Don't Get it TWISTED!

Back in Deep Ellum two days in a row! After yesterday's piggylicious ways, Poppy wanted a lighter lunch...light to him meant burgers! LOL. Anyways, one of the best burger joints in Dallas is Twisted Root Burger Company. I don't even like burgers, but I love this place...you'll see why towards the end of the post.

Per their website, Twisted Root's philosophy:

Three chefs, sick of eating frozen and factory-fabricated burgers, decided to quit their jobs to open a real burger joint and make everything from scratch. Hand-rolled meat patties, hand-cut Idaho and sweet potatoes, homemade ice-cream, homemade pickles and homemade Root Beer...even homemade ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce!It’s slap-yo-momma good!

Yep, homemade EVERYTHING! Amazing.

Another major claim to fame...homemade rootbeer with a different flavor everyday! Today's flavor was Butter Pecan! Sweet and yummy!

Instead of a #, they give you a card with a famous person's name on it. If one of the owners is there, he'll actually say the name in that famous person's voice! Hilarious.

Homemade yummyness. Hubby and I are especially obsessed with the ancho chipotle ketchup. Spicy and tangy perfection.

Hubby's lunch: Western Burger with pepperjack, bacon, jalapeno & a big, fat onion ring served with fried green beans and chipotle ranch. He loved it of course. Poppy also got a burger that I forgot to photograph- he loved it too- couldn't stop talking about how deliciously seasoned the burger was.

I got the Gourmet Hot Dog (deep fried 100% Black Angus beef hot dog topped with chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, and chipotle ranch served in a homemade poppy seed hot dog bun) and Twisted fries (handcut seasoned curly fries). Yep, a DEEP FRIED hot dog. Perfection...all of it. You haven't lived until you've tried their curly fries. Actually, you haven't lived until you've eaten at Twisted Root...it's REALLY that good.

Texas BBQ, Top Golf, and Tex Mex

Hubby and I knew that on the top of Poppy's must-do list was to eat at Baker's. He's obsessed with their baked potatoes. Seriously. He talks about them ALL THE TIME.

A beautiful day in Deep Ellum, a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Dallas that is famous for dive bars and great restaurants.

Love the decor/atmosphere of the Deep Ellum location. Usually, we go to the one located on Greenville, but I think we all decided that this one better overall.

Fixings (dill pickles, raw white onions, and pickled jalapenos) from the condiment bar to make any BBQ sammie even better!!

Like always, we all got the "House Special" (chopped brisket sandwich with baked potato). The brisket is always so flavorful and moist. Mmmmm....

Even though the brisket is great, the star of the meal is always the baked potato! Look at that pepper & salt crusted potato skin! AWESOMENESS.

If you don't believe me, just look at how Poppy is!

After lunch, we took Poppy to Top Golf, a double decker driving range in midtown Dallas that features computerized microchips in every golf ball to track your shots' accuracy and distance while awarding points by hitting targets ranging from 20-250 yards away. Imagine golf combined with skee-ball! We knew Poppy would love it, but we had no idea how much WE would love it. Hubby and I detest golf- too slow and boring for our tastes. However, Top Golf made it actually fun for us. All three of us just couldn't get enough!

We were on the 2nd level.

Of course, Poppy totally dominated every game. Hubby's and my goal was to score at least half of what Poppy scored :-).

I think my bewildered head scratch (as pictured above) totally captures our struggles HAHA! At least we had tons of fun though. If you're in the Dallas, Chicago, or Alexandria area, you MUST check out Top Golf!

After Poppy to a couple of golf stores, we headed back home to relax and watch some college football. For dinner, we went to Matt's Rancho Martinez.

Matt's is home to one of the best salsas in Dallas according to Hubby. If you like a spicy hot salsa, Matt's is the place to go! By the way, they have the best chips to go along with the best salsa.

Appetizer: Matt's Fries ("Spicy Hot" grilled fries with onions & fresh jalapenos seasoned with Texas Sprinkle & Black Magic). I have no idea what "Texas Sprinkle" or "Black Magic" is, but I'm suspecting that it's some really awesome seasoned salt and fancy black pepper. Whatever it is, it's AWESOME. Hubby also claims these are his favorite fries EVER- that's quite the bold statement.

My dinner: Pulled pork quesadillas with pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream. By the time I devoured 50% of the fries, I was only able to eat a quarter of the quesadilla! Yummy though. I heart pulled pork. Hubby and Poppy both got some specialty enchiladas which I forgot to photograph, but they both cleaned their plates dry so I'm assuming it was all fantastic.

Matt's Rancho Martinez= Tex Mex Heaven indeed. How hilarious is this picture?!

With our bellies full, we went home to watch yet another heart-wrenching OU loss. Lost to BYU by 1, lost to Miami by 1, lost to Texas by 3, and lost to Nebraska by 3. In other words, we're 8+ points away from being unbeaten. Instead, we're a pitiful 5-4. Seriously, can the 2010 season come soon enough?! I'm so ready for this season to be over and permanently erased from my memory.

Star-ry Night

Poppy (my father-in-law) came down to Dallas to visit us this weekend!!!

It was perfect timing because Hubby's boss generously gave his 4 tickets, 2 parking passes, and $120 in food, drink, and merchandise vouchers for the Dallas Stars' game tonight! Score!

Happy to be there! Hubby and I have never been to a hockey game so it was fun to go. It doesn't hurt to have Platinum level seats to watch the game from.

This "Blame Canada" sign made me chuckle.

Brobbee from Yo Gabba Gabba was there! If it weren't for the fact that my nieces and nephew are obsessed with YGG, I wouldn't have been that excited to see him or much less know who he/it was!

I was amused by the condiment table at the Platinum level food stand. Fancy schmancy.

Hubby and Poppy both got the Brisket Burger.

I got the brisket grilled cheese sandwich with fries.

During the first intermission, we got each got a slice of cake from the dessert bar. I got red velvet, and Poppy and Hubby both got caramel cheesecake. Free food vouchers...good for the wallet :-)...bad for the waistband :-(.

The Stars WON! Geez, those Stars' fans are crazy!! What a super fun night!

Fall, Friends, and Fun

I had a work meeting bright and early on Thursday in OKC so I needed to be in town on Wednesday. I took the opportunity to spend time with some OKC friends of mine.

LUNCH w/ Jewels @ Cool Greens

Located in Nichols Hills Plaza. What a perfect Fall day! Love the leaves changing.

Sleek and trendy atmosphere. In other words, the kind of place that serves overpriced albeit tasty salads and wraps.

My entree: Chipotle Chicken Ranch Salad (grilled chicken, romaine, corn, red bell peppers, cucumber. cherry tomatoes, blue corn tortilla chips, monterey jack cheese, and chipotle ranch dressing). Fresh, flavorful, and yummy!

It was great having girl talk with Jewels! She's in the midst of a new job AND wedding planning. Very exciting!

HAPPY HOUR w/ Spidy @ Nonna's

Artichoke Duo: Nonna’s creamy artichoke dip, served along side marinated deep fried artichokes and toasted bread

Catching over up over Heinkens (for Spidy) and Strawberry Lemon martinis (for me), we had such a blast. Spidy's got a lot of exciting things going on: fabulous boyfriend, fulfilling job, and a new house! We always have so much fun when we get together. Good times with my homegirl :-).

DINNER w/ Pokey @ Okura

Two of my favorites: Pokey and sushi :-). So much catching up + so much laughing = 3+ hour dinner. I love all my wonderful and dear friends!!!

My hotel room for the night @ Hampton Inn Bricktown OKC

Um, the snobby part of me wasn't too excited to be staying at a Hampton Inn...until I walked into my room! Holy crap- Hampton Inns have come a long way! It probably helped that my company booked all the "Studio Suites" for me and the rest of my team. Very spacious, very sleek, and very nice. Team Hampton! LOL.

My one and only complaint about the Hampton was that it seemed like the bathrooms were very "short people-unfriendly" since I had to stand on my tippi toes to reach the vanity sink knobs and see myself in the mirror! Haha.

Quack, quack!

After a day of fun, it was time to get LBC dressed up for her first trick-or-treating adventure! We were all so incredibly excited!!! Hubby and I have been looking forward to this for a very long time. To be honest, we were probably more excited than LBC was!

Hey, that's LBC's duck costume...not yours, Hubby :-)!

