Fat Catz Louisiana Kitchen

March 11th, 2010

Fat Catz Louisiana Kitchen

Southeast Crossing Center
3320 Troup Highway Suite 170
Tyler 75701
903 593 1114

If it’s a Creole taste you’re craving – head for Fat Catz – a great and authentic Cajun restaurant located here in Tyler (and Terrell too by the way). They are open for lunch and evening meals from 5pm.

Fat Catz is a nice location for a meal. It has a great atmosphere – it is cool looking with painted murals on the walls and fairy lights whilst somehow still appearing like a ‘nice restaurant’ at the same time. It is clean and nicely laid out with tables in the middle (easily combined for larger parties) and booths by the windows on a higher level and a bar area further back. We were greeted by the restaurant manager (perhaps the proprietor?) on our arrival and he was most attentive to us during our meal which was nice. It’s good to feel appreciated as a customer!

Apparently there is live music in the bar area every Thursday night and other specials at Mardi Gras which are worth watching out for.

The food is very, very good. Here they are committed to bringing the best of Gulf Coast seafood with a Louisiana flavor. Try the fried pickles, frog’s legs or the Alligator tails if you want something a little different. They have traditional dishes like blackened fish, gumbo and jambalaya, plus plenty of fried shrimp, crab and other seafood. For the less adventurous palate they will also cook burgers, steak, chicken and even salad.

I have to say that the fries here are the best I have ever tasted, the shrimp was wonderful and the blackened fish was perfectly blackened. I also opted for sautéed onions and mushrooms, which had an amazing flavor – the spices and seasonings here are really good. You can dream of New Orleans with every mouthful! The desserts are delicious – beignets, mmm, and the Key Lime pie and cheesecakes looked good too. Oh one thing to add – come hungry – the portions are huge.

The price for the meal is kinda average for Tyler, you will pay around $15 for a special and around $5 each for dessert and appetizers. The children’s meals are $4 and are equally good quality – shame about the lack of vegetables (my usual gripe in American restaurants!) I have to say the service wasn’t very rapid, but for me, if the food is freshly cooked to order I can hardly complain. With such a wide selection of items on the menu, it is going to take a while to prepare them.

The nice folk at Fat Catz will also cater your event. They even offer Italian and Mexican menus as well as their own specialty. Check out the website for details.

One other tip – if you are looking for a great meal at a bargain price, buy a gift certificate for Fat Catz for a $25 value for $10 at www.restaurant.com

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Tags: Cajun Food
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Chez Bazan

March 1st, 2010

Chez Bazan Bakery and Coffee Shop

Chez Bazan

5930 Old Bullard
Tyler
75703
903 561 9644

Chez Bazan is just what it’s name suggests – a fancy bakery and coffee shop with a French flavor. It is quite upmarket and the prices, whilst not outrageous, reflect that.

The atmosphere is very nice –Chez Bazan is spacious and well lit with flagstone floors and brick walls. The wooden tables and chairs are arranged neatly with plenty of space between them. Music plays quietly in the background.

On the left is the bakery section. I have never seen such a variety of cakes, pies, cookies and pastries as they have here! The cakes look delicious, if not sinful – they are 4 layer cakes and with flavours such as Boston cream, carrot, German Chocolate and cheesecake there is something for everyone. You can order a slice for around $3.50 or a whole cake/gateaux for between $20-40. They will even supply a ‘party kit’ with forks and napkins (for a fee) in case you wish to take a cake to the office for someone’s special occasion.

The pastries, croissants and pigs in blankets are pretty good and the pastries are fairly authentic (I am European) but quite expensive. I thought $2.15 was a lot to shell out for one pain au chocolate. Chez Bazan also has specialty breads which are around $4 a loaf and genuine baguettes at $2.95 – which are nothing like the so-called French bread sold in supermarkets here. The cookie selection will blow you away. 20 different types are available here and you can buy them singly or by the half dozen. Most are just under a dollar each but are French, rather than American super-sized.

Chez Bazan can provide catering packs to suit your needs. They are quite used to making breakfast trays, box lunches and party trays of sweets and have a menu for each of these services. They are also accustomed to hosting parties and baby showers on the premises. There is a lovely party room which seats around 30 and this can be hired for $25 plus a food order of $125. It can be decorated to suit your needs. They will obviously make your cake too if you want. Wedding cakes can also be made by the staff at Chez Bazan – these are custom made and can be as simple or exotic as you want them to be.

