Embassy Theatre Rooftop Patio Open on Wednesday evenings in Summer

The Embassy Theatre has undergone lots of renovations recently, and it's worth taking a moment to talk about this one - the opening of a rooftop patio to the public. An elevator or stairs takes one to this panoramic view of downtown Fort Wayne, with cool breezes and a railing to look over. The Grand Wayne Center is to the north, Parkview Field and Lincoln National Corporation are within site, as is the Ash building, the Botanical Conservatory structures, and many beautiful old church steeples. There is seating, weather permitting. Because it had been rainy, the live music was not set up on the roof.

Beginning Wednesday nights in the summer of 2016, the 6th and 7th floors have been unlocked to host live music and other entertainment for patrons who bought $5 tickets. The night I went, a live combo played and sang familiar rock, jazz and blues cover songs - many of them, I noticed, with the word 'sunshine' in the title or lyrics. They really sounded great.

Music was sent through speakers to the rooftop above, so patrons sitting out on the patio could hear. Club Soda was catering the food, which was lovely. Coconut shrimp, burritos with fresh toppings, and a dessert selection all proved to be tempting. The dessert we split, a cheesecake with fresh berries, was wonderful. People spread out at tables with their drinks and food to hear the band, or took their items to the roof to look out over the city and have a conversation. It was cocktail hour, and people were partaking. I think the venue cares about its renovations and carpeting, because red wine and some other drinks were served in lidded sippy cups! That was new to me.

This lovely event will soon end for the season, so check the Embassy website, box office, or local Whatzup listings for the featured entertainment, 5 - 9 p.m. Parking is in the structure across the walkway: limited street parking is also available in the area. The year is slipping away, so get it all in if you can.

Foellinger Theatre Summer Concert Series Rocks Franke Park

I had no idea it had been in existence that long, but Fort Wayne's Foellinger Theatre was first constructed in Franke Park in 1949. According to the Parks department web site, the theatre, named for the late Oscar Foellinger, was a gift to the city from the owners of the newspaper News-Sentinel.

In 1972, the theater burned. It was rebuilt into its current incarnation in 1975 and reopened in 1976, with its wooden arcing roof and open sides, allowing summer breezes to cool attendees at events. New seating was installed and electrical systems were updated in 1994. Then in 2005, restrooms, concessions, a plaza, and entrance landscaping were all improved. The landscaping has filled in well.

By 2014, the annual summer concert series was going strong in this beautifully covered, yet outdoor, venue. That year Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Styx and the Beach Boys all sold out. And in 2015, attendance at events at this special place next to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo approached 50,000, with revenues over $1.7 million. Other improvements with structural beams, sound and rigging for equipment have kept acoustics and technology up to date.

So much smaller and more intimate than the Memorial Coliseum, the Foellinger is the place I'd rather see a concert. There are only about 2700 seats in the house. The back seats are much like metal bleachers, so unless there are no other tickets available I don't recommend seats in that section. Tickets for events can be bought online on the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation website, or at the theater box office. For concerts, there are concessions available. Drinks, including beer, wine, frozen margaritas, waters and sodas can be purchased and taken to seats. Hot dogs, popcorn, and other snacks are also available.

This year Heart played an amazing concert. Ann and Nancy Wilson have amazing voices, and included some Led Zeppelin in their final songs. Joe Walsh and Ringo Starr graced the stage this year. And I saw the band America, the founders of which have been playing together on stage since 1969. Boston also did a tremendous job this year.

I am looking forward to seeing the band Chicago for the first time next week. I'll try to get some photos and let you know how it was. Often a local performer, such as Kenny Taylor, starts the show as a warm-up act. Sometimes the opener has come along on tour with the band. Parking is free, and traffic isn't terrible when an event is over. It's just a few minutes to get out. I hope you go and see an act, and have a great time.

WBOI's reception at Ted's Wine Bar was a great chance to connect

Although late, Spring has suddenly sprung in northeast Indiana, and April 14 was a wonderful day for a meet and greet at Ted's Market and Wine Bar on the north side of Fort Wayne. If you haven't been there, it's in a reconverted building at Coldwater and Union Chapel roads.

