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Amazing Jakes

admin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:35:35 +0000

Amazing Jakes

831 North Central Expressway

Plano, TX. 75075

(972) 509-5253

(?) www.amazingjakes.com

Hours: Monday thru Thursday – 11:00am till 9:00pm

Friday and Saturday – 11:00am till 11:00pm

Amazing Jakes is located inside the Collin Creek Mall in Plano between Macy’s and Sears. I took my kids out to Amazing Jakes one time and they’ve been wanting to go back ever since. This time they are trying to get me to take them there on their birthdays. They still vividly remember all the fun they had and all the games they played.

Amazing Jakes

The first time I took them we went along with the church youth group I was leading at the time. I was looking for something fun and different to do with the teenagers and I heard about Amazing Jakes. It just so happened that one of the guys in our church was one of the main chef’s or managers at Amazing Jakes and he was able to get us some good deals. So off we went.

If you have never been to Amazing Jakes it is kind of like Chucky Cheese on acid. It is just bigger and better in every way. They have a big buffet and tons of games which kids of all ages will enjoy. I felt a little overwhelmed when I first walked in because the place is just so big. It takes up two floors. On the first floor is the buffet, a small movie theater, a rock climbing wall, and some games. The second floor is devoted exclusively to games. In fact, I did not even get to see the whole place and we were there for at least three hours. But I sure did have a lot of fun with my kids.

Lets talk about the rides and attractions at Amazing Jakes. They have a great Go-Kart race track where you can impress your child with your mad driving skills or if they are old enough you can let them drive while you hang on for dear life. The wait in line for some of these rides, particularly the Go-Kart race track, can be kind of long, though, so be prepared. My younger boys had trouble waiting so long. They started to get antsy and upset but once we got them out there in the Go-Kart they forgot all about that and had a lot of fun. You also have to watch out because some of the kids driving these things are not very good at it and the Go-Kart race has the potential to deteriorate into bumper cars. Speaking of Bumper cars, Amazing Jakes has that too. This has always been, and still remains one of my favorite amusement rides. There’s just something very simple, primal, and deeply satisfying about taking your vehicle and slamming into other people’s cars as hard as you can. I have to admit that I am tempted to play bumper cars out on the highway sometimes, especially during rush hour. It is especially fun for you and your child to bang into each other or to team up against other bumper cars. Laser Tag is another very popular game at Amazing Jake’s. I did not get a chance to play it myself but I know the teenagers from my youth group were having a blast with it. The Surfside Miniature Golf game has nine holes to challenge your patience. I always think of that scene from Happy Gilmore where Adam Sandler is practicing his putting at a miniature golf course and just loses it on one of the holes and takes a golf club to the big clown face. But I digress.
The rock-climbing wall on the first floor of Amazing Jakes is almost twenty-five feet tall. You have to be over forty pounds and under two-hundred-fifty pounds to be able to use it. Currently I qualify to use it. I better be careful about eating at the buffet though. It might put me over the mark.

Amazing Jakes Bumper Cars

The Kid City Rides are especially designed for younger children and they are all great rides for that age group. The best of the Kid city Rides is the Star Jets ride. It has several arms on it with jets on the end for the kids to ride in. The jets move up and down and the ride moves in circles. The kids really enjoy it. The Rio Grande Train is a miniature train that takes the kiddos around a little track. I actually rode on this thing with my kid and felt like a giant. The last of the Kid City Rides is the Carousel. An old ride? Yes. Do kids still love it? Yes.

Besides all the rides I have just mentioned there are also over 150 games and video games available for kids of all ages and skill levels. At some of the games you can win tickets which you can later cash in for prizes at the redemption center. The redemption center is forty feet long and has tons of prizes such as plush toys and electronics. Some of the games in the Interactive Game Pavilion include Spin Doctor, Time Crisis III, Mission Ranger, Gold Rush, and Bustin Balloons.

Besides the rides and attractions, Amazing Jakes has a big buffet with pizzas, salads, soups, pastas, and desserts. Actually a purchase of the Amazing Buffet is required for entrance into Amazing Jakes so you can’t just go for the games. Don’t worry though, the foods decent, and there is a lot to choose from.

