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Written by April
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Jun 13 2010 10:46AM |
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Last Updated on Nov 29 1999 6:00PM |
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Culpepper Steakhouse
309 E Interstate 30
Rockwall, Texas 75087
972-771-1001
Chicken Fried Lobster Tail: These four delicious words are worth a trip to Culpepper Steakhouse in Rockwall, Texas from wherever you live. I truly thought, there is no way any dish could be worthy of deep frying a lobster tail. Let me tell you, yes… it is worthy! This perfectly fried lobster tail is served on top of mashed potatoes and drizzled with black truffle oil. Truffle oil: these words are two of the most beautiful to my ears, and especially my taste buds! This was one of the most flavorful meals I have enjoyed in a long time.
Our table started with an order of Breaded Texas Torpedoes (stuffed jalapenos) and Breaded & Deep Fried Poblano Strips served with pink peppercorn ranch. The starters were very good; although the poblano strips out shined the Texas torpedoes.
The Iceberg Wedge Salad was also a winner. It was served with marinated tomatoes, buttermilk blue cheese dressing, topped with chopped egg and apple smoked bacon. It was one of the best wedge salads I have ever eaten. (This salad is large, so splitting it with someone still gives you plenty to enjoy.)
I also want to mention the side items that came with our entrée, they included: Au Gratin Cowboy Potatoes, Cream Corn o’ Brien & Boursin Creamed Spinach. All three items were equally enjoyable & flavorful.
Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine of choice during our dinner & a fine one it was, smooth and flavorful without being too heavy.
I would highly recommend Culpepper’s. Check out the rest of their menu @
www.culpeppersteakhouse.com
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Written by Debra Adams
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May 28 2010 10:25AM |
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Last Updated on Jun 16 2010 3:10PM |
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So I will close this season with my final review of last night’s show, which I will preface by saying that noting (and I mean nothing) could compare to last year’s finale show – I mean, how do you top Queen and KISS… and, of course, Adam Lambert? With that said, however, I will make a few brief comments -- here we go…
The overall theme of the evening was the “living legends” of music, but I felt like (at least at the beginning) it was a scheduled outing from the geriatric wing at the local seniors’ facility. Alice Cooper started things off – never thought he could sing, and nothing has changed in that regard. Thanks goodness the Idols were drowning out his voice for the most part! The remaining two Bee Gees came out – now that was just sad. Michael McDonald performed and I though he sounded great actually – that former Doobie can still carry a tune! Dane Cook came out for a “Simon Says” parody which I thought was rather lame – it had the potential to be so clever and funny, but it just wasn’t. Christina Aguilera was there -- and while she is did not escape from the old folks’ home for the evening, she’s not exactly the “it” girl anymore either (although I am a fan). And then came Hall & Oates. Oh dear God! Hall looked like a home grown terrorist with that full face of hair and uni-bomber sunglasses. And the guy has totally lost his mojo with the singing. Crystal got her groove on with Alanis Morissette, which I thought was fitting and very good – but here again, when is the last time Alanis had a Top 40 song? Carrie Underwood was the one exception in the star power category tonight – she totally rocked “Undo It” which she co-wrote with Kara. She was spectacular! And then came, by far, my all-time favorite portion of the show… Casey singing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” with Brett Michaels – double yum! Well-executed, meaningful, and totally entertaining! Lee came out with Chicago – the majority of the geriatric wing. They can still perform instrumentally, but the lead singer was really just pitiful -- I felt sorry for that old guy actually. General Larry Platt came out to do his classic original “Pants on the Ground” with hysterical, “baggy-drawer’d dancers… and he had some mad moves as well! It was fun to watch until William Hung came out -- you know the “She Bang” guy from long ago – which took the performance from current to irrelevant! And then there she was – the re-emergence of PAULA! She was less drunk than usual it seemed, but she was more taken with herself than anyone else was. And then came the Past Idols Review – all in honor of Simon Cowell and his impending departure from the show. Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Jordan Sparks, Taylor Hicks and Kris Allen all came out to sing in unison to honor the star of tonight’s show –Simon! The only one missing was David Cook, but he had had already obligated himself to perform at a cancer charity event, and I respect him for keeping that promise since that cause that is so dear to his heart. Simon came up on stage and gave a few fairly articulate words of departure, and tagging along was “that little one” – yes, Paula! Good Lord girl – do you ever sit down? And honestly, the fact that it was Simon’s last show totally overshadowed everything else last night – oh yeah, we still have to reveal the winner… almost forgot! Michael, ummmm… I mean Janet, Jackson came out to do a little “nasty” singing and then some other song which I thought would NEVER end! She can still move, but it appeared she was mainly doing some upper body grooving instead of fancy footwork these days, leaving most of that up to her backup dancers. And then, the cherry on top, and closing the celebrity performance portion of the show was the one, the only, the “Weekend at Bernie’s” styled Joe Cocker – you can prop him up and still take him just about anywhere! Really? I mean that’s really the best they could come up with? Overall, I felt like the line-up tonight (aside from Carrie and Brett) was comprised of “has-beens” who had no other offers to consider, and which Idol was able to schedule at a discount rate – and at the end of the show, I felt just a wee bit let down.
