Neil Schloesser Is Wrong...

About his recent article in the High Plains Reader where he panned the Grand Buffet of 32nd Avenue.  This is not what the first episode of The Pat Barringer Show was planned to be discussing, but I must point this out before someone takes it seriously. 

The fact of the matter is the Grand Buffet is one of the area's best.  The variety of items offered and the temperature of the food makes it one of my personal favorites.  Mr. Schloesser, we here at the Pat Barringer Show must respectfully disagree and suggest that you must have caught them on a bad day, or maybe went in the middle of the afternoon, or near closing time when they don't try as hard.  For the record, I will briefly review each of the Chinese buffets I've been to.

King House, West Fargo: My number one pick for Chinese buffets.  Budget-priced with many choices, most of which are warm when they should be.  They also feature my favorite fake sushi made with what appears to be hot dogs.

Nine Dragons, By the Scheels Home & Hardware?:  I think that's what it's called.  Very small buffet with limited options.  Not recommended.

Grand Buffet, South Fargo: As mentioned above, great selection, somewhat steep price.  Features a Mongolian, which Mrs. Barringer prefers, so this is a good compromise for us.  Ranks #3 in my list, right after...

King House, Downtown: I think we can all agree that this one is everyone's favorite.  Excellent food, decent selection.  The atmosphere and cleanliness is a bit suspect.  Overall, a very solid choice.

Giant Panda, South Fargo: In 1997-1998 my friend and I could not get enough of this place.  Great selection, price, and taste.  However, in recent years it has gone way downhill, and as such is not recommended anymore.

HuHot, South Fargo: Vastly overrated, and over-priced.  Everything you make there tastes exactly the same, regardless of sauces used.  Trying to fight through the trough with the other savages and dealing with their refusal to keep the line moving makes this one more trouble than the resultant taste is worth.

That Korean buffet (whatever it's called), West Acres:  Weird items, but the quality of the food is quite good.  I couldn't eat there every day, but it's nice for a change of pace from the usual buffet fare.  Do NOT try the red bean or green tea ice cream.

I almost forgot - here is a link to the HPR article that got me so worked up: http://hpr1.com/cuisine/article/batching_it_at_the_buffet/

Posted by: Pat Barringer on April 28, 2008 at 6:57 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Season 2 is coming!

Oh, hello!  I didn't hear you come in.  It's me, Pat Barringer in the studio getting everything in order for season two of "The Pat Barringer Show."  That's me pictured up above in the banner, but beginning this season you will be seeing a new face around here.  The man pictured below is Randy Fontaine, my new sidekick!  No, he's not here in the studio with me today, but you'll hear from him soon enough.

Randy offers a change of pace from the traditional show.  The traditional Pat Barringer Show tries to be accessible to everyone and less of a personal diary, Mr. Fontaine is nothing but opinions and really personifies the Show's motto, "Enjoy the show... or don't."

If I may speak honestly to you, I am not sure how Mr. Fontaine will be perceived by our audience.  He can be a bit caustic at times, and his material may not be of much interest to the whole audience.  On the other hand he may create an interesting dynamic between him and this host.  We can only present it to the people and gauge the feedback. 

So keep checking back for the first episode of season two and enjoy! ...or don't.

Posted by: Pat Barringer on April 16, 2008 at 9:15 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Free Playstation 3... No, really!

First off, let me acknowledge that this post will most likely sound like total bollocks or a spam e-mail, or an advertisement. I must assure you that the tale I am about to tell couldn't be more truthful.

You might have seen such advertisements whilst perusing you electronic mail in-box. Or, maybe you have seen a banner-ad whilst looking up Manchester United statistics. The general premise is always the same: Answer an absurdly simple question, or enter your postcode to receive - at no cost - free prizes.

An average bloke is exposed such items every day on the internet, and in most every case would figure these offers to be a load of bollocks. Well, I'm here to share my experience with you as I, on a whim, signed up for one of these ads... and got exactly what was advertised.

Out of sheer curiosity, I entered my postcode into one such banner-ad (I was not knackered at the time) just to see what the catch was. Of course there was in fact a catch, but not too bad. I had to sign up for five offers. Given a choice of about 50 offers, I chose the cheapest ones. Some included Netflix service and web hosting, but others were cheaper like ordering free trials of language software.  All said, the offers cost me around ﾀ35. 

