Chow, Baby got a press release the other day from Goodwill’s public relations department announcing the opening of its newest superstore (2100 Altamesa Blvd. at Crowley Rd.). Goodwill has a PR department?
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ust off the top of Chow, Baby’s head, that seems weird on at least three levels. For one … no, for once Chow, Baby is letting tangents lie unexplored, because the new store sounded too tempting not to rush right over – after one quick stop for shopping fortification, of course.
Not many eateries near this particular thriftery, alas, but just 10 minutes south is Fajita House (121 W. Main St., Crowley), a tidy den with brick walls, wooden booths, Mexican tchotchkes on the walls, and the kind of young and earnest service that gives fogeys hope for the future of America. Fresh-tasting chunky salsa and warm chips were a great introduction, but unfortunately the rest of the meal was a limp handshake: Chow, Baby’s unforgivably unsizzling fajitas (lunch $7.25) could have been left over from breakfast, and the combo taco/enchilada lunch special ($6.25) featured shredded chicken that had apparently been marinated in brine, that’s how salty it was. Except for the great service, bleh.
So that was a dud, but at least Chow, Baby scored lots of great stuff afterward at the Goodwill, which indeed lives up to the PR department’s promises: spanking clean, with lots of helpful and energetic employees busily organizing the bevy of books and the cornucopia of cargo pants. Unfortunately they didn’t have outdoor seating, Chow, Baby’s primary need now that the once-upholstered chairs in its gazebo have been illicitly recycled into raccoon-nest filling. (Raccoon, dammit. Chow, Baby is accepting no other critter-culprit suggestions.) Nor, speaking of gazebos, does Goodwill carry the crucial ingredient for blojitos, Chow, Baby’s latest improvement on mojitos. So the shopping would necessarily continue. To fortify, Chow, Baby repaired to Crowley’s own Neighborhood Italian Gem, Tuscany (824 S. Crowley Rd.).
Truly, Chow, Baby was on a roll with staffers that day: Lubbock Guy and Ilir (not their real names, except for Ilir) were not only delightfully droll and heartbreakingly cute, they could also rattle off every Tuscany dish that was or could be made with pink sauce. Chow, Baby enjoyed stuffed mushrooms ($6.95) and chicken Murphy (with jalapeños, mushrooms, onions, and garlic, $10.95), both swimming in finger-licking-good tomato-cream sauce, extra heavy on the cream. Chow, Baby could have hung around all night admiring the murals of Venice and possibly Rome, but it still had gazebo responsibilities to attend to.
World Market (I-30 at Hulen St.) is Chow, Baby’s source for blood orange soda (25.4 oz $2.49), the fizz-providing component of the blojito. It goes great with their spinach-and-artichoke chips ($3.49), though if you want you can take Chow, Baby’s word on that. Here, once again, Chow, Baby found nothing but friendly, go-the-extra-mile staffers, from the soda-department lady with ESP who casually mentioned that the outdoor chairs were on sale (yay!!!), to kooky-but-lovable Steven, who cheerfully hauled the new gazebo seating (green wicker, yet stylish, $39.99 each) to the Chowbabymobile while Chow, Baby toted the funny-colored foodstuffs.
Stuffed with accrued goodwill and leftover mushrooms, Chow, Baby plans to write appreciation notes to all the managers of all the great employees it met on this fine shopping/eating day. Just as soon as it finishes this blojito. Man, this chair is comfortable.
Contact Chow, Baby at chowbaby@fwweekly.com.