The market and kitchen is up on the patio level, and the wine bar is downstairs. Our wonderful local NPR affiliate radio station, WBOI 89.1 FM, had put together a nice reception, and I spoke to several of the on-air hosts, members, listeners and board members.

Katy Anderson, Program Director, was there, as was on-air host Zack Bernard. Lea Denny came up and said "hi," and I had a long conversation with Julia Meek, renounced host of Folktales and Meet the Music, radio shows based out of Fort Wayne and now syndicated.

We chatted about Prairie Home Companion's upcoming loss of Garrison Keillor when he retires this summer. We talked about recent music events in Fort Wayne and the great venues here. Board members came up and said "hi," and we talked about volunteer opportunities at the station, such as for telephone workers on the upcoming fund drive beginning April 21.

We love it when Julia Meek introduces us to the new voices on Meet the Music, and spins her grand stories and themes in our Saturday night favorite, Folktales, featuring music from around the world. From her humble local beginnings in Fort Wayne, she has built her personal brand as an artist and an on-air host, and her show is syndicated all across Indiana and beyond. Folktales is heard locally at 8 p.m.

Ted's Market had great wine choices, and upstairs they offer savory fresh breads and bakery products, sandwiches, a cafe, coffees, hand-carved meats, and all kinds of treats. Fresh vegetables and deli items made for great browsing. The lower level wine bar is open Tuesday - Thursday 5-10 p.m. and Friday & Saturday 5 - 11 p.m., with private rental available days and Sunday - Wednesday evenings.

A fun time was had by all - a jokester named Tim worked the crowd, taking photos and spreading cheer. I assume he'll post some of these pictures for WBOI, or use them for a newsletter. I hope to go back to another one of these receptions for listeners, contributors, and staff. It was a success. Good to see all of you!

Coming of Age in Fort Wayne

Our invitation to our friend's bat mitzvah included helpful hints for non-Jewish folks, including what to wear. We went to the ceremony on a Saturday morning, where our friend and neighbor girl had gone through Hebrew school and was ready to become an adult in her religious faith at age thirteen. Much of the service was in Hebrew, but there was a printed English translation that we used to follow along. The girl, Guine, led part of the service, including a section in which the Torah, in this case two large rolled scrolls in the tradition of Judaism, are taken out and carried around.

It was wonderful, seeing a young neighborhood girl grow up and come of age in her faith and tradition. There are two Jewish synagogues in Fort Wayne; this, the more traditional one of the two, is at a beautiful location in southwest Fort Wayne, easy to find from West Jefferson Boulevard. A female at this time is called a bat mitzvah, which means daughter of the commandment.

Guine was called to the Torah and in Hebrew, chanted her part in the morning service. There were readings from the Torah, and all the audience and attendees rise in respect when the scrolls, the Torah, are carried around the room. Guine and her parents helped the rabbi carry them. Many prayers and speeches were given, including those given by grandparents, officers in the synagogue, and combat service veterans.

Candy is distributed and then thrown toward the celebrant near the end of her performance to "ensure a sweet life." After the service, a traditional Kiddush luncheon was served. Bread was blessed and a variety of quiches, salads, casseroles, breads, French toast, and more was served.

After sundown and the end of the Sabbath, the congregation returned to the synagogue for the big party - dessert and dancing. For this celebration from 8 - 10 p.m., chairs had been moved and replaced with round tables. The synagogue had been transformed into a dance hall. A technician played popular dance music.

To the familiar Jewish folk song Hava Nagila, the party started with a call of everyone to the dance floor, celebrating Guine by dancing the Hora. Guine was lifted by her father and an uncle as she was seated in a chair, and they raised her over their heads. She hung on to the chair, and they danced around with the chair aloft. The participants held hands, formed a circle, and became links in a chain around the dance floor. It was so fun, and charming. An inner circle formed inside the larger outer one. The inner circle moved in the opposite direction, and it was great to see these dancers facing us. The smiling faces of the circle in front of us were fun to see.

The circle broke off and a chain slinked out into the table area, and on around the back of the room. Threading out among the chairs, the Hora kept going until the music finally stopped.

