The Texas Chili Parlor in Austin.

CROSSROAD CUISINE - My quest to find great local food when I'm on the road visiting my stores.

I love the amazing regional food in Texas. You can choose from barbecue, chili and Tex-Mex. After visiting the Round Rock Premium Outlets recently I went to get some great chili in Austin.

Texas Chili Parlor
1409 Lavaca St
Austin TX 78701
(512) 472-2828

By all standards, The Texas Chili Parlor looks like a dive bar. It is in the heart of downtown Austin on the UT campus and across the street from the Embassy Suites.

The customers range from a mix of tattooed college students to grey haired professors and local business people out for a drink and something to eat after work. There was even a family with three small children there for dinner. So go in, you will feel right at home no matter who you are.

I knew I was off to a great start when I heard "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" playing as I entered.

The menu has burgers, sandwiches, enchiladas, tamales, burritos and tacos. It even has salads for the wimps in your group. However we are here to eat the chili.

You know you are in a college town because they have drink specials like Jager Bombs and $2 Miller High Life.

I started out with the guacamole appetizer and a Shiner Bock. The chips were great, the guacamole was fresh and the home-made salsa was spicy.

Actually one of my favorite reasons to visit Texas is for Shiner Bock beer. It is awesome. Its brewed in Shiner Texas. I can't get it in NY so I always get it when I'm here.

But the real reason we are here is for the chili. It comes three ways.

1. X - Mild - Best for beginners
2. XX - Spicy -Their most popular, but beware.
3. XXX - Hot, Hot, Hot

They all come with crackers, onions and jalapenos; cheese and sour cream are extra.

You can buy a "Taster", Small or Large. I ordered the large XX with cheese. I like spicy food and the XX Spicy is plenty hot for me. If you go and you try the XXX, let me know how it is.

Now this is real Texas chili so there are NO BEANS. It is excellent chili. Actually the best I have ever had (excluding my own home-made). If you insist on beans (why you are ordering chili in Texas I don't know) then they do offer a Black Bean and Elgin Sausage Chili or a 5 Bean Veggie Chili. SERIOUSLY A VEGGIE CHILI!!! Whats the point?

Now they do have another Texas specialty that I plan on trying on my next trip. Its called a Frito Pie. Traditionally you take a small bag of Fritos,  cut it open down the middle and pour the chili right into the bag. They are a little more refined here and they dump the Fritos on a plate first before topping them with the chili. The dad with the three kids had this and it looked great.

As I left another great song was playing. Billy Joel's "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" It was a great evening.

For other great places to eat when your on the road, check out these prior posts:

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q

Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria

Al's #1 Italian Beef

The 5-8 Club, Home of the Juicy Lucy

If you liked this post then you have to get this book:

500 Things to Eat Before Its Too Late

Mark Libell

Direct Factory Outlets may be on the verge of collapse.

The company which owns Australia’s Direct Factory Outlets chain is believed to be locked in talks over its future after media speculation that it is struggling under $1 billion of debt and may be on the “verge of collapse”.

DFO, which has eight factory outlet-style centres operating on the Eastern Seaboard, was founded in 1996 by rich list members David Golberger and David Wieland, and is owned by holding company Austexx.

A report in The Sunday Age claimed Austexx was on the “verge of collapse” and with a “consortium of banks edging closer to foreclosing on the company”. The report also claimed experts from insolvency firm KordaMentha had been engaged to examine Austexx’s position.

A spokesperson for Austexx said company executives were not available to comment on the story. David Golberger was also unavailable.

However, SmartCompany understands Austexx is currently in talks with representatives from the company's banking syndicate. More details are expected to be released later today.

The potential effect that any problems at Austex may have on Goldberger and Wieland’s empire is unclear at this stage, as Austexx is only one of many of the pair’s investments.

The speculation comes less than six months after Austexx announced it was looking to find an investor or buyer for the business, with an asking price of about $1.5 billion placed on the company.

At the time, Austexx chief Geoff Porz said the company would consider taking a new investor into the business, selling the properties underlying the centre or selling the business outright.

A subsequent report in May in The Australian suggested British company Pradera Asset Management was interested in buying the DFO business, although no deal has been confirmed.

Goldberger and Wieland own 50% of Austexx, with other investors including Austexx executives Porz and Frank DeRango, and current ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel, whose stake has been held in a blind trust since he was appointed consumer watchdog in 2003.

According to reports, the DFO at Melbourne’s South Wharf precinct, which opened in 2009, is at the heart of the company’s problems.

