Kid to Kid

“Kid to Kid” Recycled Children’s Goods
1201 W. Arbrook (1 block east of Cooper, across street from The Parks Mall)
Mon-Sat 9am-8pm; Sun 12-6
(817) 468 1995
kidtokid.com

Located on W. Arbrook, one block east of S. Cooper.

A large variety of gently-worn clothes, many name brands.

Too sweet! Pretty petticoats and wings for your angel.

Whether you’re looking for kids’ clothes, toys, shoes, school uniforms, baby equipment…heck, even maternity wear…you can buy or sell it (and save lots of money) by visiting Kid to Kid.

It’s a common quandary for parents: your child quickly outgrows his/her clothes or toys. Why not sell it to Kid-to-Kid in exchange for cash or store credit? You can buy a new outfit or pair of shoes in the correct size and pay less than what you would pay at the shopping mall.  And these are brand name items.

But Kid to Kid has so much more than clothes for re-sale (including cute little petticoats and leotards and angel wings!).

A wide variety of toys and equipment was in better condition than I expected. During my visit, here are some examples of gently used equipment including: high chairs (e.g., Evenflo, $44.99), potty chairs ($9.99), bathtubs ($5.99 to $11.99), strollers, bouncers, baby swings (Graco $44.99), car seats ($59.99) and booster seats.

I was happy to see so such a large selection of shoes for retail (kids’ feet grow way too quickly to keep paying retail prices!!!!). And I was really glad to see that we can buy (and sell) maternity wear. What a great idea! My old maternity clothes sat in the back of a closet until my cousin got pregnant and needed to borrow them. Hand-me-downs are fine, but not as cool as cash!

Here’s something really important: this location of Kid to Kid boasts a huge section for SCHOOL UNIFORMS available YEAR-ROUND!!!!!

Parents from across Texas come here specifically to buy school uniforms. According to store owner, Debbie, customers have come in the summer from Lubbock and Abilene to buy uniforms which, apparently, are often not available year-round. It’s also common for parents from North Texas cities like Crowley or Kennedale or DeSoto to shop at her store for school uniforms.

Debbie also said that her Arlington store has been the #1 performer among all 75 Kid-to-Kid franchises world-wide (including Portugal) for six consecutive years, thanks in part to the large selection of school uniforms.

Yes, the store carries new items, too (we wouldn’t want a used pacifier!!!). And gift certificates are available. Why not give that as a gift for a baby shower or other type of gift? Then the mom-to-be of child could get a lot more items for a reduced price.

So bottom line overall for clothes/toy/equipments: If you’re selling or buying (or both), stop by Kid to Kid to see how much money you can earn/save.

If you’re looking to sell, call ahead (817 468-1995) to schedule an appointment. A computer program helps the store appraise your kids’ stuff. The amount of money is determined by the brand, style, condition, and demand for the items. You can go for cash, but if you opt for store credit you get up to 20% more.

Any clothing you sell should be freshly laundered and pressed with no stains or holes or missing buttons. Toys and baby equipment should be clean and in good working order.

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Potager Natural Cafe & Other Stuff

POTAGER Natural Café & Other Stuff

315 S Mesquite St. (two blocks south of Abram)

Monday – Saturday Serving Lunch from 11:00 to 3:00  
Thursday – Saturday  Serving Dinner from 5:00 to  9:00

Closed Sundays
(817) 861-2292

www.potagercafe.com

 

Pay-what-you-want for a fresh, delicious meal  at Potager, a new restaurant which opened on January 16^th on South Mesquite Street (just two blocks south of downtown Arlington).  When the cafe first opened, it was for lunch only (11am to 3pm Mondays through Saturdays).  The hours are now expanded to include dinner on Thursdays through Saturdays from 5pm to 9pm.

 

The selection changes daily because everything is made fresh-from-scratch each day.  Potager uses locally grown, organic ingredients whenever possible.  There are no printed menus.  You order off of what’s written on the dry-erase board next to the counter.  There are no waiters.  You walk up to the counter, look at the board, and tell them what you want.  They serve it to you right there, sort of like a buffet.  The house rule is to take as much as you want, but only what you can eat.  And, yes, you can definitely go back for “seconds”.

There will always be a soup, a salad, an entrée, vegetables, and a dessert. 

 

You can go to the cafe’s Web site to see the menu (it’s posted a couple of days in advance).  The site is www.potagercafe.com.

