Target’s marketing group has become nearly famous for running a unique commercial every month featuring a song from a usually obscure artist. It’s amazing how each commercial will actually fuel the sales of that particular song for a few months afterwards. If you watch on iTunes, you’ll see said song jump to that artist’s “top songs” list in very short time.

This month’s commercial features Dolly Parton’s “More Where That Came From,” which I just love. (Sue me.)

While most of the commercials are nothing more than an exercise in gluttonous exposure with overly ambiguous messaging, I just love this particular one because the song is just perfect for the message of the commercial. Plus, the big dog just kicks ass (he’s at the very beginning of the commercial) and I laugh at it every time. What can I say, except that I’m easily amused.

When it comes to being creative, the Japanese are difficult to beat. In the following game show, contestants view a video of a guy trying to learn English. If they laugh, they get punished. Awesome idea? Yeah, totally.

Just in case you missed the show last month, here is the full list of winners: http://www.goldentrailer.com/gta9.html

And below, one of my all time favorite trailers:

They don’t make them like this anymore!

Last night I decided to continue my Steak Quest to find the best steakhouse in DFW.

So, here’s an update:

• We’ve already determined through internal discussions that Ft. Worth isn’t included in this search because it’s just too freakin’ far. Sorry, maybe next time.
• The first contestant was the Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse in downtown Dallas. I ate chips, meat, and pudding. It was splendid.

By taking an informal poll of everyone at our office and random, unsuspecting people on the street, here’s the entire list of steakhouses that’ll be subjected to my taste testing:

• Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse (Already ate here.)
• Mignon
• Nick & Sam’s
• Bob’s Steak & Chop House
• Del Frisco’s
• Sullivan’s
• Three Forks
• Randy’s Steakhouse
• Chamberlain’s

I’ll try to visit them in that order, but that may change depending on the day, my mood, my credit score, or whatever. With that said, on with the reviews:

Yesterday took me to MIGNON in Plano, TX. They’re known for their seafood dishes and I just had to visit them after a friend insisted that it was undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, steakhouses in DFW. I hope he’s right or somebody owes me gas money.

Instead of going alone, I brought along my best friend with promises of steak nirvana and other such false hopes. Plus, it’s always a blast to dress up and go to dinner with a close male friend and have most people assume you’re on a date. It’s this kind of social derangement that I live for.

We arrived around 8:00pm. The exterior of the restaurant resembled an old shoppe in France, complete with curvy typefaces, subtle paint, and molding.

We enter and are greeted quickly. Walking to our table, we pass the bar on our right. It’s adorned with glass, some nice textures, and has the typical liquor-bottles-as-trophies display. Do people really care how many types of tequila are on hand? I’ve always wondered this.

The rest of the restaurant is decorated in similar textures, and a combination of yellow, red, and brown color variations. We notice that some of the walls and columns are finished with a cool-colored, mosaic tile pattern, and we even notice a booth that has walls that resemble some sort of funky strawberry swirl. It’s an odd combination of features, but they all fit together very nicely. It’s classy without being tacky, and it’s all very, very French. Even the servers had accents.

We sit down and get right to business and order a couple of appetizers. First up, a plate of Bruschetta followed by Braised Beef Short Rib.

The Bruschetta was good, but nothing spectacular. It had a good paste (or spread), but the flavor was too subtle for me, and the red, green, and yellow cherry tomatoes that were supposed to compliment the dish seemed to overpower it. It’s a decent start, but there’s always hope, and we’re not exactly here to judge tomatoes. The Braised Beef Short Rib, which I actually ordered on an impulse, was an entirely different story. This appetizer was definitely not screwin’ around — the first bite was somewhat intoxicating. The beef was succulent, perfectly seasoned, and you could cut it with a fork. It sat atop a bed of garlic mash, also perfectly seasoned, with only a hint of gravy. The beef seemed to melt in my mouth and I just savored it like fine wine.

For the main course I ordered the Prime Grilled New York Steak (14oz). I would’ve gone with a top sirloin but Mignon doesn’t serve that cut of steak.

