I hope you won't mind a slight break from my regular reporting here. It isn't that I don't have anything to write, but I just can't find the time to do it justice and frankly, that ain't no way to treat a hobby. I have multiple other time-consuming projects going on and just have to give this one a break.
For the handful, okay, maybe few handfuls of regular visitors, I'll still be around. I'll try to update my status on the Facebook (though I admit, I have been pretty sporadic at best). I also continue to upload videos on YouTube, and my pictures (as time allows) get posted on the Flickr page.
For the other bloggers kind enough to link to SilverCreek78250, thanks! I hope you will leave my link up; I'll be back.
In the mean time, new readers and regulars are invited to scroll to the bottom of the page and read through the over two years of trip reports, breakfast, lunch and dinner reports, and reports of the strange things I encounter in 78250.
See ya around.
The week or so ago my son called to report that San Antonio was being featured on the Travel Channel show, Man V. Food. I flipped on the TV and saw the segment on Big Lou's Pizza. Honestly, I had never even heard of the place. Another segment was Lulu's Bakery which we have discussed here several times; I love me some Lulu's.
Then, earlier this week, a friend asked if I had seen the Man V. Food segment on Chunky's Burgers located on Callaghan. I hadn't, and in fact, I know I have driven by that location numerous times and couldn't recall seeing the place. So, my wife and I were in need of lunch, and off we went.
There was some minor glitch when we arrived around 11:30 and a lady came out and told me they would not be opening until noon. We ran errands and when we returned, could see that the featured burger on Man V. Food, the 4-Horsemen Burger, was not available. I asked about it when we got in and she told me that the owner was running around town looking for the right ingredients. I'm guessing since that show, maybe lots of folks had come in looking to take the challenge.
By the way, go to the Vlog entry for San Antonio where you can listen to the host Adam Richman describe the 4-Horsemen as being the hottest thing ever. He was actually ready to give up after the first bite. The 4-Horsemen is topped with grilled jalapenos, Serrano peppers, ghost peppers, jalapeno jack cheese and habanero sauce. I love hot/spicy food and I'll enjoy jalapenos all day long - especially on a burger, but at some point it becomes ridiculous. Even if the 4-Horsemen had been available, I'd have passed on it.
Inside, the place is small, though maybe slightly larger than The Gold Standard, Lord's Kitchen. When we walked in at precisely noon, the place was already packed and we took a table in front of the register, next to the entrance. Needless to say, the crowd that followed us in huddled around our table as we waited the twenty or so minutes for our order.
Outside they have a very large covered dining area that was also filled by the time we had finished. The place is doing a booming business with a strong line-up of burgers, sandwiches and chicken plates. 
We started off our lunch with the obligatory basket of half fries, half onion rings. The fries were thick and not overcooked. The onion rings are frozen from a supplier, but they were actually cooked as good as one can given what they got; not too crisp for my taste. If you like that style, you won't be disappointed. And no, we didn't even come close to finishing the order.
We only had a second to glance at the menu because it was too small to read and people were beginning to crowd in behind us, (they could really use a web page, if only to give people a chance to review the menu before they arrive). My wife ordered The Guacamole Burger, and was very pleased to find that what it really is is avocado slices smashed. Honestly, they could have forgotten the burger and she would have been in hog heaven.
I ordered something called the Big Chunk. Topped with Velveeta, onion rings and bacon, it was just what I needed to make up for having missed breakfast. Chunky's does their buns the correct way, toasted on the grill and still soft. The burgers themselves seemed to be cooked "Well Done" though I understand why many restaurants do that, I don't have to be happy about it. Because mine was served without the benefit of mayo or mustard, I added a little barbecue sauce our server brought us. By the time I was about mid-way into the burger, I was able to really appreciate the combination of the onion ring and bacon, smothered in Velveeta and now barbecue sauce.
