Dinner and a Show

The fourth episode of season 1 of Walker, Texas Ranger stars veteran character actor Bruce McGill (he played time cop Captain Braxton in Star Trek: Voyager and Al the Bartender/God in the last episode of Quantum Leap) as the bad guy who goes around town doing genuinely bad things.  One of his main stops is Brownie's Diner in the east part of Dallas:

In its heyday, Brownie's was a popular spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It served up everything from Sanka to Flounder to Omelettes.  Take a minute to peruse the menu so you can decide what you would have ordered:

 I'd probably go with the coffee and Steak on a Bun.  As you can see below, not only is it no longer Brownies, the restaurant that replaced it is also closed down (must have been too many bad guys hanging around):

As Mr. Bad Guy leaves you can see the the Eckerd Drug Store and Motts...

...has been replaced by a Family Dollar and Check Cashing place:

Later in the episode there is some hubbub at an old school looking bank:

The building is located on the downtown square in McKinney, TX (north of Dallas).  It's a historic building that was a bank at one time but now it's an antique shop.

Here is the building's historical marker for your reading pleasure:

Of course Walker and his partner show up to put an end to the nonsense:

But unfortunately they didn't have time to visit downtown McKinney's many unique shops and restaurants (maybe they can plan a Saturday afternoon trip sometime):

A few roundhouse kicks later and McKinney was safe from Mr. Bad Guy...but for how long???

The Ultimate Fate of the Starship Pegasus

Hardcore Trekkies know the unfortunate fate of the fictional Federation Starship Pegasus but unbeknownst to many, a real life Starship Pegasus also lays in ruins as a reminder to travelers of the subtle whims of fate and of how far the stars can be.

Much like Trek's "Great Bird of the Galaxy," this ship was also helmed by a true visionary: Andy Gee, a man who brought his unique vision in for a landing in Italy...Italy, TX.


"I had hoped it would inspire the next kid to grow up and create the warp drive that would take us to meet an alien civilization," said architect and entrepreneur Gee. His vision became a reality when the Starship Pegasus Restaurant opened for business in 2005. Unfortunately two years later the doors were closed and the ship was docked.


As it sits along I-35 in Italy (approximately 45 miles south of Dallas), unkempt weeds scrape the hull and the once lustrous facade fades like starlight at dawn. But this vision of the future shares Star Trek's optimism.


Starship Pegasus Associates Community Enterprises, or S.P.A.C.E, has used the building as a flea market/farmers market but the ultimate rescue for the Pegasus can come from Trek's biggest fan: you!


It's true, the Starship Pegasus is for sale and for the right amount of gold pressed latinum you can own it! You always wanted a novelty, sci-fi themed restaurant haven't you? Then make it so!

UPDATE:  Sadly, the Pegasus was ultimately torn down.

Review: Bamboo House

Previously:  East Texas Burger Company 

Typically in Texas (or across much of the U.S.) "Asian Cuisine" is usually found in strip mall buffets filled with radioactive red sweet sour & sauce and deep fried shrimp that would best be used as packing material.  Occasionally though, you can find the rare cherry blossom tree among the thorny briar patch of subpar "Take All You Want, Eat All You Take" establishments.  Which brings us to the Bamboo House in Bonham, TX:

The outside windows boast "Sushi" and "Pho" so that's what we decided to try.  But the menu was fairly extensive and could surely provide enough options for the most eclectic groups of dining companions.  So let's head inside:

The mellow, intimate atmosphere easily lends itself to cozy conversations regarding menu selections and topics like: "Wow, that looks good!  Let me try some!"  We got there a little after the lunch rush so the crowds had gone which makes it hard to gauge the quickness of service with very few other patrons needing to be served.  But everything came out in a timely manner.  So let's start with the first course:

Let's start with something simple:  "Salmon Sushi."  It's a simple starter that's reasonably priced but it sets the scene for a satisfying meal in the simplest way: with the high caliber ginger and wasabi.  You might not think that there is a big difference between great garnishes and mediocre ones but the sinus clearing effect of even the tiniest amount of this wasabi proves that the good stuff makes a big difference.  Let's keep eating:

Course #2: "Tuna Roll"!  Sure, we're keeping it simple as far as sushi goes but it's not too hard to be hesitant when ordering raw fish this far away from the ocean.  But fortunately this one was also a winner and could easily go toe to toe (or fin to fin) with the equivalent from some fancy pants place.  Onward we go:

Final Course: "Pho Dac Biet"  We finished off our meal with a big bowl of their famous pho described in the menu as "Rice noodle soup w. special combination of steak, well done brisket, & meatballs"

The great tasting, flavorful broth compliments the three types of meat, each with their own unique taste.  It's a great finish to a not so common Texas meal and a great way to refuel on the road to your next adventure.