Uh, works GOOD.
Yawn..
... just not much going on around old San Antone' this time of year. How's things in your town.
I know it's too much to even ask, but these are great.
Multi-tasking overload
Re: Cary Clack “Through practice you, too, can signal,” Saturday.
I'm disappointed with Mr. Clack's narrow attitude about vehicle drivers in San Antonio. He thinks that people ought to use signals when turning or changing lanes.
Cary, the people of San Antonio would need arms like an octopus to do all the things you want them to do. Their hands are already occupied with cell phones, CD players, laptop computers, makeup kits, sandwiches, weapons and the like.
Please keep in mind that local drivers also must be prepared to give the middle-finger salute to their fellow drivers at a moment's notice, which occupies yet another hand. And don't forget that one of their hands might actually be on the steering wheel. That doesn't leave anything free to operate the turn signal.
Please, Cary, be reasonable and cut the drivers of San Antonio a little slack. After all, they've only got two hands.
Donald A. Smith
Here's the editorial by Cary Clack
Cary Clack: Through practice you, too, can signal
Web Posted: 03/28/2008 11:08 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Before turning to the text for the day, let's take a moment, with solemn remembrance and watering mouths, to note last week's passing of two cultural and culinary giants. Herb Peterson, inventor of the Egg McMuffin, died at the age of 89 while Al Copeland, who started the Popeyes Chicken & Biscuit restaurant chain, left us at the age of 64. With hearts heavy, although not as thick and heavy as our waistlines, and with numerous memories, although not nearly as many as our soaring cholesterol count, we say to both of these gentlemen, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Especially to Mr. Copeland for the genius of his spicy chicken, buttermilk biscuits, red beans and rice and freeways.
Oh, sorry about that. I forgot to signal that I was changing lanes from chicken to driving and your brain just ran into that last sentence, and that veers us into a subject a few drivers around town aren't familiar with: turn signals.
Unbeknownst to these drivers, one recent night while they slept, automakers created this hot and innovative new gadget called the turn signal. Silly, utopian dreamers that they are, they believed that with thousands of fast-moving heavy vehicles filling streets and freeways, it might be a wise idea to have a device that allows the driver to SIGNAL to other drivers BEFORE HE CHANGES LANES that he is going to CHANGE LANES in a FEW SECONDS so that he won't cause an ACCIDENT and HURT SOMEBODY.
These wild gadgets, these TURN SIGNALS, are usually located near the steering wheel and simply requires a quick and easy up and down movement. It's really not hard to activate the turn signals, and you don't have to train for the task by doing extra push-ups or adding creatine to your protein shakes.
However, if as I suspect from daily observation, some of you aren't familiar with the turn signal and didn't know you had it, it may be a little rusty from lack of use and require a little WD-40.
Don't be afraid to use your turn signal. You're not charged each time you use it, and don't feel as if you're working it too hard. It wants to be used. The turn signal is your friend. Even better, the turn signal is the friend of the drivers behind and in front of you.
You see, you may know where you're going when you're hauling tail on 281, but those of us behind you don't. Which is why you need to give us a FEW SECONDS by USING your TURN SIGNALS and making sure we know that you intend to SWITCH LANES. Because such is the sad state of American science and technology that while we can put turn signals in cars we've yet to develop the ability to allow drivers to read each other's minds.
Now, there is one defect with turn signals. And that's when you suddenly switch lanes without warning and don't turn your signal on until you're three-quarters of the way into the other lane, your turn signal doesn't possess the capacity to release an invisible force shield that will release air to gently push back the car behind you that's about to run into you because you didn't use your turn signal in time.
Yet another failure of American science and technology.
That's why when using your turn signals and, especially when you're not using them, it's always good to use that thingamajig called the REARVIEW MIRROR. It's a bit old school but has proven its effectiveness.
So on this lazy Sunday pay tribute to Herb and Al with an Egg McMuffin in the morning and a three-piece with fries in the afternoon. And when you turn into those establishments, give drivers behind you plenty of time to know that's where you're turning.
Cary Clack's columns appear on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. To leave him a message, call (210) 250-3546 or e-mail at cclack@express-news.net.
Dough!
We ate at Dough last Thursday, at the Chef's table, and ate what I believe was my first pizza. I don't know what the round disks of dough smothered in tomato sauce and cheeze I ate before were, but they weren't like this. Also the best salad (Tuscan) I've ever eaten in my life. And a bottle of Pellegrino. I don't drink wine anymore, but if I did, that's the place where I would drink it.
It's a fantastic place, please try it out.
It's a fantastic place, please try it out.
Let's Dance
The Baylor Bears are in the tournament.
The Baylor men's basketball team earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1988. The Bears secured a No. 11 seed in the West regional in what will be the university's fifth tournament appearance.
The Bears will face No. 6 Purdue on Thursday, March 20 at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. Should they win, Baylor would face the winner of the No. 3 Xavier and No. 14 Georgia matchup on Saturday, March 22 at the same venue.