I will have to go back just because I need to try a few of the other selections on Chunky's menu. In spite of hitting it at a really busy time, I liked that I could see the grillmen in the back working like a smooth team. Most importantly, my wife was just pleased as punch with the Guacamole Burger and that makes Chunky's a Tasty Treat.
Just in case you haven't been fitted for your grass skirt, here is a reminder; while you are out and about today, grab a few coldies, some coconut shells (to cover your whatnot's) and a perhaps a Hawaiian shirt for those of us who should not be seen topless in public.
Tonight (15 Aug 2009) is the GNW Luau. Free to residents (have your membership card at the ready) and $3.00 for guests. BYOB.
See ya there!
If you don't live in SA, you may not be so easily entertained by an hour or two of solid, aquifer filling, grass watering, temperature lowering rain.
We have set records for the number of 100+ degree days in a month this year. AlGore may actually pack-up and move here.
All that aside, I offer you a few minutes of San Antonio rain, before we go back to the ol' fireball which is certain to return tomorrow.
On our drive back from visiting my son in Panama City Beach, we had this brilliant idea of stopping at one of the casinos in LA along I-10 before hitting the Texas border. We had even gone online the night before and looked at the Isle of Capri website and considered getting a room there.
During a trip to Kinder a few years ago - before I started providing you these valuable trip reports - we went to that casino that they advertise here so much called, Coushatta (exit 44 in Kinder). Anyway, I'll simply say that we had planned to stay in a "chalet" for 2 days but checked out after the first night. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it is a nice place and all, but like I say, we checked out after the first night. On our way home from Exit 44, we stopped in the Isle of Capri for an hour just to check it out, and thought maybe we would come back. Of course, this is all pre-Katrina.
So the prior night as I was looking at the web-site, there was just something that made me cancel my booking of a room in "The Inn", the hotel across the parking lot from the actual casino. It may have been because the web-site did not give me a secure connection, or it may have been that little gut feeling I tend to get.
So we make really good time on our drive back from the FLA panhandle other than what seemed like 45 minutes to get through Mobile and the that big bridge before you enter the George C. Wallace Tunnel.
We drove right by Exit 44 and my wife asked me if I was sure I didn't want to give Coushatta another chance (and I probably should have), but that would have required me to turn around and go back east, and that just wouldn't be right.
So we pull into Lake Charles and jump off I-10 to pull into the Isle of Capri. We drove around the parking lot a few times and I just looked at my wife and said, "We can stay in the hotel, but we'll have to find some place safe to park the truck." I'm sure it is a fine establishment, but I haven't even made the first payment on my truck. It was my wife's idea to just skip the casino adventure provided I would agree to take her to Vegas some time soon.
We drove up the road a few more exits and found a Hampton Inn conveniently located next to a bar and a cemetery. Only the best for my bride. Actually, I think we may have stayed at this hotel before and I give them high marks for cleanliness, comfort, amenities and everything but, who builds a hotel on a cemetery?
By now it was pushing 8PM and besides being hungry, I knew my wife was a bit disappointed at night having a night out on the town - so to speak - at a smokey casino in Lake Charles. I asked the young guy at the hotel desk if he could offer any dining suggestions for something a little bit more classy than Cajun Charlie's (though I'm sure it has its own merits for a lovely evening out). He mentioned the obvious locations within a few blocks but could sense that I was looking for something a little more upscale. 
We pulled into Joe's Pasta & Pizza located just about a half mile north of I-10 and at first, I was worried that it might not be authentic Italian cuisine. Thankfully, the sign assured me that we were in good hands.
Admittedly, when we walked in, the place looked really wide open. I mean, one big room with lots of tables. But the looks were surely not representative of the food we were about to enjoy.
The hostess seated us and handed us off to a waitress who turned out to be related to the owner. The family comes from Sicily, though I'm not quite sure what prompts people to move from Sicily to Sulphur, but the U.S. is the land of opportunity, so you I guess this was their place to make it big. And please don't get the idea that I'm knocking Sulphur or Louisiana for that matter, I just wonder how people from other countries end up in places that the average American has probably never heard of. If you come from Italy, I'd expect you to end up in New York or Chicago or Los Angeles. Maybe, they told the Greyhound bus driver they wanted to go to LA and he thought they meant Louisiana, not Los Angeles. Who knows?
My wife ordered a glass of wine and I had a beer. With drinks, we received a plate of bread. 
It was fresh but not warm. Still, it was actually good.
The menu was loaded with more options than I feel comfortable with, so I waited to see what my wife was going to have. She ordered up the chicken Parmesan which I am here to tell you was OUTSTANDING. No kidding around, it was wonderful.
I first ordered the Veal Parmesan only to find that they had just sold the last veal so I went with the next random thing on the menu. I could have sworn it was Chicken Marsala, but after looking up the recipe, I'm not so sure. Honestly, I have no idea what it was other than simply wonderful. The waitress warned me that it was spicy, but really, the green peppers, which I just assumed to be jalapenos were not near Tex-Mex spicy. The sauce was just so delicious, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. With it being so late, I ate about half of it and ate the rest of it later, and it was still good fresh from the microwave.
I don't know if the people who run Joe's are really from Sicily or not, but damn, they put forth a wonderful, mouth-watering Tasty Treat. Honestly, if you are one of the people who frequently drive to the casino's in Lake Charles or Kinder for that matter, you ought to make it a point to get off I-10 in Sulphur and give Joe's Pasta & Pizza a try.
I generally rule out eating at a place where you have to wait for 45 minutes, given the fact that you can always go at a different time or more importantly, there are lots of other places to go. But when you are visiting a tourist town on the last real weekend of the tourist season, there is a good possibility that you'll just have to wait.
Also, I should add in that when my son added our name to the wait list at Pineapple Willy's and received the little flashing pager thing, the lady never even told him how long the wait would be. People seemed to be moving through there fairly quickly, so it never occurred to me to ask.
As we began to wait, we went inside the Pier Bar to grab a cool drink for the wait. The place is big with lots of seating and full of thirsty tourists. Later in the evening, they feature bands and I suspect the place gets fairly exciting.
The restaurant offers inside seating, beach seating, and where we sat, on the covered pier where you can enjoy the nice view while not necessarily roasting on the beach. At one point, a large tourist type boat called the Sea Screamer pulled up to the beach near where we were seated, blasted his horn, then fired a shot from a big air cannon. I guess the sound of the blast bouncing off the hotel walls ashore gives the passengers a thrill. Hey, who doesn't like the idea of floating around firing off an air cannon every so often?
We saw some folks order onion rings and they really looked good, but decided instead to get the Al E. Gator as a starter. The meat itself was fine, but the preparation was fairly bland. The last time I had the alligator bites was at Acadiana, and I suspect the Cajun spices gave it a little more character. These weren't bad - especially with the dipping sauce, but I suspect you just have to be in a spending mood to drop $9.00 for what was basically an order of Chicken McNuggets. 
My wife was not looking for a huge meal and the waiter we had suggested she grab something from the kid's menu. She went with the "Fish Food" which was basically a small basket of fried Grouper and a few fries. Like me, she also got a small side of Cole Slaw for a quarter. It turns out that my wife doesn't care much for Grouper, but she did like the Cole slaw and the fries.
My son and I both ordered a Grouper basket. They offer up a good portion, add in some fries and give you a few tubs of tartar sauce. I thought the fish was fine, though certainly not flavorful like the fish we enjoyed at the Hofbrau the previous night.
Really, what it comes down to is that Pineapple Willy's is more of a party place that happens to serve some food for those trying to soak up the beer and frozen tropical drinks. I could see the place being a favorite for people attending Spring Break or for people just out to party for a few hours. We did have good service and an enjoyable time.
Have you been to Pineapple Willy's - did you try the ribs? I'd love to know. Tell me about it or leave a comment below.
