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Landomatic

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Posts posted by Landomatic

  1. Whataburger thread got me thinking. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten an order where at least something wasn’t messed up from anywhere below a sit-down restaurant with a waiter. Pizza, fast food, fast casual, chinese, tacos, pretty much everywhere that level, apparently the new bar is mediocrity. And sometimes that’s a stretch.

    I’ve had them remake my order a couple times, when it’s really egregious. But, usually I just let the screw-ups slide because it’s not worth going back for or waiting longer for or messing with.

    Clearly seems to be a new thing, at least to this extreme, since Covid. So, how’s that getting fixed? Or has all of America just settled on mediocrity being acceptable?

  2. 19 hours ago, Skipper said:

    Edit:  I'll add this was probably the first travel since before Covid I didn't encounter a single asshole or shit attitude for an entire trip.  From flight attendants to passengers to servers to bartenders to dealers to all the drunks in Vegas, everyone seemed to be in a great mood.  For travel, I'm sure lifting mask mandate helps but it was almost uncanny how much it seemed like a lot of people had forgotten how to act, service folks forgot how to serve, etc.  the last couple of years.   Things truly felt normal which was an added bonus.

    Good to hear. Hoping the rest of the country gets that memo soon...because, most everyone else, at least where I live, still seems to be good with the bolded part.

  3. 18 hours ago, Hozz said:

    Bigger than Dallas and Austin.

    Bigger than Dallas? Not even close. DFW metro population is 7.76 million...San Antonio metro is 2.56 million.

    Austin, maybe but I'd assume they have their own sub because, you know, that's where UT is located and stuff.

    That said, give em their own sub. It'll be neat.

  4. 1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

    Went to Javier’s after checking into the Aria for a snack on Thursday. I don’t think I’ve seen that place mentioned on here but it’s a great place to grab lunch if you’re in that area. We always do it after check-in. Their queso fundido is as good as it gets. Their margaritas are great and high quality as well.

    Went to Piero’s on Thursday night and it did not disappoint. I had one of their features, a bone-in veal parmesan and it was absolutely the best veal/chicken parm I have ever had. I’m drooling now thinking about it. My wife had another feature - dover sole filleted table side and served in a white wine sauce. I tasted it and it was excellent. I like this place and Lotus as the best off-strip go-tos depending upon what you’re in the mood for at the time. The mobbed up feel with local celebs throughout the place feels like old school Vegas. 

    We did Mon Ami Gabi Friday for breakfast and the crepes and salmon benedict rocked. The people watching, even at 9am on The Strip, is tremendous with the MAG window seating. 

    Did Giordano’s for lunch since I don’t know when I will be in Chicago again and I was craving a pie. It’s as good in Vegas as it is in Chicago, IMO. 

    Then we did Bavette’s late on Friday. I’ve been 3 times before and my wife and I went last year. It’s always been great. That’s why I was shocked on Friday. They sat us in a smaller room next to a fucking bachelor party. We knew we should have asked for a different table and lazily didn’t. That made the dining experience shitty to begin with, but then they served me a well done steak instead of medium rare. I worked in a steakhouse, I know it happens, but talk about deflating after looking forward to it. They did take it off the bill, but I also didn’t eat it. Everything else was great, the cocktails, apps, sides and service, but I’ll never go back. Too many other great choices in Vegas to look past that clusterfuck. 

    We did Bardot on Saturday morning for brunch and that place is also fucking awesome for brunch. My wife ordered the massive french toast and I did quiche and escargot. All 3 of those dishes could compete with any of the same type I’ve had elsewhere. 

    We did Le Cirque last night and it was a top 10 all-time meal for both of us. 8 course tasting menu with wine pairings. There was a lobster salad that looked like a flower bouquet that was a mindfuck to view as food but it was unreal. The service was outstanding and even though the bill was half a mortgage payment, it was absolutely worth it if you’re into that kind of thing. 

    I took the Astros and the under 3 days in a row in parlays and twice got paid $300+ on the $100 down. Did the same yesterday with Ole Miss and over 10.5 and that hit for the same value. And because fuck OU. 

    All in all, we had a badass time and most of the dining was top notch. I go back in October with @SydneyCarton and a group of others. Gonna go early with a few of the guys and play some golf at one of the badass courses outside of town. Can’t wait. 

