Day Three Hundred Forty-Nine: A Day in McKinney

We have been to McKinney but mostly just for kids' sporting events. But, on day two without the kids, Jeff and I decided to go over to just hang out. We had lunch at Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen, visted Landon Winery and Lone Star Wine Cellars, and did a little shopping in the historic dowtown area. Later, we had an appetizer dinner a Sol, picked up a few things at Trader Joe's, and browsed in Half-Price Books. It was a lovely day, and we enjoyed it very much!

Fun in McKinney

Day Three Hundred Forty-Eight: Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Jeff and I took advantage of all our kids being with grandparents to go out for a a fancy meal at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, which is a place we have always wanted to visit. We decided to try the seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was so delicious, and the atmosphere was very elegant without feeling stuffy or pretentious. We loved the experience!

Salmon ceviche, compressed watermelon with goat cheese,
avocado cannoli stuffed with crab, smoked foie gras,
scallop with tomato basil barley, red snapper in lobster bisque, beef tenderloin with roasted tomato and corn,
lemon panna cotta with peach sorbet, cappuccino, and
signiture green tea and milk chocolate turtles

Day Three Hundred Forty-Seven: Katy Trail Ice House

A few months ago, while hiking on the Katy Trail in downtown Dallas, we learned about the Katy Trail Ice House and vowed to come back sometime to enjoy a burger in the expansive outdoor eating area. At the time, I didn't imgine we would choose one of the very hottest days of the year for that little outing. But, we did. It really wasn't that bad since the patio is very shaded and the restaurant runs mister fans everywhere. We had a great time, though we missed having our younger guys with us!

Day Three Hundred Forty-Two: The Catch

After my Meals on Wheels deliveries today, I decided to grab some lunch at The Catch, a relatively new fast food seafood restaurant in Lewisville, which isn't the kind of place I normally choose. But that's one of the things that makes it a good First. I had the grilled shrimp tacos, and they were very tasty.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight: Harp Serenade During Dinner

This evening, we decided to dine at Rathskeller, a restaurant housed in the basement of a former hospital that was built in the 1800s. It's a beautiful stone building, and it was interesting to dine underground. (It was actually our second time to dine underground today, and we also had wine in an underground cellar. We are practically moles now! 😀) The food was great, but the entertainment was truly unique. There was a young lady playing the harp while we dined, and the music was really beautiful. I have never had a harp serenade during dinner before, and I absolutely loved it!

Harp Serenade

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Two: Food Firsts

We went out to eat at Nolita tonight, in the cool Lastarria neighborhood, and I had the opportunity to try several things I had never had before. First, we had beef tartare for an appetizer. (I had had ostrich tartare once in Africa, but the beef version was new.) And, although we all agreed it looked kind of like canned cat food, the flavor was actually pretty great. Later, Jeff and I opted to share the grilled seafood sampler, and I got to try merluza austral (hake), reineta (pomfret), and octopus for the first time as well, and all were enjoyable. There was a time in my life when I would have turned my nose up even at the thought of these things, so to enthusiastically eat them and enjoy them makes me feel like I grown as a person.

Beef Tartare

Southern Pacific Sampler

Day Three Hundred Sixteen: Three Restaurants in One Night

For our last night in Mendoza, we went looking for a special experience. We had heard about a rooftop restaurant at one of the hotels with amazing views of the city and the Andes in the distance. We arrived around 7:00, only to discover a sign that stated the restaurant didn't open until 8:30. (This is the normal time for restaurants to open for dinner here, but a few open earlier, and we took a chance.) Since it was a hotel where we have "gold" status, we went down to the front desk to ask if we could hang out in the member's lounge until the restaurant opened. That's when we learned that the restaurant was actually not opening at all tonight. We were still able to appreciate the amazing view and snap a few pics, but obviously dinner wasn't going to work out. Ruth remembered seeing what she thought was another rooftop restaurant at another hotel we passed on the way to this one, so we headed over there. When we arrived, the restaurant was open, but only for "Happy Hour." We decided to go ahead and have a drink so we could enjoy the lovely views of Mendoza from the patio. Lacking a Plan C, we just started walking in the direction of our house, knowing there are a million wonderful restaurants in the city and assuming we we would encounter one we wanted to try. Eventually, we came to Estanacia La Florencia, a restaurant we have passed by many times and which has always looked enticing. Third time's a charm, I guess, because they were open and serving dinner, and we were seated immediately. Everything was absolutely delicious, and it was a great way to spend our last night in Mendoza, even if it wasn't our first (or second) choice!