Finally – time for the results… I had to sit through all that other nonsense just to see this final 5 minutes of the show that I had been anxiously anticipating! Lee and Crystal – standing on the stage in what was probably the longest two minutes of their lives! Crystal was totally in a Zen place last night – I think she was happy that she had made it this far and is better off that she has ever been in her life. And Lee – poor Lee looked like he was about to vomit right there on that stage! But oh how precious he was when his name was announced! I am delighted with the outcome and think he will serve the American Idol title well. He was gracious and sincere as he thanks the audience, fans and his family – and I have to say, this kid has really grown on me!
So another year of Idol has come and gone – and the question of the day is “will it survive without Simon?” I plan to keep watching until it totally bottoms out, and sincerely hope they replace Simon with someone who will keep our interest… like HARRY CONNICK JR.!!! Shoe your support and join my FB group to help get HCJ on the show next year!!! And just as an aside, I will tell you all that my Casey signs, which we took to the Wildflower Festival a few weeks ago when Casey made his homecoming, and which were aired on the show on the night he got eliminated, are now in the 5/31/10 edition of PEOPLE MAGAZINE (pg. 114). Now how awesome is that??? My goal for this summer is to get his autograph on the signs and in my magazine and to be on the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show… or possibly BOTH! (I know, I need to get a life!)
Until next season friends – thanks for playin’ along and happy summer to you all!!!
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Written by Debra Adams
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May 26 2010 8:02AM |
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Last Updated on Jun 16 2010 3:11PM |
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I’m going to boil this down tonight because, like many of you, I am underwhelmed with this season of my all-time favorite show! Nonetheless, I am dedicated and fairly consistent, so I cannot forgo the review altogether. With that said, here we go…
After Crystal fumbled her way down the aisle, with an awkward run, dropping her microphone and stopping randomly to pose and hug audience members, and finally made her way up to the stage, I got the impression that she was a little wired tonight – you know, a ball of nervous energy , which to me came off as cockiness. And am I the only one who was totally shocked to learn that she wore braces as a teen? I bet her dad feels like he should get at least a partial refund on that investment! The Top 12 were front row, center in the audience tonight… probably looking at these two thinking WTF? And Kara… what’s up with the side pony tail tonight… not your best look girl! Moving on…
First song for Lee – “The Boxer” which was a touching, audience fave, but he strolled through the song instead of picking up speed, which he should be doing during this stage of the race. He sauntered I tell you – run Lee, RUN!!! Quite frustrating, but hey – two more songs to go for him to redeem himself from this first lack-luster performance!
First song for Crystal – “Me and Bobby McGee,” with her guitar in hand, special/fancy microphone stand in place, and dirty dreads rocking the stage. Yeah, yeah, she sounded good and had a lot of energy, but that blue eye shadow and over-zealous performance did nothing for me. She wants it, and she wants it bad… we get it! But for some reason her persona is rather unappealing to me. Nonetheless, Round 1 went to Crystal!
Second song for Lee – “Everybody Hurts”… I was so excited when I heard this was the producers’ pick for him, not only because I LOVE his song, but also because I thought it was so suitable for his voice and felt he could really sink his teeth into it. But alas, I was rather disappointed and frustrated yet again. He did it well, but he could have done it so much better! He had the back-up choir working for him and a rock groove going… so I am not sure what the apparent self-restraint was all about. It was obvious that he was so nervous and I felt bad for him in that regard. I will say, however, that I noticed him doing a little bit of that Kris Allen-styled side-mouth singing that always kind of bothers me… now please just stop that!
Second song for Crystal – “Black Velvet”… Alanna Miles… really? I would never have picked such a sexy, sultry song for our toothless wonder, but hey – no one asked my opinion! She tried to produce a dramatic, Glambert-styled entrance, coming down the lighted stairs in her black satin dress and stiletto heels, but it just didn’t work for her like it did for Adam. First and foremost, I kept waiting for her to miss a step and come tumbling down, and then of course, she would win simply by receiving all the sympathy votes. You could tell SHE was nervous about it too because she was looking down for every deliberate step she took. Secondly, that dress revealed that mammoth-sized tattoo on her back, which I also find very unappealing (but that’s just me). I did not like the sound of her doing this song and I thought she screamed a lot – but not in a good, Adam Lambert kind of way. Ellen compared the evening to a “Cher concert” with all the wardrobe changes, which made me LOL! Simon said she “nailed it,” but I respectfully disagree. She was working – no, she was over-working – the audience in a seemingly desperate attempt to garner the popular vote… but all that was really annoying me. Just sayin’!
Lee’s third and final song – “Beautiful Day”… you mean for his first release he is going to cover a U2 song? Weird! Lee came out with no guitar in his red tennies, stumbling around the stage, with no idea what to do with his hands… he seemed truly lost without his guitar, but I thought he sounded fabulous! It was by far the best of his three performances tonight, which is a good note to go out on for the evening. Simon’s parting comments to Lee were touching because I felt they were genuinely heartfelt – good for him for describing Lee in such a truly flattering way.