The pizza selection and weekly specials vary from week to week. I think you can usually get cheese, pepperoni, Mediterranean Vegetable, sausage, Hawaiian, and Loaded Baked Potato pizzas. I didn’t notice the Loaded Baked Potato pizza when I was there. I hope it is there the next time I take my kids because it sounds good and I would like to try it. Weekly pizza specials at Amazing Jakes include such pizzas as Southwest pizza, Chicken Club pizza, BLT pizza, Chicken Pesto pizza, Antipasto pizza, BBQ Chicken pizza, Buffalo Chicken pizza, Cajun pizza, Carnitas pizza, Chicken Alfredo pizza, Chicken Cordon Bleu pizza, Chicken Florentine pizza, Chicken Parmesan pizza, Philly Cheesesteak pizza, Sicilian Sausage and Peppers pizza, Southern BBQ pizza, Steak Fajita pizza, Thai Peanut with Chicken pizza, Chicken Diavolo pizza, and Chicken Portofino pizza. A lot of these pizzas sound really good to me especially the Thai Peanut with Chicken pizza. You can actually call Amazing Jakes and ask them what their pizza specials are going to be for that week if you want to plan your visit around that way. The number to call is (972) 509-5253.

Amazing Jakes also has pastas available on their buffet. Like the pizza, the pastas have weekly specials which rotate around and vary from week to week. I think they always have Spaghetti Marinara and Man-n-Cheese. Weekly pasta specials include Rigatoni Bolognaise, Spaghetti with meat sauce, Bowtie Alfredo, Chicken Pomodoro, Cajun Penne with Audouille, Linguine with basil and tomatoes, Penne with chipotle pesto, Alfredo Pesto, Pasta Carbonara, Pasta Marinara with basil pesto, Pasta New Orleans, Penne with sausage and peppers, and Chicken Alfredo.

Amazing Jakes salad bar has iceberg lettuce mix, Caesar salad, pasta salads, twenty-four toppings, and six dressings. They also have a baked potato bar with all the fixings. Weekly salad specials include Insalata Caprese, Crispy Bacon and Spinach Salad, Chopped Cobb with Chicken, Tropical Spinach Salad with Chicken, Italian Chopped Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Insalata Roma, Tuscan Farmhouse, Mexican Chopped, Peanut Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, Thai Beef Salad.

Moving on to soups. I believe that Amazing Jakes always has Chicken Noodle Soup. Their weekly soup specials include Pasta Fagiola, Italian Wedding with Meatball, Navy Bean with Ham and Bacon, Poblano Corn Chowder, Mexican Tortilla, Clam Chowder, Potato and Cheese, Butternut Squash, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Minestrone, Chicken and Barley, Thai Chicken with Fried Rice, Roasted Tomato, and Fire Roasted Red Pepper.

So you have a lot of pizza, pasta, salad, and soup options to choose from. But don’t forget to save room for dessert. Amazing Jakes sweet tooth pleasers include chocolate chip cookies, Triple Berry Crumble Cake, cheesecake, soft-serve ice-cream (chocolate and vanilla), apple pie pizza, and cherry pie pizza.

Besides the usual fountain drinks which are included in the price of the buffet you can also get alcoholic beverages at Amazing Jakes. Beer is $3.79/$4.99 per pint and premium beer is $4.99/$5.99 per pint. Margaritas cost $5.99, and wine costs $3.99 a glass. Oh, and you can get bottle water for $1.49.

Tuesdays and Thursdays may be the best days to get a bargain on the buffet and games at Amazing Jakes. On Tuesdays they have Twelve-Buck Tuesdays where you can get unlimited all day buffet and videogame play for twelve dollars. For five dollars more you can also get unlimited rides and all day attractions. On Thursdays, Amazing Jakes has Kids Eat Free Thursdays where one child can eat free with each purchase of an adult buffet.

The normal price for Amazing Jakes all you can eat buffet and fountain drinks is $8.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids aged four thru ten. Kids three and under each free with a paid adult. These prices don’t include any of the games, though, just the buffet.

