Unexpected Pleasures

It's Sunday night and we've had a wonderful weekend. We had two great big surprises. First of all, Katy and Our Little Princesses came to visit. Travis had a busy weekend which included some continuing education classes and his poker night, so they took the opportunity to visit us.

On Friday, while I was working, my phone rang and the caller ID said it was my nephew James from the Dallas area. I must admit that the first thought that went through my head was that someone must be dead. James is my eldest brother's son. We see each other at reunions, weddings, and funerals. So, to get a phone call from him was a first. Turns out, he and his family were in town for the weekend and wanted to get together. We arranged to meet for lunch on Saturday at Fajitaville on the beach.

We have eaten at Fajitaville several times now. Its casual atmosphere with an open air restaurant and bar on the first floor keeps pulling us back. The food and service have continued to improve every time we've been there. Saturday, the food was exceptionally good. I had the catfish fingers. I think it was the best catfish I've ever had.

It was sunny and warm, but very windy. We sat outside and visited while Our Little Princesses frolicked on the beach.

As you can see from the photos, Princess E continues to love life at the beach.She was so overcome with joy that she literally whirled in the sand. I'm pretty sure that when she's a teenager, she can be enticed to spend a lot of time visiting Grams and Grandad. I know she's definitely a beach bunny in training. Meanwhile, Princess J loves to jump. She will climb on the bed or sofa or anything else that's bouncy and jump up and down. Her family sometimes chants "Jump, jump, Princess J" as she jumps through the house. She thought the washer-toss games were there for her jumping pleasure and proceeded to jump off the elevated ends over and over again.

It turns out that James and his family were here with their son Benjamin and his scout troop. They stay overnight Saturday night on the USS Lexington. The museum, located on board the decommissioned aircraft carrier known as the blue ghost, is right on Corpus Christi Bay. If you're coming to visit, you definitely should include a trip to the museum. One of their most popular programs is allowing scout troops to camp overnight on board the ship. I must admit, I'm a little jealous. I would love to stay on board overnight. The ship is purported to be haunted. It was even featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters. I have been on board the ship several times, but never overnight. The tours are interesting and there is even an IMAX theater on board.

The museum was also used for filming the aircraft carrier scenes for Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Alec Baldwin. When they were in town, you would hear gossip about where they were eating lunch or dinner. I never ran into any of them though. Darn the bad luck. 

We had expected to spend a quiet weekend just hanging out at home. I probably should have been sewing. I still have two crib sheets to finish for my friend Kandyce, who is due in less than three weeks now.

I'll be very busy this week with substitute teaching a kindergarten class. School is already starting to wind down for the year. We're already in our last six weeks.

I hope there were a few unexpected pleasures in your weekends too. We thoroughly enjoyed ours.

Restaurant Review - Fajitaville Grille

Grandad and I dine out regularly, usually 2-3 times a week. We go out every Friday night and frequently on Thursday or Saturday. Our Friday night dinner group, which includes my mother-in-law and our next-door neighbors, tries to "mix it up" by going someplace different on a regular basis. We eat at chain restaurants as well as local places. We are not picky eaters, we like good food and a quiet atmosphere. And, we're almost always willing to give a new restaurant a second chance. If we try a place and don't really love it at first, we'll wait a few months and then go try it again, especially if it's a new restaurant. Corpus Christi is well known for mobbing a new place for the first few weeks, making it difficult to get a table. Then business slows down and it gets easier.

This past Friday night, we went to a fairly new restaurant located on North Beach. Fajitaville is a three-story restaurant that sits right on the beach. In fact, the first floor Bamboo Beach Bar is an open-air bar where you can have your cocktail while you enjoy the ocean breeze and the rhythm of the nearby waves. You can also opt to enjoy your dinner there with a variety of choices including appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, and sandwiches.

We opted for the second-floor grill which offers an extensive menu including all kinds of fajitas, seafood, steaks, and Mexican food. Three of us ordered beef fajitas and one ordered chicken fajitas. They were served in a sizzling skillet with sauteed mushrooms, green and red bell peppers, and onions with sides of pico de gallo, shredded cheese, Spanish rice, refried beans, and your choice of flour or corn tortillas. The portions were extremely generous. Each skillet would easily have served two people. The fajitas were well-trimmed and perfectly cooked. We brought home enough to have dinner again last night and there is still enough for one more taco tonight.

