Need Summer Time Ideas?
YAY! It’s Summer Time!! Schools out and the Sun is shinning I LOVE this time of year. However, if your kiddos are like mine I start to hear, “Mom, I’m bored” and “What are we going to do today?” to which I am usually stumped. This year we have come up with a great list of ideas to help you plan and ENJOY this great city we live in with your family.
Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas
Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park
Dallas Zoo, Dallas
Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose
Frank Buck Zoo, Gainesville
Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch, Pilot Point
Hawaiian Falls – Colony
White Rock Lake, Dallas
NRH2O Family Water Park, North Richland Hills
Trinity River Kayak/Canoe Expeditions, Dallas area
Dr Pepper Star Center, Euless, Farmers Branch, Frisco, McKinney and Plano
Galleria Ice Skating Center, Dallas
Top Golf, Allen, Dallas and The Colony
Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington
Rangers Ballpark/Rangers, Arlington
Dallas Arboretum, Dallas
The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, McKinney
Dallas Children’s Theater, Dallas
McKinney Performing Arts Center, McKinney
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas
Plano Children’s Theatre, Plano and McKinney
Windmill Stables of Spring Park, Richardson
Need more ideas? Check out 181 Places to See & Things to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth
Larry Likes Food: Mash’d
A Monthly Review of Restaurants, Pubs, and Other Eateries
By Larry Brantley
I know. I write my first restaurant review, I get a great response, and then I vanish
from the face of the planet. Where did he go? you were asking yourselves. What if
he’s in trouble? Like, what if he’s trapped under something heavy? Or was kidnapped
by a cult? What if he finally had to enter the Witness Protection Program? WHO’S
GOING TO TELL ME WHERE TO EAT?!?
Relax. I’m alive, I’m (relatively) safe, and this is where you need to have your next
meal:
Mash’d
3401 Preston Rd Ste 1
Frisco TX 75034
214.618.9440
You had me at “Moonshine.”
Mash’d is the brainchild of a fella named Robert Wechsler, one of those
entrepreneur types who start more businesses than I have brain cells. Anyway, he
used to dine out a lot at another joint in Frisco, a Mediterranean-Italian place called
TruFire, run by David Kazarian and Jay Clark. I’m not sure exactly how they came up
with a restaurant concept centered around 30 plus different flavors of moonshine.
But my sincere hope is that they were all hanging out one night, and decided to
watch Burt Reynolds’ brilliant performance of back-country moonshine maker
“Gator” McClusky in the 1973 film White Lightnin’. Because that kind of inspiration
would be awesome.
Probably that’s not how it happened. What matters is that, at Mash’d, it’s not just
about the moonshine. It’s also about the food. Me and a couple of close friends
dropped in recently – and we drop in as often as we can. Here’s just a couple of the
things we tried this time around:
I am an unapologetic queso snob. Mash’d makes some of the best I’ve ever eaten –
but don’t think Mexican, or even Tex-Mex. Think: New Orleans. To wit: cheese (duh),
Abita beer, Andouille sausage, pickled pepper relish, with house-made seasoned
tortilla chips for dipping (we added the pretzel bites to our order, because my friend
John is nutso for them), accompanied by three stout cocktails: a Pineapple Bomb,
an Illegal Endeavor (it’s not on the menu, you have to know about it, and you’re
welcome), and a 2 ounce shot of Midnight Moon 100 Proof Apple Pie Moonshine. I
will pause here, to allow you time to mop up the saliva on your screen…
By the time my entrée arrived, I was already in a very happy place. However, I
was skeptical about what I’d ordered, because it’s simply called House Pasta. My
experience has been, any time a restaurant uses the term “house” in a dish name, it’s
either going to be spectacular – or spectacularly awful. I wasn’t even going to order
it, but our server (Josh, ask for him, he’s awesome) talked me into it. And that is why
I will now take a bullet for Josh, if the need arises.
Because this. Right here.
The House Pasta is a campanelle (Italian for little bells), served with big ol’ Gulf
shrimp, chunks of grilled chicken, Andouille sausage (yes, I had it in my entrée, also:
don’t judge me), all topped with parmesan, and all swimming in a – wait for it –
brandy sriracha butter cream sauce? Yeah. These mad geniuses combined a 14th
century European liquor, and a spicy Southeast Asian hot sauce. With butter. They
should have called it Mad Genius Sauce. Ask for a couple extra pieces of French
baguette, because you’re going to want to sop.
You might be wondering what I had for dessert, so I’ll tell you. I had another 2 ounce
shot of Midnight Moon 100 Proof Apple Pie Moonshine. Don’t. Judge. Me.
A few weeks ago, Mash’d started serving Sunday brunch. Not happy to shovel out
the traditional, let’s-take-everything-we-couldn’t-sell-this-week-and-make-it-into-a-
cassarole fare, the dishes are all original. And yummy. I had the Benny’s Pot, a twist
on Eggs Benedict served in a cast-iron pot. Look up the description on their website,
because I’m probably already way over my word count for this article. Better yet: go
try it yourself.