 

I dined at Potager on a Tuesday afternoon.  That day the features included:  Vegetable Bean Soup; Farm Ranch Salad with homemade Ranch dressing; Quiche with bits of salmon; organically-grown roasted honey balsamic chicken; a sautéed medley of spinach/mushroom/tomato; roasted potatoes; homemade bread; chocolate pie.

 

It was all good, especially the soup.  And the quiche was very fluffy/light (delicious).  And the chocolate filling in the pie was to-die-for.  It was very rich.  I don’t like meringue very much, but even the meringue was delicious.   

 

There are no waiters, just the chefs and staff that serve you at the counter and work in the back.  Yes, they’ll clear the tables, so you don’t have to worry about that.  But you get your own drinks…there are carafes of water on the table, and jugs of flavored teas on a counter in the corner.

 

Now the quandary:  “how much do I pay?”

 

There’s no pressure.  There is a little hand-written sign that asks customers to be “fair” when determining the amount.  The sign is next to a little table with a watering can, the old-fashioned kind you find in your grandmother’s garden.  Discreetly put your cash in a watering can placed in the corner near the counter. 

 

I put in $9.00.  The owner and founder of Potager, Cynthia Chippindale, told The Dallas Morning News that most customers are leaving an average of $7 each, but the restaurant’s food costs are closer to $8 per customer.

 

Potager is an organic gardener as well as LeCordon Bleu-trained chef.  Another of the Potager chefs, Nick Amoriello, trained at the Culinary Institute of America.

 

The restaurant is small…about 9 tables, maybe.  It seats about 30-35 people.  It was a steady stream of customers during my visit…every table was being used.  But the service at the counter is fast.  It is a casual, laid-back atmosphere.

 

I definitely intend to return to Potager as often as possible.  It’s really good food that’s totally fresh.  And it will be a new adventure each time because the menu changes daily.

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Fabulous 50’s Burgers & Shakes

FABULOUS 50’s Classic Burgers & Shakes

2424 W. Park Row (southeast corner of Park Row @ Bowen)

(817) 860-9456

 

For some free music while you dine, the Fabulous 50s fast food place on Park Row @ Bowen has an Elvis impersonator on Wednesday nights.  Carleton Hurdle is the impersonator; he appears 6:30pm-8:30pm weekly.

 

Fabulous 50’s is made to look like an old-fashioned burger joint from the 1950’s.  Old 45’s and albums hang on the walls next to prints of Elvis Presley and Frankie Avalon and James Dean.  The red vinyl booths, high tables with tall bar stools, and back-and-white checkered floor lend to the mood.  Coca Cola bottles are the salt & pepper shakers.

 
The menu uses fun names to dress-up what is basically a menu that you could find at any Dairy Queen or Braums.  But the names are certainly cute and make the fast food sound more fun than it actually is.  The portions are pretty generous and the prices are cheap.  You order your food at the counter, just like any other fast food restaurant.  But the condiment bar is over to the side, so you can add as much lettuce/tomato/pickle and other condiments as you like. 

 

Here’s a sampling of the menu/prices:  Elvis B.L.T. ($3.99); Jerry Lee Steak Melt ($3.99); Ethel burger; Fonzie hot ham & cheese ($3.99); Patsy grilled chicken sandwich ($3.99); Marilyn breaded chicken sandwich ($3.99); Laverne buffalo chicken sandwich ($3.99); and Costello gyro (3.99). 

 

The “Little Rascals Kids Meal” is $3.99.  In an homage to the Three Stooges, the menu includes the Larry grilled cheese ($1.69), Moe corn dog ($1.69), and Curly hot dog ($1.69).

 

For appetizers, there are the Betty Boop chicken strips ($3.29 for three strips) and the Buddy cheese sticks.

 

The more expensive platters are a tribute to some of the best (or certainly most popular) cars ever made:  ’55 Fairlane country fried steak ($6.49), ’56 T-Bird (chidken fried chicken), ’57 Chevy chicken strips, and the ’58 corvette steak fingers.

 

In addition to onion rings and fries, you can order curly fries.

 

As for dessert, that’s called “The Temptations”.  It’s all soft-serve ice cream, just like Dairy Queen.  You won’t find any hand-dipped Blue Bell here.  But if you like soft serve, you can find it cheap and plentiful at Fabulous 50’s.

 

Floats/shakes/malts are $2.49 to $3.29.  Sundaes are $1.89.  The banana split is only $3.29.  You can get apple pie for a buck, of add ice cream for $2.29.

