I am so happy right now. So happy even though I have raging heartburn and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t fit into pants if I was covered in Crisco, but so happy nonetheless. All I’ve been doing is eating and hanging out with thousands of higher education nerds. Best time ever. On Friday I flew to Dallas and got to stay with my best friend Maggie. We had the most amazing tiny little tacos from El Pueblito in Plano.
Seriously, if you live anywhere near there, go order beef fajita tacos with grilled onions and cilantro. They were so incredibly good. Besides the tacos, I also go to spend some time with her new baby, Miss Grumpy McGrumperpants.
She was so incredibly unimpressed (like this guy). Thankfully, her big sister was in a better mood and very happy to see me. I’m sure that had nothing to do with bringing her ponies because you can’t buy a child’s love. Impossible. For lunch on Saturday we ditched the midgets with her husband and snuck off for some bitching with a side of sushi.
After lunch I had to scurry downtown to actually deal the reason I am in town: a conference on academic assessment and accreditation! Woooooooooooooooo. Actually I just had to pick up my people at the airport and check into the hotel. Tough times. We are staying downtown at the recently remodeled Omni and I am in love. They will have to pull me out of here kicking and screaming, it’s so nice. I mean, there’s a damn TV built into the bathroom mirror. If that’s not fancy, I sure don’t know what is.
There’s even a light that illuminates the floor if you get up at night. It’s perfect for keeping those hateful under the bed monsters away. I also have a super soft bed and a fantastic view:
After getting everything situated with the rest of the rich people, I headed back out to meet Maggie and her husband for dinner and drinks. They told me to meet them at Louie’s on Henderson. I was advised to look for a building that appeared to be an auto repair shop, they were not joking.
It looks a little iffy, but oh my GOD the pizza was amazing. The crust is unbelievably thin, it’s so crispy and perfect. We got half with meatballs and mushrooms and half with pepperoni and sausage. There was not a crumb to be found when we were done.
Then we got pie, because a giant ass pizza just wasn’t enough.
Maggie and I are still talking about that pie. It was incredible. We wanted another piece, but her husband rolled us out of there against our will. Jerk. We then slowly lumbered down the street to Barcadia. Barcadia is a bar filled with arcade games. Fantastic right?
It was a pretty painful experience for us because we sucked so badly. Every game was complete and total failure. We wasted so many quarters. This is what happens when you let your children read when they are young. They grow up and have no thumb-eye coordination. Don’t let you kids read! They won’t be cool and they’ll probably have decent jobs.
Oh well. After spending all of our cash, we cruised next door to the Gin Mill.
The outside part was nice, but inside there was this dark back room with the creepiest DJ I’ve ever seen. So uncomfortable. Anyway, we stuck to the patio.
It was such a fun area and it dispelled some of my snobby Dallas bitterness. The big D is slowly growing on me. Although they’ll never let me in long-term because I don’t have a expensive purse and a Mercedes. Whatever, nice things are so overrated. Anyway, I have to go see a man about some waffles. I’ll continue part two of this very exciting gastronomical memoir tomorrow.
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I want to hear more about the pie.
I have never been a fan of the big D. But the food sounds amazing.
The Kidless Kronicles
Why are your cheeks so red?
Alcohol?
Hmmm
Well $hit, sometimes you have to eat your way through a trip, I’ve done it plenty of times. All of that food looks amazing!
Okay, I’m going to warn you… what I am about to say is kind of mean… the hotel is awesome BUT – wouldn’t it be scary if you were sleeping and suddenly the floor lit up while you were still in bed?! Oh my gosh, that would freak me out! I know, I am a bad person. However, I totally heart all of your food choices! I also suck at video games because while my brother was playing I would read. Oh well.
Haha the light is triggered by a motion sensor in between the beds. So unless something fell, you should be ok. I don’t think ghosts could trigger it thankfully!
Phew!
But what if it wasn’t a ghost or something falling? You’re in bed and the motion sensor is picking up movement inside the room a la “The call is coming from inside the house!”
Okay, you are mean. I won’t be able to sleep tonight. Thanks a lot jerkface.
Hey, Amy G started it!!!
Haha, I did! Sorry! My brain is typically on “worst-case scenario” mode!
That’s the best lookin’ pizza I’ve seen in a long time. I just had a snack and it still makes me hungry. Don’t worry, after all that food and booze, the floor light coming on while you’re still in bed won’t wake you…
BTW, good old Taco Cabana serves tacos like that – they call ‘em “Street Tacos”, and they don’t suck.