Mash’d is a comfortable, friendly, upscale sports bar – which is how the owners
describe it. But it’s a lot more. At least for now, they haven’t skimped on anything.
And that includes service. When I find a server (or servers) that really make my
dining experience a complete one, I tend to marry them, in a way. They’re who I ask
for, and I happily become a regular. Ask for Suzanne (she serves, tends bar, and is a
floor manager), or Josh (the guy I’d take a bullet for.) If all of the staff at Mash’d are
half as awesome as these two, you’ll always come back.
I’m gonna see if I can convince them to do a “Gator” McClusky Night…
McKinney Texas Homes For Sale
Where will you celebrate National Margarita day
Pretty weather and a great patio… Life doesn’t get much better! Rather you want to enjoy a margarita or just a glass of ice tea we have put together a list of some of our favorite restaurant patios (that happen to serve margaritas) in McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Fairview, Carrolton, Allen and Prosper.
Hope you can find some time to enjoy this beautiful weather and some great company on one of these patios this weekend!
Bayou Jack’s – Great Cajun food in McKinney Texas
Larry Likes Food
A Monthly Review of Restaurants, Pubs, and Other Eateries
By Larry Brantley
Let’s get one thing straight, right at the beginning. I like food. If pressed, I might admit to being a “foodie,” but more and more these days, that moniker is taking on elements of snobbishness, superiority and elitism that make me uncomfortable. I blame cable television. I also blame any person with the bass-ackwards notion that really good food has to be really expensive, and must be presented as artwork in a very pricey location. That kind of experience has its place, but rarely for me. Partly because I don’t own a tie and coat, and mostly because I look in my wallet and see two dollars, an expired coupon for cheese, and a couple of dust bunnies.
My friend Keisha York asked me if I’d be willing to write a monthly column for her newsletter / blog / whatever-else-she’s-using-to-communicate-with-people, and since I both write and eat (sometimes, daily), I said, “Yes.” Then, when she offered to pay for these excursions, I said. “Hell, yes.” So, I shall endeavor to experience and report each month on a local eatery, being as open-minded as I can, and calling it like I see it. With all that said, here’s the first review:
Bayou Jack’s Cajun Grill
218 E Louisiana Street #300
McKinney TX, 75069
(972) 388-7665
www.bayoujackscajungrill.com
I like me some Cajun and Creole food, y’all. I’ve been waiting for Bayou Jack’s to open ever since I saw their banner go up next door to Mellow Mushroom. I’d never been to their original location in Roanoke, but had heard good things from friends over that way. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that I dined there on a Wednesday night, when the place was barely half-full, and so the wait staff was exceptionally attentive.
The interior of the place is sparse and roomy; bare brick walls, concrete floor, chalkboards with hand-written adverts for specials, or some of Bayou Jack’s best-sellers. And you had better enjoy some zydeco, because that’s what’s playing in the place. I heard some American standards intermixed (Fats Domino, George Thorogood, and Huey “Piano” Smith), but mostly it’s the washboard-scratching, accordion-slapping, fiddle-burning music that is original to Louisiana. And I like it.
Know what else I like? Beer, and Dirty Balls. (Yeah. Some of you just went THERE, didn’t you?) This is what I’m talking about:
Dirty Balls are Jack’s riff on traditional boudin balls, with chunks of cubed Cajun sausage, celery, rice and spices rolled into balls, dredged in flour or meal, and fried. They’re served on a bed of tomato and pepper sauce (with a little more boudin for good measure), and topped with queso. Yes, I said queso. Don’t judge me. It was awesome. Add to that the Abita Andygator beer I was drinking, and I could have stopped right there and called it a good evening. But I was on assignment, so to speak. So – to the entrée!
Crawfish Etouffee, baby. With etouffee, it’s all about the roux, that lovely brown gravy that underscores many Cajun and Creole dishes. In French, “etouffee” literally means “smothered,” and that’s a good thing. My crawfish were plentiful and tasty, the roux was deep, nutty and a little spicy (I added a couple shots of Cajun Chef Hot Sauce to my meal – which is NOT an insult to the chef. They put that stuff on the tables), and I had plenty of rice, and even a couple pieces of toasted baguette for sopping. And believe me, you will want to sop. I finished off my second Andygator beer, and felt just fine, dawlin’.
If you go online to check them out (http://www.bayoujackscajungrill.com), be aware that they haven’t updated their menu, nor do they list prices. Don’t let that scare you off. The menu is reasonable, the atmosphere is family-friendly (this is McKinney, after all), and I finally have a place to go for Fat Tuesday this year.
Bon temps rouler, y’all.
Larry Brantley is a professional actor, writer, and comic. He lives in McKinney. And he doesn’t actually speak French.
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Why Use a Qualified Realtor?