The Café is open for lunch between 11am and 2pm and for just drinks until 5pm – in fact drinks are $1 off the usual price after 3 pm. Specialty coffees and teas and fruit smoothies are available plus salads, soup and sandwiches. The sandwiches are slightly exotic and include smoked turkey and avocado or Jamaican chicken. There is also quiche and wonderful Chicken Florentine crepes, served with salad. Lunch will set you back around $10.

Chez Bazan is a rare find in Tyler – a unique place to eat with gourmet food. As I have already mentioned though, the experience does come at a cost. I hope that it is popular enough to remain in business and prosper as it would if it was located in Dallas.

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Chuck E Cheese in Tyler Texas

February 17th, 2010

CHUCK E CHEESE
736 W SW loop 323
Tyler
75701
903 581 4550

ChuckECheese is a place dedicated for kid’s entertainment. It is located in central Tyler, not far from the mall (and nationally in over 500 locations!)

Even if you have never been there, you will probably recognize the mouse that is the trademark of ChuckECheese. Thanks to clever marketing and sponsorship of programs on PBS, my kids knew ChuckECheese way before we even went there and were begging me to take them.

I went somewhat unwillingly, but am glad I did as the kids had a whale of a time and I had a morning enjoying their enthusiasm and wonder. Luckily, it was a quiet day – I can’t imagine what it would be like on a Saturday morning or in the vacation time.

The main focus is arcade games. Some are modern ‘Sega’ style which encourage skill to play and are highly animated, others are more of a gamble and still others are like fairground games – ball toss etc. There are also ride on machines – for smaller children and a car where you can sit with a plastic ChuckECheese and have a photo taken.

As you enter you are stamped with a ‘magic’ UV number. This is for security so that they can monitor that the right children are leaving with the right adults etc. Then you need to buy tokens for the games and machines. There are deals which include food and drinks or you can just buy the tokens for the amusements. From there on, the fun starts and you are left in a whirlwind as your children take control and run around trying all the various games. Most of the games have a reward system which involves each machine spewing out paper tickets. The more points you score on the game, the more tickets you are given. Don’t lose these tickets – at the end of your playtime, you can trade them in for prizes.

Our kids had a blast at ChuckECheeses. It was quite an expensive morning but when the weather is not good for being outside it is a good option for a special treat. They serve pizza at ChuckECheese and we had a salad and drinks too which were fine – but the quality of the food is certainly not the main attraction.

Finally, a word of caution. Before you trade in your tickets, let your children know that the prizes are just little gimmicks and not to expect too much from just one day of gaming. The big prizes are for people that go there regularly and who are experts at the games. My friend’s toddler had a complete meltdown because the excitement had been so great all morning and she thought she had got so many tickets but when she came to redeem them for a prize she only had enough for a little plastic bracelet or some Tootsie Rolls, and that broke her heart!

Lastly, you can save a lot on the price of tickets by looking for coupons online (Google will find some). There is also a party package available for birthdays which is very popular. ChuckECheese is open every day from 9 am.

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Nick’s Italian Restaurant in Lindale Texas

February 15th, 2010

Nick’s Italian Café

1105 South Main St
Lindale 75771
903 881 9316

Nick’s is an Italian restaurant centrally located on Hwy 69 in Lindale. It is owned by the same Italian family as Little Italy in central Tyler.

Nick’s is an interesting place – it can seat up to 100 people but has different rooms and corners which makes it feel more intimate than you would expect. The atmosphere is pleasant. It is warm, the lighting is subtle (but you can still see what you are consuming) and there is Italian music playing in the background. I like the cast iron chairs and tables and the stone floor. I am especially fond of the outdoor seating area in a garden behind the restaurant.

So – the food. As a European, I am always interested in whether the food in authentic. For an Italian eatery the first thing I wanted to know is whether the pasta was fresh egg pasta. The answer from the chef –yes! However, I don’t think that all the noodles are fresh – you might want to check with your server which ones are and are not. The penne I chose, sadly was not, but the filled house pasta almost certainly is. The bread is freshly made daily on the premises. I chose the house dressing on my salad and that was delicious, some sort of herby sweet vinegarette that is unique to Nicks.

The choice on the menu is fairly wide. For appetizers there is bruschetta, garlic bread and calamari plus soups and salads. Then there are pizzas – which are baked in a stone oven for an authentic Italian taste and can be custom made with toppings to order.

The pasta dishes are divided into Nick’s specialities – some of which are vegetarian, house pasta, and then chicken, veal and seafood dishes.

