Jackson Hole Ginger Beer

I really didn't like this one. It was way too sweet, with barely any ginger flavor, and the flavor it did have was sort of detergent-y.

Sprecher Ginger Ale

Cute bottle with a penguin, but only a so-so drink. I think some ginger ales have more of a root beer taste to them, and this is one of those. Not that I dislike root beer, but it's not what I'm looking for when I pick up a ginger ale. Medium-bold ginger taste, good carbonation, decent sweetness, but overall, I'm just not that impressed with this one. There's almost a bitter aftertaste to it.

Capt'n Eli's Ginger Beer

This one has the cutest bottle label ever. It has a pretty good mild flavor going in, without being too sweet, and a nice smooth texture with mild carbonation. However, it's got a not-so-nice aftertaste resembling detergent—honestly, I had to stop drinking it after only a few sips.

Don't judge a drink by its label, hmm?

A Review: Outback Steakhouse - South

Mr. Wonderful celebrated his birthday a week ago (god, was it only a week ago??? I feel like it was a million years ago!)

Anyway, I told him for his birthday that I would take him out and make him a cake. While the cake turned out awesomely (Thanks Duncan Hines!), the birthday dinner was disappointing.

He narrowed down his choices to BBQ and steak. I opted for steak since I never get steak (we just don't eat it but we should) and we could try a nicer restaurant for his special day. I read reviews, looked at menus, tried to find prices, and I wanted to take him to a uniquely Austin restaurant that didn't break the bank. After I got off work, I called him up and presented his options. He said "How about Outback?"

I said "sure" and off I went to battle downtown, 5:00 traffic.

Apparently Austin has two Outbacks: one south on Lamar and Ben White and the other up north...maybe Arboreteum area?? Whatevs, we live south east so we opted for south.

I have been to Outback numerous times and I've never really been disappointed. Good beer bread, good steak*, good sides, etc. That was not the case this go-around.

I can't speak for Mr. Wonderful but I did not enjoy my experience. First: beer bread was too hard. Second: a table of "business guys" sat next to us and the one guy in direct line with my ear did not SHUT UP, the ENTIRE meal. I'm pretty sure he talked while he ate. And it wasn't even interesting. Third: we both got Caear salads and they were both too salty. Fourth: my potato was too dry. When I tried to get Worcestershire sauce, Mr. Wonderful had to physically get up and find a waiter, despite the fact that they were corralled behind our booth having a gabfest. Our waitress was good at first but after our food was delivered, she disappeared. Fifth: Mr. Wonderful had to flag someone down for a refill. My steak was good but.....

I was very disappointed. Not only was this his birthday meal but we were throwing $50 towards it. I've never had a disappointing time at Outback..at least, not to my memory. In hindsight, we should have gone with an Austin original. Next time, we will know. Until then, stay away from the Outback in South Austin!!!

*I have never really had lots of bad steaks and I'm certainly no steak connoisseur.

Another yogurt post

O.k...so the same time I first tried Yo Mommy yogurt, I also bought four Rachel's Dairy yogurts: two pomegranate acai and two pomegranate blueberry. Perhaps the reason I am so fond of the Yo Mommy yogurt is that I'm not at all fond of the Rachel's Dairy kind and it is easy to compare the two since I bought them at the same time.

My first complaint is the lack of fruit chunks. This yogurt is blended and I like to chew my yogurt. But I could get over that if the taste wasn't so tart. I guess it's the pomegranate that makes it very tart, to the point that a little wincing occurs with every first bite. Looking at the other flavors in the Exotic Yogurt line, I might be willing to try them if I should see them on sale again. But I'm not running out to hunt this one down like I was with Yo Mommy.

If you're adventurous and looking for a more "grown-up" yogurt taste, you might like Rachel's. But I'm not a fan. That last little pomegranate acai is staring at me in the fridge and it's going to have to keep on staring.

Chicago, Dawg!

This past Thursday, I was in Chicago. Well, probably closer to a suburb of Chicago but you get the point. Anywhoo, I decided to try a Chicago-style hot dog. I have been curious about these creations and when in Rome, you eat the fare.

Mr. Wonderful and I stopped in a Fuddrucker's-esque eatery and I ordered a Chicago-style dog with onion rings. The onion rings were meh and the dog was even worse.

I'm all for trying new things. But I will never have one of these hot dogs again. The best part of it: all beef frank. The worst: tie between suuuuper spicy sport peppers and celery salt. Ick. The peppers, o.k., they were just too spicy. But the celery salt was like tasting bad air. And I couldn't see it to remove it. Everything was standard: the pickle was large but fine, the relish was fine, onions, fine. Tomato: meh. But those two items alone ruined the hot dog for me. I ate it because I was hungry but no relishing (and no pun intended) came from my first and only experience with this hot dog.

Then I started thinking: how did people decide to combine these ingredients? I believe it was out of desperation. Hot dogs are cheap and easily made (I assume, I mean, you don't need choice cuts of meat), pickles, relish, sport peppers, and onions keep for a long time, and the tomatoes may have been a later addition or perhaps these were a summer food?? The celery salt: I just don't get. But whatever. To each their own.

We tried getting some Chicago-style pizza but it just didn't work out. Even more reason to go back! :)

Flugtag Texas: A Review

Flugtag was this past Saturday in Austin. Since it's an event orchestrated and sponsored solely by a beverage, Red Bull, I felt it fair game to review it here. Flugtag Austin 2007 was, in a word, awful. The parking shuttle was a joke, taking riders three (3) blocks from 4th and Guadalupe to the north side of the South 1st St Bridge. What a waste of gas, time, and effort. What a frustration for riders to discover they weren't being taken to the entrance of Auditorium Shores, but a mere 5 minute walk away where they'd have to negotiate a bunch of inflated Red Bull arches and what seemed like a zillion people?

After walking and walking and walking, we finally made it through the actual gate and found a spot to spread our blanket. We sat down and waited. Unfortunately, a large group of people in front of us stood up to see the platform, thereby prompting everyone else to stand to see as well. We had hauled our blanket for nothing.

The event announcers were from one of the local radio stations' morning crews. Ugh. They introduced the judges, being sure to note multiple times that the sole Olympic athlete on the panel had also posed nude in Playboy. Klassy. I'm sure all the parents in the crowd appreciated their 4 and 5 year olds hearing this. As a feminist, you just know it made me beam with pride knowing an Olympian isn't as well known for her athletic skill as she is for baring her body in the pages of a magazine. [Insert giant eye roll.]

On to the event! Or so we thought. The first group appeared on the runway and music started. Turns out it was the wrong music. There was much fumbling and the announcers cracked jokes and referred to the Olympian's breasts again. Then new music started. Oops, it was wrong too. Wait, no it wasn't. It started again. Finally the first group took off toward the water and fell in. Like the team's plunge, the event was all downhill from there.

The beer line wasn't that bad; however, when I got to the front, after being skipped by two very self-entitled WASPs, I was informed they were out of the first two beers on the menu and I had a choice of Tecate and Lone Star. Seeing as how Lone Star makes me ill, I got Tecate. It was so hot that afternoon, the beer was warm by the time I found my way back to our blanket. I couldn't see the teams anymore since everyone was standing up now and the heat was so unrelenting, I gave up and sat down, grumpily drinking my beer. A woman behind me rejoined her group, telling them the vendors had run out of bottled water. Uh-oh. That did not bode well.

We decided to leave after the third team had their turn. We called our friends who were going to meet us to tell them not to bother. I felt the afternoon to be a total waste and I vowed never to go to this poorly planned event ever again. Thanks Red Bull--your event managed to make me feel miserable... definitely without wings.