    Also, I realize all of the food choices make me and my wife sound like gluttons, but that’s only half true. My wife is thin and hot. She just enjoys eating the good stuff. I know the rules and don’t give a shit. No pics. 

     

    44 minutes ago, Lurch said:

    I’d guess I’ve taken a dozen trips to Aria in as many years, and I didn’t realize they had a Mexican joint. I had to look it up on their property map and see now it’s the place I’ve always enjoyed the people watching while playing craps! It occurs to me I’d never considered what everyone was always waiting in line for. Guess I’ll actually have to go in their next week…

     

     

    33 minutes ago, bigup2dahorns said:

    I had the special bone-in veal parm on my recent trip to Piero’s and it’s awesome.

    I generally don’t make a point to grab steaks or Mexican food in Vegas just because I can get that at home but always heard good reviews on Javier’s at Aria.

    Recent reports are pointing to room rates softening a little bit so check out August mid week for better deals.

     

    9 minutes ago, Lurch said:

    Mexican food in JAX is so incredibly bad that I actually look forward to getting it in Vegas. The joint in NYNY is cheap-ish and hits the spot every time

    That Javier’s (and the OG in Laguna) is the best Mexican I’ve ever had. It’s not cheap though, it’s actually kinda swanky as Mexican joints go. I’d put it up against any Mexican place in the country.

  5. 2 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

     


    I love St. Barth, been there many times with my wife, it’s become our home away from home. We’ve always gone as a couple and it caters more to adults, but we have a kid on the way and we fully intend to keep going there often and we want our kid to be a part of that so she can hopefully grow to love it.

    That being said, I realize it’s not for everyone, so it all depends what you want to get out of it.

    Villa Marie looks like a great hotel (almost stayed there once but plans changed that trip). It’s small like every other hotel in St. Barth so it won’t have a huge resort pool or whatever other amenities the bigger AI resorts on other islands may offer for kids and families, but if you just want peace and relaxation in a beautiful environment, it checks those boxes.

    Also keep in mind food can be pricey in St. Barth depending on your tastes.

     

    We met some people our first trip there who were staying at our hotel who brought their 4 year old son. Kid seemed bored and miserable every time we saw them and they were bitching that they wish they’d brought their nanny from home. Hotel was able to get them a babysitter so they could go out a few nights. Again, not saying it can’t be done, it just isn’t a place that really caters to kids much. That said, I’m with you that if I’m y’all, and go every year several times a year, I’m bringing the kid too, at least on one of the trips. Having it grow up with St Barth a part of its life, etc.

    Congrats on the pregnancy BTW. When’s she due?

  6. 27 minutes ago, naija said:

    At St Barth's it would be the Hotel Villa Marie

    I wouldn’t think of Villa Marie as necessarily being “kid friendly”. In fact, I wouldn’t really think of anywhere in St Barth being all that kid friendly. Not saying you can’t do kids there (lots of people do), it just doesn’t seem to be a place that really caters to them. It’s pretty grown up across the board 

  7. On 4/4/2022 at 6:04 PM, TexasGary said:

    I checked out Crossbuck Barbecue today.  Tim McLaughlin and Damian Avila from Lockhart Smokehouse have opened their own joint in Farmers Branch just east of Midway on Spring Valley. Today was their first day open.  I thought it was really good.  The ribs were not over cooked like most places.  The pulled pork was done in a spicy black molasses sauce.  Turkey, Brisket, and Sausage were all on point.

    crossbuck.jpg

     

    On 4/15/2022 at 11:19 PM, C-Man said:

    Went tonight. I was not impressed at all.

    I just saw this. Please tell me the "on point" brisket is not pictured. Or is that front middle thing the brisket? What the hell am I seeing here? Does not compute. Either my sarcasm meter is broken or your definition of "on point/really good" and mine are two very different things. Not one thing in that picture looks "on point or really good" to me.

  8. 3 hours ago, C-Man said:

     

    I know Pickering through our BBQ Cook-Off. Not sure I'd say we're friends but acquaintances, at least. He seems like a pretty good dude. Isn't he trying for something a little more elevated with The Douglas? I do want to try this burger:

     

    douglas.jpeg

    Yeah it’s “elevated” I guess. Steakhouse by night, BBQ during the day.

    • Like 1
  9. 11 hours ago, C-Man said:

    Oh, and I love NY Subs Ana appreciate them keep Peggy Sue’s name alive. I also think their Peggy Sue’s bbq is better than the OG place but check out these prices on the meat they just started offering “cooked” and hot (not Food Savered and cold) the last week or so:

    cbf333c7219d51a350f5df09480ffd01.jpg

    $34/lb for brisket???? That’s more than Interstellar and Snow’s, which I ate the last two Saturdays and is 2 cents more than Terry Black’s. emoji15.png

    You don't want to go to The Douglas then (which actually is in Snider Plaza). Their brisket is $44/lb...pulled pork $36/lb...sausage $32/lb

  10. 9 hours ago, Wax Beer Cup said:

    OK - y’all have brought me to the dark side.  Getting an Ooni Koda tomorrow.  Before going down the homemade dough route, gonna try the Whole Foods dough first.  Bought the 16 oz pack today.  Sounds like I need to let it proof first.  Question  - for 10 inch pies, how do I need to divide the dough and how long should I let it proof?  Looks like halving it would be about right, but no idea how much it will grow while proofing.  Assuming I’m going to f it up at first, I bought several packs. Planning to experiment all weekend.  Many thanks! 

    Half should be fine. Or at least close.

    Proof around 10-12 hours minimum. Most pizzas I've made, I put the dough out the morning of the cook and it turned out just fine. But that's mostly just because I hadn't thought about it until the day of. The couple times I've planned a little more ahead, I put it out the day before and it was better. So, I'd say 12-24 hours-ish. And best results were to put it in a bowl and cover with a damp towel while it sits on the counter.

    From my experience, the times and amounts won't be what you struggle with. Hardest parts are 1) forming the crust and 2) transferring from peel to oven. Good luck.

    • Hook 'Em 2
  11. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again. Having lived in KC for several years and trying them all, KC’s best BBQ is barely Rudy’s level. Barely.

    Any other opinion is either a Kansas City homer trying to play big boy BBQ or someone who has never actually had good BBQ.

    • Hook 'Em 2
    • Like 1
  12. Just re-read the whole thread for nostalgia sake and realized I never posted updates from our trips. Went in December and April and had an amazing time both trips. Stayed at Carl Gustaf in December for 8 days, which I would highly recommend for first-timers. It's right in town and we really felt it helped us get a lay of the land not knowing anything. Stayed in a villa in Colombier for 2 weeks second trip, which was great. I think I'm team villa from here on, but there are pros and cons to both for sure.

    I've spent way too much time researching villas and hotels (and pretty much everything St Barth related). Plus I feel like we've crammed a lot into our short time there as pretty much every day consisted of some kind of beach club with lunch out during the day and some kind of restaurant at night, so hopefully I can provide some decent info. We never did the picnic on the beach thing, although we always talk about it and I really want to try that sometime. We also cooked very few meals at the villa. Way too many to list, but here are some of our favorites...

    • Restaurant - L'Isola
    • Hotel - Eden Rock (Cheval Blanc close second)
    • Beach Club - Gyp Sea
    • Day Party - Nikki Beach on a Sunday (but that's kind of an outlier as there's really nothing else like it on island)
    • Night Party - La Guerite on a Wednesday (but we've had great times at a lot of them - also, there are definitely certain nights that are better than others at certain places)

    Rented a car the first trip and never drove it. It literally sat the entire time without us ever getting it out of the hotel's valet. So, we didn't get one next trip. Had a driver take us everywhere, which we prefer, but I can see how some would prefer having a car. As others have stated, if you get a car, Mini Cooper seems to be the way to go.

    We go through San Juan and fly in on Tradewind and they are amazing. I doubt we'll ever do it any other way. It's a bitch to get to St Barth, but worth it in my opinion.

    Honestly, I don't have a negative review of anywhere we've been at all. Sometimes you get some snobby "French asshole" attitude on service, but it's pretty rare and you just have to kind of learn to deal with that being part of the culture. It can happen anywhere (except L'Isola because they're all Italian) but for the most part, everyone is lovely.

    We have definitely fallen in love with St Barth. We've made lifelong friends with people who live there and all over the world. And, although I was busting his balls in my last post, @wild_turkey showed us noobs a great time our first trip, so big props to him and his wife for showing us the way. And thanks to everyone else on this thread who got us to go. Can't wait to go back.

  13. On 6/7/2022 at 5:53 PM, tx ind said:

    B5786725-790E-489B-9ED5-0DAEFEBE2699.jpeg

    65C3B957-A7D0-49F0-9E39-7FC02358CCFD.jpeg

    Love seeing this thread bumped. Was supposed to be there right now, but had to cancel because the wife had back surgery. So, not going back until December, which is far too long. I'll have to live vicariously through you to get my fix. Enjoy and post updates.

    BTW I blame all you assholes for getting me hooked on SBH...especially @wild_turkey and Mrs Wild Turkey.

  14. On 6/9/2022 at 12:03 AM, Sam Lin said:

    Not sure which thread to use for general aviation hilarity, almost put this in the "news that reminds you of Surly" thread:

    https://www.secretflying.com/posts/girl-almost-dies-on-ba-flight-after-fellow-passenger-refused-to-stop-eating-nuts/

    FWIW I've never agreed with not serving nuts on a flight because one person was allergic. They can travel a different way or bring a positive pressure filtered rebreather, it's their health problem.

    Am I the only one who didn't realize someone could die from a nut from 30 feet away?

    • Hook 'Em 1
  15. On 6/4/2022 at 3:42 PM, Dbeasy said:

    I have a movie rule I apply that helps me appreciate and enjoy movies with flaws. I call it the Outset Rule.

    If a movie from the outset makes it clear that it’s going to veer from reality substantially, or follow unusual plot flow, I’m fine with it. That’s why I love Tarantino movies. But if the movie tries to be really realistic and sensible, but then half way thru starts becoming ridiculous, then I hate it. The Brice Willis film with the jet at the end comes to mind. 

    Ummmmm...

    MV5BZjk3YmZhMDAtOWUzMS00YjE5LTkxNzAtY2I1

    • Like 2
  16. If Gordo leaves they’re pretty clearly going out of business. That’s text book sinking ship stuff right there, for any company. Some start seeing the writing on the wall and jump ship, others ride it out a while hoping it’s not going to happen, and a handful stay until the bitter end and are the last ones there to turn out the lights on the way out.

  17. 18 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

    Maybe I am misremembering but the last I saw of the ratings was Norm killing it even though the consensus here (myself included) is that he's unlistenable.

    It's almost like there's a whole other world of people out there who aren't all just like us. Who knew?

    • Hook 'Em 1
  18. 19 hours ago, Lidig8r said:

    Well, THAT was inevitable!

    The old Carbone's filed suit in fed court today agains the hipster Carbone.

    The allegations are pretty damning. Should be interesting.

    I don't know what this could do in terms of the longevity of the hipster Carbone, but if you boys intend on going there, perhaps sooner would be better than later.

    https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Texas_Northern_District_Court/3--22-cv-01184/CARBONES_FINE_FOODS_AND_WINES_LLC/1/

    Carbone's...

    03f0a420-49e4-4c20-a367-84a388f3c864_scr

    Carbone...

    casino-robert-de-niro.jpg?fit=1280,720

    • Like 1
    • Haha 2
  19. On 5/30/2022 at 1:05 AM, C-Man said:

    Wife and I went over to a place in East Dallas tonight that her and some girlfriends are throwing a couple's shower next week. We were in need of dinner on the way back and we were driving down Henderson and decided to just stop off at Louie's for a quick, easy meal. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the cracker crust style anymore but I can't believe I used to think this was some of Dallas' best pizza. I'm completely spoiled by the homemade Neapolitan that I can make in my Ooni or get at Cane Rosso or a half-dozen other places.

    Louie's will always have a special place in my heart and it's still a great little bar but I'm passing on the pizza next time.

    Wonder if it’s changed some? I’d never been but have heard how great it is over the years. Finally gave it a shot a few months back and we were pretty whelmed. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t anything worth the greatness that we’d heard it was from several people.

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