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Weird Vehicle Traveling by the weather station and Chili’s

April 26th, 2011

Tornado Tracker Vehicle perhaps?
My brother was able to get a good picture of this weird looking vehicle driving through Tyler Texas. It isn’t a hummer but looking at the weird pipes sticking out of it I would say maybe it is a storm chaser vehicle that chases tornado’s?

There is also a 360 window view at the top of it but I can’t seem to find any holes for a military gun which makes me think it is a storm chaser?

I really have no clue what it is but does look like a mixture between a dually truck and a hummer of some kind but the answer still alludes me.

Later on during the day Tyler Texas and surrounding areas were deluged with quite a few tornados. Tyler Junior College (TJC) had several buildings destroyed by a tornado and UT Tyler was hit too.

The pictures below are courtesy of users who submitted pictures on the KLTV website.

East Texas Tornado

East Texas Hale Storm

We went to the soft opening at BJ’s Restaurant for lunch yesterday

February 24th, 2011

BJ's Restaurant in Tyler
BJ's restaurant Tyler TXThe soft opening we went to was yesterday at 1:40 for lunch. They were booked up for almost all other times.

I got the Sweet Pig pizza which is like a deep dish gourmet canadian bacon pizza with really good seasoned tomatoes on top.

I loved my pizza as well as what they call their “hand crafted” root beer. I could have gotten a beer instead but I was just not up to it and root beer sounded great.

BJ’s restaurant is known as being a beer brewery but since Tyler is in the dry county of Smith we have to settle with getting the beer imported from Dallas Texas.

Good old Dallas import beer, nothing wrong with that. My wife got the chicken sesame salad or something to that effect and she liked it. She said her salad was light and just the right amount of taste.

The salads are not loaded down with ranch dressing so I think if you are trying to lose weight you will pleased with this.

For desert we had this cookie with icecream that was cooked in a small pan.

The desert was very good as well and overall I would give BJ’s a 5 star rating for the city of Tyler.

You will find the overall experience far and above better than what you see, hear and taste at Applebees, Chili’s, and the Olive Garden.

I hear to open a BJ’s restaurant you need to have like 6 million dollars just hanging out in a bank account not being used. The 6 million doesn’t include the type of capital investment required to buy the land, build the BJ’s and run payroll.

The guy who bought the BJ’s franchise in Tyler is a smart cookie when it comes to running restaurants and he in fact owns several.

The owner also owns the Wing Stops and Smashburgers in town.

I like BJ’s restaurant and will probably eat there a lot. I also happen to like Smashburger and Wing Stop quite a bit. I think this guy is on to something.

Namaste Bombay Indian Food Restaurant

February 16th, 2011

Namaste BombayI have been holding off on going to this restaurant because I have been sick for several days but as my symptoms have subsided I  decided to trek out with my son to give it a shot.

My wife stayed home with Scarlet Fever while me and my son have just gotten over the flu and had a bit more of an appetite considering all we have eaten all week was chicken noodle soup.

I ordered the Lamb Makhani – lamb with tomato gravy, fenugreek leaves with Indian Spice. It was spicy but not too bad although if you are not someone who likes spicy food you should pass on this one. I loved it, the sauce was great, the meat was very good as well as the delicious Mango yogurt drink I got with my meal.

I shared the rice and Naan bread with my son and didn’t give him any of the spicy stuff.

The food tasted very similar to what I remember eating at an Indian friends house several years ago. What I remember was that my friends wife made very good Indian food and this restaurant offers a good replacement to that fond memory.

If you have always wanted to eat Indian food on occasion in your home town in Tyler TX you now have that opportunity.

Lamb Makhani Namaste Bombay is located close to Chili’s in Tyler on the loop. Feel free to comment with what you have tried and liked at this restaurant to give other Tylerites some good ideas about what to try when they go.

Namaste Bombay Indian Food in Tyler TX

February 15th, 2011

Namaste Bombay Tyler TexasMany people who would classify themselves in the Indian food connoisseur (I apologize for using french) category still don’t even know that there are two Indian restaurants in Tyler.

Namaste Bombay
713 WSW Loop 323, Suite F
903-561-7200
Open Tuesday-Sunday
Lunch buffet: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner menu: 5:15-10 p.m.

My brother has told me that Namaste Bombay was pretty good. I like Indian food as well but the sign threw me off at first because I could barely make out what it said.

Now that I have some recommendations from my brother and overheard an Indian in Bodacious barbecue give a thumbs up on this Tyler Texas Indian restaurant as well as the one at Holiday Inn I will have to try it out.

It takes me awhile to try out a new restaurant as I like to see a new place be completely accepted by the mass public before I will usually become a restaurant patron.

I have heard this Indian restaurant offers buffets at 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  as well as a menu where you can order what you like from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Indian Food Tyler TexasThey mention that they are  a vegan friendly restaurant but this doesn’t mean they don’t serve meat.

I assume they have popular Indian dishes like, chicken curry, yogurt type stuff, and probably a lot of rice related things. Usually an Indian restaurant will have things similar to tortillas but they will be crispy and flaky.

Rather then listen to me write off a bunch of things from their menu you can read it online here. Be prepared for some sweet Indian music while you read – click here to read menu

You also usually get a good selection of spices and sauces at an Indian restaurant. Obviously I don’t know much about this place yet but I do plan to go and check it out and would have gone this Valentines day had I not had the flu.

This restaurant is on your way to Chuck E Cheese pizza and in front of New Covenant church and Kings Academy. If these land marks still don’t help they are also near Chili’s Bar and Grill and on the same side of the highway as Chili’s.

Look for the white sign that has something written in a weird font that you probably won’t be able to read even with good eye site.

I think all in all I will probably really like this restaurant and have been wanting to go ever since I heard about it but the flu has been holding me back.

On the owners website he seems to have a passion for this new restaurant and I hope it does well because every town needs a couple of Indian restaurants and I like Indian food, it’s just good stuff to put in your mouth.

Four Square

February 9th, 2011

Four Square has become one of the most popular games. Four Square is played over the internet on smart phones, such as iPhones and Droids. Basically you “check in” when you go to business, house, or anywhere. The more you go out, the more you “check in” to restaurants and businesses you are awarded with titles (such as mayor). A ton of people have it set to their phone to post where they are on their Facebook wall, or on Twitter. To be constantly posting where you are every step seems a like you are just looking for someone to start stocking you. Posting where you are at does give different restaurants and businesses great free advertisement. I have seen someone check in to restaurants at lunch time and think “wow, that sounds good” and have gone just based on that. Some restaurants even give the four square mayor free food if you show you are mayor. Chili’s gives free chips and salsa. This game has become a huge hit! Everyone wants everyone to know what they are doing from a minute to minute basis. Although I have not got into the Four Square game, but from a business point of view it is a great way to let everyone know that you exist. Many people fight for the most “mayorships” in the game. You compete against complete strangers and can see who all has checked in. you need to have a Four Square account to play, which is free. So get ready to be stocked through your favorite social network, and start playing Four Square with the thousand other East Texans.