98 Bar-b-que (Miramar Beach, FL)

I always try to find a barbecue place near where I am staying. Gotta at least try barbecue from anywhere and everywhere. I Googled "bbq restaurants near me" while in Miramar Beach Florida. 98 Bar-b-que was one of the highest rated and was about twenty minutes down the road.

This place is a sit-down and order restaurant. Unlike some restaurants that have counter order and then you sit. I was able to just place my order and pay at the 'hostess' counter.

I got the Combo Platter which is a choice of two-meats and two sides. I knew I wanted to try the brisket but for the second option I asked the waitress/hostess what meat she preferred (Haha...that sounds funny). She said she preferred the pulled pork so that's what I got along with creamed cord nuggets and fried okra.

I rushed the food back to our place and shared the bounty with three other adults.

We all agreed that the pulled pork was the best and then the creamed corn nuggets. The brisket was a little drier than I prefer. There was not a moist option. The Texas toast was not the typical version but I guess the thickness of the slices could be construed as Texas toast.

FINAL VERDICT: They have a lot of other options to try so if I'm ever back in the area, I'll probably visit again when I have more time to sit, relax and enjoy the offerings.

The Surf Hut (Destin-Miramar Beach, Florida)

Tried Surf Hut (Destin/Miramar Beach location) based upon a recommendation from a family member. Obviously we were vacationing during the off season and the weather was like forty degrees the evening we went, so the restaurant wasn't very full except for quite a few old people aka snowbirds. So without further adieu, I'll just get right into the review.

1. Fried Calamari - This was some of the best we've had. It wasn't too gummy or chewy like some places. It was tender and nicely flavored.
2. Fried Crab Claws - I'm not a fan of crab at a restaurant as it's typically overpriced for what you get but my brother-in-law wanted to try. They were pricey as expected but my brother-in-law said they tasted pretty good.
3. Grilled Flounder - We all thought the flounder was really good. We thought it was very tender and liked it better than the mahi mahi.
4. Grilled Mahi Mahi - We all thought the mahi mahi was good. It wasn't as tender as the flounder and a tad dry.
5. BBQ Pork Ribs and Shrimp Kabob - Ribs and shrimp were fairly tasty. The ribs were a little too slathered in barbecue sauce but were tender. The sauce was a tad too peppery for me but others liked it. The shrimp was just like any other shrimp I've had. The buttery sauce was too light and flavorless to know it was there. If the server hadn't mentioned the different kinds when I ordered, I wouldn't even know there was a 'buttery' sauce on them.
6. Shrimp and Grits - The grits almost looked like mashed potatoes but were good. The shrimp was liked by all and the cheese sauce was good too.
7. Key Lime Pie - This pie was the only real disappointment of the meal. It seemed to me like more of a pumpkin pie consistency and the crust wasn't as 'crusty' as preferred. The flavor wasn't really that bad but I feel like this pie could have been found in the clearance bin and purchased from the Winn Dixie down the road.

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FINAL VERDICT: The appetizers we ordered were good. I wouldn't order the Ribs and Shrimp Kabob again but the other entrees were well liked. That being said, if you are in the area, I would suggest trying this place.

Dallas Grilled Cheese Co (Mockingbird Station - Dallas)

Went to an office lunch at the Dallas Grilled Cheese Co in Mockingbird Station.

I ordered the Cattleman’s Grilled Cheese ($12.99). Described on the menu as "Juicy smoked brisket, Muenster, Smoked Gouda & Yellow Cheddar on Rustic Bread, served with a side of house-made BBQ sauce" and a side order of Sweet Papas ($2.99). Add in my Diet Coke ($2.25), tax, tip and the grand total of my lunch-for-one was about $24.00.

HOLY FREAKIN' MOLY!

Yeah, I fell for it. I ordered the most expensive sandwich on the menu thinking it'd give me the most for my money. I was mostly wrong.

The meal was fairly good but was it $24 good? I think not. Others may not have any problem paying such an amount but I'm more frugal.

FINAL VERDICT: If you've not tried this place before, maybe it's worth a try. If you have tried and you go back once, twice or more often, then your wallet is thicker than mine. The food isn't bad. Some might like it but I have to pass on it because of the sheer cost benefit isn't there for me.

Stuber (2019)

Stuber (2019). I feel like I saw this movie coming to theaters like three months ago. I don't really recall the actual timing but I thought it would be funny to watch once it got to DVD. Well, it got to DVD and I watched it today.

After watching the movie, I didn't think they showed all the "good" parts in the previews. The entire movie was pretty consistent and funny throughout...but of course for the few parts that weren't supposed to be funny. I think the dynamic between Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani was good and felt seamless and legit.

It also had Mira Sorvino who I feel like I haven't seen in a 'mainstream' movie in some time. She still looks pretty good and still very recognizable.

FINAL VERDICT: This movie was a very fun watch for me. I like Kumail from his role in Silicon Valley. I also have always liked Dave Bautista as he seems to just enjoy being in movies. I rented this from Redbox with a promo code but would pay full price or even $5 at a movie theater to watch. It was just good entertainment for me.

Climax (2018)

Climax (2018). Randomly browsing the Amazon Prime Video library and came across this film under the "Popular Movies" section. The synopsis was brief but made it sound like it could be interesting.

Unfortunately, the synopsis was more interesting than the film itself. The acting was poor. The story line portrayed was weak. I don't even know the purpose of this film other than to waste money on seeing people act weird and scream a lot.

FINAL VERDICT: I very rarely mark a film on my personal 'rating' scale as HATE. But I can truly say this deserved worse than DID NOT LIKE. If you missed my verdict, it's a hard pass...just keep on browsing and don't look back.

Dead Trigger (2017)

Dead Trigger (2017). This movie showed up as a 'recommendation' on my Amazon Prime Video so I thought I'd give it a try.

I'll probably do it again with other available streaming movies, but I made a mistake. This one was bad.

I guess Dolph Lundgren is really desperate for money or really doesn't care about the movies he's in as long as he gets a decent paycheck. I also don't see how people who are funding and 'making' these types of movies think that they are worth anything.

It's a strange, strange phenomenon to me.

Possible spoilers ahead...

The story line of this movie reminds me just a bit of The Last Starfighter. Whereas a video game is created to recruit people for a 'war' without them knowing it's a recruitment tool.

Two things that bothered me about this movie: (1) REALLY, REALLY bad acting, fight scenes, shooting scenes and just some scenes in general and (2) How long or how many rounds does it take to realize that after shooting zombies or anyone/thing for that matter anywhere but the head and they still keep moving that it may be time to FUCKING shoot them in the head!? I mean pick up on some of the subtleties a.k.a. obviousness of combat when on thing isn't working, try another. DUH!

Anyway...again, what did I expect. Well a little more.

FINAL VERDICT: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. You'd find more entertainment in watching paint dry.

Dominos Pizza - Skillman Ave (Dallas, TX)

Ordered pickup from here a few times. Mostly for my youngest. When I get something, I usually get one of the breads and occasionally wings. Today I got the 14ct Hot Wings and Stuffed Cheesy Bread with Spinach & Feta.

The bread was good but it was difficult to find the spinach and feta. Once or twice I did bite into a chunk of feta. But thinking back I don't ever recall any spinach.

Looking at the wings, they had a decent level of kick and tasted as wings should. The problem is they were small, very small wings. I feel like they killed little chicks instead of full-grown ones. These wings were no more than two inches in length and barely had any meat on them. Plus they give two shallow-cup dipping sauces (ranch).

For $11.99, I expect a little more than these sissy-fied wings and skimpy dipping sauces. There are other places close by to get better pizza, wings and bread....for me at least.