Everyone danced: the rabbi and his wife, as did teenagers, members, family, and children. So many dances: the Hokey Pokey, the chicken dance, line dances, the limbo - the gambit. And the food! So many desserts: cakes, mousse, cookies, lemonade, coffee, soft drinks. Another treat was a chocolate fountain for fruit - it was so heavenly.

Men wore Yarmulkes, the traditional caps for the head, that were distributed at the door, with clips or pins. Guine received a few presents, and there was a selfie photo booth. It was a fun, and not over-the-top, party.

What a great experience for a thirteen year old. Memories were created for a lifetime. We were so glad we went and danced the dances; and shared this special time with Guine, her parents, family, and congregation.

Eckhart Public Library and The Window Nook Studio are Fun Places to Visit in Auburn

The top photo here is an upstairs view of one set of the many stained glass windows in the Eckhart Library. This public library in Auburn, Indiana is truly one of a kind. Featuring Arts and Crafts style architecture, it was built in 1910, and made use of Bedford stone and salt-glazed brick.

Automobile executive Charles Eckhart financed the ambitious design project. Architecture firm Patton & Miller was hired: the firm had designed prominent buildings in Chicago, southern Indiana, and other parts of the county. The Auburn library is impressive, with 18-inch thick brick walls, four-feet wide concrete foundations, and Spanish green tile on the roof, laid with wide overhangs.

Entrances were made of mosaic tile and marble, and the stairway is heavy iron. One of the most striking features of the library is the array of stained glass windows mentioned above, which were designed by artist Gustav Brand.

The library now includes a campus of buildings, including separate buildings for teens, a genealogy department, and an annex. Children's programs are a highlight, with a beautifully designed "secret garden" space carved out in a basement. The library park features a fountain, terrace, sundial, and sculpture. It's easy to tell patrons and staff are very fond and proud of their library - it certainly is one of the brightest stars in the sweet town of Auburn.

The last place I visited on my local town tour was an art studio where one of its artists works and lives. She has created a lovely, multipurposed space that contains a kitchen as well as a bedroom loft. The artist and an art teacher offer painting parties, art lessons, a kids' club, woodworking projects, and custom work. The studio is in a place over a business in the town square district. The day I visited the studio, a bottle painting class had been conducted the night before - what a beautiful way to repurpose empty glass containers into reusable works of art.

You see me standing in the studio space in the lower photo above. This space on 215 N. Main has housed a lot of businesses since it was built in the late 1800s. One of its most famous occupants was photographer Kelso Davis and his wife Margaret. Beginning in 1938, it is reported this war service veteran, Kelso Davis, ran an Auburn studio for over 60 years, and lived and worked in the upstairs area from 1938 - 1947.

Davis' work is generally well known in the Auburn area. Margaret employed her art background to hand-tint the studio's brown toned prints with oil paints for a distinctive look. One of the Davis' three daughters was available to speak about Kelso's history and work the day of the Auburn walking tours. For more information about The Window Nook Studio, write windownookstudio@gmail.com.

Auburn is a charming place to explore, chock-full of American history. All over the square are businesses, shops and eateries, each one a unique jewel worth visiting. It's just a short drive north of Fort Wayne, with two exits off Highway I-69.

Historic Auburn Hotel Has a Colorful Past

On the southwest corner of the town square in Auburn, Indiana is a landmark - a large, old hotel. Construction began in the 1860s, and by the 1870s it was called the Swineford House, offering up 36 guest rooms. One report I read said that it had primarily been built for traveling salesmen. By 1919 it was remodeled into the Auburn Hotel. Auburn started booming with its carriage and then automobile factories, and this hotel developed a reputation of being one of Indiana's finest.

Th Historic Auburn Hotel is open for business today, but it gets most of its occupancy during the annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg festival, held Labor Day weekend. At a recent downtown business event, I was surprised to learn the hotel is now open for business year-round, and some of the customers are regulars with extended stay deals, rather than the conventional nightly arrangements.

Rooms in the hotel look much like they would have in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. There are some cracks in the walls; much of the furniture and rugs are antiques, and not all the rooms have bathrooms or showers. But even with all that being said, the place has a wonderful charm. I was fascinated to see it. It looked like a perfect, authentic set for an old movie. I could have roamed the halls of the three floors and peeked in doors for hours.

