Taste of Europe

Taste of Europe in Arlington, TX

I think where ever Guy Fieri eats, I want to eat there too.  This is the fourth place in the DFW that I have eaten at where Diners, Drive-in, and Dives was filmed.

Taste of Europe is a Russian restaurant and market in Arlington, not far from where I live.  I heard of this place online because someone had mentioned that Guy Fieri was in town filming his show and this was one of the places he visited.  I thought it might be an interesting place to eat since it will eventually end up on TV. 

It's mostly a European market.  The seating area is a little small but not too bad.  They have a deli and Russian groceries, as well as a place to buy Russian souvenirs or nicknacks from the Soviet era.  Perusing through the stuff was quite interesting.  Next time I go, I'll get a translator and buy some cool Russian food.

Now I haven't had much exposure to Russian food in the past.  I've only eaten perogies and had beef stroganoff, which by the way is one of my all time most HATED dishes.  Maybe it's because I've never had authentic stroganoff; only the Hamburger Helper kind, but nothing says, "I hate you, Aaron," than fixing me a plate of beef stoganoff.  As well as no bake cookies for dessert.

Anyway since I had never been there, I didn't know what was good.  I saw stroganoff on the menu so I knew to avoid that.  The menu was mostly dishes from Russia but they also had a couple of German and Hungarian meals.

I decided to start with a cup of hot Russian tea with preserves.   Apparently in lieu of sugar, you can sweeten you tea with honey or some fruity jelly.  I don't know what it was but it had a berry flavor and was quite delicious.  It sweetened my tea nicely and all the little seeds conveniently settled on the bottom.

For lunch I ordered the meat blintz, which was a crepe stuffed with chicken, onions, and egg, topped with a white gravy and served with a side of rice.

Russian Meat Blintz

My food was really good.  The rice was a little bland for my taste.  It didn't have much flavor, but a little salt and mixing with the gravy made it good to eat.  My blintzes were outstanding.  The chicken was tender and well seasoned, but the onion mixed in is what made this dish for me.  How do you say very tasty in Russian? Ochen vkusno!

Icon of Jesus

Lenin

Matroyshka Doll

Where ever Guy Fieri goes, I follow.

In the end, my Russian experience was a pleasant one.  My meal, two glasses of tea, plus tip came to $19.00.  Not too bad but a little on the pricey side, I think.  If anyone would ask me if I would recommend this place, I would reply by saying, "Da."

I Finally Got A Job!

The building where I work.  I am on the fifth floor. 

Finally after four months here in North Texas, I finally got a job.  It truly believe that this is a God thing since I had interviewed for this job about two months ago and they sent me an email telling me thanks, but no thanks.  I thought this door had closed, but I guess God had other plans.

It is a temp to hire position through a company called CSI Companies. I was hired on to be a case valuer for a company called Health Management Systems, which is a third party hired by state governments and private entities to ensure that healthcare claims are paid correctly and by the responsible party, and that those enrolled to receive program benefits meet qualifying criteria.  I was trained to analyze workman comp cases all this week for the state of California.

This will be by far the most challenging job I ever had.  There is a lot of information to learn.  I have to admit, I am a little overwhelmed with all the rules.  It seems that every case I analyze the criteria is always different so the rules and procedures to process the case are never the same.  Needless to say I was a note taking machine this week. 

I really enjoyed my first week at HMS.  It is in a nice part of Irving called Las Colinas.  I get to work in an office, on a computer, at a desk, in an environmentally controlled building.  They have free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and I can eat my lunch at my desk.  Once I get good enough and work confidently on my own, I can put my ear buds in, listen to my music and drown out the world around me.  They're pretty easy going about the schedule too.  They want you to settle on a definite time, but you can start your day anytime between seven and nine.  They don't particularly care as long as you work your eight hours and are productive.  How cool is that?

HMS is not a healthcare facility but since they handle cases exclusively dealing with medical claims, my medical coding training will play a small but important part of my job.  I won't be coding patient encounters, but a knowledge of codes, pathologies, and anatomy and physiology and important in what I do.  It's already proved helpful to me this week.  Makes my student loans worth it, don't you think?

Anyway I am excited about this job, and I am equally excited about the opportunity to challenge myself and grow.  Who knows what doors will open from here.

In totally unrelated news I finally got my car registered with the state and got a state drivers license, which was a pain and a half. Did you know that in Texas, after you sign the paperwork for your drivers license, you have to wait six to eight weeks before getting it in the mail? They give a temporary one which is nothing more than a folded piece of paper with you picture photocopied on it. And in order to get your drivers license, your car has to be registered, but in order to get your registration, you have to have you car inspected. They do vehicle emission tests here in the DFW and they will automatically fail you if your check engine light is on. So I had to get my car fixed because my light was on, then get it inspected, and then get it registered. All in all, it almost came to $400 dollars to get everything done. Plus, since I am a horrible procrastinator, I let my drivers license expire so I had take a drivers test to get a new one. I felt like I was back in high school. At least that is taken care of.