The centre has not performed to expectations and parts of the development, including a cinema complex and food court, remain uncompleted.

Lenders to the South Wharf project are believed to include Suncorp Metway.

Goldberger and Wieland were valued jointly at $625 million on BRW’s Rich 200 list, down from $712 million in the previous year to what the magazine called a “better understanding of their company structure.”

The pair have made their fortune by taking on the Goliaths of Australian business. The pair met in 1974 and soon launched an independent petrol and retail distributor called Solo, competing directly with the dominant oil giants.

They sold the business to Ampol in 1989 for a reported $200 million and over the last 20 years have invested in a range of sectors, including property development (through their company Peninsula Development Group), advertising (through outdoor advertising company Octopus Media) and construction (through crane and equipment hire group Verticon).

In 1995, they also re-entered the petrol business with a new company called Liberty Oil. While the company was initially set up as a retailer, since 2001 the business has concentrated on the wholesale side of the petrol industry.

But without doubt, Goldberger and Wieland’s biggest investment in the last decade has been Austexx, which they started in 1996.

Since developing the first DFO in Melbourne, the chain has expanded rapidly with outlets in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

Centres in Hobart and Townsville are also under development, and the executives had flagged potential international expansion into Asia.

The development of the DFO chain has also seen Austexx face off against major shopping centre owners including Westfield, who have regularly objected to the construction of new DFO centres.

However, Wieland and Goldberger clearly relished the role as David versus the Goliaths.

"We have always believed in competition and we have always been the smallest player against the biggest market and it was the same with petrol. This is no different,” Wieland said in 2006.

SOURCE: Smartcompany

Fit For Families 5K Run at Tanger Outlet Centers

Tanger Outlets Second Annual Fitness for Families 5K Run/Walk

Tanger Outlet Centers are sponsoring its 2nd Annual Fit For Families 5K Run/Walk. They are bringing the community together this fall to promote and encourage a healthy, happy lifestyle and fight breast cancer. Proceeds benefit American Cancer Society.

All finishers will receive a race medal, and all pre-registered participants will receive a race pack which includes a commemorative race t-shirt, Tanger shopping discounts and other goodies. Prizes will be awarded to division winners as well as the top 3 male and top 3 female winners.






Race Information
8/28 Myrtle Beach SC Hwy 501
8/28 Westbrook CT
9/11 Myrtle Beach SC Hwy 17
9/18 Charleston SC
9/18 Williamsburg IN
9/19 Dear Park NY
9/25 Branson MO
9/25 Tilton NY
10/3 Washington PA
10/9 Locust Grove GA
10/9 Lancaster PA
10/9 Commerce GA
10/30 Gonzales LA

There is a $25 entrance fee. For details visit http://www.tangeroutlet.com/ . Then visit the event page for the center involved.

Mark Libell

Fenway Comes to Wrentham Premium Outlets

Meet & Greet "Big Papi" Dave Ortiz

Come join David Ortiz for an afternoon of fun at Wrentham Village Premium Outlets on Thursday, Aug. 19.

Take a swing at the batting cages, get your picture taken with Ortiz memorabilia, and even buy a pair of shoes with ‘Big Papi’ himself as your cashier.

Ortiz will visit the outlets 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. to show off his skills in the batting cages, interact with fans, and ring out a customer or two from behind the Reebok counter.

The batting cages will be open throughout the entire event, as will the display featuring Ortiz’s Home Run Derby trophy and the U-Form cleats he wore to clench the win.

DETAILS

Thu, Aug 19

• 10:30am - 3:00pm: Practice your swing in the batting cages. Dave Ortiz's Home Run Derby trophy and the U-Form cleats that he wore in the derby will be on display to take pictures and more.
• 11:30am - 12:30pm: Meet Dave Ortiz
• Event in the parking lot in front of Reebok

Mark Libell

Extreme fire alert reinstated

Gabriola Fire Department have today reinstated the Extreme level of wildfire alert, meaning a complete shutdown on the use of gas powered equipment at any time.

Why did Liz Claiborne close its outlet stores?

Liz Claiborne recently announced that under a new licensing agreement, the brand will only be sold at J.C. Penney and will be manufactured and marketed by the retailer.

That was the final nail in the coffin for Liz Claiborne which recently announced that they would be closing their 87outlet stores.

The Wall Street Journal wrote a great article yesterday detailing the final death spiral of this iconic brand. Its to long to print here, but you can follow this link to read the entire article.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703999304575399552246431616.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Back-to-school shopping secrets at outlet malls

A recent interview with Michele Rothstein, senior vice president of marketing for Premium Outlets, revealed how shoppers can get special deals at the Premium Outlet Malls.