My mother-in-law had the fried shrimp, which was the special that night. It came with seven large fried shrimp and a side salad. I didn't notice what other side came with it, but she also took a to-go box home. She said the shrimp was good.

We ordered one dessert which was split among the five of us. The Caribbean Bananas were really, really good. Warm bananas simmered in orange and brandy sauce served with vanilla bean ice cream. YUM!

The second and third floors are easily accessible by elevator. In fact, the hostess greets you as you walk up to the restaurant, joins you in the elevator, and escorts you right to your table. It was a nice touch.

Our waiter was helpful and friendly. The only complaint I have was that several of us tried to order pork medallions, then pork fajitas. Neither item was available. The waiter explained that they were in the process of changing their menu this weekend. I hope the new menus arrive before we go back. There is little that irritates me more than ordering something off the menu that is not available.

Perhaps the best thing about Fajitaville is the view of Corpus Christi Bay. It's nothing short of gorgeous. Sadly, they have chosen to install large televisions in every dining room and the bar. I could see three large flat-screens from where I was seated. When you have a gorgeous view of the ocean, do you really need the distraction of television screens? Keep your televisions in the bar, but leave them out of the dining room.

The addition of multiple televisions seems to be a trend in all the restaurants around Corpus Christi and it's a trend that I really hate. If I want to watch television while I eat dinner, I'll order my meal to go and pull up my own tv tray at home. When I'm dining out with friends I want to enjoy the conversation and the ambiance of the restaurant.

The food was definitely good enough to warrant a return visit. Next time my kids are home, we'll take them. I know they will enjoy the open-air bar right on the beach.

You can visit Fajitaville Grille at 221 South Hotel Place, Corpus Christi, Texas. They are currently undergoing some renovations. We found the parking lot somewhat tricky to navigate. The three-story building is brightly colored and stands out so it's easy to see, but you have to go around a hotel to find the parking lot. They could use some additional signage on the corner.

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this restaurant review. We paid for our dinner. All opinions are my own.

2011

As 2011 dwindles down to mere hours, I thought I would take a minute and look back over the year that was. I'm going try to just hit the high spots.

Grandad had yet another cardiac ablation last January. It has taken all year, but the good news is that finally, after so many procedures I've just about lost count, his heart has healed. He's feeling tons better. Now we just have to work on his stamina and endurance. Our kids got us new bicycles for Christmas, so we'll start with those and move on to walking.

Grandad assembling the new wagon while OLP strikes a pose. He would not have been able to do this a year ago.

In April we welcomed the newest member of our growing family, June Frances. Named after two of her great grandmothers, she came into the world on Monday, April 11, while I ate lunch. Seriously, I left the labor unit and went downstairs to get a sandwich for me and for Travis. While I was gone, Katy delivered her without the benefit of an epidural. It seems the doctor "missed" when he injected the medication.

Katy with June Frances ... Her Highness ... Kid Destructo ... can't really settle on the nickname

In June our daughter-in-law, Marie, received the sacrament of confirmation. We spent the weekend in Houston to witness to this beautiful ceremony. It was held in a beautiful new church in the Diocese of Houston where the ministers dressed in traditional Philippine vestments. We were delighted to see Marie finish this step in her faith formation.

Nick & Marie at her confirmation

At the end of June, we traveled to North Carolina for the wedding of my niece, Andrea in Charlotte. We went a couple of days early and visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. I had long wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate and it did not disappoint. I was amazed at its size and grandeur. The gardens were spectacular! Well worth the trip.

Andrea & Louis

Grandad and I have made a concerted effort to enjoy living in Corpus Christi. We saw the 4th of July fireworks over Corpus Christi Bay, we attended the annual free performance of Handel's Messiah, Katy, Travis and I walked across the Harbor Bridge, we've attended several local theater performances, and we took Our Little Princess to the Texas State Aquarium. Corpus Christi really is a great place to live so we've decided to embrace living here.

Our Little Princess at the Texas State Aquarium

Late summer was a time for reunions. In August we gathered with members of the Morgan Avenue Baptist Church Youth Group from the 1970s. It was great to reconnect with old friends ... so much better than a high school reunion. In September we gathered with the Skelton Family for our second annual reunion. Getting to know these cousins has really been a blessing. It's kind of funny how alike we are even though we haven't seen each other for years.

Around the first of October I launched my Etsy shop. It's been more successful than I expected. I've sold all but one of the dresses I started with and I have an order for quite a few more. Stock is very low right now, but I expect to have more dresses for sale soon.