Crystal’s third and final song – “Up to the Mountain”… evidently some folk song they sing in the Appalachians as they sip their moonshine and strum their banjos while barefoot on the front porch of the cabin. (Get the visual here?) Crystal did her thing with her acoustical guitar and delivered a moving performance of this song I had never heard before. She sang it well, all the while choking back the tears, and making us understand that she want the Season 9 title really, really, really badly! Again – we get it! But your constant attempts at audience interaction, combined with your obviously contrived (yet unrehearsed) words of encouragement to Simon, were all just on my last nerve! Stop it – play fair and just sing! Stop talking because you do not do it well! Nonetheless, she did shine (in her own ratty-haired, yellow teeth way) with that last performance, which was perfectly timed. She is unique alright, but does that always mean the most desirable? I think not.
And what happened to the traditional lame-o song, written by Kara or some random fan who conjured up some lyrics and sent them into the show for some ridiculous contest, that served as the “winner’s song?” In all previous seasons, the two finalists had to perform the same song, regardless of how badly written or inappropriate for their voice it may have been – you know, so we could compare apples to apples. I felt like tonight I was comparing a pineapple to a crab apple, which made it hard to declare a “winner.”
With that said – I will conclude by stating that Lee’s nerves affected his performances tonight, while Crystal was in prime form. I still think Lee is a favorite, at least partly because so many people find Crystal “icky.” It will be close – but tune in for Part 2 of the Season 9 finale to find out who will reign as this year’s American Idol, plus Simon Cowell’s bittersweet departure from the show. Ryan eluded to some “surprises” for tomorrow night’s show, but I have not heard any reports of a star-studded cast like there was last year. Until tomorrow friends – good night!
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Written by Debra Adams
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May 20 2010 4:24PM |
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Last Updated on Jun 16 2010 3:11PM |
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Like I said in my previous review – SO predictable, and therefore disappointing! They could have at least added a little bit of suspense by announcing Crystal first and leaving the two guys on stage… I mean, everyone knew Crystal would be safe! Moving on…
OMG… OMG… OMG!!! Our signs were on air! The HUGE banner that my awesome friend Colleen made was shown half a dozen times (or more) and my pink “cougar” sign was right next to it! You could not see it clearly or really read it, but it WAS there, proudly waving high in the air… but hey, American Idol camera man, a close-up would have been nice! Nonetheless, please know that one end of that giant, streaming Casey banner was being held up by yours truly… and just to prove it, I have posted a picture of that very banner with me holding it up, taken just an hour ago in my front yard (hair blowin’ in the wind, no make-up, but proof nonetheless)!!! Now how fun is that??? Casey’s homecoming footage, overall, was so touching and sweet – he is just precious I tell you! And his swan song – I so wish he would have done “Jealous Guy” instead of “Daughters,” but I will say that the (apparently pre-planned) performance with him holding that adorable little girl was quite good. It must have been his niece or something – not just some cute little future cougar that he randomly plucked out of the audience. He was gracious and kind, and I feel certain he was not surprised at all with the results… and guess what friend, neither were we! Sad to see you go, but come on home to Texas and meet your fans at Sneaky Pete’s next month… this girl has a banner for you to autograph!!! Seriously… I need an autograph dude!
Crystal’s homecoming was interesting… “Bowerstock?” Really? Then why on earth was she holding a camera in her hands the entire time… like she was there to see someone else famous, taking photos for her own scrapbook. Hello! Crystal – all these fine folks are here to see YOU, doofus! And the mayor giving her the key to the city… kind of risky I thought. I mean, if this Idol thing doesn’t pan out, she may just be back on the streets again, and now with the ability to unlock every door to every subway and train station in the entire city. Yikes! Big shin-dig barbeque at Daddy’s house… let the moonshine flow you harmonica playin’ hippies!
Lee’s homecoming was kind of fun – his parents are “down-home” kind of people and his return to the paint store was cute. But dry it up you big cry baby wuss… he wept the entire weekend it seems… jeez! And why did he appear at his elementary school instead of his former high school? Hmmmmm – makes one wonder if he dropped out in the 8th grade or something. He is adorable and charming, and he can sing, but he has never really struck me as the sharpest tool in the shed. Just sayin’!
Moving on to the performances… So Perez Hilton is now in the business of discovering talent? Well he won’t get too far with that new venture if Travis Garland is the best he can come up with. He calls Travis his “protégé”… so ridiculous! “Better than Justin Timberlake?” I think not Perez, and by the way, you make me want to vomit every time I see or hear you! You are a freak!!!
Justin Bieber… I know, I know… he’s the latest rage, but honestly, I fast-forwarded right through his performance… you know to see the cliff-hanger result! Ha! My girls do love JB though, so I told them they could watch his performance as many times as they wanted after school tomorrow.
So there you have it friends – Crystal vs. Lee next week… with my prediction being Lee to take home the crown (again, no surprise). But the nice thing is they both get new cars, which I am sure will make Crystal happy since I feel certain she does not even own a car right now. So until next week friends – good night and sweet dreams!
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