The wait was substantial.  I started the offers and signed up 10th July of 2007, and got my prize around 28th October, 2007.  However, the website kept me up to date, and when I phoned their customer service (yes, you can talk to a real person) they were very friendly and helpful.

To make a long story longer, I received by post a check for 600 USD.  This represents the price of the Playstation 3 on the date I signed up.  So for a little hard work and a lot of waiting, you might do well to get yourself a free prize.  They also offer XBOX 360 (if you must insist on being a wanker) or a Nintendo Wii, or other prizes. 

Again, I know this sounds like a plug for their website, and I guess in a way it is.  But only because I was not snookered by them.  Before I sign off, I better give the name of the website:  www.gadgetcity.com.

Posted by: Pat Barringer on November 04, 2007 at 10:15 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Demons Conquered?

I post this only so that others may share in my torment. I saw this TV ad when it was new in 1987 and never saw it again until tonight. But ever since I saw it I have never, ever been able to get this awful rap song out of my head. To this day it pops up occasionally among those songs that get stuck in your (my) head.

Tonight, as I played Zelda on my Super Nintendo Entertainment System, I was again remined of this commercial and the rap that goes with it. Using technology that wasn't available during the first 18 years of this torment, I did a Youtube search for this commercial. To my shock and embarrassment, I found that I still remember the lyrics almost verbatim. The commercial played as vividly on the computer screen as it had in my mind for the last 20 years. Check out this commercial (make sure no one else is around) for the "Legend of Zelda" for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and hopefully you will be cursed with the same douche-chills I got upon viewing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ApypJw-JAI

Now, hopefully this horrible commercial will leave me alone and no longer be in heavy rotation in my head's playlist.

Posted by: Pat Barringer on August 18, 2007 at 12:51 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Menacing Local Weathermen

If you watch the local weather broadcasts on TV, you might think that theses people are down to earth and a lot like you.  You couldn't be more wrong.  While it is impossible to tell the sane from the crazies by their TV broadcasts, a chance chance encounter with these people will allow you quickly gauge their sanity or aggression levels. 

My friend and/or myself have, on four separate occasions, been subject to mind games and intimidating tactics by two such meteorologists.  While the meetings were quite harmless physically, one can only speculate what kinds of mental assaults were being levied upon us as we crossed paths.

John Wheeler: Scowling Menace?
Encounter 1: A crisp fall day.  My friend and I were entering Fargo's Target store to buy household cleaning supplies.  As we approached the store's main entrance from the parking lot, none other than Mr. John Wheeler was exiting the store via the next row of cars.  Pushing a shopping cart heaped full of purchases, he flagrantly looked directly at my friend with a face full of scowl, his brow furrowed with an unmistakable look of disgust.  The glance was brief, and the distance between us was no shorter than 30 feet, but the intimidating tactics were all too close.

Encounter 2: Entering the mall by myself one night, I was given confirmation of Wheeler' menacing intent.  As I was going in the right-hand door, he was coming out of the left one.  I glanced over briefly to see that it was, in fact, John.  That was all it took as I was blasted with both barrels of yet another scowling look.  I could take comfort in the fact that he would not be staring at me in the mall that night.

Bruce Asbury: Grumbling Menace?
These two encounters (which I will consolidate into one account) were not as severe as Mr. Wheeler's in that they were not directed at me, but the mind-bullets being cast about by Mr. Asbury made it clear that I was in too close a proximity of this mastermind.

As I waited in line at the Prairiewood post office, Mr. Asbury was in the line right next to me.  He carried on for the duration of my wait, mumbling and grumbling to himself very angrily.  Thankfully, we were not alone or I might have succumbed to his telepathic arrows.

On another day as I entered the nearby Cash Wise store, he was on his way out.  Dressed in an out-of-character insulated flannel jacket, he stormed across the driveway.  He appeared to be in an argument with himself, which was in a stalemate.  In hushed and gravely tones he orated without pause as he rushed to his car, after seemingly buying nothing in the grocery store.

Conclusion:
While these may seem like a ordinary days in the lives of two local pseudo-celebrities, it is possible that they were attempts by Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Asbury to intimidate and brainwash, respectively, their viewers.  For what reason?  Who knows.  The fact is that everyday citizens who work hard and rely on thrice-daily broadcasts to get their weather reports don't need the added hassle of being subjected to this type of behavior.  If you see these guys, remember this forecast:  Partly cranky, with a 70% chance of aggression.

Posted by: Pat Barringer on August 07, 2007 at 7:57 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink