You know the feeling you get when you have lived somewhere for a while and you realize that you haven't even tried the place around the corner even though you know a dozen people who really like it? Honestly I've had strangers recommending this place. This was me a while back so I decided not to be "that guy".
It's not much to look at from the outside and frankly not much to look at from the inside either. Not to say it's dirty or run down, it's just when you enter you feel like you haven't missed anything. We got in line, popular much, and eventually ordered. I got the club because, let's face it, if you can't make a good club then you have no business being a sub shop. What impressed me was they actually cut the meat while you wait. There is none of this pre-sliced stuff you get at most places. By the time they were done making my sandwich I was really looking forward to it.
Then they got to my wife's order of eggplant parmesan. They proceeded to take precooked zip lock bags of spaghetti out and put precooked eggplant and a sauce on it. They then took the carefully cut, although at this point it could have been anything, cheese and NUKED IT! It was horrible. I nearly cried.
At least I had my club right? No. My club sandwich which had been so carefully sliced was a poor imitation of a good sandwich. Subway please! Really though the meat was good, I just couldn't taste it all that much through the bread. If they had doubled or maybe even tripled the amount of meat they had put I might have actually enjoyed it. As it was it was a travesty.
On a possible bright side the drinks weren't as expensive as some places. Although I don't know if they had free refills or not since the guys running the place had such sour dispositions I didn't want to be around them long enough to ask.
I think I liked it better when I was "that guy". Food isn't worth what they charge and it's poorly done.
Hours: Mon - Sat: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Sun: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Location:
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Emporium Pies, Dallas, TX
Finding the place wasn't hard. There was a line of people out the door and since the streets were crowded we weren't going very fast. The street it's on jogs a little but lots of streets do that in Dallas. It's tucked into a residential neighborhood turned shopping area. This of course causes the obvious problem of parking. There isn't anywhere to park, The four spots dedicated to the shop I would guess are taken by the employees by the looks of it.
We finally parked about three blocks away since those I was with really wanted to try it and didn't mind the walk. There was still a line and people raving about how good the pies were. this made me a little hungry and hoping they weren't blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
When the line finally moved along enough we were inside the smell of fresh baked pies really hit me and I knew this was going to be a tasty treat.
Seating was very limited (6 tables) so when someone got up someone I was with snagged a table for the group. There were some grumblings from others in the line.
*edit* Apparently they have 7 tables inside. You can also sit outside, weather permitting. It was threatening to rain when we went so I really didn't consider outside to be much of an option but it about doubles the seating choices.
When I finally placed my order I though it was a bit pricy. I tipped which I later regretted since there was no real service to tip for. When I had to get up to go get my pie I soon realized it was overpriced. Sure it tasted ok but I paid for WOW. I didn't get it. Those I was with seemed to like it ok but they're a bit less picky. The Dr Love pie was a little gritty, being a chess pie, but the flavors didn't support the name. The other pie I tried was the Smooth Operator. The crust was too salty, a pretzel crust with extra salt thrown in. for $5 a slice they should have either been bigger slices or cheaper. It was barely a snack. The ice cream I had added was plain bluebell, 2 little scoops at a buck a scoop.
If you're trying to impress someone go to an ice cream shop or even La Madeleine. The teenagers working there will seem more professional and helpful and the atmosphere is a step up too.
Price breakdown: $5 - $6 a slice. $30 - $40 for a whole pie. And their site won't tell you their prices.
In short, not the best pies around. If you're looking for a whole pie for a party go to a grocery store.
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11:00am - 9:00pm
Fri - Sat 11:00am - 11:00pm
Sun 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Location 314 North Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX
Website: http://emporiumpies.com/
We finally parked about three blocks away since those I was with really wanted to try it and didn't mind the walk. There was still a line and people raving about how good the pies were. this made me a little hungry and hoping they weren't blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
When the line finally moved along enough we were inside the smell of fresh baked pies really hit me and I knew this was going to be a tasty treat.
Seating was very limited (6 tables) so when someone got up someone I was with snagged a table for the group. There were some grumblings from others in the line.
*edit* Apparently they have 7 tables inside. You can also sit outside, weather permitting. It was threatening to rain when we went so I really didn't consider outside to be much of an option but it about doubles the seating choices.
When I finally placed my order I though it was a bit pricy. I tipped which I later regretted since there was no real service to tip for. When I had to get up to go get my pie I soon realized it was overpriced. Sure it tasted ok but I paid for WOW. I didn't get it. Those I was with seemed to like it ok but they're a bit less picky. The Dr Love pie was a little gritty, being a chess pie, but the flavors didn't support the name. The other pie I tried was the Smooth Operator. The crust was too salty, a pretzel crust with extra salt thrown in. for $5 a slice they should have either been bigger slices or cheaper. It was barely a snack. The ice cream I had added was plain bluebell, 2 little scoops at a buck a scoop.
If you're trying to impress someone go to an ice cream shop or even La Madeleine. The teenagers working there will seem more professional and helpful and the atmosphere is a step up too.