The sauces are delicious, mine was a pink sauce made with tomato and herbs, brandy and cream. Others have lemon, marinara and wine sauces.

On arrival, the waitress brought us fresh bread and butter and iced water and offered us drinks. Nick’s is not licensed to serve alcohol but IF YOU ASK FOR IT – you can have a complimentary glass of red or white wine with your meal. It is just from a box but if you enjoy wine with a meal, it is better than nothing.

Our entrees included a mixed salad which came before the entrée so we could munch while we waited for our main meal. The pasta came in oversized white china bowls. The ingredients were fresh and the presentation attractive but not overdone. I was disappointed not to be served fresh parmesan. From my previous experience in Europe I also expected to have someone grind fresh black pepper on my meal from a huge wooden grinder – this would be a nice touch if Nick would have his servers do this (yes the owner/chef is actually Nick!)

I dined with 2 other ladies and about half way through eating, we were stumped. The portion sizes are huge. However, the meals were so tasty that we couldn’t bring ourselves to say goodbye to the rest of the dish. Take home boxes were duly provided for us. We did not have room for dessert but the delicious offerings we saw being presented at other tables looked good and very generous in size. I was glad to see that Tiramisu and Cannoli were on the menu. We wanted coffee but no decaff was available. That was a blow. What restaurant these days doesn’t serve decaff?

Finally a word about price. Nick’s would not be what you could call inexpensive. Most entrees are between $9-14 which is quite high for a non-licensed ‘café’ not in a downtown location. I would think that Nick makes a very good profit! Having said that, it is a nice place to go for a meal and the food is good so it gets a positive recommendation.
Oh, kids portions are $4.95 and there are $7.95 and 8.95 lunch specials.

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Sonic Fast Food Restaurant

February 15th, 2010

Sonic has several locations here in Tyler, Texas, but the one I am going to talk about is on the corner of Rt 64 W and Loop 323. It is directly across from the Super center Wal Mart. Sonic is a fast food type of place, where you can go and order outside. The have carhops who deliver the order directly to your car.

They have a sandy beach area for volleyball and soccer where you can go play anytime with your friends. Good entertainment and completely free. You don’t have to play on the playground equipment or the sandy beach area, you can just sit and enjoy the weather outside, or get the meal and leave if you prefer. The food is good and if you get the items from the dollar menu, they are very reasonable. Their drink selections are even better than the food menu.

There are other locations at 5611 S Broadway Ave., Tyler ; 2501 W Gentry Parkway; or 3210 Troup Highway, Tyler, Texas. If you would like to find out more about Sonic you can go to their website or any of these locations.

Sonic seems to be quite the hang out place during the summer when people like to go hang out or just play. So Sonic is not the best nutritious place to go, but exciting. If you are trying to work out or loose weight, this is not the place you are looking for. On the other hand, they do have some items that are good for you. Once in awhile it’s ok to go eat food that is fried or high in fat. Their burgers are really good and sometimes they have the brown bag special, where you get two for the price of one. Always nice to pay less and get more for your money.

Sonic has some great tater tots with or without chilli, mozzarella sticks, corn dogs, chilli and fries, and so much more. Their blizzards are good or their slushy’s plus their flavored teas. If you want quick and tasty, Sonic is it. If you have not tried Sonic yet, then maybe its time.

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Posados Cafe in Lindale Texas

February 10th, 2010

POSADOS CAFÉ LINDALE

3201 S Main Street
Lindale
TX 75771
903 881 0493

Posados is one of Lindale’s most popular eateries. It is an American-style Mexican restaurant serving fajitas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas and some seafood, ribs and steak too. They also have hamburgers, chicken and even grilled cheese sandwiches, for those fussy children that might be dining with you!

The things I love about Posados – the food is good and not expensive. My favorite is the chicken fajitas and I love the tortilla soup that comes with it (if you want, you can choose beans as a side dish instead) plus the sizzling platter of chicken and vegetables with a side of guacamole, sour cream and salad. I rarely have room to eat it all – but that could be because I find it hard to resist scoffing lots of the complimentary fresh tortilla chips and salsa that keeps being refilled! Another bonus – the margaritas. Posados is licensed so you can have a drink with your meal and the fruit flavored margaritas are very good – especially on a hot day. Actually, there is even a bar at Posados where you can sit and drink and munch on some chips ‘n salsa chatting to friends or watching a game without having to order a meal. It is not in the slightest bit seedy.