I've been working hard to de-clutter and reorganize my house. It's a much bigger job than I expected, but we had a fairly successful garage sale earlier this month and hope to have another one in the next couple of months. We also packed up quite of few boxes of "stuff" that our kids left here when they moved out and delivered them to their houses. I reclaimed both of their closets and am in the process of organizing my sewing and crafts utilizing the newly reclaimed space.

We have been blessed with good health for our children and grandchildren. It's been a tough year for some of our dear friends. We have two friends who have children who have serious illness. My good friend Sandy's 6-year-old grandson Liam is now in hospice care. And my friend and neighbor Deanna's 16-year-old grandson Jack has had relapse of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's already beat it once and is now fighting it for the second time. Both of these families are on our hearts and minds daily.

Christmas was wonderful and we're ending the year with Grams and Pop-Pop's Rockin' Toddler New Year's Eve. It's the first year and will hopefully become a family tradition. We're keeping the kids this weekend while their parents enjoy a weekend without kids, culminating in New Year's Eve celebrations. We've had a lot of fun so far. The weather has been perfect. We've toured the neighborhood in the new wagon we got the girls for Christmas. Today we went to the park for playtime. And we finished up tonight with a trip over the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. Our Little Princess has named it "the rainbow bridge." We'll take them to church and breakfast tomorrow morning. Sometime tomorrow afternoon, we'll meet Katy and Travis in Three Rivers and make the exchange.

New Year's Eve with Our Little Princess and Her Highness

I mentioned "the rainbow bridge" above. It is Our Little Princess' favorite Christmas thing in Corpus Christi. It was lit with a partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Corpus Christi, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and American Bank. It is spectacular. Every night Our Little Princess asks Grandad if we can drive across the rainbow bridge. I took a few photos with my cell phone. They don't do it justice, but you'll get the idea.The entire show takes about 15 minutes to watch.

Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge - Our Little Princess' Rainbow Bridge

It's about 11:10 p.m. and both girls are finally sleeping, almost time to pop the cork on the bubbly and toast the new year. There are fireworks going off very nearby even though there is a burn ban in almost every county in Texas. Burn ban or not, if they wake up our babies I'm going out to kick some serious butt.

Here's wishing you a Happy New Year, a safe and fun celebration tonight, and a prosperous, healthy, and happy 2012.

La Fogata Grill - Corpus Christi Restaurant Review

Our Friday night dinner group chose La Fogata Grill for our weekly dinner. La Fogata is located at 6644 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi. We arrived around 6:15 and our party of five was seated with no wait. As a matter of fact, I don't believe there was a wait for anyone the entire time we were there even though there were a couple of large parties.

Mary Lou and Grams started with the Friday night special $1.50 frozen margaritas. They were delicious and very generously sized.

As soon as we were seated, the waitress immediately served complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa is mild and tasty. If I had any complaint at all, it would be that the chips were not overly fresh and were unsalted. We also ordered chili con queso which was served with an order of flour tortilla chips. The queso and chips were exceptionally good. In fact, the queso was so good I was tempted to eat it with a spoon.

Each of the five members of our party ordered a different entree. So, while I didn't taste everyone's food, I think I got a good idea of how good a variety of their meals were.

Grandad had the beef enchiladas which arrived on a large rectangular plate. The plate had three enchiladas which were served with rice and refried beans. Grandad said the beef enchiladas were very good and he liked the rice a lot too. He thought the beans needed more seasoning.

Mama Ruthie had the Camarones a la Parilla which is grilled shrimp with tomatoes, onions and peppers served with a side of avocados and sour cream. It was served with homemade flour tortillas and looked delicious. I didn't really get her opinion about how she liked them, but I'm pretty sure they were good. She took a box of leftovers home.

Mary Lou had Shrimp Crepes which came with zucchini and rice. She reported that they were rich and tasty. This was also a large serving and Mary Lou also took a box home with enough food for lunch today.

Ron ordered beef tenderloin which was served with potatoes, beans and rice. His tenderloin was ordered medium rare and was done to perfection. He said it was the best piece of steak he had eaten in a restaurant. He did not have leftovers, so it must have been good. I will admit, sitting across the table, I kind of wished I had ordered the tenderloin. It looked that good.

I had Pepita Crusted Mahi with Tomato Butter and sides of sauteed spinach with cherry tomatoes and rice. I loved the pepita crust. In case you don't know, pepitas are pumpkin seeds. It was delicious and again, a very large serving. I have enough leftovers for lunch today.