Price breakdown: $5 - $6 a slice. $30 - $40 for a whole pie. And their site won't tell you their prices.
In short, not the best pies around. If you're looking for a whole pie for a party go to a grocery store.
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11:00am - 9:00pm
Fri - Sat 11:00am - 11:00pm
Sun 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Location 314 North Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX
Website: http://emporiumpies.com/
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
International Tea Masters Association
This is more or less an exact copy of the previous post on the American Tea masters Association since the name was changed to the International Tea Masters Association. I didn't feel that a simple name change should affect those trying to find out more information on this business in their endeavors to find out more about this company before spending their hard earned money on a tea tasting.
In my, and many other's, opinions you should run as fast as you can to a real tea business where they will truly help you appreciate tea among tea lovers in your area. If you travel abroad for the experience then I suggest meeting the people who live there and see how they enjoy tea. This will be not only cheaper but a much more rewarding experience since regional tea enjoyment is not something you can learn in a class but must be experienced through a social exchange. Merely going to an exotic location to learn about tea doesn't really help you learn any better than going to a Hilton, local convention center, or a Starbucks.
Mr. Kroll didn't like the last edit to this post. He recently sent me this email.
Note: There are a few messed up images from Mr. Kroll's site. He seems to have changed business names from "American Tea Masters Association" to "International Tea Masters Association". I don't know if this is because of the bad publicity this post has gotten him or if it's because he's not welcome at the World Tea Expo held in America. Either way this is really messing up the links.
Stu
The matter was about the organization but it would seem he's making no distinction between himself and the organization anymore, not that anyone can find anyone else running his organization anyway.. I would gladly ignore him and his organization if he would have just let me be.
As for unethical, that's just silly. I gain nothing by showing him up for what he is and I use a pseudonym for just this kind of situation where someone gets irate for a truthful review about him and his organization. It allows me to maintain journalistic integrity without fear of my well being. And for the who knows how many times now, it's Omli Stu, not that he cares to get it right ever.
Omli
Mr. Kroll has now decided that sending out mass spam is the best way to help his business. I have asked him several times to stop with no response. I have now removed any links to his site in his responses. As far as I can tell this was the only reason he bothered to contact me again.
All we can hope for is that he will find a better use of his time. With enough gullible people out there that's probably not going to happen.
His actions are a disgrace to the tea community and reputable businesses everywhere. He talks about the benefit to the children but the only thing I have seen from his communications is the love of the wads of cash he gets from the overpriced certifications he offers. It's no wonder his reputation is shot.
Omli
After many months of waiting and a very unfavorable comment left with this post regarding the American Tea Masters Association, Mr. Kroll has finally decided to respond to the questions posed and as promised we are updating the post to reflect such. Although not fully convinced we still need a national ceremony, the though behind it helps promote the love of tea.
We sincerely thank Mr. Kroll for his thorough response and insight.
The response was as follows:
Thank you for your email.
We're going to go off topic a little to show how this organization does not hold any credibility.
After contacting the organization about a few little matters we got no real answers back. After a little looking into the organization and the executive director of the same it looks like they certify themselves as masters. At that point I can print out any certification I want and claim I am a certified nutritionist, carpenter, lawyer, monarch, or whatever...
Below is the string of emails sent out.
No further email has been received... (email received see above)
In my, and many other's, opinions you should run as fast as you can to a real tea business where they will truly help you appreciate tea among tea lovers in your area. If you travel abroad for the experience then I suggest meeting the people who live there and see how they enjoy tea. This will be not only cheaper but a much more rewarding experience since regional tea enjoyment is not something you can learn in a class but must be experienced through a social exchange. Merely going to an exotic location to learn about tea doesn't really help you learn any better than going to a Hilton, local convention center, or a Starbucks.
Mr. Kroll didn't like the last edit to this post. He recently sent me this email.
Note: There are a few messed up images from Mr. Kroll's site. He seems to have changed business names from "American Tea Masters Association" to "International Tea Masters Association". I don't know if this is because of the bad publicity this post has gotten him or if it's because he's not welcome at the World Tea Expo held in America. Either way this is really messing up the links.
Stu
I just happened to notice your April 18th post on Diners, Dives and the Devine. I must tell you that I found it disgusting and inappropriate. Why you were unable to let this whole matter between us die a natural death after your previous post is a puzzlement. I'll simply leave it up to your readers to draw their own conclusions. Suffice it to say that I find this latest post unethical, supporting your controlling personality. Further, I challenge you to operate your blog under your real name in place of the pseudonym of Stu Omli that you are currently using.
The matter was about the organization but it would seem he's making no distinction between himself and the organization anymore, not that anyone can find anyone else running his organization anyway.. I would gladly ignore him and his organization if he would have just let me be.
As for unethical, that's just silly. I gain nothing by showing him up for what he is and I use a pseudonym for just this kind of situation where someone gets irate for a truthful review about him and his organization. It allows me to maintain journalistic integrity without fear of my well being. And for the who knows how many times now, it's Omli Stu, not that he cares to get it right ever.
