It's JRR Tolkien's birthday today

So you should plan hobbit meals according to your own dietary preferences. We're talking beer, mushrooms, good veggies and fruits -- or just savoring whatever you munch upon today.

Frodo Lives!

Nice Review of Martha Wells' The Serpent Sea over at SF Signal

Here's the link!

Sample a Nebula Award winning short story writer today!

Everyone, Writer Linda Nagata has a new anthology out, Goddesses and Other Stories, containing ten stories including her Nebula winner, "Goddesses." This is Linda's first collection, and it pulls together stories that were originally published in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, More Amazing Stories, and SciFi.com.

You can sample her writing by reading one of the stories, "Spectral Expectations."

So if you like to carry short story collections for those times when you're waiting for something, this collection is only $3.95 and available in EPUB and MOBI. Go get yourself a pocketful of new ideas!

Gluten Free Hill Country -- Estancia Churrascaria Restaurant

Bottom line -- Mid/upper range for dinner ($35 nightly North) excellent service, excellent bar, gluten free dining possible using caution. Recommended -- but pay attention; ask questions.

I was introduced to Estancia on New Year's Eve -- not the best time for any restaurant, especially bad if it's for a first visit. It's a struggle for a restaurant to give good service on a holiday, and the ones that usually succeed are dealing with a limited menu. Estancia, by its very nature, was prepared for the challenge, with an attentive wait staff and excellent food.
( Down to details )

Was it a good experience? Yes -- the service was attentive, the meat cooked beautifully. Will I go back? I will. But I will try and time it so I can get there earlier than my party, and get a slow tour of the salad bar, pinning the manager down about the side dishes.

I think Estancia could quickly carve a part of the GF market for themselves by sharply delineating safe dishes, and training their entire staff in the differences. I can go to Fogo and know that except for the chicken legs, Tabbouleh, and french bread, everything in the main meal is safe for me. Estancia has superior lamb, and beef the equal of Fogo's. Fogo's rolls and bananas are tastier for some reason. Fogo offers me dark chocolate at the door, which is my usual dessert there. Estancia has candied mints, most likely made with gluten.

Both restaurants need to hire Sweet Texas to make a lovely selection of gluten free cookies to offer as a simple sweet with coffee and after dinner drinks!

Note: Estancia is currently a cheaper evening dining experience than Fogo de Chao.

Bumper Sticker Nominee --

"The whole point of freedom of speech, if you ask me, is because it makes it easier to spot the assholes on the horizon."

-- Elizabeth Bear