While there, a young manager gave me a tour, and showed me a typical corner room, with a birds eye view of the downtown square. He then asked me if I knew the history of the criminal John Dillinger in Auburn, and I told him I did not. He then told me a gripping tale which I will recount for you here.

It seems as though some of Dillinger's associates rented that very corner room, and spent nearly a week spying on the town, watching the comings and goings at the local police station which was easily visible down the block. Dillinger, who had been born in Indianapolis, was locked up in a jail in Lima, Ohio. Apparently, some of JD's gang broke him out of said jail by posing as Indiana State Troopers. The bunch then hightailed it back to Auburn. JD's prison breakout was on October 11, 1933.

By having watched the Auburn Police Station in secret, the henchmen knew the schedules, habits, comings and goings of the local officers. On October 14, the gang knew just when to try to catch the Auburn police unaware. They busted into the station, held up the deputies at gunpoint, and forced them into a jail cell. They then got the keys to the arsenal and took bullet-proof vests, a Tommy gun (machine gun), about eight rifles and revolvers, and a lot of ammunition.

Here I had trouble collaborating the details of the rest of the story, but I will tell it the way the hotel manager told it to me. At this point, JD and his gang ran around Auburn, robbing banks and otherwise causing mayhem before leaving town. JD had a 'Robin Hood' reputation at the time, and may have gone into a poorer section of Auburn to dump a bag a cash for the delighted citizens there. Then, according to the story I was told, most of the gang members took off for Chicago in a car, while JD surreptitiously made his way north through Indiana and then Michigan by hitchhiking on his own.

From Michigan, he took a ferry to Wisconsin, and eventually showed up in Chicago. Of course, a year later, he was killed in the famous shoot-out at the movie theatre in Illinois. Thus ended the career of JD, and so ends my story. My next blog post will be another story about delightful Auburn, Indiana - so stay tuned.

Post-Valentine's Day - are you an Einstein with your Relationships?

A new book caught my eye at the Grabill Public Library yesterday. Of course there are tons of self-help, psychology and relationship books on the market, but this book grabbed me. It is written by married couples: an MD couple and a PhD couple. The book is based on, most significantly, 40 years of research with real-life couples.

The book is called The Man's Guide to Women. I recommend reading the whole book. It's pretty entertaining, and very up-to-date. The story I would like to share today is a little piece from near the end of the book, about Albert Einstein and his wife.

We all know who Albert Einstein is, correct? The scientist who developed the theory of relativity? Yeah, that guy. A lot of people think he may have been the smartest man that ever lived, and was certainly thought of as being a great genius. But even this great guy didn't seem to well understand women and marriage.

Our authors tell a tale from another book, Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. Isaacson reports that Eistein gave his wife Mileva a list in 1914. These were his expectations of her if she wanted to stay married to him.

I'm going to change his format and paraphrase here a little, but this is the list from him to her:

You will make sure that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order, that I receive my three meals in my room, my bedroom and study are kept neat, and that my desk is left for my use only.

You will forego my sitting at home with you, and my going out or travelling with you.

You will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way. You will stop talking to me if I request it. You will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it.

There is a little more to the list, but you get the idea.

Even though this was 1914, at a time when women didn't have many rights of their own and divorce was highly stigmatized, Mileva left Albert a couple of months later. She took their two children and filed for divorce. Isaacson reports that in the settlement, she received all his Nobel Prize money.

Einstein may have been brilliant, he may have known a lot of things, but he didn't know how to keep from losing his wife. I think the good news here is it doesn't take an Einstein to do the things that make a relationship work. The average Joe can do these simple things if he is willing to learn, if he cares, if he tries and continues to make an effort.

It works both ways, of course. Women need to do their part equally as well. I'm not going to try to teach a course here, so I'll stop. If you're interested, get the book and read it. Or read any one of a large number of books on the subject. It's really up to you. Is it work? Maybe. But aren't marriages and relationships work? That is what I have always been told. For me, it is a very rewarding type of work. Peace!

What is Going on With Rental Car Companies?

You know to prepare your own car for winter, correct? Check the fluids, make sure there is air in the tires, check the wiper blades and washer fluid, etc. Do you ever think twice about what state your rental car might be in?