 

A plain ol’ dish or cone is only $1.29.

 

The food is okay, but nothing really memorable.  But the chocolate shake was very good and so was the Root Beer float.  And it’s cheaper than going to a Marble Slab or Baskin Robbins or Braum’s.

 

My recommendation would be to stop by on a Wednesday evening and enjoy a shake or sundae.

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Diamond Club at Rangers Ballpark

THE DIAMOND CLUB

Buffet Restaurant at Rangers Ballpark on Rangers Gamedays

Rangers Ballpark

1000 Ballpark Way

(817) 795-9006, ext 2034

During every Rangers game, the Diamond Club offers the best food inside Rangers Ballpark.  Located just beyond the left field wall, the restaurant has four-tiers of seating so that patrons enjoy a tremendous view of the field in air-conditioned comfort.  It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for a price of $24.95 for adults, $7.95 for kids, and free for children 6 and under.

 

The Diamond Club opens two hours prior to the game and closes one hour after the game starts.  You must have a ticket to the game to enter the Diamond Club.  But you don’t have to make reservations; walk-ups are welcome.  However, it’s best to call and make a reservation (817 795-9006 ext 2034) if you’re coming on a day when the ballpark is going to be really crowded.  So if it’s Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or 4^th of July….or if it’s a big game versus the Yankees or Red Sox, I would call first to reserve a table. 

 

I attended a weekday game versus the Indians and there was plenty of space in the Diamond Club; we just walked-in.  

 

As for the food…it was good!  The buffet does change each game, so the selection will be a little different each time you come.  There are waiters who bring your drinks, so expect to leave a little bit of a gratuity for the waitstaff.  This is a nice place with Rangers-logo table cloths and cloth napkins and real silverware…it’s not eating at a picnic table next to a concession stand.

 

One item that’s always available:  prime rib at the carving station with either an au jus or horseradish on the side.   The meat brand is Nolan Ryan Prime Rib (not surprising since the owner of the meat company is also president of the Texas Rangers).  Not to suck up to the Hall of Fame pitcher/team president, but the prime rib was the best thing on the buffet.

 

Other items available during my visit:  poached salmon, chicken alla cacciatore, fusilli pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted rosemary potatoes, and a vegetable medley of steamed asparagus/tomatoes/squash.

 

Yes, there is salad, too.  On our day, there was even a shrimp salad (you know, the kind with the teeny-tiny shrimps in a mayonnaise type of salad).  Honestly, the shrimp salad looked better than it tasted.

And on the day we were there:  sushi!  Our waiter said it’s the first time he had ever seen sushi on the buffet, so it must not be available every day.  No big loss, however.  I love sushi, and this wasn’t very good.

 

What’s very good is the amount of fresh fruits and cheeses.

 

And it costs extra ($6.95), but there is a dessert buffet, too.  You can build-your-own ice cream sundae.  And the warm bread pudding….wow, smelled so good.  There was also an excellent selection of cakes/pie including:  cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, lemon crème cake, and some sort of bourbon-something cake.

 

For the kids (or the grown-up kids who prefer ballpark fare to poached salmon or vegetables), there are mini-burgers and hot dogs.

 

This was my first time to eat inside the Diamond Club.  I think it’s an excellent price for kids (only $7.95 which is less than what you would spend at the concession stand for nachos and a soft drink).  And kids under 6 are free!  I think this is a good deal for families because the prices are cheap for the kids.

In fact, I’m thinking that this would be a nice treat for a family member or friend celebrating a birthday or special occasion…who also happens to love baseball and the Rangers!

 

The Diamond Club opens two hours before the game, but the Rangers are usually finished with batting practice before the restaurant opens.  Mostly you’ll see the grounds crew prepping the field.  But as the game gets closer, more players will finally emerge for final warm-ups before the game.

 

Here’s a money-saving hint:  there is a 2-for1 coupon for The Diamond Club inside the Entertainment Passbook for Ft. Worth (not the Dallas version, I already checked).  I bought an Entertainment Passbook (order at entertainment.com), Ft Worth version, for $15.00 and it paid for itself because I saved $24.95 on this buffet. 

 

The Diamond Club is only open for Rangers games.  But it can also be rented for private events year-round.  Anyone looking to book it should call this number and extension:  (817) 795-9006, ext 2032.