Omli
Mr. Kroll has now decided that sending out mass spam is the best way to help his business. I have asked him several times to stop with no response. I have now removed any links to his site in his responses. As far as I can tell this was the only reason he bothered to contact me again.
All we can hope for is that he will find a better use of his time. With enough gullible people out there that's probably not going to happen.
His actions are a disgrace to the tea community and reputable businesses everywhere. He talks about the benefit to the children but the only thing I have seen from his communications is the love of the wads of cash he gets from the overpriced certifications he offers. It's no wonder his reputation is shot.
Omli
After many months of waiting and a very unfavorable comment left with this post regarding the American Tea Masters Association, Mr. Kroll has finally decided to respond to the questions posed and as promised we are updating the post to reflect such. Although not fully convinced we still need a national ceremony, the though behind it helps promote the love of tea.
We sincerely thank Mr. Kroll for his thorough response and insight.
The response was as follows:
Thank you for your email.
Concerning Bamboo Leaf Tea, you are correct. It is a tisane and not a true tea. I made reference to this important point in the article I published on our blog to clarify this point when I amended the article. The only reason I originally referred to it as a tea was because that was the nomenclature used by the woman who grows the bamboo in Florida and its the terminology she uses in both her company name and the name of her product. I should add that this particular article on our blog receives a very high number of views every month and is quite popular. (see: His site...).
Our use of the word decimated is a point well taken, and I have replaced it with your suggestion of using devastated.
Concerning our introduction of the American Tea Ceremony last April, I did quite a lot of research on this subject before moving forward with formalizing it. One of the things I learned was that Benjamin Franklin had proposed the concept of a formal tea ceremony in a letter to Congress back in 1779. Another thing I learned was that tea had a significant placed in American culture even before our country was founded. I went so far as to hire a tea historian to write an article about tea and its place in our culture. The article is now available on our web site (see: His site... ).
One of the primary attractions of the American Tea Ceremony as we define it is the use of glass teaware, which allows everyone present to observe the color of the tea develop as well as the leaves open gradually to release their flavor. We now use the ceremony as the protocol we follow for tasting and evaluating different teas when training individuals studying with us to become tea sommeliers and tea masters.
Perhaps of greatest significance has been my observation of the way children participate in the ceremony. Simply stated, the love both the process and the experience. It fosters love and respect, supports their growth and development, and strengthens their personal values.
I now steep all the teas I am privileged to taste and evaluate in either a glass gaiwan or a glass French press.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your original post on these matters.
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, ATMA Certified Tea Master™
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, ATMA Certified Tea Master™
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
We're going to go off topic a little to show how this organization does not hold any credibility.
After contacting the organization about a few little matters we got no real answers back. After a little looking into the organization and the executive director of the same it looks like they certify themselves as masters. At that point I can print out any certification I want and claim I am a certified nutritionist, carpenter, lawyer, monarch, or whatever...
Below is the string of emails sent out.
No further email has been received... (email received see above)
I was hoping to find out something that is redeeming about your organization. I figured you might actually have some reasons for what was stated. I don't type just to be acknowledged, I do it because I want people to think about what is written. So if you don't have anything that would be of benefit for the points brought up then don't bother to email back again. If on the other hand you have something that would help make sense of some of it then I look forward to hearing from you.
Omli
Omli
Stu,
Thank you for your emails. Your original email contained nothing but criticism. People, myself included, thrive on acknowledgement. Since you had nothing positive to say in that email, I choose not to have anything further to do with you.
Blessings,
Chas
I hope this was an automated response. Otherwise your entire organization has just dropped in my esteem to just below a knitting group.
When responding to a message, especially one pointing out problems, you should address the problems even if you don't see them as a problem on your end. in doing so you show a little respect to the feelings of others and it helps to at least resolve those.
This response makes me feel like you don't respect people, tea, or education.
If you wish to give a constructive and honest response I will be glad to read it.
Omli
Sid,
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, Certified Tea Master
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Chas Kroll, Certified Tea Master
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Achieving Professional Tea Mastery Through Training, Education & Certification
On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 12:44 PM, American Tea Masters Association <his site> wrote:
.
Subject: Bamboo Tea Article & American Tea Ceremony
Message Body:
First off an association that claims to be educating and training people should vet it's own articles.
There are several things in this article that shouldn't have gone out the door.
First off is the point that if you are making a drink out of bamboo at best it's a tisane.
Second, an area that's decimated is still in pretty good shape. To decimate is to bring humiliation upon by force to show superiority. Originally it was the reducing of an army by 10% or every tenth man. A more appropriate word may be devastated. It's another "d" word but means something completely different.
On a side note, I have heard about the American Tea Ceremony and think it's a joke. Ceremonies surrounding tea are cultural and are there for a reason, usually superstitious but with a reasonable beginning. To start a tea ceremony in this country is to make fun of real tea ceremonies around the world.