Bin 555
Bin 555's website is under construction so there's not much there but their address and a few pictures of their incredible food, but take it from an eye/mouth witness: Incredible. They serve tapa style plates at very reasonable prices and they just keep getting better as the meal progresses. Here's a rundown by memory so if something looks funny it's my brain misremembering like Roger's pal:
Serrano ham wrapped dates w/blue cheese
baba ganoush
field green salad w/ candied pecans, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette
zucchini/squash w/mint
Milanese asparagus spears topped with a fried egg (! Yes!) and either parmesan or peccorino cheese
Salmon over a tomato compote with chorizo
Braised pork belly on lavender compote and parsnip puree (OUR FAVORITE, HANDS DOWN)
Spanish almond cake
Dark chocolate tort
French pressed coffee
I woke up remembering it. We sat near a window that overlooked their extensive wooden deck and outdoor fireplace and some of the shops of Artisan Alley. They have an extensive wine list, full bar, and are expert at pairing wines with dishes.
One of those places we wasted far too long getting to. The staff was as good as the food.
Serrano ham wrapped dates w/blue cheese
baba ganoush
field green salad w/ candied pecans, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette
zucchini/squash w/mint
Milanese asparagus spears topped with a fried egg (! Yes!) and either parmesan or peccorino cheese
Salmon over a tomato compote with chorizo
Braised pork belly on lavender compote and parsnip puree (OUR FAVORITE, HANDS DOWN)
Spanish almond cake
Dark chocolate tort
French pressed coffee
I woke up remembering it. We sat near a window that overlooked their extensive wooden deck and outdoor fireplace and some of the shops of Artisan Alley. They have an extensive wine list, full bar, and are expert at pairing wines with dishes.
One of those places we wasted far too long getting to. The staff was as good as the food.
May 22
Oh, and a bunch of people got married at the Arneson River Theatre on Valentine's Day.
Happy Prez' Day.
Blahhhh....
The Review has joined what seems to be half of the state in contracting some variation of flu/cold bug for the past week. Back to work tomorrow.
Flu/Cold/Allergies
I'm sick, they're sick... everybody's sick
Good night to hunker down with the dogs and watch a couple episodes of "Rome."
Good night to hunker down with the dogs and watch a couple episodes of "Rome."
Ciao Lavanderia
Ciao Lavanderia
Get there early, but it's worth the wait. The Olmos Park "circle" is quite the location for restaurants these days, including "ciao," "Bistro Vatel," which are apparently owned by the same people, and "Shiraz," a wonder Persian place we ate at our first Valentine's in San Antonio.
We had a monkfish osso bucco, saffron risotto, blood sausage ravioli and pistachio gelato.
Beautiful food, beautiful place.
Today: BU/UT men's basketball in Austin. We'll be resplendent in green and gold.
Get there early, but it's worth the wait. The Olmos Park "circle" is quite the location for restaurants these days, including "ciao," "Bistro Vatel," which are apparently owned by the same people, and "Shiraz," a wonder Persian place we ate at our first Valentine's in San Antonio.
We had a monkfish osso bucco, saffron risotto, blood sausage ravioli and pistachio gelato.
Beautiful food, beautiful place.
Today: BU/UT men's basketball in Austin. We'll be resplendent in green and gold.
Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures - I Can Has Cheezburger?
Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures - I Can Has Cheezburger?
This website has nothing to do with San Antonio, but I've been laughing my ass off for 15 minutes.
"Blanco Ballroom" San Antonio
Blanco Ballroom San Antonio - Google Search
Usually I link an official webpage to a post, but I could not find one, alas, for the "venerable" , as it's referred to in some pages, Blanco Ballroom on Blanco Rd, south of Basse Rd, north of Hildebrand.
A combo Bingo/special event/concert hall, the old place is in a mini strip next to a well barred and secured convenience store. The Review attended a wedding dance there last night, enjoyed a couple of setups and and nachos from it's "Bar," and had a pretty damn good time.
Smoking and Non-Smoking. And don't try bringing in any food or setups of your own. They sell those and beer at the "Bar."
Usually I link an official webpage to a post, but I could not find one, alas, for the "venerable" , as it's referred to in some pages, Blanco Ballroom on Blanco Rd, south of Basse Rd, north of Hildebrand.
A combo Bingo/special event/concert hall, the old place is in a mini strip next to a well barred and secured convenience store. The Review attended a wedding dance there last night, enjoyed a couple of setups and and nachos from it's "Bar," and had a pretty damn good time.
Smoking and Non-Smoking. And don't try bringing in any food or setups of your own. They sell those and beer at the "Bar."
Manga
Last night The Review went by a new pizzeria in town called "Dough Pizzeria Napoletana" that got a luminous review from the News a couple of weeks ago. It's in a new shopping strip going in at Blanco and 410 that stretches over a couple blocks, from the west side of Blanco over to the Sears next to Bennigans. "Dough" is in the west side, next to an interesting violin shop.