Amazing Jakes has several value and group package deals available. For $20.99 per adult and $18.99 per child (aged four thru ten) you get the all day buffet, a $5.00 fun card for videogames and other games, and three hours of unlimited attractions. The unlimited pass includes Go-Karts, laser tag, bumper cars, miniature golf, rock-climbing, and all the Kid City rides (Star Jets, Rio Grande Train, and Carousel). If you order your tickets to Amazing Jakes online, though, you can save three dollars off the adult and two dollars off the child’s unlimited wristband.

For $12.99 per adult and $8.99 per child you can get the buffet and a five dollar fun card. For $16.99 per adult and $12.99 you can get the buffet and a twelve dollar fun card.

Group packages include the Amazing Unlimited Fun Package, Kid City Group Package, A La Carte Buffet Group, Early Bird Special, and Lock-In Package. The Amazing Unlimited Fun Package costs $15.99 for both adults and kids and includes the buffet, fountain drinks, sixty minutes of reserved seating, a five dollar fun card for video and redemption games, and an unlimited all day attraction pass for everything. The Kid City Group Package for children 44″ tall and under costs $9.99 and includes the buffet and unlimited all day attraction pass. The A La Carte Buffet Group package gets you the buffet for $6.99. The Early Bird Special is available for groups of fifty or more guests on Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8:00am and 11:00am. It costs $9.99 and gives your group unlimited use of everything except the videogames and food. The Lock-In Package is for groups of one hundred people and more. It costs $32.50 per person and includes exclusive use of the facility from midnight until six in the morning, two hours of soda and pizza buffet, plus unlimited use of everything and unlimited video games (excludes redemption games).

If you want to book a group event you can call (972) 509-5253 ext. 212 to make a reservation. You can just bring a group of ten or more in at any time but Amazing Jakes can’t guarantee you seating. To reserve seating you should call ahead. Our youth group had about twenty people and seating wasn’t a big issue for us but we didn’t all sit together in one area either.

Besides the usual special day and group discounts you can get special discounts by signing up with Amazing Jakes coupon club online at www.amazingjakes.com. Also if you have any kids in school remind them that Amazing Jakes gives rewards for grades. Kids get rewarded for good grades with free fun card credits. Just have your child bring in a recent report card and they will get four credits for every A grade and three credits for every B grade. The maximum credits given out is twenty per student per credit card.

Amazing Jakes is a great place for families, groups, and even dates. The food isn’t out of this world by any means but it’s decent and there is plenty of it. The games are a blast. I look forward to my family’s next visit to Amazing Jakes. I may even give the rock climbing wall a chance this time. Amazing Jakes is definitely worth one visit to check it out. Give it a shot.Similar Posts:

New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:47:03 +0000

New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church
Worship Location: Dallas Children’s Theater
5938 Skillman
Dallas, TX. 75231
Administrative Offices:
6116 North Central Expressway, Suite 1060
Dallas, TX. 75206
(214) 438-0120
www.newstpeters.org

Looking for a new church is a difficult and often daunting enterprise. Maybe you have had a bad experience at your last church and are wary of getting burned again. Or perhaps you loved your last church but you had to move and are concerned that you’ll never find one as good.

There are several things to consider when looking for a new church home. First, church is not about you. It doesn’t exist to cater to your every need and just make you feel good all the time. It’s about seeking and worshipping God as a part of a community of believers.

That said, you don’t want to go to just any church. You should look for one where you feel you and your family can serve, grow, learn, help and be helped, hear truth, and experience God and his people. Our family had been searching for a church for a few months when we found New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church.

We attended a couple of other churches prior to that, but they just weren’t a good fit for us for various reasons. We have now been attending New St. Peter’s for six weeks and are really enjoying it. Let me tell you a little about it.

My wife and I have three young boys under the age of eight, and it is important to us that a church be very family oriented. I’ve never found a church that is more packed with young families than New St. Peters. There are young children and parents all over the auditorium.

And for the most part, the children are quite well-behaved, which is important, since all children over the age of five sit through the entire service with their parents. Kids five and under go to Worship Training class (like Sunday School) shortly before the sermon begins.

It’s neat to be around so many people who are at the same stage in life as you and can relate to the things you are going through. There are some singles and older people at New St. Peter’s, but not a lot. So if you’re single and you want to find a church where you can meet that special someone, this probably isn’t the best place for you. We’ve found the people at the church to be very friendly and welcoming.

