2012 Super Bowl Quiz
(Circle your answer to each of the questions)

1. Where was last year’s Super Bowl

a. Tampa Bay, FL

b. Miami, FL

c. Arlington, TX

d. Dallas, TX

2. In what city is this year’s Super Bowl being played?

a. Dallas, TX

b. Miami, FL

c. New Orleans, LA

d. Indianapolis, IN

3. What number Super Bowl is today’s game?

a. Super Bowel 56

b. Super Bowl 41

c. Super Bowl XXVII

d. Super Bowl XLVI

e. It’s the first one ever!

4. The first play of the game from the line of scrimmage (after the kick-off) will be: ?

a. pass

b.  run

c. punt

d. jump shot

5. Which soda company will have the first commercial after the kickoff and before the end of the game?

a. Coke

b. Pepsi

c. one of the above

6. What team lost last year’s Super Bowl?

a. Pittsburgh Steelers

b. Indianapolis Colts

c. Arizona Cardinals

d. New England Patriots ?

7. What is the legal number of players on the field at the same time during any play?

a. 18

b. 11

c. 22

d. 9

8. Brady holds numerous regular season and postseason records, including:

a. most yards for a quarterback with 307

b. most interceptions with 17

c. most dates with an opposing team cheerleader with 8

d. most touchdown passes in a regular season with 50

9. What will be the result of the first coin flip?

a. It will be heads

b. It will be tails

c. It will never stop spinning

d. It will stick to the ceiling

10. Which one of the following terms is NOT a position on a football team?

a. Tight End

b.  Nickel Back

c. Forward

d. Tackle

11. Which one of the following professional team mascots is NOT in the NFL?

a. Raven

b. Falcons

c. Cardinals

d. Seagulls

12. What is the TOTAL length of a regulation NFL football field?

a. 100 yards

b. 120 yards

c. 300 feet

d. Both a and c

13. What is the name of the trophy handed to the winner of today’s Superbowl

a. The Super Bowl Trophy

b. The Lambert Trophy

c. The Vince Lombardi Trophy

d. The Stanley Bowl Award

14. Who was the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl?

a. Aaron Rodgers

b. Drew Brees

c. Tom Brady

d. Eli Manning

15. Who will sing the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl?

a. Rosanne Barr

b. Last year’s winner of American Idol

c. Christina Aguilera

d. Kelly Clarkson

16.   Which Super Bowl quarterback is starting for the Giants today?

a. Peyton Manning

b. Tom Brady

c. Tim Tebow

d. Elisha Nelson Manning

17. This year’s half-time show will be performed by?

a. Last year’s winner of American Idol

b. Last year’s winner of Survivor

c. Madonna

d. The group whose members are Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and A. J. McLean

e. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

18.   The last time the Giants and the Patriots played in the Super Bowl:

a. The Packers Won

b. The Giants Won

c. The Patriots Won

d. It was a tie ?

19.   Which one of these car companies will advertise in this year’s Super Bowl:  (Circle all that you think will advertise)

a. Acura

b. Audi

c. Chrysler

d. Chevy

e. Honda

f. Hyundai

g. Kia

h. Lexus

i. Toyota

j. Volkswagen

20.   The last time the Giants and the Patriots met in the Super Bowl, the Giants QB threw a pass in the in the final two minutes of the game that was instrumental in their win to which player:

a. Plaxico Burress

b. David Tyree

c. Mario Manningham

d. Brandon Stokley

e. Eli Manning

True or False: (Circle “T” or “F” after each question.)

1. The Patriots have won 3 Super Bowls up until today.                                                 T   F

2. The Referee’s are sporting black and white stripes today.                                       T  F

3. A regulation NFL football weighs exactly 1 pound.                                                      T   F

4. Each quarter in a regulation NFL football game has exactly 900 seconds.      T    F

5. Papa John’s is offering free pizza if you correctly guess the coin toss, which will take place before the Feb. 5 Super Bowl.     T    F

6. One of today’s teams is the first in Super Bowl history to reach the Super Bowl undefeated (having won all their regular season games).   T     F

7. Before John Madden invented video games he was an NFL head coach. T F 8. “Sudden Death” refers to the red flag a coach will throw to challenge the call of a play.      T   F

9. The coin used during this year’s Super Bowl is from Canada.      T      F

10. The last trip to the Super Bowl for the Patriots ended in defeat.           T       F

11. In an NFL game, the away team must bring 36 balls for an outdoor game or 24 for an indoor game          T         F

12. The NY Giants will not bring a cheerleading squad to this year’s Super Bowl (although, the Patriots will bring a cheerleading squad).     T       F

Tie Breaker Questions:

1. Which team will win the Super Bowl____________________________

2. What will be the total score of the game (both teams)______________

For more hints, click on the photo to see a larger image (Did you notice the Disney store?).

Where in the World Am I?

Last month’s Photo Challenge was correctly identified by Rick C. from Colorado Springs.    Rick identified last month’s photo as being Chicago O’Hare.

What makes this place exceptional are the big buffet tables with a large selection of both hot and cold items  — prepared and fresh salads, sushi, fruit, turkey, sliced pork, fried scallops, potatoes and gravy, corned beef – just to name a few items that you might find on any given day .  Add that to the fact the restaurant is roomy and comfortable and you’ve got a place that you will keep coming back to.  In fact, we know some customers who have nick named this place “the far salad bar”.   A reference to the fact that they will walk further than normal just to go to:

4100 N Fairfax Dr
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 875-9185

The Marketplace is only open for breakfast and lunch and is closed on weekends, so plan your visit around those times.