My steak arrives after a short wait. Just as in the Bruschetta and Short Rib, the dish was arranged and presented very nicely. It was like a dining scene right out of American Psycho’s Dorsia. It sat on a bed of Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Green-Pepper Corn Brandy Sauce. The potatoes were nicely roasted, but the real kick came from the brandy sauce. I’m starting to see that it’s not uncommon to have the condiments on a dish be the star of the show, and this was no exception. I cut into the steak, and it’s cooked medium rare as I requested, a beautiful palette of red hues. At 14oz, it’s the biggest steak I’ve ever had. The outside is a nice dark brown, and the steak is thick enough that I can cut it into tall slices like one of those big-ass Thanksgiving hams. I take a bite and the Matrix tells me it’s juicy and delicious. Every time I put a slice in my mouth, I let it sit on my tongue while I absorb all the juices. It’s good, really good. With every bite it seems like the flavor of the steak matures, and it just keeps getting better and better. Once I’m halfway through, my stomach is full, but I continue eating anyway because wasting such a savory slab of meat is a social crime.

Overall, Mignon does a great job of creating a unique environment. That type of experience is something I rarely encounter in restaurants anymore. It’s not just about the good food and the ritzy wines, it’s about the French surroundings, the service, and the presentation. For two people with appetizers, a main course, and some liquor, it cost us about $140. It’s definitely pricey, but it’s definitely worth it. It’s time to forget your lame, usual Friday night eatery and put on some cufflinks and take your ass to Mignon!

Last week, my brother and I had a discussion on who has the best steakhouse in the Dallas area. He insists it’s Three Forks restaurant, another colleague of mine claims the title belongs to Mignon in Plano, and personally I’m undecided.

So, this week I’m on a quest to find the Best Steakhouse in the Dallas area. The prize? Absolutely nothing, except maybe some dignity and a little publicity on our primo blog.

The criteria? I’ll rate everything from the atmosphere, to the service, and obviously the food. But mostly the food. There’s no scoring system or any of that nonsense. I’ll just pick a winner at the end, whenever that may be.

Today I visited Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, across the street from RD2. Their exterior signage is ostentatious and can be seen from space, and we walk by it nearly every day when we’re heading down to restaurant central. I decided they’d be the first restaurant in my test of trials.

I was seated promptly (I told the server I was on “a quest” and she seemed okay with me being insane), the restaurant was clean and only moderately noisy — mostly full of business men and women. We’re off to a good start. Speed of service is critical.

The first thing I ordered was a chips and salsa appetizer. Why? Because a restaurant’s food quality can easily be measured by judging how they prepare simple dishes like chips, bread, soups, and so on. If they can’t bake bread properly, then how the hell are they going to prepare a steak? You get the point.

The appetizer was great. The chips weren’t heavy or greasy, and the salsa had a sweet, tangy flavor and was only mildly spicy. Overall, I think this steakhouse serves up a better combo of chips and dip than most Mexican restaurants I’ve been to.

The next item up was a simple salad with the house dressing. The salad itself was obviously pre-made. Nothing special — just some spinach and greens surrounded by sliced tomatoes. Despite that, the dressing was perfect. It was a cilantro vinaigrette that tasted like no other dressing I’ve had before. It was also tangy, and slightly spicy.

My main course was an 8oz. top sirloin steak. I chose the top sirloin because it’s my favorite cut of steak and it’s what I commonly order at a steakhouse, so it’s easy for me to compare.

The steak was cooked just I had requested — medium rare, and cooked evenly on all sides. It was super-juicy, easy to cut, smelled great, and tasted even better than it looked. The steak was presented next to a side of mashed potatoes that had a hint of barbecue flavor (not my thing), and a bed of vegetables that included zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and peppers. With the exception of the mash, everything was seasoned perfectly. I prefer less gravy with my food, so that’s the only change I would’ve made to the dish.

Lastly, I had some banana pudding, compliments of the house. This was an unexpected surprise, and although I’m not a fan of pudding, the banana dessert tasted pretty good. It was warm and a little wafer adorned the top (I love wafers). I had only a few bites but only because I was so full from the steak.

Overall, it was a good experience. The total tab was about $20 (the steak was $15). If you’re ever downtown, stop by Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse.

Does tourism broadcast advertising really work? Have you ever gone on vacation because of a commercial or some other advert? I had my doubts, until I saw this commercial. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a huge fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger and I totally miss his movies.

What happens when you mix a David Gahan-inspired voice with electronica and high cheek bones? COVENANT, THAT’S WHAT!

Click here and scroll down to the see the awesomeness that is the Color Wizard!

On the way to work yesterday I heard a song on SIRIUS radio called Lazy Eye by the Silversun Pickups. It’s uncanny how similar they sound to the Smashing Pumpkins. Billy, is that you?

See for yourself!