Q. What promotional things are the Premium Outlets doing to promote back-to-school sales?

A. Back-to-school is a highly promotional period and a great time to shop, not only for back-to-school. It's a great chance for moms/parents to also pick up some pre-fall items. The stores have a wide range of in-store promotions planned . . and we have been posting them on our website, www.premiumoutlets.com, as we want shoppers to be prepared. Some of the stores don't announce their sales until right before the sale starts so it pays to check the website before visiting us.

Q. Can customers find special coupons anywhere?

A. The first thing savvy shoppers should do is join our VIP Shopper Club at www.premiumoutlets.com/vip as it is filled with special/exclusive offers. We call that section The VIP Lounge. We have some merchants that will be posting special offers for this sale and the entire Back to School shopping period. When you join the club, you also get a special VIP Coupon book, which you can present to the merchants listed in the book for special discounts anytime between now and March 31, 2011.

In addition to our own merchant offers, we also post special offers from area businesses and restaurants to insure shoppers have a great time visiting the area. We also work with area hotels and inns on special shopping-and-stay packages - some of which include a $25 gift card.

SOURCE: mycentraljersey.com by PAMELA MacKENZIE

The Shops at Grand River outlet store list grows

Outlet shopping destination on schedule to open in October

The list of shops anticipated to join the Shops of Grand River continues to grow as the outlet center nears its opening date in October.

Officials with Daniel Corporation, which is developing the retail center, said the Shops at Grand River is in excess of 80 percent filled, with additional tenants continuing to express interest.

The latest group of retail businesses joining the center include: Talbots, Chico’s, Jos. A. Bank, Guess, Jockey, Black & Decker, Corning, Dress Barn, Maurices, Sterling Jewelers, and Gold Toe

Doug Neil, vice-president of Daniel Corporation said the shopping center is attracting interest from retailers due primarily to its location.

“We have had tremendous retail names express interest in becoming tenants. With a metro-area population of over 1.1 million and virtually no outlet shopping available, they see it as filling a void in the marketplace,” Neil said. “The tenants are very aware of the lack of competition.”

The shops are scheduled to open with a four-day grand opening event beginning on Thursday, October 28. Neil said there will be a variety of activities associated with the grand opening.

The shops will be bringing approximately 650 full-time equivalent jobs once the development is completed, according to Neil. There is expected to be a job fair related to the development at some point in September.

Other retail businesses already slated to open at Grand River are: Aéropostale, Banana Republic Factory Store, Bass - GH Bass & Co., Bon Worth, Book Warehouse, Brooks Brothers, Carter’s Babies and Kids, The Children’s Place, Easy Spirit, Factory Brand Shoes, Fragrance Outlet, Gap Outlet, Gymboree Outlet, Izod, Jones New York Outlet, Kasper Outlet, Lane Bryant Outlet, Hanesbrands, LIDS, Naturalizer Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Nine West Outlet, Oshkosh B'gosh, Polo Ralph Lauren, Factory Store, rue21, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger Company Store, Uniform Outlet, Van Heusen, VF Outlet, and Wilsons Leather Outlet.

With the grand opening for the Shops at Grand River just over two months away, Neil said the excitement over Grand River is at an all-time high.

“We are staying very busy,” he said. “We are turning over tenant spaces as I speak. This is a great opportunity for Leeds.”

SOURCE: The Leeds News by Robert Blankenship

An ode to Iced Coffee, Tea and basically all that is Iced

Have I mentioned the freaking heat in New York?

DO NOT COME TO NEW YORK IN AUGUST!!!!!!!

It's like descending into hell.  A hell that is like standing behind a bus and feeling the exhaust fumes on your skin and not having the bus pull away.

But it's New York so I love it.

I also love iced coffee.  OH GOD do I love iced coffee.  Every morning the lethargic Mop and I go for a walk to our local deli/grocery/coffee place Jessie's.  We both love the air con that hits us as we walk in, and we love even more, opening the freezer door to get our pre-cooled cup full of ice.

They know me as cream and one sugar - I plunk my money on the counter and happily suck back the cool caffeine as we make our way back home.  The coolness of the coffee lasts only so long and soon I am sweating again.

The other day it was so hot in the apartment that I took a very cold shower.  When getting ready, I ended up sweating so much I had to jump back in to rinse off!  I was trying to apply mascara (which is kept in the fridge) but my eyes were so sweaty it hurt.  I had a pool of sweat in my belly button!