 

 

 

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HUMPERDINK’S

HUMPERDINK’S

700 Six Flags Drive (two blocks south of I-30; 1 block south of entrance to Six Flags)
Arlington, TX 76011
(817) 640-8553

Located on Six Flags Drive, just one block south of entrance to theme park.

If you like spicy food and seafood, I recommend the blackened tilapia.

A February menu special celebrating Mardi Gras included a cajun shrimp poboy.

Hours: daily 11am-2am

Humperdinks.com

Humperdink’shas arguably the most varied menu in town.  It’s not just a really good restaurant, the bar area is sports-themed and a great place to watch sports.  This place is also a microbrewery.  A game room has 4 billiards tables.  And there’s a large banquet room that can accommodate groups of up to 100 people.  It’s cool to see sports banners from the local high schools hanging alongside Rangers and Cowboys memorabilia.

 

For Rangers games, you can eat at Humperdink’s, then take a shuttle to Rangers Ballpark for just $5.  There are two Happy Hours each Monday thru Friday (4 to 7pm, 10-11pm), so you can enjoy drink specials both before and after weekday Rangers games.  All pints are $2.99 during Happy Hour, plus there are discounts on appetizers and $1 off wine, cocktails, well, and domestic bottles.

 

I love eating at Humperdink’s because there’s always something for the mood I’m in.  And the lunch specials are very reasonably priced.  The pizza lunch specials range from $5.25 to $8.99.  The combo of soup-or-salad with a sandwich is a good deal at $8.99 because the choices include Apple Walnut Chicken Salad or, my favorite, Spinach Strawberry Salad.  A Turkey Melt or grilled Monte Cristo sandwich are good choices, too.  There’s also the soup of the day, chili, or red beans & rice.

 

An early bird feature is served 7 days a week from 4-6:30pm and features a sirloin steak with baked potato and house salad.

 

For the entrée, I recommend the blackened tilapia (very light but spicy).  I’ve also enjoyed the Hunter’s Style Tuscan Meatloaf, but it’s much heartier.  You can also “Create Your Own Pasta”, prices ranging from $12.99 to $15.99 (includes addings of shrimp or salmon).  The gourmet hamburgers range in price from $7.99 to $9.99.  There are too many burger choices to list here.

 

Of course, Slider’s Mini Burgers are popular.  You can get a Cajun slider, a bourbon-glazed slider burger…even a slider with the Tuscan meatloaf. 

 

Signature sandwiches include:  hot crab & artichoke, French dip, a Cuban, Reuben, and Monte Cristo. 

 

The “Rajun Cajun” portion of the menu includes jambalaya, catfish, crawfish etouffee, and the aforementioned blackened tilapia.  During Mardi Gras, we had an excellent Creole Shrimp Po-boy sandwich!

 

The most expensive item on the menu is the Steak Oscar Ribeye ($27.99), a flame-grilled steak with lump crab meat and hollaindaise sauce.  The 10 oz. bacon-wrapped filet costs $22.99.  For you chicken lovers out there, the lemon rosemary chicken ($12.99) and Chicken Jack Daniels are popular menu items.

 

Are there any seafood lovers out there?  If yes, try the Maryland crab cakes or the coconut shrimp.  Trout and salmon are also on the  menu.

 

An entire page of the menu is dedicated to the signature pizzas ($5.99 to $17.99) and include specialties like  Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pizza  or “The Zinger” which has chicken dumped in Buffalo wing sauce plus a drizzle of Ranch dressing to go with the onions, celery, pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.

 

The microbrewery features Butterface Amber Ale which is Humperdink’s flagship brand.  It has a touch of toffee & caramel.  Or you can try “Total Disorder Porter” which won the silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival (this flavor has a touch of chocolate and crystal malts).  Hefeweizen is German-style made with Munich malt.

 

The adult shakes aren’t cheap ($8.99 to $9.99) but are made of 2 scoops of Blue Bell plus liquor.   Wanna try Grandma’s Indulgence?  It has Jack Daniels, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.

 

Brainfreeze shakes are non-alcholic ($3.99 to $5.99).  Allow me to recommend the Caramel Twinkie Shake or the Mocha Thunder.

 

Kids can eat pretty cheaply here.  The Kids’ Menu is only $4.99 and that includes the beverage, entrée, appetizer and fries. 

 

Please visit on a Sunday, if possible.  The Sunday Brunch menu includes a frittata ($8.99) and migas con pollo, plus standards like steak & eggs, Eggs Benedict, and omelletes.  The brunch menu for kids is also only $4.99.

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