Fort Worth Date Night: How The Grinch Saved Christmas (FW Business Press)

BY MIKE BLOOMBERG
December 10, 2009

It always amazes me when December begins to roll around how cranky so many become. Sure, the holidays are coming up, but, apparently, everything leading up to that is actually quite a beating. Even more shocking is what people are complaining about.

The other day, a fellow gym-goer complained that she wished everyone would just go away because she couldn’t get a close parking spot while holiday shopping. Really? Millions of homeless in this country and worldwide and you might have to walk an extra 100 feet to get to your destination? Poor baby.

The list goes on and on. The kvetching continues to range from “too many parties to attend this time of year” to “I have to be at two different places on Christmas and I don’t know how I’m going to do it.” Oh my! Call Dr. Phil or Dr. Drew. It’s time for an intervention. We have an epidemic on our hands people. There are too many Grinches.

A Grinch, of Dr. Seuss fame, is defined as “a person or thing that spoils or dampens the pleasure of others.” I don’t know about you, but, I love this time year. The weather gets a little chillier, the windows on the stores get more festive and neighborhoods begin to take on a personality with the adornment of holiday lights and decorations. There is no room for Grinches!

This year, however, there is one place where the Grinch is most certainly welcome. The Gaylord Texan is hosting their annual ICE! exhibit. This year’s theme is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Two million pounds of ice were used to recreate life-size scenes straight out of the pages of the original classic.

According to the Gaylord Texan, “The unique attraction is created by 40 master artisans from Harbin, China, who magically transform 5,000 blocks of ice into the city of Who-ville. From the Grinch’s frozen mountaintop lair and 20-foot high slides to a variety of family photo opportunities and the picturesque Who-ville including feasting Who’s and Max the dog, the enchanting attraction is sure to make more hearts than just the Grinch’s grow three times in size.”

Of course, this will make a great family outing. And, yes, go with a friend or friends. But, trust me when I tell you that this will be one of the greatest Date Nights you will have. It is one of those experiences that, by the end, you will have experienced and felt many different emotions. The best part...they will all be positive ones. You will feel happiness and joy to laughter and amazement. The greatest part is that you will be sharing these emotions together. And, while you think that you two are going alone, you’ll actually be double dating with words like “Wow!” and “Oh my!”

www.gaylordhotels.com

Fort Worth Date Night: The Love Train (FW Business Press)

BY MIKE BLOOMBERG
December 03, 2009

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror and Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah just down the road, you may be asking yourself, “Will my significant other and I ever have any time alone?” This time of year, every weekend seems to be filled with parties, dinners, gift exchanges and driving around searching for the best holiday lights.

Have you thought about a quick weekend away? If not now, perhaps in January after your social life has slowed a bit? I traveled over the week of Thanksgiving. My favorite (and only) sister lives in Austin. But, rather than drive the three hours down Interstate 35, it was my perfect opportunity to do “research” for random romantic outings and I took the train.

Many people don’t know that there is an Amtrak train station in downtown Fort Worth. My tickets were purchased online and all I had to do was show up, print off my tickets on a kiosk and hop aboard. The chairs were oversized and comfortable. People were friendly and the train even offered a plug at every seat for a computer, a phone charger or your 42-inch flat panel. OK, so maybe leave your flat panel at home, but, you get the idea. It’s very accommodating. You are allowed to bring food on the train. For those who don’t, there is a dining car for seated meals and, also, a cafe car to get snacks, drinks and such.

The greatest part of the train that you two can share is just time. There are not a lot of distractions, the view of the countryside and back roads is charming and relaxing and you can get caught up on whatever it is you need to catch up on. Perhaps, even use the time to plan a future trip.

Go to www.amtrak.com and pick out a locale that will take you to a town that you are familiar or one you’ve never visited. Booking rental cars and hotels also are available from Amtrak’s Web site. Perhaps, the best advice when approaching a weekend away comes from the father of Taoism, Lao Tzu, who wrote, “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”

Fort Worth Date Night: Wound up from the holidays? Time to wine down (FW Business Press)

BY MIKE BLOOMBERG
November 24, 2009

When asked about family funny man George Burns replied, “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” I hope this is not your attitude when it comes to the holidays. Perhaps, spending a few days with family is just what you are looking forward to.

But, we all know that we eventually need a break. This week’s Date Night serves up just that – the perfect chance for just the two of you to spend some time alone for a couple of hours. This week, we’re headed to Grapevine.

I must admit, after touring several vineyards in the D-FW area, Delaney Vineyards is one of the best. On a recent Saturday afternoon, we put the top down and cruised to Grapevine for a tour and tasting. It far exceeded our expectations. Delaney Vineyards is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The free tours are given on the hour and, depending on the guide, usually last about a half hour.

Our guide was great. He was pleasant, witty and knowledgeable. And, because no one else showed up at that time, we were given a private tour. He explained the amazing building, the art inside and a little about the architecture. Then, we moved outside to discuss the grapes, the vineyard, the harvesting seasons and much, much more. At the end, we moved back inside to where all the magic happens. Our guide taught us how the wine was actually made as we were standing by the massive vats and other equipment. We even saw where the wine was bottled. It was educational, yet, entertaining.

Sure, it was great to learn about the wine. But, isn’t the wine tasting what it’s all about? This was the greatest part of our visit. For a mere $10, we were able to try six different Delaney wines. Handed a form and pencil, we also graded and made notes on our favorites. A great ending to a wonderful afternoon.

Which is why you two should head out there this weekend. You couldn’t ask for better weather. And, with a house full of family, what better time than to sneak out for a “breather?” So, if you come from the George Burns school of thought, don’t think of this week’s Date Night as an escape “to” somewhere. Better yet, think of it as an escape “from” someone.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

www.delaneyvineyards.com

Fort Worth Date Night: Daddy Mac...or is it Mac Daddy? (FW Business Press)

BY MIKE BLOOMBERG
November 12, 2009

I'm happy. I can't wipe this smile off my face. While it doesn't take much to make me grin, it is nice when a restaurant is the cause of my joy. I'm a simple guy. I don't need much and don't require much. I like the same in my restaurants. Simple, to-the-point, great food, and comfortable.

At a recent birthday celebration at Mac's on 7th (2600 W. Seventh, Suite 153), I discovered why I love this place so much. In this day and age of being rushed in and rushed out, I was greeted by two very nice people who were engaging, pleasant and helpful in that they directed me to the party being formed on the patio.

As our party came together, it was time to herd our group of 20-plus to our tables. With a party that large, there was never a time that we were without a drink or without enough staff to attend to us. From the time you walk in, Mac's on 7th just makes you feel at home.

Much of this comes from the staff, but, the decor and finish out has a lot to do with this, as well. Mac's is just comfortable. I can't really pinpoint why. But, after being there for a couple of hours, laughing, eating and being engrossed in each other, it hit me that the calm and coolness of the interior is soothing, much like a spa or a resort. I must tell you this, that as a guy, one of the highlights of the evening was a trip to the "facilities." Yes, people, the restroom.

Many of the guys that night were interested in the college football scores. Checking our phones, moseying to the bar and asking anyone who might know. Had I known what I came across in the Men's Room, keeping up with the scores would have been a lot easier. As it turns out, they have flat panel tv's in "there." With the game on. With a ticker running across the screen of ALL the games that day. At this point, I'm quickly developing a big crush on Mac's on 7th.

But, we came to eat. And, eat we did. They have a great choice of selections. Salads, chicken, beef, seafood and so on and so on. One of my favorites is the Shrimp Paesano. This is a dish of shrimp basking in a lemony, garlicky, buttery pool of greatness. But, something happened while watching college football. I got in touch with my masculine side. In making my dinner choice, my testosterone took over and I went with the chicken fried steak. And, it did not disappoint. All of the Mac's restaurants have been known to have great chicken fried steak. Mac's on 7th raised the bar and, perhaps, was a major contributing factor in this smile on my face.

Since we were celebrating a birthday that night (and no one brought a cake for the guest of honor), our little section decided on several desserts in honor of our friend. And, the fact that she vetoed 32 spankings and opted for dessert. Good call!