For instance pouring the tea on some of the old pots actually helped keep the pot in good shape. Instead of trying to explain this to a child though superstitions rose up as a quick way to say because I said so since the child can't refute what no one really can explain.
From the contact page
--
This mail is sent via contact form on American Tea Masters hsi site
Email sent April 17, 2013 @ 7:44 pm
For any requests, please contact him...
.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Phillip's Seafood, Baltimore, Maryland
We only planned to have a quick snack since we had just gotten off of the boat and were still feeling the effects of being able to have a hamburger or two at two o'clock in the morning. But we had been walking around the harbor area for a couple hours at this point and decided a little snack would be good.
There wasn't a line to wait in so we entered what looked like it might be a slightly fancy restaurant and asked for a table. We were seated at an outside table, not that we weren't dressed well enough but it was a nice place to sit, and the menu prices were a little high. I ended up ordering the crab soup thinking it might be ok since we were by the bay which was attached at least to the ocean. I also had just bought a magnet with a crab soup recipe on it, which I still haven't tried.
I was more than happy with the soup and can't think of why I haven't tried the recipe I got even still. It's probably because there is so much else going on that I just either don't have the time or the ingredients when I do. It's been a while and I don't really remember what else we ate but it was all delicious, the crab soup was just that much better.
It goes without saying that this place was situated in a good place, a seafood restaurant on the water, but it needs to be mentioned that the service was good too. We were never waiting around to see where our server had gotten off to.
As far as parking was concerned I didn't see a lot of places to park but since we were taking the trolley it didn't bother us any. The train stop was some ways away though and isn't an ideal way to get there if you aren't going to be looking around as well. If you find yourself in the area you really should at least have a cup of soup.
Hours: Mon–Thurs 11am – 10pm
Fri –Sat 11am – 11pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm
Location: 601 E. Pratt St, Baltimore, MD
Website: http://www.phillipsseafood.com/locations-and-menus/baltimore
Fri –Sat 11am – 11pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm
Location: 601 E. Pratt St, Baltimore, MD
Website: http://www.phillipsseafood.com/locations-and-menus/baltimore
Review Map Complete
We've finally got the map updated with all of the restaurants reviewed so far. Now you can look and see where you're headed and see if there is a recommended place to eat or stay away from at a glance. Of course everyone's tastes are different so don't necessarily take our word for it. Try some of these places out for yourself and let us know what you think.
http://diners-dives-divine.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
If you've been somewhere and want to tell us about it we may even start putting up guest posts. We would want you to be honest about any experience both good and bad with information similar to what we're already putting up.
Have fun and eat well.
http://diners-dives-divine.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
If you've been somewhere and want to tell us about it we may even start putting up guest posts. We would want you to be honest about any experience both good and bad with information similar to what we're already putting up.
Have fun and eat well.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Board Game Island, Galveston, TX
This was not one of the places we had intended to go when we planned our trip but it was one of the more interesting places we found and right near a lot of places we did intend to go to. We had to turn around once though since the sign is obscured by trees and not very big. We didn't even know it was there except for the ad in the local tourist fliers. They had a list of the nightly events and we wanted to check it out.
They really do have a wall of games you can play although if you don't bring your own players you might have a hard time getting a good game going. Just face it, people are shy and don't know how to interact with people they don't know. The first time we went in we were more or less by ourselves for the most part with occasional diners. The second time though the place was nearly half full of people playing all sorts of games, the theme seems to be merely a suggestion and not so much organized. They know a lot of the games but you are also about as likely to find one they've never played yet. With over 500 games that's bound to happen. Learning a game a week that would take almost ten years to learn them all and by the end of it most of that would have been forgotten.
The place was pretty clean and the treats in the display case will make your mouth water. Everything we ate there was pretty good and they just keep track of what you got and you pay when you leave. I of course tried the club sandwich, no hamburger, which was surprisingly good. I usually try this sandwich since it's one of those sandwiches that anyone should be able to make well if they can prepare food at all. We also tried their pita and hummus and a slice of cake. All top notch.
Pricing was fair, $7.95 for the club and a few bucks for the treats. The drinks were a little high though nearing three dollars for an iced tea.
As long as you go in the evenings past 6:00 you can park on the street for free. Before that it cost a little but it shouldn't break the bank. There isn't any specific parking for this place so the street is really your only option unless you find a lot nearby you prefer.
Long story short, when the mosquitoes drive you indoors as the sun begins to set, this is a great little place to be driven into. Play a game, have some food, and when the poor little buggers are tired of flying around you can make a dash for wherever you're staying. For us that was usually around closing time.
Hours: Sun - Thurs 11:00am - 10:00pm
Fri - Sat 11:00am - 12:00am
Location: 213 23rd Street, Galveston, TX
Website: http://www.boardgameisland.com/
They really do have a wall of games you can play although if you don't bring your own players you might have a hard time getting a good game going. Just face it, people are shy and don't know how to interact with people they don't know. The first time we went in we were more or less by ourselves for the most part with occasional diners. The second time though the place was nearly half full of people playing all sorts of games, the theme seems to be merely a suggestion and not so much organized. They know a lot of the games but you are also about as likely to find one they've never played yet. With over 500 games that's bound to happen. Learning a game a week that would take almost ten years to learn them all and by the end of it most of that would have been forgotten.
