It's icy cold weather heading into Superbowl weekend here in the lovely Dallas-Ft. Worth area. People here are not used to snow over 2 inches and so everything has been shut down all week. *sigh* The only form of amusement this week has been sightings of out-of-towners from up North who were under the delusion that North Texas lies in a tropical heat zone and packed accordingly. Ooopsy.

I would be super happy if the local restaurants would open the heck back up again! I'm sick of making meals from the fallback "cupboard staples".

I will be at the Landmark in Harbor East, enjoying the completely empty theater and a movie that has absolutely nothing to do with football. Then I will hunt down a restaurant with no televisions if it is the end of me.

Richard, I know Thursday does not count as a weekend day, but I HAVE to tell you about the fabulous dinner I had at Brewer's Art last night after learning that they recently debuted their Winter menu. Simply amazing from top to bottom.

I started with the Cauliflower Bisque, which was exactly the way I hoped it would be. Came to the plate perfectly hot, it was garnished with a mint chutney and a relish of crunchy cauliflower with black mustard seeds. The mustard and mint gave the soup a kick and the pieces of cauliflower gave it texture.

My boyfriend had the mussels, and even though I am not a huge fan of mussels, these were great, with a smoky, garlicky broth perfect for sopping up with bread.

Main courses were even better. I had the lamb shank with pumpkin spaetzel, winter greens, and topped with a salad of arugula and slivers of preserved lemon. The shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and fragrant. The spaetzel mixed with the winter greens almost stole the show, though, nice and sweet and buttery to compliment the lamb. I could eat buckets of that spaetzel.

Boyfriend had the Resurrection-brined pork, which was very good as it usually is. But, for the seasonal twist, it came with a savory bacon-fennel bread pudding. HOLY. CRAP. That bread pudding - you could taste the bacon (and bacon fat) melted into every inch of the bread. It was like the best stuffing you'd ever tasted. It also came with broccoli rabe, which I didn't care for because I found it very bitter.

As always, Brewer's Art remains one of my faves in Baltimore.

I am totally looking forward to watching the commercials during the SuperBowlWeAreAgain NotPartOf, and rooting against the Team That Kept Us Out. Mostly though I like the ads, and snacks (salsa and Scoops), and hangin with my family.

I will be rooting for the Cheese Heads, just because.

I will be routing for the aliens overlords to come take me away from this ridiculous planet. I have suburban food shame syndrome. I actually went to Bill Bateman's "Bistro". The horror, the horror, Mista Kurtz.

It was all I could do to control myself and not go all Klaus Kinski.

Well, well, well....the Owl goes to Bateman's. Did you try to assimilate with the locals?

Did you wear a short sleeve shirt over a long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve shirt?

Did you throw up a fist pump when a Dave Matthews Band song was played?

Did you get a Bud Dry or a Bud Ice off the tap?

Oh, it's been quite a few years since I've been to Bateman's, so my perceptions of the "Bistro" are like a fly trapped in amber.

Too soon.

Too soon.

Well, time to take my cyber-abuse.

(Heck, I might even check back to see if any of you have any more creative insults than the ones I usually hear. "Rapestberger" and "Squeelers" both got old a long time ago, folks.)

I will be joining my peers of the Steeler Nation and having wings etc at Todd Conner's while watching the Best Football Team Ever in the History of Football win their 7th Lombardi Trophy Sunday night. All the sweeter that the game is in Dallas. Thanks for the great stage, Jerry, you build a hell of a stadium.

Although I did read that the Cowboys are warning the Packers that the home team's locker room doesn't have enough hot water for post-game showers. (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Cowboys-warn-Packers-Your-postgame-shower-will-?urn=nfl-316571) Way to care for your players, dude.

Sorry,, FLIRV, but I don't think intelligent adults give a damn about this foolishness, so your need to kick against the pricks may require you to do some leg work, so to speak

I don't know, Owl. I am so not a football fan, but I always lift up my eyes for the commercials.

Can you set your DVR to record ONLY the ads?

Um, no--and not just because we don't own a DVR. But wouldn't that be great?

Liz -

ever since they released the new winter menu i've been drooling over the bread pudding on the menu. now that you've confirmed it's awesomeness, i definitely have to make a stop in. thanks.