For children – the never ending supply of chips is great, plus the coloring provided on the kids menu, and the sopapilla dessert and ice cream for treats after the meal. I dread to think what is in that ice-cream though, it’s probably full of additives and sugar and … well I mustn’t think about it as I know my kids expect an ice-cream if we eat there!

I like the atmosphere and lighting in the restaurant but I also enjoy eating outdoors and Posados does have a small covered patio area. Posados is often a bit cold for my liking so we nearly always eat outside in the warmer months. I wish the outdoor seating was round the back of the building and more open though, perhaps overlooking a little Mexican garden?!

Things I don’t like about Posados – it s always busy! Of course that is a result of it’s popularity but it does mean that you will have to wait to be seated at busy periods and we have been there when the ice-cream machine ran out and the staff were too busy to refill it (disaster for the children!) Personally I don’t think much of their tortillas – at Posados they take pride in the fact that they are made on site and the kids like to watch them being pressed by the big machine– but I find them flabby and rather greasy. Otherwise, the food is good quality.

Posados has a lighter lunch menu and will also cater your event. Gift cards are available – they are twinned with Mercados and there is a rewards card points scheme which gives you reductions from your check. It is easy to see why many Lindalites chose to dine at Posados.

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Applebees Restaurant in Tyler Texas

February 10th, 2010

APPLEBEES

5502 S Broadway Ave
Tyler 75703
903 509 4848

Applebees is a chain of restaurants serving a variety of American cuisine. The one in Tyler is centrally located on South Broadway just a little way down from the Mall.

Applebees calls itself ‘casual dining’ which means that it is family friendly with no frills. The atmosphere is typical of many American eateries – with private booths, low lighting and a TV at a bar area. It is always clean, the food is pretty standard and, in my experience, the service is generally good.

The menu offers a variety of appetizers, burgers, pasta, chicken, beef and pork entrees and some great salads. One big bonus is that it also offers a selection of meals which are guaranteed to be under 550 calories and there are also Weight Watcher points listed on a selection of items. You can also order half portions, which is great for smaller appetites– but the reduction on price is not reflected in the reduced quantity of food, so you are better off splitting a full portion with a friend or taking some home in a carry out box.

My favorite meal is a Pecan crusted chicken salad. Complete with fruit and blue cheese, it really is mouthwatering. My husband prefers to order ribs or one of their selection of juicy burgers and fries.

Lunches are good value at Applebees – I like the lunch combo where you can pick a soup and salad or sandwich and pay around $6.
There is a kids menu at Applebees but sadly it offers nothing new – just chicken strips, mac and cheese, cheeseburgers and no vegetables. When are they going to wake up to the fact that we need to offer our children healthy alternatives as well as adults?

Applebees is fairly good value and they often have special deals so that you can dine without breaking the bank. Currently they offer a 2 for $20 deal which is an incentive to people who want to dine at low cost in pairs. It includes one appetizer (to share) and 2 entrees. There are also small desserts called ‘shooters’ which can be added to your order for an extra $2 each. These are a perfect size to treat kids too.

Applebees also has ‘Carside to go’ – a service for the strictly lazy which basically means you can order a carry out by phone and they will bring it to your car on your arrival.

All in all, Applebees is a safe bet for taking your family out to eat. The portions are a decent size, the menu is varied and the service good. It is a good venue for a quick and filling lunch too. However, for a date night, it is uninspiring and would disappoint most romantics – there are no surprises here. My advice -if you don’t have kids around – forget the chain restaurant experience and try something different – there are a few good unique places to eat in Tyler so why not take a risk and enjoy something different!

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Jalapeno Tree Mexican Restaurant

February 10th, 2010

Jalapeno Tree Mexican Restaurant is located at 420 Loop 323, Tyler, Texas 75701. Inside is fairly large space and nicely decorated. Their booths are pretty large. They could easily fit six normal size people, or maybe 8 small people.

Before your meal, chips and two different kinds of salsa are served. A red and guacamole. Kinda spicy so be aware in case you are not a fan of hot stuff! I can not tolerate hot stuff.

Next to us there was a large party for a girl who I think was turning 21 years old. The only reason I am saying this is because through out the night people kept buying her shots of drinks. I remember thinking I never had so many people show up at my birthday. So they are able to manage a large party.

I went there lately and ordered an ala carte beef taco with a side of Charo beans with tortilla soup. To my surprise it was very filling. My brother and my sister in law shared fajitas. The place is great and a fun place to go and enjoy a meal with your family. Food is good, usually the company is even better. The service was also very good.