You seem to be outside in at least one of those pictures. In short sleeves. I am confused. Did you NOT have to stay home (without pay) from work because it snowed 12″ inches over the weekend and it took you 3 hours alone just to get your son to/from school 10 miles away? Maybe that was just me, then… I might even take hot and humid TX weather over the fear of death by freeway ice :(
Jealous. J to the EALOUS of everything in this post, and thus, your life.
Also, I grew up reading constantly and happen to be really good at video games… Seriously, unnaturally good. I don’t know how it happened. Guitar Hero especially. I once entered a Guitar Hero contest in a mall that I randomly stumbled upon (on EXPERT!), and ended up winning $100! I beat the pants off a bunch of teenage boys, hahaha. They thought I was the coolest person in the world.
When I was little my parents bought a set of encyclopedia instead of buying us a Nintendo. As a result, I am terrible at video games (so when my friends want to go to Barcade in Brooklyn to play Ms PacMan, I am thankful that they at least have good beer there, because the only game I know how to play is Tetris. Because you can play Tetris on a graphing calculator.)
yea those tacos look pretty fantastic! I’ve never been to Dallas but I’ve heard good things. Glad you’re having fun!
This post makes me homesick! I’m from Plano, and my parents and siblings are still there, but I haven’t been “home” since Christmas 2010 – it’s just too damn far from Alaska. But I’m glad you’re learning to not hate the Big D as much now. :)
those tacos are making my mouth water. i want them!!! also i usually receive the same unimpressed reaction from babies as well, even after the promise of candy and coins.
I’m sorry because it was probably really good… but this first picture of sushis looks… well it looks like a few warms topped with some raw ground beef… (or maybe my computer needs some light adjustments or maybe I have too much imagination?). The rest of the food makes me hungry…!
Oh and I love that this baby picture!
Are you still in Dallas?!
WHERE did you go for sushi? That looks amazing. And yes, Dallas is super snooty. If you have a Coach purse then they KNOW you are poor. Ugh. Pretentious B’s.
Btw I hope I didn’t ruin Homeland for you telling you about Saul. Every time he is on the screen now I’m saying in my head, “My name is Inigo Montoya!!”
We ate at Sushi Axiom on Henderson and it was amazing. And you didn’t ruin Saul, I just still can’t believe it! It makes no sense!
Ummm, can I go to Dallas just to eat food? Seems necessary to me :)
I stayed at The Mark hotel in NYC and the mirror with the TV and lights is exactly the same. I even took a picture to remember to put one in my house when “I’ve arrived” and have a fabulous home.
I want you to send me those tacos…cilantro and grilled onions sound sooo good.
Tell that husband of yours to quit playing around at that fancy graduate school and to get started on making your fancy mirror dreams come true.
FYI, they’re interviewing the cast of Dowton Abbey on Charlie Rose on PBS. I just stumbled across it and thought of you. Not in a creepy way, just because I was introduced to this fine history-phile (don’t know if that’s a real word, and don’t care) obsession from your blog.
And that pie looks epic! Drool.
And of course I misspell “Downton Abbey”. Spell Check can’t save us all.
I will have to see if they re-run that episode! That sounds fantastic.
Maggie makes gorgeous babies! How cute is that grumpy little thing?!!! I love it!
awww, one of my besties lives in Dallas too and this post is making me miss her! Barcadia is her fave bar. good times in the big D.
You were in my neck of the woods! Where did you go for sushi. That looks amazing. My favorite place to go in Knox-Henderson is The Old Monk. Amazing fish and chips and lots of good beer.
Sushi Axiom on Henderson. It was delicious! And I will have to try Old Monk next time, that sounds fantastic!
Is that Brian I spy with extra facial hair? Or just a Brian look-alike? You are very good at being friends with your ex. You’re like, all grown up and junk.
Hahaha nooooo. That’s one of our friends from college. Would have been a little creepy for Brian to show up since Dallas is about four hours from where he lives.
I stayed there for a expo last year!! I also took pictures of the fancy TV/Mirror to rub in my husbands face! It was amazing, but I felt like a street bum in all my poor-ness.
Ah! AN expo! I swear I though I typed AN…
You look really pretty friend!
And Maggie’s daughter is GORGEOUS!