawberries, pineapple, feta cheese and served with a lite dressing; yummy! Then they serve you their famous ‘fritters’; basically small fried hush-puppy style bits dusted in powdered sugar. Then the medium shrimp were skewered and wrapped in bacon and covered in a spicy Southern sauce. I love shrimp and I love bacon and these were broiled just right. You have to like a place that serves you sorbet at the end of your meal to clean your palette.
A very good meal at a little more of a ‘tourist trap’ than what I would have liked. This placed was the number one recommendation from several locals and I can see why. Maybe one of the best parts is the small tables, perfect for one, were located by the fish tanks and I got to have some dinner companions. The little blue fish with the yellow tail was watching me; I just know it.
Rating: 8.75
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Thought of the Week: April 2, 2011
“It's not enough to just put out a message and hope people "get it." We have to follow up to be certain we connected — to make sure the message received was the same one we intended to give.”
~David Cottrell
~David Cottrell
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