The place was pretty clean and the treats in the display case will make your mouth water. Everything we ate there was pretty good and they just keep track of what you got and you pay when you leave. I of course tried the club sandwich, no hamburger, which was surprisingly good. I usually try this sandwich since it's one of those sandwiches that anyone should be able to make well if they can prepare food at all. We also tried their pita and hummus and a slice of cake. All top notch.
Pricing was fair, $7.95 for the club and a few bucks for the treats. The drinks were a little high though nearing three dollars for an iced tea.
As long as you go in the evenings past 6:00 you can park on the street for free. Before that it cost a little but it shouldn't break the bank. There isn't any specific parking for this place so the street is really your only option unless you find a lot nearby you prefer.
Long story short, when the mosquitoes drive you indoors as the sun begins to set, this is a great little place to be driven into. Play a game, have some food, and when the poor little buggers are tired of flying around you can make a dash for wherever you're staying. For us that was usually around closing time.
Hours: Sun - Thurs 11:00am - 10:00pm
Fri - Sat 11:00am - 12:00am
Location: 213 23rd Street, Galveston, TX
Website: http://www.boardgameisland.com/
Monday, September 16, 2013
Shrimp 'N Stuff, Galveston, TX
I don't think I need glasses just yet but it was a little confusing finding this place, not because it's a bad location but because it's on Avenue O which looks a lot like Avenue Q if you aren't paying very good attention. An easy way to tell the difference is Avenue O is a one way street and Avenue Q isn't. If you find yourself on the wrong street just go two blocks north and you're there.
As their site says, they've got good prices on good food. When you order a po-boy you get more than will really fit in the bun they put it on. It was a little farther from the hotel than we would have liked but they're in a great location for business. If I ever move to Galveston I know what area I'm moving to.
When we got there it was a little busy but the line moved along quickly and we were ordering before we knew it. Drinks were serve yourself and the meal was picked up at the window inside. It didn't take too long to come out considering the traffic of people.
For some reason you just can't get seafood anywhere like the coast. There have been some places that messed it up even then but this place wasn't one of them. I could have eaten their popcorn shrimp and hush puppies until I popped but we had places to go. Their bread was fresh and everything was cooked just right.
Parking was a little iffy. If you get there when someone is leaving or if they're not too busy then you're good to go. The parking is angled parking from the street so you're backing out into traffic but the streets aren't that busy. I wouldn't take a little car just in case it scrapes the ground.
Prces as mentioned were fair.A shrimp po-boy is only $5.99. They would probably charge $8-$9 up here and not be half as good. $2.00 for drinks with free refills.
If you're in town for more than a day you have to check this place out.
Hours: Sun - Thurs 10:30am - 9:30pm
Fri - Sat 10:30am - 10:30pm
Location 3901 Avenue O, Galveston, TX
Website: http://www.shrimpnstuff.com
As their site says, they've got good prices on good food. When you order a po-boy you get more than will really fit in the bun they put it on. It was a little farther from the hotel than we would have liked but they're in a great location for business. If I ever move to Galveston I know what area I'm moving to.
When we got there it was a little busy but the line moved along quickly and we were ordering before we knew it. Drinks were serve yourself and the meal was picked up at the window inside. It didn't take too long to come out considering the traffic of people.
For some reason you just can't get seafood anywhere like the coast. There have been some places that messed it up even then but this place wasn't one of them. I could have eaten their popcorn shrimp and hush puppies until I popped but we had places to go. Their bread was fresh and everything was cooked just right.
Parking was a little iffy. If you get there when someone is leaving or if they're not too busy then you're good to go. The parking is angled parking from the street so you're backing out into traffic but the streets aren't that busy. I wouldn't take a little car just in case it scrapes the ground.
Prces as mentioned were fair.A shrimp po-boy is only $5.99. They would probably charge $8-$9 up here and not be half as good. $2.00 for drinks with free refills.
If you're in town for more than a day you have to check this place out.
Hours: Sun - Thurs 10:30am - 9:30pm
Fri - Sat 10:30am - 10:30pm
Location 3901 Avenue O, Galveston, TX
Website: http://www.shrimpnstuff.com
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Papa's Pizza, Galveston, TX
By the time we got into Galveston we had been driving for a while and wanted something quick to eat. First thing that came to mind was fast food but the wife already had a plan. When we were about twenty minutes away she ordered pizza from a place on the sea wall and more or less on the way to the hotel.
Galveston is of course easy to navigate and I could see the pizza being put into boxes and stacked as we drove up and parked right at the front door. The place was in pretty good shape and clean as could be. The guy behind the counter greeted me and asked if we were there to pick up. He also told up about the great $6.99 lunch buffet they have which we were not able to make, not for not trying either, there's just so much we wanted to do.