Someone close to me almost had a disaster with a rented car. It was rented from one of the big companies, but I don't think naming the business would make a difference here. You will see what I mean while I tell the story.

For the purposes of this accounting, we will call him Hank. So, Hank gets his rental car to go on a business trip. He picks it up from the rental lot. Sometimes, the cars are actually dropped off at the workplace.

It's winter, and he's driving out of town in bad weather. The car does fine on dry pavement, but we're talking northern Indiana here, on the way to Chicago. Pretty soon, Hank hits a downpour of rain; just a steady, light rain.

The rented car started shimmying, dancing, jiggling, and scooting - something was definitely wrong. I am so thankful nothing happened to Hank. What if he had had to brake suddenly? What if traffic had quickly slowed to a stop because of an accident ahead? He could have died in a crash.

Thankfully, Hank pulled the car over under a highway overpass. (I just heard all that over and under stuff right there.) He walked around the car, wondering what was going on. Front tires looked great, check. He went to the back of the car, bent down and looked at the tread on the rear tires, and ---

There was none. No tread. The tires were bald. He could not believe what he saw. He blinked his eyes and decided to use his hands. He ran his fingernails over the tire, and there was no edge: they didn't catch on anything. Hank was shocked. He went to the other tire. Completely smooth. How could this be happening?

The rental had only 17,000 miles. Hank made it to his destination and called the rental company. He got a different car for his drive home. Meanwhile, the rental company looked into the problem. The car had been given a full walk through at 15,000 miles. A full inspection, it was reported. After that 15,000 miles, the car had been rented seven times. The end of the story is, someone stole the tires off the car and replaced them with the bald tires.

We have discussed all this thoroughly since then. Many questions come up - were the tires replaced rim and all, or were just the rubber tires popped off? I don't know how much the rental company is looking into the whole thing, but there are definitely safety issues here. If someone had been hurt or killed, I guarantee you the police would have checked all seven of those renters, looking for that set of tires. One can only assume someone stole the newer tires and replaced them with the old, treadless ones.

Bottom line, walk around your rental car. Don't assume it is in good shape, even if the rental company tells you it is.

Anytime Fitness in Leo Has it Going On

My family had been members of the local YMCA system for many years, taking advantage of a corporate discount. We joined after Fort Wayne's wonderful YWCA campus which had been on Wells Street closed. The YMCA worked well for us for a long time. When the kids were small, we used the pool often, and also the child care facilities. It had lots of features, classes, and the kids also really liked the climbing wall at the DuPont Road/Dawson's Creek campus.

But recently, we found we were no longer using it enough to make it worth our while, and we dropped our family membership. My husband often works out at his workplace, and the kids get exercise at their school gyms and sports programs. I was trying to do things from home, and also running outside, which I love to do. But, I decided this winter I was ready for something more.

So after taking advantage of a free one-week trial, I joined the Anytime Fitness in Leo. It's so nice to be in a smaller gym after braving that huge YMCA for years. I've never been in this Anytime Fitness when it is crowded. I know they have fitness classes, so it's probably busier then, but when I've been there during the day it is relatively peaceful and quiet.

The equipment looks fairly new, and is in good condition. In one room are lots of treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and stair climbers. In a separate room are the free weights and machines (which are what I am mostly using right now). It's nice to have this separation. A third room has a projection screen for workout videos, along with a couple of bikes and some nice abdominal equipment. A fourth space, pictured in the lower photo above, is really nice - a very large room with mirrors for classes, or dancing, or stretching perhaps, when there are no classes scheduled.

A member can use one's key fob to swipe the door to get in, which makes it very secure at night or other times when the facility is not staffed. But what great flexibility that is - you could work out late at night or early in the morning. Video cameras are in the different rooms and are monitored by staff in the office, so it feels very safe. If you need assistance or advice, just go during the staffed hours. It's low-key, it's pretty clean, and nice. I like it. I seem to be making time to go, and that means everything. I can also use Anytime Fitness locations when I visit other towns, so I am looking forward to trying that feature.