There is no unofficial dress code there. You can wear what you want. Some people prefer to dress up and others prefer to go casual or semi-casual. It really does not matter. No one will look down on you if you wear shorts and flip-flops or if you come in a three-piece suit.

The worship service at New St. Peter’s begins at 9:30am and goes until 11:00am. You know it has officially begun when a couple of cute children go on the stage and ring a couple of hand bells. New St. Peter’s is a Presbyterian church, sister church of Park Cities Presbyterian.

It is part of the Presbyterian Church in America and has a certain form and structure to its worship. I have several friends who grew up in liturgical churches such as Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal or even Presbyterian churches. In many cases, they are now turned off by the liturgy at churches where certain prayers, actions, and sacraments are repeated each week.

They long for something more free and less formal, such as extemporaneous prayers and sermons. I, however, am headed in the opposite direction. I grew up in a very charismatic church and have seen the abuses which occur when worship is based more on emotion than on scripture and proper doctrine. I appreciate the fact that many of the prayers we recite together have also been spoken by past believers for hundreds of years.

I like the fact that though many of them are old, they are still as relevant today as when they were first written, because they were composed out of deep thought, prayer, and the study of God’s Word.

Each service begins with a song, as people make their way to their seats. Then there is a call to prayer where the minister and the congregation take turns reading portions of a scripture. Then there is a prayer and we sing two hymns. Growing up, I never dreamed that I would be fond of singing hymns. At the church I grew up in we did not sing many of them and I was grateful for that.

I later discovered that many of the choruses of our worship songs were take directly from hymns. I never knew that they were only a small part of another song which had many other words to it. At some other churches I later attended, we sang hymns but we usually only sang the first and last verse, or some variation, in an effort to speed up the service or squeeze in more songs or something.

At New St. Peter’s we sing the hymns all the way through as they were meant to be sung. Many of the hymns were composed in the eighteenth or nineteenth century. On the surface, singing all the lines of an old hymn sounds dreadfully boring to me. But I find that I really enjoy it and find it very meaningful. The words and the music (played by some wonderful musicians) engages both my heart and my mind.

There is deep theology and powerful sentiment in these old songs. I have nothing against contemporary worship music in general. I like some of it a great deal and enjoy singing it in worship, but I’m glad that these meaningful hymns of the faith that have stood the test of time are being rediscovered and brought back into churches that gave them up a long time ago.

After the hymns, the congregation recites together the confession of sin and plea for pardon. Together we acknowledge how we have done wrong and where we have failed to do what is good and right. Then there is a time of silence when everyone individually recalls their specific sins. After that, we all read the assurance of pardon when we recall what Christ has done for us on the cross and remember his promise of forgiveness.

Following the confession of sin, there is a reading from the Old Testament. Right now we are going through the book of Leviticus. It seems strange that we read some of these passages and rarely offer any explanation of them. This is the part of the worship service that seems the most formulaic and unmeaning to me. As I said, I don’t come from a Presbyterian or liturgical background so I would like to find out more about the reason for this part of the service.

The four and five year old children are dismissed at this point to go to their worship training class. Then we have the sharing of the peace of Christ. The minister says, “May the peace of Christ be with you,” and the congregation responds, “And also with you.” This signals the time for everyone to greet those around them and say hello to friends. It’s a good time to reconnect and meet new people. I’m naturally somewhat shy and introverted, so this isn’t easy for me but I find it rewarding to step out and get to know others in this way.

Following the sharing of peace we read the doxology together. A doxology is a recognition of God’s glory and awesomeness. In it we express our awe at the majesty and mystery of who God is and what He has done. Sometimes following this there will be an infant baptism. This may be a problem for some people who come from a Baptist background or some other tradition which does not believe in infant baptism.

For Presbyterians, (as I understand it, anyway) infant baptism does not mean that the child has become a Christian necessarily. But it is a sign that they are part of a covenant family of believers. And when they come to understand and embrace Christ they may look back to their baptism as a means of God’s grace in their lives.