When we got the pizza to the hotel the second thing I did was eat pizza. It was still hot and the crust was perfect. I'm glad they don't have one near the house or I would have a hard time convincing myself to cook. We only ate half of the pizza that night and saved the other half for the next day. Even reheated it was pretty tasty. I just wish we had remembered to bring the plates, small microwave and big pizza box don't mix very well.
Parking was easy when we wend but I don't know how it is at lunch, since as I said we never made it by for lunch. It was in as good a shape as you can expect not being new.
Pricing was good especially with a coupon. Two pizzas for under $15.00. The lunch buffet would probably be about the same even without a coupon so either way you go you should be pretty happy.
This place will definitely be a first pick option for our next visit to the island. Maybe we'll even get to do the buffet.
Hours: Sun - Thrus 10:30 am - 10:00 pm - Fri & Sat 10:30 am - 11:00 pm
Buffet: 11 am - 2 pm
Location: 4400 Seawall, Galveston, TX
Monday, September 9, 2013
Home Cut Doughnuts, Galveston, Texas
There are actually some people out there who don't like a good doughnut. I've met them and I still think they're kidding. Going on vacation I wanted to find a good doughnut place so I could at least have them for breakfast once. The wife has really got some brownie points for this since she found a place that we not only liked but went back to just about daily while we were there.
The place was Home Cut Doughnuts. It can be a little tricky at first if you don't know where you're going but the easiest way to find it is from the seawall. Galveston is a numbered grid and this makes it easy if you get lost, just follow the numbers and letters and you can't loose, until they start actually using names... Anyway, from the seawall take 69th, for those who don't know there is only one way to go from the seawall, it is after all a wall. This will tee in to Stewart Road which if followed down eventually becomes Avenue S. Take a right on Stewart. As soon as Stewart starts curving to the right you're just about there. Home Cut is on the right side in the middle of the curve.
When you arrive it looks like an ok place to eat, nothing fancy. There were always cars around though and the people were often greeted by name, not only does that show a loyal clientele but a friendly staff who love their jobs. By the time we were heading home they not only remembered us but asked us how some of our other ventures were going we had mentioned.
It was never slammed when we visited but by the end of the day the selection starts to dwindle. You can sit at one of two counters which have stools in a U shape around them or take them to go. This is a much better deal after 2:00 when doughnuts become a BOGO deal. This does not include the fancy or filled varieties, just the normal glazed, sprinkled, and flavored varieties. I just had to try the fritter to begin with, again I've been looking for a good apple fritter but they still didn't quite make the mark, that being said it was one of the best fritters I've had in a while, I got another one. I also tried the eclair, Boston cream of course, and was not disappointed at all. The wife is more of a sausage and jalapeno girl and everything she ate there was excellent.
Although they do a good business there the parking space is better than expected for the island but the parking condition isn't that good. The parking spaces aren't a problem but when you want to leave there's no real good way to do it. If you pull around the back of the building the slope is a bit steep and even then all the parking seems to face away from the street making exiting feel odd. You have to get out somehow though and there was never a problem with other cars.
Pricing was reasonable. One doughnut is $0.60, a half dozen is $3.00. If you get a full dozen it's the same a getting two halves. The fancy doughnuts like the eclair and fritter I can't recall but they weren't an arm and a leg. As mentioned after 2:00 is BOGO on regular doughnuts to go.
Next time we're in town I know where my breakfast is coming from.
Hours: 7 days a week 5 am - 5 pm
Location: 6807 Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX
The place was Home Cut Doughnuts. It can be a little tricky at first if you don't know where you're going but the easiest way to find it is from the seawall. Galveston is a numbered grid and this makes it easy if you get lost, just follow the numbers and letters and you can't loose, until they start actually using names... Anyway, from the seawall take 69th, for those who don't know there is only one way to go from the seawall, it is after all a wall. This will tee in to Stewart Road which if followed down eventually becomes Avenue S. Take a right on Stewart. As soon as Stewart starts curving to the right you're just about there. Home Cut is on the right side in the middle of the curve.
When you arrive it looks like an ok place to eat, nothing fancy. There were always cars around though and the people were often greeted by name, not only does that show a loyal clientele but a friendly staff who love their jobs. By the time we were heading home they not only remembered us but asked us how some of our other ventures were going we had mentioned.
It was never slammed when we visited but by the end of the day the selection starts to dwindle. You can sit at one of two counters which have stools in a U shape around them or take them to go. This is a much better deal after 2:00 when doughnuts become a BOGO deal. This does not include the fancy or filled varieties, just the normal glazed, sprinkled, and flavored varieties. I just had to try the fritter to begin with, again I've been looking for a good apple fritter but they still didn't quite make the mark, that being said it was one of the best fritters I've had in a while, I got another one. I also tried the eclair, Boston cream of course, and was not disappointed at all. The wife is more of a sausage and jalapeno girl and everything she ate there was excellent.