There are also two tanning bed rooms - I thought we were all supposed to stop doing that for fear of skin cancer, but I must admit I still do like to tan outside in the sun. There are some nice TV screens in the weight machine room, but they always seem to be tuned to Fox News or ESPN, and I'm not that interested anyway. I usually prefer to listen to music through my headphones. I haven't tried the free WiFi feature, but it seems like a nice perk.

There are no big locker rooms, but there is a private shower available if someone needed it. There are two or three bathrooms, which are unisex and private. Usually the bathroom has been clean, but the last time when I was there around 11 a.m. on a Monday, it needed to be cleaned. I really don't understand how adults can miss the toliet a bit, and then not clean up after themselves. The garbage can was also pretty full and the sink was not spotless. Maybe that's just a Monday thing, after the weekend. But we all tend to be germaphobes in the gym, wiping down the machines after ourselves, etc., and rightly so. I bet the next time I go in the bathroom it will be clean again.

I like my new Anytime Fitness routine. I'm paying about $32 - $35/month. I think it's going to be worth it.

Think Twice, Thrice, Four Times Before you Post

It's only been a few short years since we have braved the wild, wild West of social media vehicles such as Facebook and Twitter. I want to share with you something that just occurred in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, when an attorney posted a rant on social media and subsequently lost his job.

The attorney, who worked for a bankruptcy firm, apparently logged on to Facebook Wednesday, January 20 while stuck in Interstate traffic during an early morning winter storm. We've all been there - creeping along, or fully stopped, behind other drivers dealing with icy conditions.

Sadly, the traffic jam was caused by an accident which claimed the life of a corrections officer. Many people in the vicinity around southern Illinois knew this 22-year-old man. He was taking a 17-year-old male to a juvenile court appearance just before 8 a.m. and lost control of the transport van. According to The Register-News, the driver lost control on an extremely slick and snow-covered part of the highway, spun out and crossed the highway median. The van then slid into the path of a semi-tractor trailer and the vehicles collided. I assume the truck tried its best to stop, since it is reported the truck jackknifed.

The prisoner was hospitalized with severe injuries and the driver of the van died. Icy conditions caused five wrecks that morning. The attorney, stuck in traffic that morning, started his rant on Facebook from his car, assumably from his cell phone. Was he texting and driving as well? I don't know. Reportedly he blasted the driver who lost his life, and also police and EMS. The attorney criticized the driver for not slowing down, and also said of him "he might as well have been shouting Allah Akbar" - how bizarre.

Apparently, many people must have read his posts. At some point, he posted an update stating the driver who was killed was "rotting in hell." Residents reading the posts were so outraged, within two hours of reading this, people were planning a public protest. By last Friday, citizens were standing in front of the man's place of employment, in the snow, demanding an apology from the man. The town's newspaper printed a photo of this protest on the paper's front page with a caption that read "Say No Evil".

Standing on snow-lined streets, a group of citizens hoisted hand-made picket signs. They told a reporter they were braving the cold in support of law enforcement and to honor the dead officer.

The lawyer made an appearance to publicly apologize. According to the newspaper report, he regretted what he had done and made mention of we shouldn't post things under angry circumstances. Apparently, the damage had already been done and the apology came too late, or was not well received. Once it has been said, it's out there. A person has a hard time getting it back once that button has been pushed.

The attorney later either resigned, under pressure or not, or was fired. However it happened, he quickly lost his job because of this. "People need to learn what you post on Facebook has consequences," one protester said. A supervisor came out to talk to protesters, saying the person "is not a bad person, he made a bad decision...this spiraled out of control...there is no excuse for what he said."

Old Crown Coffee Roasters Gave Us Permission to Relax

Tucked under a yellow and blue awning in a shopping plaza on North Anthony Boulevard is a go-to place for students from the IPFW campus. I was invited to meet friends there, and had a slight problem finding it, because the signage wasn't obvious to me. But in the one-story building was an eclectic collection of roasted coffee beans in barrels, art-for-sale, old-time game machines, tables, chairs and a bar.

It's a coffee house, it's a bar. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it's a restaurant. My friend from Fort Wayne said in the summer, the chef goes out to a garden behind the building and pulls fresh produce to cook and serve from the kitchen. The menu changes often, and my friend mentioned a savory chicken pot pie she was served there once.