Stackhouse

Stackhouse

This place was not my first choice.  I went to a place near Garland, but they didn't open until after four.  It was around two o'clock in the afternoon and all I had that day was a bowl of cereal.  I had to eat and couldn't wait.  Thankfully, this place wasn't too far away.

Stackhouse is located near the trendy neighborhood of Deep Ellum.  From the picture above, it was obviously a house that was converted into a restaurant. It was a really nice place on the inside, but it was small. 

The bar

Stackhouse seating area

I know that Stackhouse is a burger joint and I had every intention of getting one.  I was seriously craving a sloppy, greasy mess slapped between two pieces of bread.  When I got in, however, they were having a special so I decided to go with that instead.  They were offering what they called the Carnegie combo.  Shaved pastrami, spicy mustard, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese on a pretzel roll.  It was essentially a reuben sandwich, and since I recently enjoyed one at another eatery, I thought I would try my hand at this one.  That turned out to be my bad.

My Carnegie combo with fries

Now the first couple of bites into my sandwich wasn't that bad and coupled with the fries, I thought I was in for a flavor trip of pure ecstasy.  Once I got to their spicy mustard, my flavor trip took a wrong turn.  I'm sure it was the combination of the mustard and the tartness of the sauerkraut, but my sandwich took on a rather chemical taste, like Windex was one of the ingredients.  Now I don't spray Windex in my mouth so I really have no frame of reference, but I'm just sayin.

Since my sandwich turned out to be less than exemplary, I thought I would get a cheeseburger to go, since that is what I came for originally.  By the time I got home, it was a little cold so I warmed it ever so briefly in the microwave.  My cheeseburger sucked as well. 

Starting this blog, I knew that of all the places I would eat at, there would be a few misses along the way.  Some places might suck, but not turn me off completely to not give it another try.  Some places might just plain suck.  Stackhouse, though in a cool part of town, might be the latter.

Stackhouse Burgers

Coffee House Cafe

Coffee House Cafe is what its name suggests, a coffee house and restaurant.  Unlike an actual coffee shop where you might be able to get a sandwich, donut, or scone with your coffee, this restaurant offers a full menu of tasty American food.

The first section of the restaurant is the coffee shop where customers can sit up at the bar and order a coffee, latte, or cappuccino.  If you're in the mood for something a little stronger they also offer wine or beer.  It was very nice on the inside with the exposed brick and dark wood counter top.

Japanese Oji Cold Coffee Brewer

By the wall I happened to notice two strange hour glass contraptions that actually turned out to be coffee brewing apparatuses.  Called Oji cold coffee brewing, it is a slow process and only recommended for people with a lot of time on their hands or lots of patience since it takes about eight to ten hours for the coffee to steep.  But the pay off, I was told, was nothing less than amazing.  I took their word for it.

I was quickly seated and ordered the crab cakes.  Since I have never been here before, my server made several recommendations as to what she thought was good, and this is what I settled on.  The crab cakes were served on two pieces of challah bread and topped with poached eggs and a hollandaise sauce with a side of their house potatoes.  They were really good.  The crab cakes were fresh and well cooked.  The didn't have a fishy, bottom dwelling smell or after taste.  The poached eggs and sauce were just a compliment to the crab cakes since they neither enhanced not over powered the flavor.  The potatoes were cooked just right; crispy on the outside, mushy on the inside.  All in all, a very good meal.  I thought it was a little overpriced for what I got, but considering it was crab, I guess that was to be expected.

Crab Cakes with house potatoes and a glass of Dublin Dr. Pepper

My service at the Coffee House Cafe, was another matter.  I felt a little ignored by my server.  Usually when I order a glass of water, it shouldn't have to take ten minutes just to get it, and twice my server asked me if someone else had taken my order.  Why would someone else take  my order?  I thought you were my server.  Do you not want a tip?

On top of that, my dining experience was interrupted by a rather rambunctious four year old who's mother never mentioned to him that the booths inside the restaurant are not playground equipment.  Usually when a little kid pops their head up from the other table and looks at me I smile and wave back.  That's just being nice.  That's not an invitation to climb over to my booth.  When I'm seated, my table becomes my space.  If you're not supposed to be there, you're violating my territory.

Despite these minor negatives, Coffee House Cafe was a nice experience.  Most of the stuff on their menu are pretty reasonably priced depending on what you get, but they do have some pricier entrees.  I would recommend this place.  Just beware of children climbing into your booth.

Fireplace along the wall of the patio area

Patio area

Coffee House Cafe
Oji Cold Drip

The List

Since I started this blog, I wanted to showcase some of the places I came across in my culinary adventure through the DFW.  I kinda slacked off a bit the past few weeks, since I have been distracted by that whole pesky job search thing.  Not to be deterred though, it is a new year, and I find myself recommitted to new gastric escapades.

For 2012, I have decided to update my restaurant list.  My last list was just a collection of random eateries. I hardly referred to it at all.  This time around, I decided to expand my list to include not just restaurants, but donut shops, coffee houses, beer gardens, and unique food markets and have a brief description of what each places' main focus is.