We finished the meal with capirotada which is bread pudding. This dessert is served on a sizzling skillet and was a cut above any bread pudding I've ever had. The sizzling sauce with cranberries produced delicate strings of sugar on the fork. And the bread was deliciously crispy on the edges. The five of us split one order and it was enough for everyone to have several bites.

Everything we ordered was professionally prepared and artfully served. This is not your usual Tex-Mex fare and it's a bit pricier than the Mexican food places you'll find in large supply in Corpus Christi. Meals range from around $9 to $21 per person.

I regret that I did not think of taking pictures of the meals. They truly were beautifully plated.

Since I try to blog with integrity, I should tell you that our waitress was our niece Camey, so our service was exceptionally good. But, I'm willing to bet everyone gets the same good service.

Next time our kids are in town, we are definitely taking them to dinner at La Fogata. I highly recommend it.

40 Things To Do in Corpus Christi recommended trying new restaurants around Corpus Christi. This is the first one we've tried. More to come.

Landmark Lost

Grams is a little sad this morning. South Texas lost the landmark Joe Cotten's Barbecue in Robstown, Texas last night. I heard from a friend around 6:30 last evening that Cotten's was ablaze. We were just starting our monthly bunco game when the news came. As the evening went on, several of us received text messages and it wasn't long before we knew it was a total loss. This landmark Texas tradition is only about 7 miles from my home. We know the Cotten family and we've eaten there many times. I'm going to miss it.

Image from LBJ Library

Joe Cotten's Barbecue was not only a landmark, it was legendary. Growing up in South Texas, I remember stories of governors and wealthy Texas oil men dropping in to Cotten's for lunch. And by dropping in, I mean their helicopters would land in the median of Highway 77 and the governor or the millionaire would climb down and dash across the highway for lunch. I remember hearing about President Lyndon Johnson and Governor Bill Clements eating there. And we were often hearing that celebrities like Bill Haley, Willie Nelson, Roger Staubach, and, more recently, Tony Romo had stopped in at Cotten's to eat. It was widely known as a favorite dining place anytime celebrities or politicos were in the area.

It was a place where the community met. I never went there without seeing several people that I knew. Their banquet room was the site of my son's annual high school basketball banquets.

Cotten's didn't have a menu and they didn't take checks or credit cards. In recent years, they did have an on-site ATM so you could get cash. They also didn't have plates. Your dinner arrived on butcher paper placed right on top of the red gingham-checked vinyl tablecloth.

What they did have was personal attentive service. The waiters were not what you expected to find in a roadside barbecue joint. They were nattily clad in black trousers, maroon jackets, white shirts, and black bow ties. Some of those waiters have worked there for many, many years. And I'm sad to think that they're waking up this morning without a job to go to. They could rattle off the menu in about 15 seconds, kept your iced-tea glass full, and brought refills on your meat. The waiters would say "If you leave hungry, it's your own fault."

Cotten's also had an owner who was almost always there to greet you. Cecil Cotten and his brother Kenneth would stop by the table to say hello, ask about the kids, and see if there was anything you needed. Kenneth's son played basketball with our son, so we were acquainted. They always made us feel special and welcome.

The food was basic and delicious. It was a barbecue restaurant and that's what they served, barbecue, good ol' Texas style barbecue ... beef brisket, available lean or stringy, pork, sausage, ribs, chopped beef, beans, potato salad topped with a green olive, jalapenos, onions, and tomatoes. I loved the lean beef brisket with potato salad and tomatoes. The tomatoes stand out in my memory. They were always large, firm, red, thick-sliced tomatoes. I was told that they were locally grown, but I don't know how reliable that information was. At any rate, the tomatoes were always awesome. And, every meal started with a pot of cheddar cheese spread and crackers. Delicious!

They also had an unusual barbecue sauce. This was not your thick, sweet, bottle-style barbecue sauce. It was more of a barbecue salsa ... a mix of tomatoes, onions and spices, a little on the thin side as barbecue sauce goes ... served warm and delicious!

Virtually everyone in the area has eaten there. Hunters and business-men timed their travel so they'd pass through Robstown at mealtime so they could eat at Cotten's. College kids returning from school would insist on a trip to Cotten's while they were home. Our out-of-town guests would often ask if we could go eat at Cotten's. They'd never been there, but they'd heard of it and wanted to experience it. And, in my opinion, eating there was just that -- an experience. It was part of our local Americana and I, along with the entire community, will miss it.