Old Crown does serve wrap sandwiches, hot sandwiches, and salads for lunch. Normally I would have sampled something such as that, but I was there at a very in-between time and didn't really want to eat. We did have a nice snack of hummus and crackers that went very well with our drinks. One friend ordered a hot coffee drink. It contained pistachio liquor, cream, and a toasted marshmallow whipped cream topping. The house was out of the whipped cream, but the wait staff made a new batch just for us. I took a sample sip of this hot drink and loved it. I immediately wanted to walk out the door and go cross-country skiing.

My other friend ordered the Mochaholic. This was a cold drink featuring espresso, brownie liqueur, vodka, and chocolate shavings on top. This was tasty too - served in a dessert stem, it's in the photo above. $7.

They have a nice selection of beer, but I'm a wine drinker. I tried a California Monte Volpe Primo Rosso, looking for a darker, heavier red from the menu. I thought it was delicious, but it isn't a type I am used to and I discovered I had a headache later. I was probably just dehydrated with the cold. Wine was $5/glass.

Had we stayed a little later, I definitely would have had something from the dinner menu. This week in mid-January they were serving some Asian-themed items. On the menu was a honey sesame shrimp appetizer and a Korean ribeye. I would have ordered the Japanese clams and linguini (typing that just made my mouth water) $16, or the Bibimbap $15, also a traditional Korean dish. This one featured sautéed spinach, scallions, carrots, mushrooms, rice, sauces and spices with a fried egg on top. Leave out the egg and it's a vegan dish.

We lingered and talked. Students and townies seemed to come and go, bought coffee and roasted beans, and worked on their laptops with headphones. There was a little free library box in the front of the window area. I took a photo of the bean roaster, and it's a big, nice looking machine. The batch of beans, this one named Indian Monsoon Malibar, was just coming out of the roaster and it smelled wonderful. I'm glad my friends took me to check this place out. 3417 N. Anthony, Fort Wayne: (260)422-5282.

Trolley Bar Did it Right

My date and I wanted to dine out last evening, and then go see a movie at the Carmike 20 Cinemas in Fort Wayne. We went and saw The Big Short, which was excellent. It was an intelligent movie, about the real estate housing/mortgage fiasco that happened about ten years ago. We should all take lessons from this, to understand what happened in our country that made thousands of us lose homes and jobs. We have to learn from the past and from our mistakes so as not to repeat them. I haven't seen the other Oscar-nominated films, but that being said I'd still be happy if this movie won Best Picture.

I don't claim to understand all the complicated moves made by the banks, the bundled mortgage bonds, and the "shorts", bets made against the success of these bonds. The screenplay does its best to explain all of this but parts of it I didn't follow that well. It still does not take away for me the purpose and meaning of the film. The ensemble cast also gave outstanding performances.

But back to dinner. I've had several meals at the Trolley Bar over the years, and the food last night was the best. Our entrees came with a trip to the salad bar, and I tend to be very leery of said buffet-style choices. But it was excellent. The pewter plates were chilled. Lots of vegetables, dressings and other cold items were offered. Notable to me was the full crock of artichoke hearts. Just a small jar of them is so expensive! I took a ladle-full for my salad.

We chose a Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California - made by the Slow Press winery. I found it to be excellent, and reasonably priced: some restaurants really make their margins on wine prices, but that was not the case here at Trolley Bar.

My date has the seared, sashimi tuna, and it looked beautiful: that is a photo of the plate above. Maybe the only thing less than perfect about our meal was the asparagus he ordered. I think you can see a bit of it on a separate plate at the bottom of the photo - it was a bit limp and overdone. But it was still edible. I also think maybe we lingered over our generous salads a tad long for the kitchen, and it being a typical Friday night in Fort Wayne, the restaurant was very busy. I'm glad business is good.

I had an almond crusted walleye, and it was wonderful. The outside was crispy, but not really fried, and the fish inside was perfectly tender and savory. It was served with a very large "head" of broccoli on the plate, and we thought it looked a little strange, but it was cooked perfectly. I took what I couldn't finish home in a box, as I usually do (unlike the French, so I have been told).