It doesn't take much to get on the list either.  This may sound sacrilegious to die hard foodies, but I don't read food reviews in the paper, or scour the Internet for hours looking at menus.  A little research is involved, to be sure, but a restaurant has to meet only two criteria to get on my list: appetizing pictures of their entrees, and unique atmosphere.  I am a visual person, so if I like what I see, I'm sold.

Anyway, here's to another year of succulent flavors and hip decor.  May I end my year with a broader palate and not an expanded waistline.

Connecting Point

Today I took the first step toward membership at Watermark.  I attended the first of two classes of Connecting Point, which are three hour sessions designed to inform people about the history, vision, and strategies of the church. Todd Wagner, who is the head pastor, covered the vision of Watermark, then we broke off into smaller groups to have a more intimate question and answer time.  Basically they stressed the importance of being involved in community group, which is really my main motivation for joining.

I guess I didn't have to technically be a member to be apart of a community group, but I wanted the overall satisfaction of being apart of a larger community of believers before I plug into a small group.  Small groups are the best way to meet people, make new friends, be held accountable and weave myself into this north Texas tapestry. 

Next Sunday, Watermarks executive pastor will cover the goals of Watermark, than they will have a sort of ministry fair showcasing all the different areas where someone can serve in the church.  I don't know where I will serve at Watermark, but hopefully seeing what they offer will point me in the right direction.  Personally, I would like to be one of guys working the coffee counter every Sunday.  Wonder why?

Go With What You Know

I understand that Spencerian College did not guarantee a job when I got out of school.  I had no such illusions, but all through my two years there, I was sold the line that this education would be the fast track to a better job.  My training and my credentials would open new doors for me in an expanding career field with an astronomical potential for growth.  What they failed to mention is that most places won’t hire you unless you have a minimum of two years coding experience.  Yet in order for me to get said experience, I must get hired.  See my dilemma?

This was actually discussed one day in class, when a fellow student brought up the subject to the instructor.  She said that since we would have been taking classes in medical coding that by the time we graduated, we would meet the requirement of two years.  But that is not experience.  That is training!  And I am not about to put that on my resume, when I literally have little to no experience coding in a professional setting.  How does what I did in the class room translate to the real world?

As a matter of fact, most of my fellow coders got their position because they happen to fall into it.  They were working in a practice or hospital doing something else, when a coding position became available and they were trained for it. 

I understand that I have only been looking for three months, but the payoff to all my job searching may be far and away.  I have decided in the interim to go with what I know, and expand my job hunt to warehousing and distribution until something better comes along.  Personally, I am loathe to go back to working in a warehouse, especially since I made the bold leap to quit one warehouse job and uproot myself to Texas, in the hopes of getting a better one in a different career field.  But I have to do what I have to do.  I am starting to get a little restless without the comfort of a routine.

Yesterday, I had an interview with a temp agency.  They called with regards to a warehouse position in Grapevine.  The position is second shift and offers eleven dollars an hour, and is temp to hire.  I hope I get it.  The job is close, they described it as a cakewalk, and since it is second shift, it would free up my mornings for my coding job search.  Who knows?  We’ll see.

And The Winner Is.......

Watermark Community Church

My friends Kristin and Kevin attend this church, that's how I first heard about it.  I first visited this church in August of 2010.  From the moment we drove onto the campus, I was immediately blown away by how beautiful the building was.  Watermark church is a modern structure that makes heavy use natural materials, all the while exposing its inner guts of air ducts and pipes.  It is a harmonious blend of organic and industrial, that is surprisingly warm and comfortable.

Walking up to the main building, they have nice patio area where visitors can sit outside on rocking chairs or lounge chairs next to a beautiful pond the church uses for baptisms.  It's a pretty relaxing area and it's always shaded with huge metal fans going overhead.

Outside Patio Area

Pond

Inside, the main lobby is a cavernous whirl of hustle and bustle as one crowd exits the sanctuary, while another waits to go in.  Opposite the entrance to the sanctuary is the welcome center and coffee shop.  COFFEE SHOP? SELLING POINT!!!!

The welcome center is where any visitor who is interested can learn a little about what Watermark has to offer.  Watermark is church heavily involved in the community it is in.  I am impressed by the many local ministries they have going on, and hope eventually to get plugged into one. I am all for foreign mission trips, but I think the hallmark of a good church is measured by how much it does to impact God's kingdom locally.

The Coffee Shop

A Watermark church service is more like going to a rock concert than a traditional worship experience.  It is a lot of atmospherics with lights and huge video monitors.  That doesn't make the worship phony, but adds a layer to the praise and worship.  The main worship leader is a guy name Patrick Ryan Clark(you can look him up on iTunes.), and he masterfully ushers everyone reverently into the Lord's presence.

Watermarks head pastor is Todd Wagner.  He is definitely not one those fire and brimstone preachers, but his sermons are always spot on and challenging.  That's the biggest selling point for me.  I am glad Watermark is not one of those churches that chose to water down the Gospel, so they could be culturally relevant or win the favor of men.  That's a church I want to be apart of.

I love this church.  It's dynamic and vibrant!  The people I have met are friendly and I hope joining this fellowship will lead to some good and deep friendships.  Of course, they had me at cup holders in the pew.  That's a huge draw.