Look at that "chubby duck" profile shot! LBC's bloated tummy may be fake but it's still adorable...too bad MY tummy looks like that for real, and it's definitely NOT adorable :-(.

Precious

My two favorite people :-). Look at how adorable they are.

I love my sister, and she loves candy!

30 minutes later, she was over it, and it was time to go home...

One last picture with our favorite little duck! Such a HAPPY Halloween! Can't wait until next year!

Playing Beauty Shop

We came over bright and early on Halloween to get lots of LBC time! We've missed her so much lately.

When little kiddos with stuffed animals ATTACK....

My little Eric Clapton wannabe....she LOVED the guitar!

Wow! Look at that rock on her finger! Bling, bling! Who does she think she is?! J.Lo or something?!

My two favorite people playing beautyshop. So cute :-).

My little dancing machine :-). I think she was doing her version of "Thriller"...LOL.

Wow, what an ensemble! Look at this little future fashionista :-)!

Wait until you see her in her Halloween costume!!!

Our Pumpkin Babies

Tonight was our first time carving pumpkins together. Actually, it was my first time EVER carving pumpkins. We had a blast. Definitely going to be a tradition for us.

I carved the "K" which stands for my first name and our last name, and Hubby carved the scary face pumpkin. I think we did a pretty good job :-).

Souvenirs from Mexico City

We were super limited with luggage space (we both only brought carry-ons) so we couldn't go bananas with the souvenirs. Basically, besides ourselves, we only got my sister a present. She's been very musically-expressive lately so we decided to get her a tiny guitar to play with at the local artisan market. It was cute and yellow. Sold.

She loved it and ROCKED it. Such a cute little Eric Clapton-wannabe.

Since we were in MC during "Day of the Dead" festivities, we were looking to get something to commemorate this very significant Mexican holiday. During "Day of the Dead", nearly all folk artisans in MC create special art pieces for the occasion. In particular, they make nichos (aka. dioramas or shadow boxes) of mariachi bands, wedding scenes and miniature altars. A popular "Day of the Dead" theme is a bride and a groom at their weddings representing the old adage of "Until Death do us part". Since it was our anniversary trip, we thought this wedding nicho was a perfect souvenir for us. Plus, it fits into our travel "miniatures" collection...mini Angkor Wat, mini Tulum ruin, mini Washington Monument, mini St. Louis Arch, mini geisha from Toyko, etc.

P.S. The skeleton bride is carrying a yellow flower bouquet as did I :-).

We had such a great time visiting the Museo Frida Kahlo that we wanted to get a souvenir at the gift shop even though we had already gotten our skeleton shadow box earlier that day. We were lucky to find a box of tiny framed "paintings" (obviously, they were reproductions since they cost $4!), and we were both drawn to this particular self-portrait of Frida as a deer. Frida Kahlo's The Little Deer now is proudly hanging in our home.

3 little trinkets to help us remember our trip to Mexico City with the fondest of thoughts...if only, we could have brought one of those tacos al pastor street carts home :-)!

Mexico City- Day 3: Comida, Frida, and Enchilada

After walking around all the attractions at Chapultepec Park for most of the morning and early afternoon, we were famished so it was perfect timing for us to eat la comida (for Mexicans, the biggest meal of the day- usually served between 1:30-3:00PM). During his research, Hubby read about this place that serves the freshest and most fabulous seafood. Knowing what a fiend for seafood that I was, he put Contramar on our "must-eat" list.

Located in the Roma district of MC, Contramar is a sleek, modern, and trendy establishment. Lofty ceilings, lots of white and turquoise, big open windows...very Miami-esque.

Our standard beverages of choice: Mexican coke for Hubby and limeade/lemonade for me.

Pickled veggies (onions, garlic cloves, etc.) and salsa verde to accompany freshly baked bread

Appetizer: Salpicon de pescado con camaron (kingfish aka. king mackerel and shrimp tossed with green tomatoes, cilantro, and olive oil served with fresh corn tortillas). Yummy baby tacos! Love it. So fresh, so flavorful.

