Lent in the Gump: Week 2: The Saga Continues at Commerce Street Soda Shop and Bushwood

Shakes for the shakes.

Monday Lunch: Lent Week 2:

Astrophysicists have located a black hole at 15 Commerce Street that has sucked many a new restaurant into its spinning vortex down into oblivion and beyond.  Remember Bama Bistro?  Gone.  Santa Fe Express? Kaput. Uncle Bimbos Bar-B-Que and tattoo parlor? Poof.

As my efforts to move past the shakes continued (see first post below), I, along with several of the gang [BBMAK, The Younger, Big Easy Slim and Finnekey Eater] passed the Commerce Street Soda Shop (spelled Shoppe in some advertisements/news reports) Monday looking for lunch in all the wrong places. (The Olive Room no longer serves lunch).  So what is more appropriate for a drying-out Irishman with the shakes?  Why a chocolate shake at a soda shop of course. So, we decided to try it out.

Although other wags, like Bama Bing or Tojo, have set the "over and under" life for any restaurant in this location at 150 days, we noted as we waded into the narrow space that the "first dollar" on the wall was dated December 11, 2011, which means this place has already passed the 90-day mark.  Time to load up on the "over" for this place.

BBMAK ordered the Philly cheese steak.  One thumb up.

The Younger placed a complex order for chicken fingers and a cherry coke.  Despite his demanding and refined taste, he was pleased with the results. Two thumbs up.

Big Easy Slim, who is in the midst of some humiliating thing called "boot camp" ordered a salad.  Our ambassador from New Orleans declared it "outstanding."  Three for three.

As for myself, the old Irish prose, I ordered the steak fajita wrap with blue cheese and homemade chips.  Wow!  The chips were right out of the fryer and very good.  The wrap was ample and the blue cheese sauce a different but pleasant flavor combo.  But the cherry on top was the chocolate shake with a real cherry on top of some whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  A very tasty treat and meal for just a few cents under $10.  Four in a row.

Finally, all eyes turned to Mr. Finnekey.  There was a hushed silence, except for the hokey 50's tune running in the background.  After devouring the "special" (a chicken sandwich on Texas toast covered with chipolte sauce) with french fries, Finnekey looked up and announced: "You may put in your little blog the following: 'My companion marveled at having a fresh tomato on his sandwich in February.'"  Well, that's about as high a rating as he ever gives thus making it official: One for the Thumb!

As we left, I made a mental note to pay a visit to 'my man' and lay some on the over for The Commerce Street Cafe.  They may be the first success story in this location in a long time.

Monday Evening: Annual Meeting at Bushwood CC:


If you are trying to cut down on your alcohol consumption, or are a recovering alcoholic, the last place you should visit is an open bar with complimentary prime rib banquet at Bushwood CC.  Monday was their annual meeting and, of course, I ignored my own advice and attended.  After learning that more members had died than joined during the past year, I scurried into the buffet line for some really fine salmon and prime rib both cooked to the correct temperatures and delicious.  At my table were the captains of the legal, securities, real estate and civil engineering professions all enjoying either ice-cold beer or vodka drinks from an open bar nearby.  Fearing temptation, I wolfed down my meal and quickly departed for the festivities in the "Men's Grille" downstairs from the meeting.

There one could enjoy some friendly wagering on dice and cards among other members (for amusement purposes only of course) while our local Doctors of Mixology kept everyone's glasses full.  Cigar smoke filled the air along with the laughter of those whose tongues had been loosened by the truth serum being dispensed from an open bar.  It was not the temptation of the wilderness, but, for a besotted old Irishman who could see the lonely unopened bottle of Michael Collins Irish Whiskey on the top shelf, there for the asking, it was some temptation nevertheless.

To fight off the urge to say: "Reggie, just one of the 'Big Fella' for me my good man!," I immersed myself in a game of Texas Hold-Em with an "Arnold Palmer" as my only liquid refreshment.  Soon I found myself thinking more about what was on "the river" than what was in the cabinet.  My pangs subsided and, actually, I found myself playing cards slightly better than normal.  I actually won some....chips.

After the game broke up I even enjoyed an Arturo Fuente on the porch during a lovely Montgomery evening for a February.  All in all a fine evening for one proud to have stared a small temptation in the bloodshot eye and bested it.  Perhaps it will be downhill from here.

 

Squeak Peek: Santa Fe Express Goes Taco y Taco with Cantina Downtown

[Ed. Note: Santa Fe Express es muy finito. No trespassing signs up 8/31/2011. Adios Santa Fe Express!]

The holes in the facade from the rudely dislodged former "Bama Bistro" sign which once hung above the door a few months ago have not yet been filled, but the space has. Our elite commandos recently received hard intelligence that a new "Mexican" restaurant was now occupying the 15 Commerce Street "hole in the wall" location of the former Bama Bistro. Although the intelligence was questioned due to the implausible idea of another Mexican restaurant opening within a block of the Cantina in the Alley, for the safety of the dining public, once the new restaurant was confirmed to exist, the fearless and expendable GGPs were deployed to investigate by any take-out or eat-in measures. Sorties were launched Tuesday and Thursday by land and air units of the Gump Guinea Pigs. Here is their report, now declassified for the public as written by "Squeak" their shadowy and furry commander:

A rare photo of Squeak using his MRIV (Mexican restaurant insertion vehicle)

At 1200 hrs 23 June 2011, The Santa Fe Express door was already open so (classified) and I entered and noticed one booth full of stateys in full feeding mode tearing into their lunches like two-year-olds opening presents on Christmas morning or like raccoons going through a trash can. It was not hard to move past them without being noticed. One customer was leaving the counter with a bag heavy with a take-out order. They paid us no attention or did not see us in the brim of our insertion vehicle (see above).

Since our mission was to eat-in, we sat in an open booth and in no time a very nice young waitress greeted us and brought us our requested water with lemon. A few seconds later a "free" (note this Cantina owners) basket of warm nacho chips and a bowl of delicious salsa was brought to the table.

The salsa was very tasty on the warm chips and on the burrito that followed.

Upon perusing the menu (classified) and I immediately saw a bargain and an opportunity to try more than our usual one entre: "Create Your Own Lunch." This deal allows you to pick 2 items ($4.95) or 3 items ($5.95) from a list of 15 items including: burritos, quesadillas, tostadas etc. The order was placed and within minutes very hot plates were presented with extra napkins and very fair portions of food. (Classified) had the chalupa and tamales which he announced to be consistent with expectations and the fare of other decent (but not great) Mexican restaurants in the Gump. I chose the beef burrito and a chicken quesadilla and was equally satisfied especially after adding the sour cream I requested and some of the salsa brought for the chips.


We sent in another team on a take-0ut mission the same day. It was noted that a bag full of warm chips along with a fair helping of tasty salsa is equally available for take out orders (gratis). The take-out team thought it was rather cool they were playing music via an ipod connected to a small speaker. The music appropriately filled the small space (not too loud and not too soft). Their use of minor copyright infringement to keep the cost down was noted and appreciated. The take-out team ordered the burrito with sour cream and a soft taco. They confirmed the quality and price were comparable to most other "Mexican" places in town

The required incubation and quarantine period having passed, I can report that Santa Fe Express is not only approved for the general LITG gang it proved to be a very quick and inexpensive lunch for the public at large. Expect nothing fancy. Expect nothing out of the ordinary. But with a 98 health rating from the local health inspectors, expect clean surroundings and good food at a really fair price. It may give the more expensive Cantina a run for its money.

Obviously, no casualties were reported.

Over and out.

Squeak.