The view from Mirador, Restaurant Number One

The view from El Faro Bistro, Restaurant Number Two

Third Time's a Charm

Day Two Hundred Fifty-One: Meals on Wheels with Mom

It was so fun to have my mom ride along with me while I did my Meals on Wheels deliveries today. Afterwards we were able to have lunch together at Mena Grill. I don't get to spend much one-on-one time with her these days, so it was a special day.

Day Two Hundred Forty-Eight: Breakfast with Ruth at Mangos

We had to get Ruth's friend home quite early this morning, and after we delivered her, Ruth and I decided to have a breakfast date since we figured the boys were probably still sleeping. Ruth found Mangos Breakfast Brunch in Southlake, which was a place we had never tried before. We had some wonderful food and conversation, and we got a kick out of the improper use of punctuation marks in the menu. I am very cognizant of the fact that Ruth's time in our household is short, so I relished every moment.

Day Two Hundred Thirty-Seven: Cauliflower "Risotto"

One of my favorite places to hang out on my writing days is Black Walnut Cafe. They have excellent food and bottomless coffee, and "my" table is right next to an outlet, which is very convenient for keeping my laptop juiced up. They have a blackened salmon with cauliflower "risotto" on the menu, which I have been tempted to order several times but haven't until today. We have used shredded cauliflower in place of regular white rice at home a few times, but we've never done anything fancy with it. This was my first time to have riced cauliflower with any pizzazz, and I thought it was wonderful!

photo credit: https://www.diningwithdeliajo.com/2017/06/jump-start-your-day-at-black-walnut-cafe.html

Day Two Hundred Twenty-Five: Lunch Adventure

We were in Plano today so that Ruth could take a practice PSAT test. She finished up right around lunch time, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. We all agreed on Thai food, so we found the place with the highest rating on Google and set the GPS to take us there. There was just one little problem: the restaurant no longer existed. By then we were trying to prevent a hunger mutiny, so rather than track down another Thai place, we simply picked the first place we saw: Jack Mac's Swill and Grill. It was basically a bar with a fun menu. Our adventurous group of eaters was so excited when we found the Russian Roulette pizza, which had this description: "If you have an allergy or special request, this is not for you. NOT KIDDING. This has everything, or nothing. I don't know, and neither does your server. So, if you're not up for a mystery pie, DO NOT ORDER THIS! Don't ask what's on it; just eat it!" We ordered one for an appetizer, and it turned out to be pretty normal, but our server told us it is different literally every time it's ordered, and we guessed they were just trying to use up the kitchen surplus in a clever way. This place turned out to be quite a happy accident! We had so much fun and some delicious and unique food!

Our Russian Roulette Pie

Day Two Hundred Twenty-One: Lunch at Choctaw Casino

This isn't terribly original, but it was a First. On our way home from Sallisaw, we stopped at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Ok to enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet. We have eaten at other casino buffets before, but never this one. Our kids love buffets, especially "fancy" casino ones, and it's usually cheaper than eating elsewhere. Win-win!

Day Two Hundred Eleven: Cards at Kimzey's

After we dropped Weston off at his Scout campout in Denton, we stopped at Kimzey's Coffee in Argyle on our way home. It is housed in a whimsical cottage reminiscent of something from a fairy tale. We had coffees and teas and played cards for a couple of hours. We always enjoy finding new and interesting places to hang out, and Kimzey's is a jewel!

Kimzey's is full of whimsy!

A hot game of Hearts

Day Two Hundred Six: Sushi Zushi

Today's First isn't very original, but I had so many Firsts yesterday, I figure it sort of balances out. We had lunch at Sushi Zushi, which was new for us, even though we are no strangers to sushi. I had the Mango Habanero Poke Bowl, and it was absolutely delicious.

