I’m the grandson of a cattle rancher, so I’m not inclined to be a vegetarian. Even if I wanted to, it would be sort of a breech of family tradition. But I don’t have to worry about that because I don’t want to be a vegetarian.
But I see the value in being able to appreciate a lot of different ideas and interests. For example, I understand that not everyone loves football as much as I do. That is to say, I understand the concept, though I don’t really understand why. So I think everyone should at least be able to experience and appreciate football for a brief period, even if it’s just one game. And I think it’s easy to understand why so many people adore football.
[ NEWS ITEM: The Whataburger at Waco Drive and Valley Mills is closed for renovation this week. A sign on the drive-thru window indicates it will reopen at 3 p.m. Friday.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second installment of the Definitive Waco Rankings series. Check out guest contributor Jacob Kyle Robinson's previous entry "DWR Starbucks."
I need to write something, following up on my "9 things that bug me at fast food joints," in order to be fair.
I went to the mall Chick-Fil-A sometime after writing that piece and discovered that they have ropes delineating the line so that the problem of oblivious patrons unwittingly cutting in line is eliminated. This discovery was a byproduct of stopping by the mall Chick-Fil-A to see how the temporary closure of the Franklin Avenue store was affecting them.
I'm a sportswriter so I eat too much fast food. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. In reality, I probably eat more fast food than that excuse covers, but in my defense at least I eat good fast food (Chipotle, Torchy's, Panera, etc).
I know some readers will take umbrage with my definition of "good fast food," but rest assured I'm only getting started with unpopular opinions in this blog. I am going to write something that will for sure elicit responses of #firstworldproblems. Fine. Here we go with a list of things that drive me crazy at fast food places:
I live in Waco because I want to live in Waco. I'm not going to go out of my way to prove this and I will admit that if someone offered me the right job in Chicago this afternoon, I'd be driving through Missouri by sunset.
But the way things sit right now, and given my love of things like college football and the Texas cities that are within a 90-minute drive added to the ability to live inexpensively, there's no place I would rather be. That's why I don't say things like "This place is so nice! You don't even know you're in Waco!"
Guest blogger Katie Wolfe is a social worker in Waco. When she first moved to town eight years ago, she worked in the soda fountain at the Dr Pepper Museum. She now serves on the organization’s board of directors.
By Katie Wolfe
Coffee shops are the place to meet up and catch up on the latest buzz. But before the coffee craze, people gathered around a counter that served up something a little different – soda.
Let’s face it, when you think of coffee shops, you think of basketball. Am I right? I’m right. I think it’s pretty obvious that the best way to definitively rank the caffeine citadels of Waco is to pair them with your 2014 NBA Finals Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. Go Spurs Go. Because like the Spurs, when you go to Starbucks, no matter where you are, you know what you’re getting. That consistency is key. That consistency wins fives championships. Before that though, some respect does need to be given to both Common Grounds and Dichotomy.
So that, in the picture there, is slow-braised short rib over pasta at DiamondBacks. It was delicious and it was free and this is not a humble brag. It's just a straight ahead brag.
Actually, to take the obnoxiousness one step farther over the line, the DiamondBacks foks — specifically owner Michael Kornman and media consultant Mark Brinkerhoff — invited us out to taste some of their new menu items and talk about the new/classic aesthetic of Waco's most prestigious steakhouse. Along with the short rib, we also scarfed down the following new items:
Our friends at Sironia will be celebrating their 10th birthday with a special edition of Cupcakes & Cocktails tomorrow.
Here are five reasons you should check it out:
Dear WacoFork friends,
Rather than post a belated Tuesday Trivia blog today or jump right back into restaurant blogging as if I haven't fallen woefully out of that habit this summer, I've decided be frank with you in letter form.
