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.