Our server "M" did a wonderful job. I know her name, but I'm not sure she'd like me to post it publicly, so I'll refrain from doing so. Trolley Bar, in my opinion you have improved. Keep up the good work. You have a very convenient location on DuPont Road on the west side of the diverging diamond at Interstate 69.

Allegiant Airlines to Florida - Not Performing as Well this Year

I've been a huge fan of Allegiant Airlines' direct flights to multiple locations from Fort Wayne. It's so nice to buy a ticket and not have to make a connection through another city. Over the past ten years or so I've flown Allegiant several times - to the Orlando, Florida area; to Phoenix, Arizona; to Puenta Gorda, Florida, and there are other destinations I have not yet booked. Normally, the flights have left on time, except one time we hade a long delay departing Florida because it was cold and the airport or airline had no de-icing equipment.

But, a recent trip from Fort Wayne to Puenta Gorda resulted in my palatable disappointment with the airline. Once we got there, we had a great time in Florida: warm gulf waters on a visit to Sanibel Island, a wonderful day trip to Big Hickory Island, and a lovely stay at the upscale Hyatt Regency hotel in the Bonita Springs area.

But the experience of getting there and coming home was less than stellar. I wonder what's going on with Allegiant. The weather was not that bad, so they can't really blame anything on what was very mild winter weather. Mechanical issues with the planes? The airlines know the winter holidays are going to be one of the busiest times of the travel year. Airlines, get your planes in the shop and get them prepped and ready to go. In fact, get some extra planes ready, charter them from other carriers or whatever you have to do as a backup in case of potential mechanical problems or delays from other airports coming in.

My group was scheduled to leave Fort Wayne at 9:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve. We got a message as we were driving to the airport the flight would be delayed until 11:30 p.m. If you are a frequent traveler you are prepared to expect the occasional delay. But then, midnight passed in the airport with many patrons watching the ball drop on airport television screens instead of making their New Year's destination plans. Oh well, such is the fate of the commercial passenger. We arrived in Florida at 4:30 a.m. New Year's Day! Oy, that was exhausting.

But, we made the most of it, got a couple hours or sleep and enjoyed what we could of the sunshine on January 1. It's so nice to get out of the Midwestern cold winter and have a few fun days in lovely Florida. No complaints about that.

Had the return flight gone ok, I don't think I would have written this blog post. But when it was time to return on January 4, Allegiant's website was down. I tried off and on for a couple of hours to log-on and print or screen copy the required boarding passes, but that was impossible. Nor was it possible to reach Allegiant by phone - the recorded message told me there was at least an hour wait to speak to a human customer service representative.

The departure time of the flight was changed from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I think it actually left about 1:30 p.m. Many passengers on that flight were planning to make it in to their workplace upon arrival. But with the seven-hour change in the arrival time, their work day was shot. Then, Allegiant did not have one of their own planes available. Apparently, the airline chartered a plane from Sun Country, a different carrier. Sun Country didn't seem ready for this, and so their plane was not catered. This means there was no food or beverages available on the flight. All they had to pass out to passengers was water and pretzels. We were planning to buy food for lunch or at least get a Coke or a juice, but no dice. Not a big deal on its own, but the effects of disappointments are cumulative.

I paid for assigned seats three months ahead of time on Allegiant. Otherwise a passenger just gets the luck of the draw for seats. Since I was traveling with children, I was willing to pay a little more so we could sit together and I could help to meet their needs.

But when the doors opened for the now Sun Country flight, the assigned seats flew out the window and it was general boarding - open seating. The seats I had paid for together were gone, and we had to find what seats we could and were not able to sit together. At the very least I expect a refund for the purchased seats. I gave our passenger information to a gate agent when we disembarked the plane, and then later I got on the Allegiant website and sent an e:mail about the issue and my request for a refund for the seat assignment payment.

That was January 4 or 5. Now it's January 13, and I have heard nothing from Allegiant about that refund. I expect I will, but I wonder what's wrong with them. Did everybody in their company take a vacation at the same time? Is everybody quitting? Are they that short staffed? I know Allegiant is supposed to be a discount carrier, and I accept that, but what happened on this trip is disconcerting. Allegiant, you used to be better than this. We need that direct carrier out of Fort Wayne. What happened - what is going on?