The Story Thus Far.....2016

When I started this blog, it was to focus on my transition from Kentucky to Texas.  But, now I guess, the transition is complete.  And it's been a pretty successful one, at that.  The Lord has been faithful.  I have a job that I enjoy.  I am a part of a great church.  And I've made some great friends.  In short, I have made a life here.

The first couple of years I lived here, I would drive around the DFW and find it hard to believe I lived in Dallas.  My mind and heart hadn't caught up with the fact that Texas is my home.  I no longer have those feelings now.  The streets, the skylines, and green spaces have all become familiar.  That's not to say that it is dull.  I am still loving it here as much as I did when I first crossed the Texas state line, but 2015 was the year a final piece of me settled completely here.  I can't imagine myself moving any where else.

HEY!  Speaking of 2015, it was a pretty good year for me.  I had the good fortune of doing a lot of traveling this year.  I got to go to California and meet my nephews for the very first time.  That was an awesome experience seeing them and being there with my whole family.  We hadn't been together like that in awhile.

It was also the last year I got spend at my Grandmother's house in San Francisco.  It's not that I spent many years in that home, but it has always held a fond place in my heart.  Maybe it was the outdated decor.  I understand why my Grandmother wanted to sell it but the thought broke my heart.  At least, I got to be there one last time.

I addition to California, I visited Oklahoma on several occasions, spent a weekend in Austin, spent a week in Kentucky, and flew out to Colorado.

Church is going well.  In 2015, I joined another community group.  They are a great group of guys and like spending time with them.  I look forward to our meetings every Wednesday evening. 

That's not to say building community has not been a struggle.  Much of last year I worked mandatory overtime.  With work and every thing else I had to take care of during the week, I didn't engage in a lot of social activities.   Most of the time I just wanted to go home.   Not the best way to be known and build friendships. 

I'm hoping 2016 continues this positive trajectory.   I plan on being more social and hopefully make more friends.  I've taken more responsibilities at work so I hope that helps in advancing my career.  I plan to do some more traveling this year. And finally,  a friend and I signed up for the Spartan Race in June.  I've never participated in anything like this before.   I'm excited to cross the finish line.

Barnlight Eatery

Barnlight Eatery is a wonderful gem in an assuming strip mall, located in Frisco.  Frisco is suburb of Dallas not far from where I live that has exploded over the past few years.  Most of the development you see around town has only been there a little while.  It's a fun little town.  A great place to catch a baseball game, see a concert, or watch a hockey game, with tons of shopping and restaurants around.

At Barnlight, they describe their menu as elevated comfort food.  It's Texas cuisine served with flare in a rustic atmosphere.  I read about this place online and was sold on it just by the pictures of the food on their website.  No Yelp reviews necessary.

A friend of mine lives in Frisco so he joined me for dinner.  I ordered the grilled pork loin.  It was served with a spiced cayenne apricot jam, jalapeno au gratin potatoes, and sautéed spinach.  My friend ordered the chorizo meatloaf, with mash potatoes, green beans, and a smoked corn relish. 

I am not a fan of sweet stuff on my dinner.  I believe dinner should be spicey and savory.  Dessert should be sweet, but the apricot jam complimented the pork very well.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Grilled pork loin

After dinner, I was hungry for dessert, which hardly ever happens.  I wasn't entirely impressed with dessert selection, but since my friend didn't know of any other places around Frisco that served good dessert, we stayed there.  Come to think of it, I have the Yelp app on my phone.  I could have found a place.  Technology is only good if you use it.

I ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of their pumpkin pie.  The pumpkin pie was awesome. Certainly way better than anything you would buy in the store. 

pumpkin pie

The prices at Barnlight were pretty reasonable and comparable at any or the big chain restaurants.  With my entrée, a glass of Shiner, a cup of coffee, and dessert, my order came to $31.  No too bad, but I probably won't be eating out like that again until next pay day. 

I would highly recommend this place, if you're looking to mix your comfort food with a little bit of Texas.

Barnlight Eatery

Vacation 2014

Louisville skyline
 

This year, for my vacation, I decided to take a week and head back home to Kentucky to spend time with friends and family.  With all the overtime at work and my other obligations, here in Texas, I ready for a break.  I could literally feel myself fraying around the edges and needed to get away. 

Needless to say, it was an enjoyable trip.  Since my grandmother's passing in April, I wanted to spend most of it with my folks, but I did take some time to spend in Louisville, and walk around downtown and Bardstown Road.  And I did get to spend some time with some old friends.

Since time wasn't factor, I decided to drive home this year.  If I really wanted to, I could make the drive in one day, but why?  I stopped in Forrest City, Arkansas and got a hotel room at a Holiday Inn Express, where coincidently, I met some other people from Kentucky.  Pleasant conversations ensued.

The hotel was nice, clean, and had plenty of amenities to ensure a pleasant stay.  It had an indoor pool, which I made good use of, fitness center, snack shop, laundry service, and a nice free breakfast in the morning.  The décor had a hip modern feel which made you feel like you staying in a more luxury hotel than it really was.

Heck yeah! Flat screen tv, free cable, microwave, and refrigerator.  Do I have reason not to stay in?

After breakfast, the next day I hit the road and got home later in the afternoon.  I purposefully timed my vacation around the Kentucky state fair, which I have always loved.  I went with my parents and had the best time. 

Being in town gave my a chance to try a couple of new restaurants and visit some of the familiar places that have meant so much to me over the years, like Day's Coffee, Drakes, and Flanagan's. 



The Holy Grail

Taco Luchador

Kentucky State Fair

Flanagan's

Fourth Street Live

Maker's Mark Lounge

KFC Yum Center

Me and Gina.  One of the dearest people I know.