Next we sing another song. Then everyone stands while the pastor reads the text from which he will preach. After that he delivers his sermon. Rich Lambert is the head pastor at New St. Peter’s and is a fine preacher. You can tell that he has put a lot of thought and preparation into his sermons and that he deeply cares about what he is saying, as well as about God and his people.

Colin Peters and Aaron Morris are the associate pastors and they are also very sincere, thoughtful, and well-spoken. As a Presbyterian church, the theology of the church is of course Calvinist and is perhaps best laid out in the Westminster Confession. This is a theology which I hold too, but I understand that not everyone does and that it may cause discomfort for some people to hear about things like election and predestination.

But as far as I can tell, the church simply believes and teaches its doctrine without trying to bash you over the head with it. We recognize that the church is made up of all kinds of different people and our primary goal is to love one another and to glorify God together. That doesn’t mean that the truth gets watered down at St. Peter’s (quite the contrary) but there is also a spirit of grace and love that accompanies it because New St. Peter’s recognizes that the church is full of flawed, wounded, sinful people who need grace.

Following the sermon we give our offerings and alms. Offerings are the gifts which we give to the Lord for the work of the church, and alms are given to the needy such as ministries or families and individuals who really need help. Last Sunday the alms went to a Presbyterian church in Denton which is going through severe financial difficulties. The offerings and almsgiving are seen as an act of worship, and are given while we sing.

Instead of passing an offering plate around, we get up and go down to the offering box or to the deacons holding the bowl for the alms and give our gift.

This is not to show off how generous we are but to exemplify that we are actively worshipping God and not just passively sitting in our seats receiving.
Finally we sing a couple more hymns and then read the parting liturgy and receive the benediction (words of blessing) from the pastor. Then everyone is dismissed to leave and pick up their children, if need be.

At least once a month we celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Table (Communion or Eucharist). At many churches I’ve been to, the sacrament of communion has felt next to meaningless. At St. Peter’s, it is the most meaningful experience of this sacrament I’ve ever had.

It is not just some ceremony when we vaguely remember what Christ did for us on the cross, try to feel bad for our sins, and then pass around some crackers and grape juice. There is a definite feeling of sinners being called to receive the love and forgiveness of Christ and to experience Him together as his body. There are three tables set up in front, and we all go forward to receive the body and blood of Christ.

The minister explains how this sacrament is for us and for our forgiveness. He prays a blessing over each child, which always touches me. Like many parts of the service, it is something which needs to be experienced more than described to get a real picture of it.

In order to allow people to get to know each other better, connect more deeply, and grow together in the Lord, New St. Peter’s has several home groups who meet together who meet at different times. Some groups meet once a month. Others meet more often.

Some meet to share a meal together, while others get together for a Bible study. You can find out more about these groups at www.newstpeters.org or by calling (214) 438-0120. The church also has a School of Life and Doctrine available during the academic school year. It offers classes dealing with theology and practical ministry for all ages.

There is also a Reformed Youth Fellowship which focuses on teenagers and has gatherings in order to disciple these young men and women and to spend time with them. You can also find out more about the School of Life and Doctrine and the Reformed Youth Fellowship at the website or phone number listed above.
New St. Peter’s is currently meeting in the main theater at the Dallas Children’s Theater on Skillman. It is hoping to one day get its own property east of the I-75 corridor, but that may be a long way down the road. Meeting in the Dallas Children’s Theater can be a little distracting sometimes.

For instance, right now there are several props from one of the children’s plays right behind where the pastor speaks. Still, the distraction is not overwhelming and my wife and I have enjoyed our time at New St. Peter’s very much.

One of the most interesting things about the church is its name and logo. New St. Peters seems to suggest that there was an Old St. Peter’s church. There wasn’t. The logo of the church features a rooster clutching on to a cross. The rooster represents the apostle Peter and how he denied Christ.

That is the old St. Peter. But as he turns back to Christ, clutches on to the cross and receives forgiveness, he is transformed into the new St. Peter. It is a good symbol of how we have all sinned and betrayed Christ but can still become new creatures through his forgiveness and work on the cross.