Here are some examples of food you can find in their menus: Salad and soup, Quesadillas, Fajitas, Grilled Specialty, Star dinners, Mexican favorites, burritos, lunch specials, American food, children’s menu. If all this is not making you hungry I don’t know what will. They also serve a complimentary ice cream with your meal at no charge.

I would suggest the next time you find yourself hungry and around the loop, stop by the Jalapeno Tree and eat. While you are there you can ask them about their Pepper Posse reading and eating for free there. I am sure if you ask anyone who works there, they will be able to tell you more about this. You can also find this information on the back of their gift cards.

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Starbucks Coffee Shop

February 8th, 2010

Starbucks Locations

1817 East SE Loop 323, Tyler
(903) 939-8941

4925 South Broadway Avenue, Tyler
(903) 581-0072

113 Texas 323 Loop, Tyler
(903) 595-3748

On South Broadway and Rice in Tyler, TX there rests a Starbucks. I love Starbucks. I’m not really sure why, but I do, I follow suit with most everyone else. And usually everyone is nice and inviting. No problems, easy come and go visit. But there was one occasion this past Halloween that didn’t meet my expectations. My friends and I had decided to dress up as the 12 disciples and Jesus and pose as the Last Supper painting that Da Vinci painted. We had a table, a huge picture frame and all were dressed for the part. It was quite wonderful and everyone thought it was great. WE have a reputation for doing things lavishly.

The year before we had dressed up as Noah’s Ark. 22 people, just as many different animals and HUGE cardboard Ark, painted and cut out. We had made up a song and everything. The year before that we were the nativity scene. Anyways… So here we are as The Last Supper. I guess the weekend before that part of out group had been at this Starbucks doing a pumpkin carving contest and everyone was dressed in costume. It was quite wonderful and fun. So these same friends thought it would be great to visit them again in our group costume.

Well… we drove up, got out of our cars, I must admit this might have looked scary with three cars pulling up and 14 Jesus looking people with boxes (our table) and a huge picture frame walking toward the door. But as we approached someone from the store met us at the door and told us we couldn’t come in, that we couldn’t bring boxes into the building. We were so confused because it was so random and they had just had a huge costume party basically so what was different about today? She kept saying it was company policy, no boxes could be brought in. All we could do was turn around and leave, we were so confused.

Well there is another Starbucks location on the way home and we had already told our friends working there that we would come in to show them our costume. So we headed over there. We went in, planted our selves in front of the registers and sang our song and everyone clapped and cheered. They loved it, customers and all. We asked them if there was such a rule as the other store so adamantly proclaimed but they had no idea about it, so we laughed it off.

I must say that every time I’ve been in the first location since I’ve had a guilty a conscience. I haven’t even done anything wrong, but I feel like they will make up another excuse to kick me out or something. Even though I know that isn’t true. The second Starbucks remains my favorite, they are the most easy going.

Unfortunately next year I’m not going to be living here anymore and I won’t be able to be in another group costume. I’m a bit sad about that. But I can’t wait to see the pictures! We rock Tyler.

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Cicis Pizza in Tyler

February 8th, 2010

Cici’s Pizza

211 Texas 323 Loop, Tyler TX
Phone: (903) 526-9494

1938 E Southeast Loop 323, Tyler TX
Phone: (903) 533-9494

CiCi’s in Tyler is one of those places that may seem like a good idea at the time but never actually fulfills any decent expectations you may have had of it. CiCi’s combines pizza, buffet style dining, and screaming children into a one of a kind restaurant experience. CiCi’s may offer a pizza buffet at a decent price but they know that any sane person will be driven away within half an hour by the accumulated sounds of arcade games, whining kids, and several televisions all projecting angry sports announcers. The over stimulating environment is, I suspect, nothing more than a clever ploy developed by the buffet style restaurant industry to stop you from claiming the seven pizzas your four dollars gives you the right to under the eternal Law of Buffet.

They bombard you with flashing lights, constant loud ringing noises. A petting zoo themed restaurant would have a better family environment. CiCi’s doesn’t have bad pizza either, they show no shame in baking a funnel cake in a pizza oven and then pretending pizza was always covered in chocolate syrup. And I can respect the kind of courage it takes to offer decent quality dessert at a buffet, I imagine strawberry chocolate cheesecake has brought many a great franchise to its knees. CiCi’s could definitely improve its atmosphere. But If you can handle the overwhelming surroundings they have some good pizza.

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