Why do you need a qualified agent to list your home?
All you hear about in the Real Estate Market is multiple offers and homes selling in a day. It seems like that would mean that you could hire a discount realtor to get the job done, right? Well… not so much. Yesterday I had a meeting with a seller to discuss listing their home. Afterwards, I decided to preview a home that was for sale in the same community. At this time there are 3 homes for sale in the neighborhood. One is under contract; one is negotiating a contract and this one. This home is priced well above the others but the agent really goes on and on about the upgrades so I was really expecting to have my mind BLOWN by this house. My mind was blown but not by the house instead by the unprofessionalism of the agent. This house was nowhere near as nice (even with all the upgrades) as the other two homes in the community. I could bore you getting into all the marketing and staging details that were an issue or I could break down the errors in pricing the house but lets just get down to the nitty gritty…. The other two homes where being looked at and offers are coming in and this one is sitting… sellers have moved out and are floating two mortgages. If this agent had helped them price their home correctly, utilized effective marketing and perhaps a little staging this home would already be SOLD! You may not like it when a professional agent tells you what they think your home will sell for, by all means ask them to explain, but pricing your home too high will not make you more money. It will leave you frustrated and still holding the note to that home.
When looking for an agent to sell your home you want someone who will help you remove as many challenges, in regards to selling your home, as possible. You want an agent that will do their homework when it comes to pricing your house. They need to be honest about the market you are in and what you need to get done to help your home sale. We all love to hear our house is perfect and it is worth 2 times what our neighbors home is, however that is not going to help you meet your end goal of selling your home.
Now is a great time to sell your home. Prices are on the rise and interest rates are still low. Do not miss the opportunity to sell your home in this incredible housing market by pricing it too high and scaring all the buyers away. If you would like an honest take on what your home should sale for, what you need to do to get it ready to sell and top notch photography and marketing to get it done Call Me! Keisha 469-853-9784 or email @ keisha.york@gmail.com. You can also go to http://keisha.jphomesforsale.com/sell.php for a free home valuation.
McKinney ISD Rezoning
If you live in McKinney you have probably heard something about the rezoning of the High Schools. I do not have kiddos in high school yet, but as a Realtor that serves and lives in the McKinney area I find it crucial that I stay on top of what is going on around town so I can better serve my clients.
McKinney Boyd is BURSTING at the seams. It is overcrowded to the point of exceeding capacity. The School board has proposed zoning changes to remedy the situation. McKinney High has undergone some renovations and additions that allows for more students to help ease the burden at Boyd. The board is carefully considering the impact these changes will have on families and various neighborhoods. They are also trying to keep the schools balanced in regards to socioeconomic status.
They have announced that students already in enrolled at one of the schools can apply to be grandfathered in and stay until graduation. There is also a consideration for siblings. It appears that if an older sibling is already enrolled at the school that the younger will be allowed to attend that same school.
Click on the image below to Check out the video explaining the upcoming changes by Dr. Kennedy.
The McKinney ISD web Site also has more info on the rezoning, how and where you can share your thoughts to the board and the grandfather application. http://www.mckinneyisd.net/parents/zones/
TIPS for Selling Your Home During the Holidays
Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays
1. Decorate but don’t go CRAZY
Many homes look their best when all dressed up for the holidays but be sure not to go overboard. Avoid making your home look too cluttered.
2. Hire a GREAT Agent (ME!)
Be sure you are hiring an agent that is going to be around during the holidays. Your agent needs to be properly and actively marketing your home during this specific season, taking full advantage of the LOW inventory, as well as, be able to field calls from potential buyers and any issues that may arise. Remember your agent is here to serve your real estate needs not just put a sign in your yard.
3. Price RIght
Price Price Price…. Your home needs to be priced properly and your agent needs to be actively checking the market place and communicating with you how the price may or may not need to be adjusted.
4. First Impressions are Everything
If they wont come in your home it wont sell. Be sure Lawn is mowed, leaves are raked up, flower bed cleaned out and add some annuals for color. Once tress die back your home is exposed, double check for needed touch up paint, dirty windows, clean out gutters and any rotted wood.
5. A Picture Speaks a 1000 words
Studies have shown MOST buyers begin their new home search online. Be sure your agent is using a professional to take photos and video your home. It is best if the photos are taken before the holiday décor goes up. Video is also very important because again many house hunters are spending more time on the internet than driving around looking at homes.
6. Give House Hunters a Warm Welcome
Make your home feels cozy and inviting during showings by turning up the heat, opening blinds, turn on Christmas lights, light candles, turn on lamps and playing soft music. Even better, offer homemade holiday treats for your guest. Encouraging prospective buyers to spend more time in your home allows them to see all your homes great features and hopefully see themselves living there.
Selling your home during the holidays is not for everyone but it has some real advantages. I would love to discuss the pros and cons with you further.
Happy Holidays!
Keisha York
469-853-9784
keisha.york@gmail.com
Around Town 