If you’re currently looking for a church in the Dallas area and any of this sounds appealing to you I would encourage you to stop by New St. Peter’s and check things out for yourself.Similar Posts:

Red Hot and Blue Part 4

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:51:57 +0000

Click to read previous page …

If you’ve got a special event coming up, Red Hot and Blue also caters. Go online to www.redhotandblue.com to check out their catering menu and prices. Then call their catering hotline at (214) 378-7447.

Besides the location on North Central Expressway, there are several other Red Hot & Locations near Dallas. These include Arlington (1350 East Copeland Road, Arlington, TX. 76011); Flower Mound (2608 Long Prairie Road #208, Flower Mound, TX. 75022); Fort Worth (3000 S. Hulen Street #600, Fort Worth, TX. 76109); Las Colinas (5910 N. MacArthur Boulevard #157, Las Colinas, TX. 75039); North Richland Hills (9143 Grapevine Highway #620, North Richland Hills, TX. 76180); Plano (5017 Plano Parkway #100, Plano, TX. 75093); Southlake (2750 E. Southlane Boulevard at Nolen Drive, Southlake, TX. 76092); and in Duncanville (106 East Highway 67 at Main Street, Duncanville, TX. 75137). Whichever location you happen to choose, you are in for a real treat.Similar Posts:

Red Hot and Blue in Dallas Texas

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:38:07 +0000

Red Hot & Blue – BBQ
9810 North Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75231
www.redhotandblue.com
Phone: (214) 368-7427

Every season is barbeque season in Texas. But there’s just something about summer and the smell of all those burgers, dogs and steaks cooking on the grill that makes us crave BBQ more than ever. Of course, all BBQ is not created equal. If you are looking for a top-notch BBQ that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, try Red Hot & Blue. Red Hot & Blue is easily one of my favorite places for BBQ. The sight of those pigs playing their guitars on the Red Hot & Blue sign gets my mouth watering faster than Pavlov’s bell. Red Hot & Blue is a traditional smokehouse which serves delicious Memphis style BBQ. All their meats are smoked over hickory for twelve to fourteen hours. Let’s take a look at their menu and see if your mouth isn’t watering by the end.

Red Hot & Blue’s appetizers are pretty basic for a southern-style restaurant. You can get a half basket of hand-battered onion rings for $3.99 or a full basket for $5.99. Both are served with BBQ ranch. They have the mandatory Smokin’ Buffalo Wings for $6.99 – ten wings lightly smoked, fried, then dipped in spicy hot or tangy mild wing sauce and served with celery and blue cheese dressing. If you’re feeling patriotic you can order the Red Hot & Blue Nachos. The corn tortillas chips really are colored red, white, and blue and are topped with your choice of pulled pork, pulled chicken, or chili. They are served with salsa and cost $7.99.Then we have the southern favorite, Catfish Fingers served with Memphis fries and home-style hushpuppies for $6.99. The hushpuppies are very good. Our son used to call them prairie doggies when he was little. The Memphis fries are killer – crunchy coating and delicious seasoning. Finally we have the Hoochie Coochie Sausage & Cheese Plate for $6.99. This includes sliced smoked sausage, cheddar and pepper jack cheese cubes, pepperoni peppers, and crackers with Hoochie Coochie Mustard. I try to stay away from the Hoochie Coochie Mustard. With a name like that you just never know. If you’re going to order a starter, share it with a lot of friends. It’s important to save room for the real star of the show – the main course.

Every restaurant has to have soups, salads, and baked potatoes, and Red Hot and Blue is no exception. They try to mix up the traditional choices with their own concoctions. We have five salad options, each priced at $8.00, give or take a buck or two. The first is the Southern Fried Chicken Salad. They recommend the honey mustard dressing for this one. The next is the Texas Smokehouse Salad – smoked turkey and beef brisket over mixed greens with corn relish, tomatoes and pepper jack cheese. On a lighter note (calorie-wise), we have the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. Then we have the Pulled Chicken Salad. And finally, there is the tried and true Cobb Salad. Cobb Salad is one of my favorite kinds of salad. How can you go wrong with all that ham, turkey, bacon, chopped eggs and cheese? But you don’t go to a great BBQ place like Red Hot and Blue for their salads. Besides, who are you fooling? These salads aren’t much healthier than the prairie doggies and fries.