We went in and the hostess told us there was a 45 minute wait, which from the delicious aroma filling the small space I could tell would be worth the wait, but sometimes you just don't want to wait. We had walked in at 7:45 on a Friday night, like everyone else, so what did we expect. So we headed northeast to Julian's New York Style Pizza on Embassy Row and had a Pizza Padrone, a rectangle of pizza bliss, while a guitarist and clarinetist played some fine soft Dixieland jazz. It was like having Joe Pass and Woody Allen (yes, a fine, fine clarinetist) playing up close and personal. We'll find out the names of the gentlemen and post them later.
It's great living in a town where you can choose to get a slice from more than just one or even two quality places. And musically, San Antonio may be south of the "Third Coast," but you'd be amazed at the talent you stumble onto just going out for a pizza.
As for Dough, we will make it a point to go by next time at a less popular time for dinner, and even if we don't we'll make the time to wait.
We went in and the hostess told us there was a 45 minute wait, which from the delicious aroma filling the small space I could tell would be worth the wait, but sometimes you just don't want to wait. We had walked in at 7:45 on a Friday night, like everyone else, so what did we expect. So we headed northeast to Julian's New York Style Pizza on Embassy Row and had a Pizza Padrone, a rectangle of pizza bliss, while a guitarist and clarinetist played some fine soft Dixieland jazz. It was like having Joe Pass and Woody Allen (yes, a fine, fine clarinetist) playing up close and personal. We'll find out the names of the gentlemen and post them later.
It's great living in a town where you can choose to get a slice from more than just one or even two quality places. And musically, San Antonio may be south of the "Third Coast," but you'd be amazed at the talent you stumble onto just going out for a pizza.
As for Dough, we will make it a point to go by next time at a less popular time for dinner, and even if we don't we'll make the time to wait.
MySA.com: 2008 Stockshow & Rodeo
Oh, the Cowboy Breakfast went on yesterday at it's new location, right smack dab in the middle of a humongous Thomas Enterprises development over the Edwards Aquifer, 8 miles further out into the Hill Country then it used to be. There's news about the big Rodeo at the same link.
Spurs 90 Heat 89
MySA.com: Spurs World — Discussions about all things Spurs
Manu hits game winner, Barry injured, Duncan named All-Star starter.
Shaq sits on his ass.
Manu hits game winner, Barry injured, Duncan named All-Star starter.
Shaq sits on his ass.
ESPN - No national TV, no problem for Baylor in 5 OTs - Men's College Basketball
ESPN - No national TV, no problem for Baylor in 5 OTs - Men's College Basketball
What did the nation miss? Well, how about seeing Baylor, a team that could finish second in the Big 12 behind national title contender Kansas.
The Bears are 16-2 overall, 4-0 in the Big 12 and already have nonconference wins over Notre Dame and Winthrop to win the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands in November. The Bears also won at South Carolina, and now own two road wins in the Big 12 (Nebraska and Texas A&M). Baylor's two losses? Washington State at home and to Arkansas in Dallas.
The San Antonio Area Freeway System
The San Antonio Area Freeway System
From The Texas Highwayman's site. This guy loves freeways. Link added also.
From The Texas Highwayman's site. This guy loves freeways. Link added also.
San Antonio/Hill Country Environmental matters
The Review's most practical interest in environmental matters, as in "where the rubber meets the road," concerns angling and hiking.
As such, a new set of links and posts will address excursions and fitting news, as always.
For today, though, back to football.
As such, a new set of links and posts will address excursions and fitting news, as always.
For today, though, back to football.
Rugby in Olmos Basin Park
For the third time in my life I have randomly come upon a rugby match while driving to nowhere in particular.
The first two times was at Baylor University, when their (now defunct, I think) team was playing on a corner lot on University Parks Dr. in Waco.
This time was as we drove past Olmos Basin Park in central San Antonio. We watched the match between Dallas and the San Antonio club for a while and then walked around the bike/hike path to enjoy this beautiful day. It's really a nice area. Lots of soccer fields, a couple of ball parks, and right up Devine Rd. the Alamo Heights Pony League fields.
The reason we were driving down that way is because I now drive to my home in Northeast San Antonio from work in Northwest San Antonio via back roads. Construction congestion and reckless driving did my truck in about a month ago. For the forseeable future, I will not be traveling Loop 410 during rush hour. It isn't worth it.
The first two times was at Baylor University, when their (now defunct, I think) team was playing on a corner lot on University Parks Dr. in Waco.
This time was as we drove past Olmos Basin Park in central San Antonio. We watched the match between Dallas and the San Antonio club for a while and then walked around the bike/hike path to enjoy this beautiful day. It's really a nice area. Lots of soccer fields, a couple of ball parks, and right up Devine Rd. the Alamo Heights Pony League fields.
The reason we were driving down that way is because I now drive to my home in Northeast San Antonio from work in Northwest San Antonio via back roads. Construction congestion and reckless driving did my truck in about a month ago. For the forseeable future, I will not be traveling Loop 410 during rush hour. It isn't worth it.
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