The Sounding of Two Canons

For those who do not know, this Downtown Midland original celebrated its 50th anniversary in September. While Chris obviously grew up in Midland going to Luigi’s, Cory also grew up going to the restaurant.  Her family would drive over from Odessa just to eat at Luigi’s, because her father was a big fan.  

We spoke to the granddaughter of the couple who started the restaurant, and her grandmother still owns the restaurant. She told us several interesting trivia facts:

1. The current location is not the original

2. There used to be sawdust on the floor (not anymore of course!)

3. There have always been red and white checkered tablecloths with the wine bottle candleholders on the tables

4. It used to be popular with casts of the plays held at Yucca Theatre who would come over after rehearsals and shows

5. Her Grandfather was really into jazz and theatre, hence all of the photos and memorabilia on the walls

We actually went on one of our first dates to Luigi’s, before going to see a Cross Canadian Ragweed concert downtown at Midland Center, so the place will always be special to us.  Most recently, we went to dinner with another couple there last Friday, and the pizza was as great as ever (our favorite menu item is the Pizza Snack).  So, if you haven’t gone recently, go to Luigi’s, order a pizza, you’ll be glad you did.

C&C

The Crowd  

The Flag

Chris waving in the crowd

Also, we found this link of great pictures.  Taken by Gold Dog Imaging/Eclectic Photography, link from mywesttexas.com.  Excellent Photos!

http://www.biggolddog.com/welcomehome.htm  

Get ready, this is going to be a long post…..One thing we can say about Tuesday, is it was a historic day for our nation, and a historic day for Midland!  The welcome back to Texas that Downtown Midland gave President Bush was an amazing, unforgettable event.  We were glad that President Bush was recognized for his 8 years of service to his country, and we think the office of the President deserves respect, and appreciation!  In addition, because of the downtown event, Midlanders and visiting attendees at the rally got to participate and be a real part of American history.  Congratulations to those who put on the event with such short notice!  Downtown Midland welcomed 30,000 people to the Bush rally, and it went off without a hitch.  That is a huge crowd!  Our community should be proud!

As for me (Cory), while visiting my sister who lives in D.C., I attended the Black Tie and Boots Ball, the Texas Inaugural Ball, which was held in Baltimore on Monday Night at the National Harbor, Maryland.  And yes, Texas still has an inaugural ball, even when we are not inaugurating a Texas president!  It was a fun party, mostly because of the musical talent that was there: Dale Watson, Charlie Robison, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jack Ingram, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Asleep at the Wheel….  When you walked in, they gave you a schedule of what band was in what room and when.  It was like a mini-music festival!  We attended for the sole purpose of attending an Inaugural Ball, and it did not disappoint.  11,000 people attended!  I would have more pictures, but my camera died!

On my end (Chris), the following day brought a citywide preparation for the homecoming event for President Bush.  Downtown was buzzing with activity all day.  It almost felt like a holiday, there was so much activity,  The lines began forming very early in the day, some arriving to Centennial Plaza as early as noon for the evening event.  I was fortunate enough to snag some great tickets and get really close to the stage.  Thank you to those who gave me such a great view!  The entertainers were great, especially the Gatlin Brothers, and the crowd was energetic. Though the crowd was packed in like sardines, everyone was excited to be a part of this moment.  The fly over by Air Force One (though it was not called that at the moment) was great, and I am sure very illegal.  But hey, I think it was ok to break the rules just this time.  President Bush was more giddy than I have ever seen him, obviously excited to be back home in Texas and looking forward to some relaxation.  All around, it was a great day.

As you probably know by now, President Bush’s first stop from D.C. on his way to Crawford on January 20th will be Midland’s own Centennial Plaza.

In an effort towards responsible and even-handed blogging - okay, in all honesty, this is just how things worked out - while Chris will be present at the Midland event to take pictures of all of the musicians, festivities, and the former President and First Lady, Cory will be in D.C. attending the Black Tie and Boots Ball, Texas’ own Inaugural Ball, with her Texas-turned-D.C.-native sister. Stay tuned for pictures of both events!

As for the biggest event Downtown Midland has ever seen, Odessa’s own Larry Gatlin will be performing, and most importantly we’ve heard of more big-name acts in the works, to be confirmed later….. Midland schools will be getting out early, and tickets are free to the public. Find ticket locations and information at the link below. See you on Tuesday!

http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/01/13/news/top_stories/doc496cf880dffd5521838631.txt

We don’t know any more about this new place than you do….  But we are all about spreading the word.  We like what we’re reading though….  No smoking inside!  Fantastic.  Non-fried food options.  Dueling pianos.  We are especially excited about the much-needed addition of an official Sunday brunch menu.

One thing we have heard, is that this $20 cover charge is only a temporary thing for now, until the place officially opens in February. 

Make no mistake - we are under no delusions about Midland being like “the big city”…. or it wouldn’t be Midland!  But if you are interested in a thriving downtown that Midland citizens can enjoy, as we definitely are, as well as having more places to take out-of-town guests, let’s all give these new downtown places a chance!  We know we’ll be keeping an open mind, and we will definitely post more once we are able to check it out.

http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/01/02/news/top_stories/doc495efbd2b9181681892403

Martini Glass Grill

With the New Year comes an update on the new downtown coffee shop!  We were wondering when the coffeeshop was going to start being open nights, and this article in the MRT has the answer.  An alternative to the usual restaurants, bars, and the two very overcrowded Starbucks in town is music to our ears!  A place where we could unwind at night, chat, drink coffee, and enjoy live music?  We couldn’t be more excited, and we think this is something the young people in Midland really need.  Good luck to this new local business owner, and check out Ground Floor!

http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/01/06/life/top_stories/new_ground_floor_1-4.txt#

The Ground Floor

203 W. Wall in Wall Tower (Across the street from the County Courthouse, next door to Cancun Grill)

7AM-11PM Daily

(432) 683-4433