Roger’s Tip:   Skip eating breakfast at home or at the hotel and try their breakfast buffet

Last month’s photo was taken near Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

November Photo Challenge Photo

You can find a larger version of this photo here.

Pho 75

1721 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22209

(703) 525-7355
pho75.tumblr.com

As you walk in the door of this establishment the  long cafeteria style tables may want to turn your feet towards the door, but if you do, you’ll miss out on a great experience.    As the name suggests, Pho 75 is a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in Pho.   If you’ve never had Pho before, Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, served with sliced beef, chicken or both.  The soup includes noodles made from rice and is served with basil, mint leaves, lime, and bean sprouts that are served on the side and added to the soup.    In addition to the customary sides, Pho 75 includes jalapeno slices to add a little more spice to the soup.

With that in mind, the menu looks like this (yes, you can order by the number):

1. Tai, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

2. Chin, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of well-done brisket, well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

3. Tai, Chin, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done brisket, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

4. Tai, Chin, Nam, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done brisket, well-done flank, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

5. Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

6. Tai, Nam, Gan Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank and soft tendon.

7. Tai, Nam, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, and bible tripe.

8. Nam Ve Don Slices of skirt flank.

9. Chin, Nam, Ye Don Slices of well-done brisket and skirt flank.

10. Tai, Gau Slices of eye-of-round steak and fat brisket.

11. Tai, Nam Slices of eye-of-round steak and well-done flank.

12. Tai, Chin Slices of eye-of-round steak and well-done brisket.

13. Tai, Gan Slices of eye-of-round steak and soft tendon.

14. Tai, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak and bible tripe.

15. Tai Slices of eye-of-round steak.

16. Bo Vien Meat balls.

17. Pho Ga Chicken noodle soup.

Now for the bottom line.   If you like Pho, you’ll absolutely love this place. They simply make the best broth — it may be the best anywhere.   So flavorful, so satisfying that you forget that there is anyting else in the Pho.   Add some round steak, brisket or chicken and you’ve got a very satisfying meal.  While you will find both hoison sauce and sriacha on the table, you won’t need it, but you might try it just to add a different taste.

Roger’s Tip:   Bring about $12 per person in cash as Pho 75 doesn’t accept anything but Federal Reserve Notes (a.k.a. cash only)

We continue to publish a new photo each month and challenge our readers to be the first to determine where this photo was taken.  Can you guess?

1713 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(703) 841-0001

The first thing you notice as you walk through the door is that their menu is listed on several big white boards on the wall.  It’s a bit confusing at first as there are a lot of choices and the line seems to move just enough forward just as you were starting to figure out what you might like and now you aren’t facing the white board.     You will quickly realize that you can create your own burger — or make it easy on yourself  and pick one of their specialty burgers.

Much like a lot of these places, you start with the burger (house steak seasoning), au poivre (black peppercorn crust), blackened, and diablo (spicy chipotle sauce) , add cheese, add toppings and add Ray’s Sauce (optional).

Once you’ve ordered, you’ll be given a number and that’s when the fun begins.   There isn’t much seating, so on a busy day you’ll be doing the “table hunt dance” — you know what I mean, trying to quick step toward a table that looks to be leaving and hoping they do leave and that you get their first — and if not, shuffling in the opposite direction trying not to step on anyone’s toes as you move toward the next potential guest leaving.

The burgers are good, but I didn’t find them to be memorable or even outstanding.   However, it may have just been a bad night or maybe I should have chosen some of their “luxery toppings” like foie gras, bone marrow or even Ray’s Heck Sauce.   But, at $16 for a 10 ounce burger with foie gras (what is that anyway), I thought I’d try something more main stream for my first Ray’s experience.

We’ll give this place another try in a week or so and will update this review should we decide differently.

But, if you dine here, you can say you’ve eaten where the president has eaten.  Woot!  Woot!  

 
Roger’s Tip #1:  Bring Cash, or use their free ATM in the back — they don’t take American Express (or Visa for that matter).

Roger’s Tip #2:  Ray’s doesn’t know how to do “to go” orders.   You’ll be given your order on a plate and you’ll have to box it to go for yourself..

Big Buns Gourmet Grill
4401 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 276-3032

makes that difficult.   First, the buns are HUGE (no surprise here), the Angus beef burgers are huge and then add to that the generous portion of fries and well…

The menu is very much like a Chipotle Mexican Grill in which you pick your sandwich (burger, chicken, mahi-mahi or portobello) and then add your toppings — and toppings they have.  In addition to the standard garden fare (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles) Big Buns has five cheeses to choose from and several extra cost toppings including avocado, fried egg, bacon, and guacamole.  Finally, you add a “special sauce” which include chipotle pesto, A1, mango salsa, and hot sauce to name a few.

If a burger isn’t enough — and it should be, then there are the sweet potato fries.   Big Buns not only serves some of the best sweet potato fries, but is very generous in their serving size — have I mentioned that already?

Last but not least is their self-serve soda fountain.   Standard coke products, but what makes Big Buns fun is their self serve flavors.    Want a cherry coke, help yourself to the cherry syrup and make it a strong as you like.    Vanilla more your flavor, add a dash or two of it if you like.  Need some Raspberry in your Diet Coke?   Make it so.

Eating healthy?   Not today, I’m going to Big Buns!

Roger’s Tip:   Want a change of pace?   Try the lobster roll.