Although they do a good business there the parking space is better than expected for the island but the parking condition isn't that good. The parking spaces aren't a problem but when you want to leave there's no real good way to do it. If you pull around the back of the building the slope is a bit steep and even then all the parking seems to face away from the street making exiting feel odd. You have to get out somehow though and there was never a problem with other cars.
Pricing was reasonable. One doughnut is $0.60, a half dozen is $3.00. If you get a full dozen it's the same a getting two halves. The fancy doughnuts like the eclair and fritter I can't recall but they weren't an arm and a leg. As mentioned after 2:00 is BOGO on regular doughnuts to go.
Next time we're in town I know where my breakfast is coming from.
Hours: 7 days a week 5 am - 5 pm
Location: 6807 Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Trip to Galveston Texas
Planning a trip to Galveston next month. Can't really say when but if you have a restaurant you want checked out let me know and I'll see what I can do. I'll be in town for a few days so I will hopefully get to a few places before I have to head home.
I know several places have changed over the years so we'll see if they've kept up to snuff on the eateries down there.
Email all requests to sid216@hotmail.com and put in the subject line "Galveston Eats".
I know several places have changed over the years so we'll see if they've kept up to snuff on the eateries down there.
Email all requests to sid216@hotmail.com and put in the subject line "Galveston Eats".
Thursday, April 18, 2013
American Tea Masters Association
Mr. Kroll didn't like the last edit to this post. He recently sent me this email.
Note: There are a few messed up images from Mr. Kroll's site. He seems to have changed business names from "American Tea Masters Association" to "International Tea Masters Association". I don't know if this is because of the bad publicity this post has gotten him or if it's because he's not welcome at the World Tea Expo held in America. Either way this is really messing up the links.
Stu
The matter was about the organization but it would seem he's making no distinction between himself and the organization anymore, not that anyone can find anyone else running his organization anyway.. I would gladly ignore him and his organization if he would have just let me be.
As for unethical, that's just silly. I gain nothing by showing him up for what he is and I use a pseudonym for just this kind of situation where someone gets irate for a truthful review about him and his organization. It allows me to maintain journalistic integrity without fear of my well being. And for the who knows how many times now, it's Omli Stu, not that he cares to get it right ever.
Omli
Mr. Kroll has now decided that sending out mass spam is the best way to help his business. I have asked him several times to stop with no response. I have now removed any links to his site in his responses. As far as I can tell this was the only reason he bothered to contact me again.
All we can hope for is that he will find a better use of his time. With enough gullible people out there that's probably not going to happen.
His actions are a disgrace to the tea community and reputable businesses everywhere. He talks about the benefit to the children but the only thing I have seen from his communications is the love of the wads of cash he gets from the overpriced certifications he offers. It's no wonder his reputation is shot.
Omli
After many months of waiting and a very unfavorable comment left with this post regarding the American Tea Masters Association, Mr. Kroll has finally decided to respond to the questions posed and as promised we are updating the post to reflect such. Although not fully convinced we still need a national ceremony, the though behind it helps promote the love of tea.
We sincerely thank Mr. Kroll for his thorough response and insight.
The response was as follows:
Thank you for your email.
We're going to go off topic a little to show how this organization does not hold any credibility.
After contacting the organization about a few little matters we got no real answers back. After a little looking into the organization and the executive director of the same it looks like they certify themselves as masters. At that point I can print out any certification I want and claim I am a certified nutritionist, carpenter, lawyer, monarch, or whatever...
Below is the string of emails sent out.
No further email has been received... (email received see above)
Note: There are a few messed up images from Mr. Kroll's site. He seems to have changed business names from "American Tea Masters Association" to "International Tea Masters Association". I don't know if this is because of the bad publicity this post has gotten him or if it's because he's not welcome at the World Tea Expo held in America. Either way this is really messing up the links.
Stu
I just happened to notice your April 18th post on Diners, Dives and the Devine. I must tell you that I found it disgusting and inappropriate. Why you were unable to let this whole matter between us die a natural death after your previous post is a puzzlement. I'll simply leave it up to your readers to draw their own conclusions. Suffice it to say that I find this latest post unethical, supporting your controlling personality. Further, I challenge you to operate your blog under your real name in place of the pseudonym of Stu Omli that you are currently using.
The matter was about the organization but it would seem he's making no distinction between himself and the organization anymore, not that anyone can find anyone else running his organization anyway.. I would gladly ignore him and his organization if he would have just let me be.
As for unethical, that's just silly. I gain nothing by showing him up for what he is and I use a pseudonym for just this kind of situation where someone gets irate for a truthful review about him and his organization. It allows me to maintain journalistic integrity without fear of my well being. And for the who knows how many times now, it's Omli Stu, not that he cares to get it right ever.
Omli
Mr. Kroll has now decided that sending out mass spam is the best way to help his business. I have asked him several times to stop with no response. I have now removed any links to his site in his responses. As far as I can tell this was the only reason he bothered to contact me again.
All we can hope for is that he will find a better use of his time. With enough gullible people out there that's probably not going to happen.
His actions are a disgrace to the tea community and reputable businesses everywhere. He talks about the benefit to the children but the only thing I have seen from his communications is the love of the wads of cash he gets from the overpriced certifications he offers. It's no wonder his reputation is shot.
Omli
After many months of waiting and a very unfavorable comment left with this post regarding the American Tea Masters Association, Mr. Kroll has finally decided to respond to the questions posed and as promised we are updating the post to reflect such. Although not fully convinced we still need a national ceremony, the though behind it helps promote the love of tea.
We sincerely thank Mr. Kroll for his thorough response and insight.
The response was as follows:
Thank you for your email.
Concerning Bamboo Leaf Tea, you are correct. It is a tisane and not a true tea. I made reference to this important point in the article I published on our blog to clarify this point when I amended the article. The only reason I originally referred to it as a tea was because that was the nomenclature used by the woman who grows the bamboo in Florida and its the terminology she uses in both her company name and the name of her product. I should add that this particular article on our blog receives a very high number of views every month and is quite popular. (see: His site...).
Our use of the word decimated is a point well taken, and I have replaced it with your suggestion of using devastated.
Concerning our introduction of the American Tea Ceremony last April, I did quite a lot of research on this subject before moving forward with formalizing it. One of the things I learned was that Benjamin Franklin had proposed the concept of a formal tea ceremony in a letter to Congress back in 1779. Another thing I learned was that tea had a significant placed in American culture even before our country was founded. I went so far as to hire a tea historian to write an article about tea and its place in our culture. The article is now available on our web site (see: His site... ).
One of the primary attractions of the American Tea Ceremony as we define it is the use of glass teaware, which allows everyone present to observe the color of the tea develop as well as the leaves open gradually to release their flavor. We now use the ceremony as the protocol we follow for tasting and evaluating different teas when training individuals studying with us to become tea sommeliers and tea masters.
Perhaps of greatest significance has been my observation of the way children participate in the ceremony. Simply stated, the love both the process and the experience. It fosters love and respect, supports their growth and development, and strengthens their personal values.
I now steep all the teas I am privileged to taste and evaluate in either a glass gaiwan or a glass French press.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your original post on these matters.
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, ATMA Certified Tea Master™
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, ATMA Certified Tea Master™
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
We're going to go off topic a little to show how this organization does not hold any credibility.
After contacting the organization about a few little matters we got no real answers back. After a little looking into the organization and the executive director of the same it looks like they certify themselves as masters. At that point I can print out any certification I want and claim I am a certified nutritionist, carpenter, lawyer, monarch, or whatever...
Below is the string of emails sent out.
No further email has been received... (email received see above)
I was hoping to find out something that is redeeming about your organization. I figured you might actually have some reasons for what was stated. I don't type just to be acknowledged, I do it because I want people to think about what is written. So if you don't have anything that would be of benefit for the points brought up then don't bother to email back again. If on the other hand you have something that would help make sense of some of it then I look forward to hearing from you.
Omli
Omli
Stu,
Thank you for your emails. Your original email contained nothing but criticism. People, myself included, thrive on acknowledgement. Since you had nothing positive to say in that email, I choose not to have anything further to do with you.
Blessings,
Chas
I hope this was an automated response. Otherwise your entire organization has just dropped in my esteem to just below a knitting group.
When responding to a message, especially one pointing out problems, you should address the problems even if you don't see them as a problem on your end. in doing so you show a little respect to the feelings of others and it helps to at least resolve those.
This response makes me feel like you don't respect people, tea, or education.
If you wish to give a constructive and honest response I will be glad to read it.
Omli
Sid,
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Chas Kroll, Certified Tea Master
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Chas Kroll, Certified Tea Master
Executive Director
American Tea Masters Association
Achieving Professional Tea Mastery Through Training, Education & Certification
On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 12:44 PM, American Tea Masters Association <his site> wrote:
.
Subject: Bamboo Tea Article & American Tea Ceremony
Message Body:
First off an association that claims to be educating and training people should vet it's own articles.
There are several things in this article that shouldn't have gone out the door.
First off is the point that if you are making a drink out of bamboo at best it's a tisane.
Second, an area that's decimated is still in pretty good shape. To decimate is to bring humiliation upon by force to show superiority. Originally it was the reducing of an army by 10% or every tenth man. A more appropriate word may be devastated. It's another "d" word but means something completely different.
On a side note, I have heard about the American Tea Ceremony and think it's a joke. Ceremonies surrounding tea are cultural and are there for a reason, usually superstitious but with a reasonable beginning. To start a tea ceremony in this country is to make fun of real tea ceremonies around the world.
For instance pouring the tea on some of the old pots actually helped keep the pot in good shape. Instead of trying to explain this to a child though superstitions rose up as a quick way to say because I said so since the child can't refute what no one really can explain.
From the contact page
--
This mail is sent via contact form on American Tea Masters hsi site
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