I learned from Male Model not to apply lotion as I had been doing.  Makes sense.  You sweat so much your skin has no chance of getting dry.  I think it was the lotion that lead to me sliding out of the cab.

Now I just have to get ready in the bedroom where I can put the AC on full blast. Or just sit there in my underwear and let it cool me.  Apparently I am now Homer Simpson. I have also taken to pushing the bed in front of the AC at night.

I worry about my Starbucks bill on my VISA when I get home.  I pop in there at least once a day for a shaken black iced tea lemonade half sweet.  I drink it fast and then place the ice down my dress.

Mop hates the heat.  He is not the same dog.  I thought it was his separation from Brooklyn that had made him listless. Alas, on a recent trip to a cooled down Toronto, Mop was back in Mop/crazy animal form.  So Brooklyn is not the ringleader after all.  Mop is just that hot.

He is so hot he won't sleep with me.  I tried to hold him in front of the AC to get cooled down but he is afraid of the whirring noise.  Then I dunked him in a fountain at Central Park.  This only made him roll around in the dirt.  I try giving him cold baths but he hates water (clearly as the fountain trick didn't work).  I even got him a bandanna that you put in the freezer which supposedly cools off their necks.  Unfortunately it is sitting in my Vancouver freezer.

So it's hot.  You can't hang outside so you must trek to the lovely cool inside of museums like the Met.  Or go shopping. Or actually sit at Starbucks all day (I got so cold in their AC I had to order a tea latte).

We couldn't survive this heat if it weren't for the iced coffee.  Oh iced coffee/tea.  I love you.

Gosh, how did women in the 19th century deal in this heat?  I can't see Miss Astor spreading her legs and fanning up her skirt.

Um.  Not that I do that either . . . .

The Mortal and the Models

I have recently found myself in a friendship with a model.

A real, life, MODEL.

A male model.

One who is at least seven feet tall with mocha-cream skin and chiseled good looks.  He once posed as an alligator coming out of a lagoon and made it sexy.

Lucky for the Engineer, he is also a raging homosexual.  Is that offensive?

This said model is also in New York right now - except he has rented a two-floor apartment in Greenwich Village and I continue to live with a slanted floor and a cockroach named Mickey in Brooklyn.

First thing first:  this male model might also be the nicest person I have ever met.  Super genuine and sweet. Really down to earth (mostly).  He just happens to be uber gorgeous.

Models tend to hang out with other models.  So when he invited me to come over to his apartment for a wine and cheese night I should have either (a) said no thank you or (b) ran to the nearest salon for a blow-out and false eyelashes.

I did neither.  I showed up sweaty with Mr. Mop in tow.

Male Model was sharing the apartment with Female Model/Actress who is so pretty you can't take your eyes off of her. All willowy and big eyes.  You sort of want to hit her and kiss her at the same time.

And again, super nice.

Then came in two more models.  Then another.  Well, I don't know if they were all models but they looked like models.  I think I could grate cheese on all of their torsos.

I know I am cute. I am a pretty girl.  But I AM NOT A MODEL.

And nothing will make you feel less like a model than sitting in a Manhattan backyard with models.

#.  Their hair doesn't frizz in the crazy humidity.  Why?  WHY DOESN'T THEIR HAIR FRIZZ?  I have to pull mine up and back just to control it!!  Is there a secret model gene in their hair that makes it look effortlessly pretty and messy in that super annoying 'i just rolled out of bed' look??

#2.  They can eat and drink in a dainty way that suggests that they get to eat whatever they want and look hot while doing it. I dropped cheese on myself.

#3.  They don't seem to sweat or even get the teeniest glisten above their lip in the New York heat.  It's freaking 40 degrees Celcius!!  I have sweat dripping down my elbows, my cankles and between the roll of my belly button and hip.  I literally slid out of a cab the other day.  I am not lying.  I actually slid right out onto the NYC pavement.  Leaving a pool of sweat on the seat.  I am sooooooooo hot and not in the hot model way.

#4.  They all know how to pose for photographs.  I thought I posed well. I think I always look nice in photos.  But I am a trained sorority girl poser.  Chest out, mouth wide, head titled.  This is not  the way of Versace.  I was given a lesson in model pose.  Chest in, chin out and look as though you are in a shower.

Ummmmmm?  What?  All I have to say is when I am in the shower I am rubbing off last night's mascara and often have my mouth open.

#5.  They will make you realize that modeling is actually hard work.  See #4

#6.  They will be really nice that you can't hate them just because they are beautiful.

The lesson here?  Don't judge a model by their beauty.  Just don't take photographs with them.