Spice & Wine Dinner at Samar Tonight

Looking for a fun weeknight date night? Samar's Spice & Wine Dinner is a great option that will break you out of that same old routine. Check it out:

A Blogging Rant and Excuses

Ok, first off, I'm apologizing for being so lax in my blogging duties. Yes, I should have posted more stuff recently, but I haven't. There a several reasons for this.

1. I was on vacation. Yes, a real vacation. And you're welcome, because I'm the one who brought back this nice cool weather from Colorado. I didn't work on vacation. I didn't blog on vacation. I didn't even turn my laptop on while I was on vacation. And it was freaking awesome.
2. There haven't been any really awesome deals that I've seen that I think are worth sharing. Sure, I could share with you the crappy lose weight, liposuction, botox, get your hair done, mediocre food deal, but that's not fun. I don't even like reading those, so I choose not to pass those along to you. You feel jipped because I haven't been posting, when really I'm doing you a favor by not posting junk for you to read.
3. I have to work. Blogging does not pay the bills. Just about every blog you read, minus those really professional ones or ones with a huge following, is done by someone who does something else to actually generate income. We don't blog for the money or the spotlight, we blog b/c we think we have something to share with you. Do your fave bloggers a favor and click on an ad or two on their sites if it's something that interests you. Yes, ads are annoying, but it's really the only way that your fave bloggers will make money from a website.
4. You don't talk to me. Every now and then I get a comment, and that's swell, but generally I end up feeling like I'm just posting to the magical internet and some randoms find the page. So follow me, comment when you want to and tell me what you actually want to know about. Otherwise I'm just guessing.

Ok, speaking of that #4 thing, I have to work. I promise to be more diligent about posting, but don't blame me when I'm on vacation. You should try it. Without your computer. You'll thank me.

My 36-Hour Summer Vacation: First Stops - Kolaches and Wine

So, the Sig-O and I have been enjoying what we call "36-hour vacations" lately. We were in Fort Worth a few weeks ago to celebrate the BIG 4-0 with a Fabulous Fort Worth Getaway weekend, complete with margs at Joe T's, beer at Rahr Brewery, dinner at Brownstone in West 7th, and golf at the Marriott at Champions (you can see TMS from your room). It was a great one, so, in the interest of taking more vacations, we headed down I-35(worst, highway EVER) to visit the hill country.

First stop, Czech Bakery in West. I've lived in Texas my whole life(including college) and had never made it there to get kolaches. Seriously, as much as I love my Dallas donut shops, they will now pale in comparison to the kolaches in West. Hell, these things are so good that they made the Texas Monthly Texas Bucket List. Normally, I'm a basic sausage and cheese kolache kind of gal, but the Sig-O was in charge of choosing, so we threw in some others for variety. Thank goodness we did. They were all really, REALLY good, but the ones that stood out for me were the jalapeno sausage and cheese (real sliced jalapenos, none of the namby pamby spicy sausage, that's the hot chubbie), the ham and cheese (I drooled remembering it), and the cream cheese (my IT people will not be happy with the amount of drool now). Point is, if you're near West, get your kolaches there.

Sig-O and I continued our trek down south. It happened to be the one day it was not sunny and 100, which made our pool plans less enticing. So, what's a girl to do? Drink wine! Through the miracle we call Google, we found several wineries that weren't terribly far from the B&B we were staying at. First stop - Pilot Knob Winery (yes, I giggled at the name and the Sig-O did an eye roll at me.) The folks at this winery were uber-friendly and greeted us very warmly. They even had a bridal trunk show going on at the winery and invited us to check it out and sample the cupcakes (yum). After the Sig-O convinced me to walk through and my hives for fear of commitment and all things wedding, we got to taste the wines of Pilot Knob. The whites were slightly sweet, with the Viognier winning medals at several competitions. I'm not a big rose drinker, but could certainly see how one could enjoy it on a hot summer day, particularly poolside. The Franco-Rojo was a delightful Tempranillo-Merlot blend with the body and depth of a nice pinot and a flavor all of its own. We could have stayed and enjoyed a glass of that, but knew we had other wineries to visit, so best to not drink all you can at the first. The bonus of Pilot Knob was that they were very, very friendly and helpful. When we told them we were making our own wine tour, they had several suggestions and were even kind enough to print out a Google map for us! Love that hospitality. These are great people who are working hard at a young vineyard and have a passion for their wine. I definitely recommend visiting them.

Instead of making this a marathon post, I'm breaking it up. Check back later for the next installment of my vacation. And now you see why the Sig-O is exhausted after our relaxing vacays.

Your Sunday Lobster Bake

I was out of town and missed the first one last weekend, but The Commissary (at One Arts Plaza) will host Sunday night lobster bakes. The reservations-only dinner will consist of a bucket of steamers, tomato and basil salad, corn on the cob, grilled Italian sausage with roasted new potatoes and a steamed 1.25 lbs lobster with drawn butter. For dessert they offer a selection of seasonal homemade pies such as buttermilk, pecan, and chocolate. The price is $35 per person. Call 214-643-6557. Yum.

Great Food, Great Price: Horne & Dekker for Half Off!

The most common way to experience the Deep South is to find a street magician and hope he pulls a shiny Louisiana state quarter from your ear. Today's Groupon presents another option when there are no illusionists handy: for $20, you get $40 worth of creative southern fare at Horne & Dekker. Click here to get the deal right now, or if you need convincing, keep reading.

Horne & Dekker's executive chef Corey Smith, born and trained in New Orleans, sates southern comfort cravings with deconstructed interpretations of classic comfort food dishes, earning the restaurant a spot on D Magazine's Best New Restaurants in Dallas 2010 list. Diners dig into the revolutionary menu inside the restaurant or on the climate-controlled patio with hardcore delicacies from below the Mason Dixon line such as golden-battered deep-fried frog legs and fries ($10), along with mainstream munchies including the crisp-shelled fried green tomatoes ($7).

For a bigger bite, childhood-nostalgia inducing Dr. Pepper takes center stage, marinating juicy pork carnitas to caramelized tenderness ($16). Bolster unexpected entrees with a comforting bumper of succulent sides, including creamy mac 'n' cheese ($7) or cheesy scalloped potatoes ($8), while enjoying the restaurant's local art and clever, but very inedible, canned-good table toppers. Home-baked red velvet cake takes on new life as moist, cream-filled twinkies ($7) that could easily defeat their lunch-box cousins in a sugary showdown. Horne & Dekker's special brunch and Sunday supper selections award well-behaved appetites with straight-up comfort grub, including biscuits and gravy, beer-battered fish, and mom's meatloaf ($16 per person).

Now you can go get that deal and get some of the best southern food around.

Hello Again

I know, it's been a while. Ok, it's been more like 9 months. No, no baby, just been busy. Seriously busy. You want to make the big guy upstairs laugh? Just tell him your plans. But, no more excuses, I'm back and ready to tell you all the stuff you need to know. You're welcome. . . in advance. And please feel free to spread the word that I'm back and full of good information.

Oh, and just because I love my blog readers, I'm adding restaurant reviews. See, things just keep getting better!