A zipper that won't zip can be a tricky situation at any time when it involves a wife asking her husband for assistance. It is only made worse when you are minutes away from leaving for a funeral and the zipper in question comes from a dress that was just purchased a day or two before, for that exact occasion. And this was the dilemma I faced earlier this morning as my wife and I prepared ourselves for funeral services. I would have preferred that JC Penny was a full service, 24X7 operation so my wife could quietly slip away for a quick exchange, but we needed to get to a funeral home quick, and the folks at Penny's don't make house calls. So naturally, my wife comes to the second alternative and asks me to help.All sorts of questions come up in a man's mind, but if you are smart, you would never say something like, "Did you try it on before you bought it?" or "Did it fit when you bought it?" or the always popular, "Geeze, is it possible to grow that much in two days?" Of course, none of these questions were applicable in this case, since I wished to remain living in the house I make payments on each month. Actually, we have the case of some fancy-pants designer selling dresses with extremely crappy quality zippers. As proof, my wife pulled the dress off and with no bodily pressure applied at all, there was still no making the Zipper function properly.
Having the evidence I needed without having to ask any of the aforementioned objectionable questions, I then suggested my wife slip the dress back on while I grab the pliers. Sorry, I don't have any photos to illustrate.
With my wife holding the bottom of the zipper in place and me holding the top, I grabbed the little zipper thingy with a pair of needle nosed pliers and gave it a good tug. The zipper made it up about a quarter of the way, just as far as my wife had zipped it before. I then warned my wife to brace herself and I gave the zipper another strong tug and this time, it went all the way to the top. Only problem is, none of the teeth in the zipper caught and now, my wife was zipped up with a huge opening on the back of her dress, thoughtfully outlined in the cheap teeth of a really crappy zipper.
Needless to say, time was running out on us and my wife made a beeline for the closet to grab a quick substitution. Now let's be honest. This is August in San Antonio, and 100 degree days are the norm. People understand if you don't want to get all dressed-up for a funeral, so it would have been perfectly understandable to me if my wife walked downstairs in a pair of shorts with a black T-shirt. But instead, she was able to find a nice dress she had picked up at a garage sale for $3.00, and upon a quick approval from me (like I'm going to argue at this point) she was satisfied that she would survive the trauma.
There was only one small problem. The dress was sort of low-cut. And while doing some sort of personal battle in our kitchen, my wife uttered (sorry), these words, "Dear Lord why did you bless me with these big hooters?" I assure you, husbands everywhere; of all the possible responses available to you, now is not the time to say, "Because they are fun?" ------<<<>>>------
We attended the funeral services, visited with family and later decided it was not too late to make a trip to JC Penny for a full and immediate refund on the now useless dress. They say that time heals all wounds, but between 7:00 this morning and 5:30 this afternoon, my wife was still pretty steamed that she was not able to wear the dress she had purchased. Frankly, when we got to Penny's, I made some excuse about needing to look for some new ties or something while she went off to do battle. As a side note, I was walking through the Men's department and saw a pair of slacks that I liked so I took them to the fitting rooms. I walked in and saw an open door to one of the dressing rooms and walked in to find a man standing there in his underwear. I started to step backwards out of the stall and the guy just looked at me and said, "No thank you."
Do you suppose he thought I was bringing him the slacks I wanted to try on? Is there a service where people bring you suggested slacks while you are at Penny's? If so, I was not aware of it.Anyway, I guess the whole encounter must have left me a little disoriented because I just walked out of the fitting room and into the Men's department to find my wife waiting for me with a full, no questions asked, refund on her unusable dress.They have no idea of the pain they avoided! And that is one of the reasons why I continue to shop at Penny's. Dressing room oddities notwithstanding.
I hope you won't mind a slight break from my regular reporting here. It isn't that I don't have anything to write, but I just can't find the time to do it justice and frankly, that ain't no way to treat a hobby. I have multiple other time-consuming projects going on and just have to give this one a break.