As a dessert officianado, and also that I had to weigh in on the decision even though the evening was not all about me, I quickly spotted Red Velvet cake on the menu. Done! Get it! But, I kept reading. Mac's gives full disclosure and this cake comes from, perhaps, one of the all-time greatest Red Velvet locales...the Red Oven Bakery in Pantego (Arlington). This cake, along with it's cream cheese icing, is so incredibly good that I'm writing this column at 6:45 in the morning and my mouth is watering. Even better, Mac's is not shy about sharing. This one slice should have been brought out on a forklift.

The reason Mac's on 7th works is that you don't have to think while you are there. The place is comfortable where you and your date won't want to leave or, even better, just get lost in time. The service is great where you never have to take your attention off whomever you are with and the food is so good that you really don't want to be anywhere else. And, should you need to use the "facilities," you can totally get caught up on the day's games and get back to your table without being the typical guy who would rather watch football than being out on a Date Night. Mac's is brilliant. No detail has been left out; no stone unturned.

Fort Worth Date Night: Pizza that leaves one 'speechless' (FW Business Press)

BY MIKE BLOOMBERG

November 05, 2009

I recently saw this past summer's romantic comedy, Love Happens. While there were funny moments, this movie, starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, had far more serious undertones than the previews would have led you to believe. Nonetheless, it was a great movie and, for personal reasons, really struck a chord with me.

Without giving too much away (and it won't), one of the "cute" themes that permeated throughout the movie was Aniston and Eckhart's shared affinity for big, multisyllabic words. This added to the great chemistry between the two.

While this one was not in the movie, I recently had to find just the right word to describe a new discovery in my repertoire of eateries. I thought of the usuals: Yum, Awesome, Amazing...but, none of those fit. Based on a recommendation, I recently headed to Las Colinas to Cavalli Pizza (3601 Regent Blvd, Ste. 115, Irving).

To call this a pizzeria is an understatement. You see, this restaurant holds a unique distinction. According to their website (www.cavallipizza.com), "Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) is what Neapolitans quite literally call the perfect pizza. Fearful that the traditional pizza would soon be lost to cheaper ingredients and faster methods, a group of faithful Neopolitans formed an association to preserve the authentic Neapolitan pizza. And so the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana was born and with the support of the Italian government, a long list of exacting specifications was created to define this perfect pizza.

Now a rigorous certification process is required by any restaurant wishing to serve this delicious dish. There are only a handful of establishments in the entire United States that have earned this distinction and we are proud to announce that Cavalli Pizza is the first and only restaurant in the entire state of Texas to have this honor." Nearly all of their ingredients are imported directly from Italy. Even their oven was imported from Italy. Now that's Italian!

Their menu offers up many types of pizza, as well as, sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads and much more. All baked items are cooked in the authentic 900 degree wood-fired oven. My staple is always the Margherita pizza. However, I went with the Margherita Extra. This is made with, not just regular mozzarella, but, with what the menu calls, "Mozzerella di Bufala." The crust was flaky and thin, the sauce was fresh and subtle and the cheese and basil were the perfect dance partner to the rest of the ingredients. If the theory of Gestalt is applied here, the whole truly was greater than the sum of its parts.

Fortunately, Cavilli's offers up, not one, but, four different types of Nutella pizza as a "post-gorging" opportunity. Or, "dessert," as most of us call it. We went with the "La Nutella." Watching them put this piece of art together was like witnessing Van Gogh paint Starry Night. It starts with a thin layer of homemade dough, then, a healthy slathering of Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread), dark chocolate and then, just to be sure that enough nutty flavor and crunch are present, a layer of fresh roasted Hazelnuts are added. This masterpiece is then topped with another thin pizza crust and popped in the oven. Now you have a pretty package and all in the world is right. Until you taste it and then, we are back to "finding just the right word."

So, what word would do Cavalli Pizza justice? I came up with one...ineffable. This is one of my favorites and so applicable at this moment. The dictionary defines "ineffable" as: 1) incapable of being expressed or described in words. 2) not to be spoken because of its sacredness. Many times after the first bite of a tasty dish, I'll say something poetic or articulate like, "Dude!" or "Wow!" But, not this time. The best way to describe the greatness of Cavalli's is a word which means not using words. This, perhaps, is the highest form of flattery.