Nothing like a Kizito cookie.

Day's

Me and James at Drake's

Pork chops

Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse



I visited my old church, Valley View.  Kinda digging the new set up.

When it was time to head back home to Texas, I stopped one night in Nashville.  Two of my favorite bands, Red and Demon Hunter were playing at Rockettown and I really wanted to see them.  I bought my tickets before I left for my trip.

I stayed at an Embassy Suites in a really nice part of Nashville.  It was located in the middle of a business park with manicured streets, low rise office towers and rolling hills.  It was a few minutes from downtown, which was perfect for me. 

I had never been to Rockettown but always wanted to go.  The show was awesome! Demon Hunter and Red did not disappoint.  They put on an awesome show of melt-your-face-off hard rock and metal. 

Restaurant at the hotel

Rockettown

Demon Hunter

Lead singer of Red.  Wish my phone took a better pic.

I don't know when I'll be in Kentucky next. I think for the next couple of years, I'm going to focus my vacation budget else where.  There are plenty of places around the country that I'd like to see and places I'd like to visit again.  One day though, I'll find myself back there enjoying the beauty that is the Bluegrass state.

The Story Thus Far

It's been almost two years since I have last wrote in depth about what is going on in my life here in Dallas.  Most people who follow me on Facebook, will know that I am eating at some restaurant, or attending Watermark, but that doesn't begin to tell the whole picture.

I guess I should start with the one place, that I spend most of my free time, and that is Watermark.  Church is going well, but it has not been without its challenges lately. 

I now serve in the Frontlines ministry serving coffee for the 5:30 service on the first Sunday of the month.  It has been an awesome experience so far.  I love coffee and can't seem to go a day without it, so it seemed like the perfect ministry to get involved with. 

I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful people who are committed to working hard, providing the best service, giving a warm smile, and warm cup of coffee to the people who come through our doors.  We spend the evening working, fellowshipping and laughing the whole time.  It is a brief moment of community that I have come to cherish. 

In addition to the Frontlines ministry, I am now serving in our midweek childcare ministry called Training Ground.  I serve on Wednesday night, which is where they have the most need for workers.  Originally, I did it as a means to make extra money, as it is a paid position, but now it become area of service.

On Wednesday night, parents come for ReEngage(which is one of our marriage ministries) and Merge(which is for people about to get married).  It has been a growing experience for me to say the least.

I'm still serving with 2nd Saturday in the Bon Ton neighborhood in South Dallas.  In the year and a half working in the neighborhood, it's amazing to see how God is transforming it.  New homes have been built.  They have started a community garden and the city has given twelve plots of land to grow food and start a farmers market down there.  I addition to starting an aquaponics project, providing fresh fish for residents, we have also built a chicken coop. There is also Bon Ton Honey, which raises bees and grows honey locally and provides employment to people who probably couldn't get a job.

Community, for me has been a real challenge this past year.  My second community group has dissolved and we no longer meet.  I did join another community group, though and have met with them a couple of times.  I've enjoyed it so far and they are great group of guys.

Work has been crazy lately.  We have been on mandatory overtime for the past several months.  The overtime has been exhausting but I can't say it hasn't been good for me.  I have been able to build up a savings and fix up my car, which cost over a thousand dollars.  And I've been able to spruce up my bathroom. 

Having said all that, I am needing a break.  The money is good, but I would like to slow things down a bit.  I'm just biding my time until my vacation in August.  I am super excited.  I am looking forward to visiting Kentucky and seeing my folks and hanging with some old friends.  I understand some new restaurants have opened since I have been gone so there may be a Kentucky element to restaurant reviews.  As always, it's all about the food.

The Gin Mill

The Gin Mill

 

 

Last weekend my fellow foodie, Kristin and I, visited the Gin Mill off Henderson Ave. in Dallas.  It's a stretch of road that offers a wide variety of dining options.  I love visiting that part of town, especially if I do not have to drive.  The parking situation is atrocious, unless you go at the right time or are willing to pay for valet parking. 

 

The Gin Mill is an American pub and beer garden with a speakeasy vibe.  In fact, behind the main bar, they have the "speakeasy" lounge, which is straight from the Prohibition era.  I didn't get a chance to see it, but I saw the pictures on the restaurants website.  It looks pretty sweet.

 

Their menu is pretty extensive from cheese plates, salads, pizzas, to burgers.  They also had a wide variety of beer and cocktails.  Our server was very helpful and knowledgeable and helped me pick out a beer I would enjoy. 

 

Kristin order the meatball sandwich and a cocktail.  I decided to go with the cioppino along with a house salad with a shallot vinaigrette dressing.  I had seen cioppino on the Food Network.  I'm a big fan of seafood, and this hodgepodge of seafood swimming in a tomato broth looked amazing.  And at $16, it wasn't unreasonable, so I couldn't pass it up. 

 

 

Meatball Sandwich

Cioppino

 



My cioppino was a mix of cod, jumbo shrimp, mussels, and calamari in a spicy, tomato broth with wine and herbs.  Though it is a seafood dish, it wasn't overtly fishy.  The shrimp and the cod was amazing.  The calamari and the mussels were good too, but as is often the case, they were a little chewy.  Not like boiled shoe leather, but a little tough.  Additionally, my dish was served with crusty bread.  The bread was okay, but I think it would have been better served if it was cut thicker for dipping it the broth.

 



 

 

I enjoyed the atmosphere at the Gin Mill.  Everything was wood and brick on the inside.  It hearkened to the past while being contemporary at the same time.  It was very comfortable.  It's a nice place for a good meal, or to just sit up at the bar or sit outside on the patio, and enjoy a few drinks with friends. 

 

 

Cheers.


The Gin Mill