Q: What's for dinner, dear? A: Reservations.

Actually, it was more like, "Where are you taking me for dinner, you big lug?"  Ummm....OK, I'm up for a nice meal out, too, but with this caveat:  I want to try some place different.  I'm tired of chain restaurants.

We had tried this place in downtown Frisco for Saturday brunch once, but it was so packed I don't think I got the full ambiance.  I was hoping a weekday evening would be more relaxed, and it was.

I had "Reina's Shrimp Tostadas"....lots of grilled shrimp, onions, avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and rice, served with a tangy sauce on the side, and it was fantastic!  K had fish tacos and liked them, but after a taste of mine she said that's what she would have if when we come back.

Dallas has lots of restaurants, advertised to be 4-times as many per capita as New York City.  The down side to this statistic is that almost all of them are part of one or another chain.  On the Border, Bone Daddy's, Landry's, Carrabba's, Cheesecake Factory, etc....I enjoy them all, but they seem to be too institutional and predictable.  

We need more of the mom and pop cafes and diners.  I don't know why we don't have more of them as the few we've been to seemed popular.  I suspect they're all located in the farther-out small towns.

For an encore I've found Jorg's Cafe Vienna in old downtown Plano and it had rave reviews.  K is less than enthusiastic about that type cuisine, probably because Austrian/German food is not at all common around here.  I think we should go for it.  Worst case, we don't go back.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

S

It was sheer pandolerium!

This was the scene yesterday at the new Trader Joe's that opened in Plano, just a couple of miles away from us.  We had dinner out last night, then thought we'd drive by TJ's and check it out.  It was crazy!  People began camping out the night before to be among the first ones inside on opening day.  We didn't dare buy anything because there were 20 people deep at every check out.  We just did a quick reconnoiter, found the snack aisle and the Three Buck Chuck (wine) display, then fought our way back outside.  Whew!  Maybe we'll try again in a couple o' weeks. 

One disappointment:  It's a tiny little store.  I thought it would be like a regular grocery store, but it's maybe 20% as large as Central Market or Whole Foods.  Maybe they're trading quantity for quality.  I'll let you know.

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I took Luke The Yorkshire Terrier out this morning as usual to find the weather had changed dramatically from yesterday's 104 degrees.  As forecast, the wind was howling at 20+ mph and the temp was in the mid-60's.  I was lovin' it, but the Lukester....not so much.  The poor little dude would find himself a nice tree and hoist his leg....and then he'd blow over.  Another tree, another try, same result.  (His "trees" were more like a big bushes, but when you're as small as he is, I guess even a bush looks like a tree.)  I finally took him over to the construction site a block away where he used one of their big orange "road closed" barrels as a wind break and completed his mission. I wish I'd had my camera....it was a hoot!

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Yesterday they opened a 41-mile-long stretch of toll road between San Antonio and Austin, TX.  With a speed limit of 85 mph it's billed as "the fastest road in America".  I hate to be the one to break the bad news to the toll road authorities, but no one is going to pay money to slow down to 85 when they can drive 90 (illegally) for free everywhere else.

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Going back outside to get me some more cool.  :)  

Have a great Saturday, everyone.

S