What a trip! Here is the run down:
12/25/09 - Drive to Nashville. The weather was pretty good once we got past Indianapolis. We snacked on the pretzels and Sun Chips Kirsten suggested we take (thanks, Kir!) and stopped to eat a tasty dinner at Arbys. (Honestly... the best Market Fresh Turkey I've tasted in a long time!) Arrive in Nashville and have a drink at the hotel bar where some NFL network guys were hanging out enjoying their 15 minutes of fame.
12/26/09 - Boscos Nashville and Hockey. We had a great lunch at Boscos. We tried four beer samples: (left to right) Boscos Bombay IPA, Ice Age Pale Ale, Festive Ale, and Oatmeal Stout. All were good but the IPA was our favorite.
We were pretty hungry so we decided to start with an appetizer of Smoked Duck Spring Rolls (Crisp Spring Rolls Filled with Smoked Duck, Grilled Scallions, Julienne Carrots, and Cabbage; Served with Spicy Szechwan
Chile Sauce). They were very good. I probably could have eaten about three more plates of them.
Tony ordered the Muffeletta (Genoa Salami, Pepperoni, Mortadella, Provolone, and Marinated Olive Salad) and I had the Calzone de Bosco but I converted it into a pizza (Pesto, Spinach, Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Kalamata Olives with Whole Milk Mozzarella; Topped
with Marinara and Parmesan)
We were both very happy with our selections. Maybe that is why I took so many pictures?!
After lunch we were off to the Blackhawks game. We had great seats near center ice. It was fantastic game (the Hawks won 5-4). We met quite a few other fans - some from NW Indiana and the Chicago area.
After the game we headed to the
Broadway Brewhouse & Mojo for nachos and beers.
12/27/09 - Drive to Memphis. We arrived in Memphis in the late evening and found a hotel. We were pretty hungry and were going to try our first Diner, Drive-in and Dive restaurant. Unfortunately, I failed to notice that they were closed on Sundays. The guy at the front desk of the hotel suggested the
Blues City Cafe.
In the spirit of Memphis, we both had ribs. They were pretty good. Although they were very tender and tasty, we agreed that we prefer the bbq sauce variety of ribs as opposed to these which were dry rubbed. I think this would be a better place to visit when it isn't cold outside. We sat near the door and windows so we ate with our coats on!
After dinner we walked a block or so to a beer bar called
Flying Saucer. This was such a cool place but there was almost nobody there. I guess Sunday nights in Memphis when it is colder than usual are good nights to stay home, but we enjoyed a huge variety of beers on tap and in bottles. Somebody should open one in NW Indiana!
12/28/09 - Drive to Dallas. We arrived in Dallas, again, in the late evening. We had a little trouble with the GPS sending us to the wrong end of Stemmons Freeway but we eventually found our hotel. I don't usually gush about the accommodations. We try to stay in nice hotels when we travel but this place was especially cool. The
Hilton Anatole was darn near palatial. The hotel grounds (yes, they have grounds) contained the meeting rooms, guest rooms, five restaurants, seven bars and lounges and a full service health club and spa. While we were there we stayed on the Tower side of the hotel. The Atrium side was home to the Cotton Bowl folks. If you're ever in Dallas, check it out. At the time we were there - it wasn't outrageously expensive.
We found a cute steak house for dinner. The
Hoffbrau was cute and very "Texas" looking. Dinner was very good.
12/29//09 - Our first Triple D. So, many of our readers know that Kir and I are huge fans of the
Food Network. And, as things sometimes happen, Tony will often wander into the living room or kitchen when we have the Food Network on the TV.
Diners, Drive-Ins' and Dives is a show about funky places off the beaten path. We've always wanted to try some and have just never gotten to the ones in the Chicago area. So, we found one in Dallas.
Avila's Mexican Restaurant is a tiny little place that looks like little house with a purple door.
We had watched the video of the Triple D segment on Avila's website so we wanted to try some of the same foods ghat Guy Fieri ate. Now, I have to tell you... we arrived at Avila's at 2:30 p.m. for a late lunch. We did not know that the restaurant closes for a break in the afternoon. Unfortunately their hours are not listed on their website. So, the chefs were just walking out the door when we arrived. Our waitress was able to catch one gentleman (who's nickname is Tortuga) and he came back in to fix our food. We were very impressed with the customer service!!
So, we tried the pozole soup, the tamales and the brisket gorditas (which just happened to be on the lunch special menu!).
Everything we ate was delicious. The pozole was pretty spicy (especially for a lightweight like me) but was fantastic. I would eat it every day if we lived closer to Dallas. It came with a plate of red cabbage, radishes, purple onions, oregano, lime and what I thought was green pepper (which in fact were jalapenos - as Tony will confirm). All of the flavors mingled together to make a delicious meal. The tamales were as almost as good as El Taco Real (my all time favorite tamales) and the gorditas were very good as well.
After we came out of the mexican food comas we both enjoyed, we got ready for the Hawks game. Although we loved visiting the American Airlines Center and watching the Dallas Stars game, the did not enjoy the outcome of the game as the Hawks lost 4-5. However, we also had great seats and met some local teens who played hockey.
After the game we ate in the sports bar in the hotel called the Rathskeller. It was near closing time so the place was pretty quiet but the burgers were outstanding.
12/30/09 - After Tony checked out the Heath Club workout facilities at the Anatole... we hit the road for Oklahoma City. We checked out the Bricktown Brewery. We missed the IPA by one day so we tried the Copperhead, the Red Brick Ale and the Porter. All were good but the Porter was my favorite. We ate chili and salads. The salads were enormous, but very good. We even had a chance to chat for a little bit with the brewer.
Off to Tulsa where we were unable to find a microbrewery but there was another beer bar. Downtown looked closed and deserted but when we arrived at
McNellie's we found that everyone was there!! The place was hopping. We later learned that it was $3 burger night, which attracts a crowd each week.
12/31/09 - Drive to St. Louis. As we left the hotel in Tulsa and watched as everyone arrived for check-in with coolers and margarita machines for long, loud nights of partying... we decided that perhaps we needed to stay on the outskirts of St. Louis so that we could get some sleep. We drove around and looked for some place to stay but didn't really have a lot of luck. We were tired, hungry and ready to relax and getting frustrated and feeling desperate. Tony decided to say a quick prayer and ask God to help guide us. (He is so smart! I was talking about Tony, but God is, too!) We hopped on 270 which looped around the city and landed in a great little suburb called Creve Coeur.
We found a Courtyard hotel with almost nobody there. They even had a sign a "no party" agreement... how cool is that?! The charming girl at the front desk provided us with a list of restaurants in the area. Right next door to the hotel was the
Bristol Bar and Grille. The front desk gal even gave us a $10 off coupon for the place. Tony called because we figured being New Year's Eve and all we might not be able to just walk in off the street. We got reservations for a half hour later and were seated soon after we arrived. The food was outstanding! We ate like a king and queen and talked about our fabulous kids, brothers and sisters and our wonderful friends. It was a great night to remember all of the blessings we have received throughout the year.