Day Two Hundred Five: Firsts on the Third

Well, there were quite a few Firsts tucked into this day, which was super fun! It was my first time to attend a track meet as a parent instead of as an athlete, and it was a perfect day for a track meet, so that was pretty awesome. It was also my first time to eat at La Finca Chiquita, a tiny little Mexican food restaurant in Allen serving delicious food. Additionally, it was our first time to walk from our house to a brew pub. Based on the selection of food, drinks, and table games, we are now pretty sure Local Pint is our new favorite place and that we will return often. While we were there, we tried several new-to-us beers and split a plate of fried deviled eggs to keep the list of Firsts going. What a wonderful day of Firsts!

It was so fun to watch Ruth compete in the 100, 200 and 4x200 today!

Our new favorite place!

A selection of barrel-aged strong ales and barley wine

Fried Deviled Eggs

Day One Hundred Eighty-Nine: Urbanrio

Well, today's First isn't very original, but sometimes you have to go with the First you have, not the First you wish you had. We visited Urbanrio, a new-to-us Mexican food restaurant in Plano, while Ruth was at track practice and before Weston's basketball game. It was the first decent weather we've had in some time, so we grabbed a seat on the patio, where we could appreciate the sunset and see the never-ending stream of commuter trains, which absolutely delighted the boys. After days of being holed up in the house because of illness, it felt like Heaven to sit on the patio with some chips and queso and a mango margarita.

Urbanrio

A perfect evening!

Day One Hundred Sixty-Two: Coffee on Tap

Jeff and I were able to get away for a date tonight. And, while we did eat at a hibachi/sushi restaurant we haven't eaten at before, the experience wasn't exactly new for us, so I didn't want to count it as a First. After dinner, though, we visited a the nearby Paradise Bistro, which serves light meals, wine and beer, desserts, and specialty coffees. It was a coffee night for us, and we were intrigued by one of the offerings on the board that we had never heard of, which sounded like an incantation: Avocos Mythos Nitro. We asked about it and were further intrigued to find out it was a non-alcoholic, carbonated, cold coffee drink. We knew we needed to try it as it clearly made a better First than a new-to-us hibachi restaurant. It was interesting and somewhat reminiscent of coffee-flavored beers we've tried in the past. Or maybe it just seemed that way since they had it on tap, right alongside several draft beers.

Avocos Mythos Nitro on tap

Day One Hundred Forty-Six: Lunch in Jarrell

When most of your day is spent in the car, it's hard to work in a First, but we managed to get it done with a lunch stop in Jarrell. We have passed through the little town known for its tornadoes many times, and we have even visited a friend who lives there, but today was the first time we ever stopped for lunch at a restaurant there. It's not terribly glamorous or exciting, but it's all I've got for today. Although, if your a fan of Tex-Mex, you might be excited to know that Mexicano Grille serves up a delicious lunch.

Day One Hundred Twenty-One: Dinner Out with my Littles

Because our family is in a crazy divide-and-conquer stage of life, I had dinner out with just my "Bigs" a few weeks ago, and tonight I got to have dinner out with just my "Littles." (In both cases, we went to Mexican food restaurants, which is how you know I'm raising my kids right!) The boys picked Chuy's, a family favorite from way back, and we had fun watching a lady make tortillas and indulging in some of our favorite Mexican food, smothered in creamy jalapeno sauce. While I would prefer to have all my people together, I do also appreciate and enjoy the time spent with one or two of them at a time.

Excited about fresh tortillas

Dinner with my "Littles" (who aren't very little!)

Day Eighty-Eight: Warabimochi

We celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday tonight at our favorite revolving sushi restaurant, and we had so much fun! And, of course, there were plenty of new things to try, though the official First for today is warabimochi, a Jello-like substance covered in toasted soy powder that doesn't really look very appealing and feels very odd in the mouth, which is meant to be a dessert. I didn't actually dislike it, but I don't feel like I need to have it again. Yay for Firsts and good times with family!

Getting our sushi on

Sushi loving kiddos

Warabimochi