el palenque

Is it me or has customer service taken a turn at restaurants? Denny's, TGIFridays and IHOP are at the top of my shit-list. Denny's and IHOP on Delaware Ave are the subject of conversation here. The waitresses are a bit luke warm like the food which is usually hit or miss. Across the road at the International House of Pissing Me Off, the kitchen staff are right on target but the vittles takes forever to arrive at the table. The very first time I and a friend ever stepped foot into this pancake franchise was this past winter. There may have been a half-dozen diners present but the grub took about 30 minutes to materialise. While waiting, we noticed that the others didn't have food and most of us were finished with our drinks. Our server who reaked of old lady parfoom (sic) never offered to refill our glasses, made herself scarce leaving us to choke down our meals. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? The second time we went to "give it another go" the same thing happened and this time -- just a few weeks ago -- a younger goof forgot we ordered salads. Downtown TGIFridays have a tendency to slop all of the food together on the plate but the alcoholic drinks are strong. Trade off? No thanks, I can drink elsewhere.
A restaurant that has never disappointed is El Palenque (located at Niagara Falls Boulevard and Eggert Road). Authentic Mexican fare at very reasonable prices along with a courteous staff has made us regulars. Highly recommended as an alternative to the [insert word here] found at 5 de Mayo. The waiters are laid back, approachable and pretty damn generous with the free refills. El Palenque takes up real estate at an old Denny's. Now if the remaining Denny's can only close and make way for other El Palenque restaurants. Lastly, I love the music that almost greets you at the door. The next time you are in the Western New York area, the fish-bowl sized margaritas are on me but until then...

01. De Uez En Cuando - Pepe Aguilar
02. Juan Martha - Yolanda Perez
03. Ya No Llores - Ramon Ayala
04. Que Puntada - Astrid Hadad
05. Mi Charchina - Eddie Gonzalez
06. Ven Conmigo - Grupo Montez de Durango
07. Como La Flor - Selena
08. El Chaca De Michoacan - Los Tucanes De Tijuana
09. A Mucha Honra - Ezequiel Pena
10. Corazon Te Lo Dije - La Tropa F
11. Que Bello - Mariachi Fiesta Mexico
12. El Desdichado - Juan Valentin
13. Si Sabes Agradecer - Nydia Rojas
14. Sin Sangra En Las Venas - La Dinastia
15. El Gatillero - Abel Quintero y Sus Luceros
16. Ay Corazon - Manuel Romero

otis

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Otis Redding, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame presented the first major exhibition of music, photographs, film and artifacts documenting the singer's life and musical legacy (September 14, 2007-September 10, 2008). "I've Got Dreams to Remember" features over 175 artifacts including photographs, hand-written lyrics, posters, letters and other personal memorabilia, as well as multi-media kiosks exploring Otis Redding's evolution as a singer, composer, arranger and producer. Organized in association with the Otis Redding Estate, the exhibition was curated by Ellen Fleurov, president of Crossroads Traveling Exhibitions, Atlanta. The exhibition was named "Museum Exhibition of the Year" by the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries in January 2008.


01. Otis Redding - Hard to Handle
02. Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Bring It On Home To Me
03. Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is
04. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
05. Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness
06. Otis Redding - Open The Door
07. Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine
08. Otis Redding - You Don't Miss Your Water
09. Aretha Franklin & Otis Redding - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Live)
10. Otis Redding - Don't Mess With Cupid
11. Otis Redding - Love Man
12. Otis Redding - Respect (Mono Mix Of Stereo Album Version)

porkchops and applesauce

Back in 2006, crate-digging at three Salvation Army stores, an abandoned apartment complex and a Pennsyltucky used record shop yielded these vinyl gems.





1 Charles Wright
[ABC/Dunhill] Doin' What Comes Naturally
Doin' What Comes Naturally

2 Sly & The Family Stone
[Warner Bros.] Ha,Ha,Hee Hee
Ain't But The One

3 James Brown
[Smash] I Love You Porgy
James Brown Sings Out Of Sight

4 Dorothy Moore
[RCA/Homestead] Misty Blue
Super 70s

5 Mama Cass
[ABC/Dunhill] Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Dream A Little Dream Of Me

6 Norm Golden
[Diplomat] Moondust
Norm Golden At The Organ: 33 Organ Favorites

7 The Carpenters
[A&M] Reason To Believe
Close To You

8 Patsy Cline
[MCA] San Antonio Rose
Patsy Cline Story

9 Ozark Mountain Daredevils
[A&M] Jackie Blue
It's Alive

10 Bobby Krane and his Orchestra
[hurrah] Moonlight Serenade
I Remember Glen Miller

11 Tiny and his Hawaiian Bubbles
[Tifton Int'l] Hawaiian Wedding Song
Recorded Live At A Hawaiian Luau Party

12 Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[A&M] Spanish Flea
!! Going Places !!

soul legend mixtape

On October 18, 1974, Mary Woodson, a longtime friend of Al Green, assaulted him, then killed herself. It is believed that she wished to be more than just a friend to Al Green. One night, she left the guest quarters, then entered the main section of the house without permission. She snuck into his bathroom to make a surprise attack. With no warning, she threw a large pot of boiling grits over him as he was undressed and preparing to shower. As Green writhed in pain, she ran into another part of the house and committed suicide by shooting herself.


01. Al Green - Let's Stay Together
02. Al green - Love-and-happiness
03. Al Green - Guilty
04. Al Green - Lay Your Head On My Pillow
05. Al Green - Tired Of Being Alone
06. Al Green - I Can't Get Next to You
07. Al Green - The Letter
08. Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You
09. Al Green - Let's Get Married
10. Al Green - Look What You Done for Me
11. Al Green - You Ought to Be With Me
12. Al Green - Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)
13. Al Green - Are You Lonely For Me Baby
14. Al Green - L-O-V-E (Love)
15. Al Green - Full of Fire
16. Al Green - I'm Glad You're Mine

Thanks to SteveRaglin for the pic used for cover art!

my debut post

Well, this is my debut post here at blogspot/blogger. Years ago, I remember wanting to set up an account here but I just never got 'round to it. With the continued crumbling of AOTM, I am but one more rat fleeing the virus-ridden ship.
I will try to see this as a new beginning. I posted a brand new mix for this brand new blog instead of re-posting an old one. Oh, don't worry; there wlll be enuff time for that later. Trust me!




01. Tom Waits - Hold On
02. Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
03. Joan Jett - Crimson And Clover
04. The Wallflowers - God Says Nothing Back
05. Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds
06. Norah Jones - In The Morning
07. Donovan - Universe Am I
08. Peabo Bryson - Missing You
09. Oscar Peterson - Night Train
10. Nico - These Days
11. Jethro Tull - A New Day Yesterday
12. Janis Joplin - Down On Me
13. Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Tramp