This restaurant was a pillar of the Robstown community. Joe Cotten first opened it in 1947, originally in downtown Robstown. They moved to the Highway 77 location in 1966 and have been a South Texas institution ever since. The family took over running the restaurant when Joe died.

Our local news reports this morning that the family says it plans to rebuild, pending discussions with their insurer. That's good news.

10 Positive Things about Corpus Christi

Grams has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas since my family moved here in 1964 when I was 10 years old. I'm the only one of my parents' six children who is still here. The others have long since moved away. It's no secret that my heart is in San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country. But, alas, Grandad's job is in Corpus Christi and Houston, so I'm not likely to move any time soon.

There are a lot of things to love about Corpus Christi including an average of 288 days a year with no measurable rainfall and an average of only six days per year of temperatures at or below freezing. But, progressively and politically, Corpus Christi has been mired in mediocrity and paralyzed by an inability to move beyond what's always been for many years. Other Texas cities have grown and successfully capitalized on their own uniqueness.  Slogans like Keep Austin Weird and Keep San Antonio Lame have led to such slurs as Keep Corpus Mediocre. (Yes, it's true. I've seen it on Facebook as recently as yesterday.) What was once The Sparkling City By the Sea has become a bad punch line.

But to borrow a phrase from Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin'. Lately, there are a lot of positive signs of progress in Corpus Christi. It's exciting to see that we're finally moving past some things that have held us back for many years.

1.  The Memorial Coliseum is gone! That's right, our hideous municipal Quonset hut has been torn down to make room for a new park. The site is not quite completely cleared yet, but it's getting there. And, in the long run, no one will really miss it. 

2.  The community is engaged and interested in planning a Destination Bayfront Park. This park will occupy the Coliseum's former location and will be something that we will use and can be proud of in one of the most prominent locations in town. More than 400 people showed up for a recent workshop to brainstorm about the proposed park. 

3.  There is a new Splash Fountain on the North end of Shoreline. It's beautiful, and it's getting lots of use. It will eventually include a shade area and an outdoor cafe. It also includes four wind turbines designed to help offset the cost of electricity used to operate the fountain and it's colored LED lights.

4. Corpus Christi is home to an impressive collection of more than 50 pieces of public art.  The citizens of Corpus Christi own this artwork. It includes the kinetic sculpture "Orion's Belt" by Robert Perless, the 1914 bas-relief "Queen of the Sea" by Pompeo Coppini, and "Wind in the Sails" by world-renowned local sculptor Kent Ullberg. There are dozens more, you can download a map with descriptions here. 

5.  Parkdale Plaza has been razed to make way for a new Wal-Mart Super Center. Parkdale Plaza was the place to shop in the 1960's and it was the site of Grams first two jobs as a teenager, but it fell into disrepair and was mostly vacant in recent years. It was an eyesore and it was time for it to go. I know that there are arguments to be made both for and against another Wal-Mart. But at least this new development will get rid of a dilapidated area.

6.  The old Padre-Staples Mall has been transformed into the new La Palmera Shopping Center. It's 1970's decor has been replaced with a modern, upscale renovation that makes shopping a much nicer experience.

7. Our restaurant selection is growing with the addition of several new restaurants including national chains like TakeNiwa Japanese Steakhouse, Cheddar's, and P.F. Changs and local places like the new Tavern on the Bay on the Peoples Street T-Head.

8. There's a brand new art collective opening soon in downtown Corpus Christi. The Treehouse Art Collective is a group of eight artists who are pooling their business knowledge to create a showcase for selling their artwork.

9. The Coastal Wave is helping spread the word with it's events calendar showcasing "what's going on" in and around Corpus Christi. They also send out Facebook updates to keep those who "like" The Coastal Wave on Facebook in the know.

10. Local radio host and Caller-Times columnist Joe Hilliard has helped get the ball rolling with his Facebook page 40 Things To Do In Corpus Christi and his regular column in the local newspaper. In my personal opinion, his upbeat posts and positive attitude about Corpus Christi are helping turn around some of the stinkin' thinkin' that has been the norm for far too long.

There are many more positive things going on in Corpus Christi. It's really nice to see some progress being made. We haven't completely overcome everything that needs to be fixed in Corpus Christi; the naysayers are still out there trying to say we can't or we shouldn't. but we're making progress and that's a good start! The times they are a-changin'.