Hubby's entree: Pescado a la Talla [whole grilled butterflied fish (whatever is freshest at the market) Contramar-style (1/2 with red chili adobo and 1/2 with parsley rub) served with sauteed garlic spinach and fresh tomato slices]. It's the house specialty for good reason. After looking around the restaurant, I would have to say 90% of the patrons were eating Pescado a la Talla. Both the seasonings were bold and full of flavor. Delicious.

My entree: Filette de atun Contramar (tuna fillet simmered in soy sauce with jalapeno-citric juices servered with french fries). Possibly the freshest and perfectly cooked piece of fish that I've ever consumed. Awesome. The fries were a random accompaniment but still crispy and tasty nonetheless.

When we first arrived, it was still a bit too early for comida so the restaurant was a bit deserted, but by the time we got the check, the place was hoppin' and for good reason.

After our comida, we hit up a huge artisan market in the Bellas Artes district (it was pouring rain at this point so no pictures) to shop for souvenirs. After shopping, we took the metro to the Coyoacan district whose cobbled streets and colonial plazas still retain the neighborhood's special provincial charm.

COYOACAN

Snack Time @ La Hija Del Jarocho

Mexican cinnamon and sugar donuts are my fave.

You really can't beat Mexican hot chocolate...so rich and so good. It tastes totally different from what you get here in the states. With hot chocolate in hand, we walked to Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's blue house).

Museo Frida Kahlo

This is where the famous artist wife of Diego Rivera, was born, lived, painted, and died. It was a beautiful and intriguing place to visit.

No cameras allowed inside so here are a couple of outdoor shots of Frida's art studio taken from the courtyard.

A voyeuristic shot of Frida's paintings...it really sucked not being able to take pictures inside. There were so many amazing paintings and house details (aka. knick knacks) that I really wanted to photograph so I could share with you.

Just a Wikipedia sidenote about Frida's art that I found interesting: Drawing on personal experiences, including her marriage, her miscarriages, and her numerous operations, Kahlo's works often are characterized by their stark portrayals of pain. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality."

REFORMA

Dinner @ La Casa de las Enchiladas

Like Hubby said, we really couldn't go to Mexico without eating enchiladas at least once. Walking back from the metro to the hotel, we decided to have our last meal in MC at a famous enchilada joint that was close to the hotel.

Blue corn enchiladas with chorizo topped with queso fresco, crema, and salsa verde...mmmmmmmm...

After dinner, it was time to head back to the hotel and pack and get to bed early since we had a ridiculously early flight to catch.

What a whirlwind of a trip. Amazing sights to see, amazing food to eat, and an amazing husband to share it all with. Thank you Hubby for such a generous and thoughtful anniversary present. Can't wait until our 1 year anniversary to see what you'll have in store for me then :-)! XOXO.

Mexico City- Day 3: Parks and Recreation

Another great thing about our hotel is that it's in walking distance (less than two blocks) from one of the biggest, most beautiful, and most visited parks in the entire world. Within the park, there are museums, restaurants, food stalls, markets, the zoo, an amusement park, and a lake.

BOSQUE DE CHAPULTEPEC (Grasshopper Hill Park)

Breakfast @ random food stall

Cafe con leche....mmmm....

Chilaquiles: fried corn tortilla quarters topped with salsa verde, longaniza (very similar to chorizo), queso fresco, crema. WOW. Can I please have this for breakfast everyday???

The park was beautifully manicured and very serene which was a nice change for the hectic city vibe.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Museum of Anthropology)

Legends of the Hidden Temple, anyone?

Museo Nacional de Historia/Castillo de Chapultepec (National History Museum/Chapultepec Castle)

Sitting atop a hill, it was built in 1785 as the residence of the viceroys of New Spain. In later years, the castle served as Emperor Maximilian's palace and military school. It was used as the presidential residence from the administration of Porfirio Diaz, at the turn of the century, until 1944 when Lazaro Cardenas converted the castle into the history museum.

Stunning.

Entrance

In front of the 2nd floor "veranda" and fountain.

The second floor veranda offered picturesque views of the city and the park (you see the lake over my shoulder).

Collection of royal jewelry. Magnificent.

A zoomed-in shot of "El Angel"

Chapultepec Castle was just exquisitely beautiful inside and out. Highly recommended.

Ensemble: American Apparel black tank, Citizens, Nordstrom white woven short-sleeved sweater, Missoni scarf, and Chanel sunnies