Posts by Michele Valdez
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Looking for a Great Bar? Try The Mercury
In one of my favorite episodes of Modern Family, Phil and Claire Dunphy celebrate their anniversary by role playing characters who meet in a sophisticated and sexy bar. They ditch the worries of parenthood and the mundane for a brief time while sipping cocktails in what can only be described as a James Bond-style locale.
Well, not to be outdone, right here in Preston Hollow is an equally uber-cool bar at Preston and Forest. While surrounded by not so cool retail like Petland and Beauty Times, the Mercury creates an adult atmosphere that screams “date night.” I’m not into formal dinners, so I recommend skipping the dining room and ordering your meal in the bar. The food is also enticing, making it a one-stop rendezvous spot. It’s masculine, but not sporty; dark, but not depressing, and the perfect place to begin, or end, a date night with your partner. Phil and Claire Dunphy would love to meet at the Mercury.
By Michele Valdez Jul. 26, 2011 | 12:22 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
There’s Something Fishy at Whole Foods
In an effort to improve our health, my family is eating more fish and chicken and less red meat. I usually frequent both Whole Foods and Tom Thumb for groceries depending on what I need and how I am doing on my monthly food budget.
I have now been to Whole Foods four times to buy fish for dinner. Each time, my purchase has been, shall we say, a little “funky.” The smell and taste of the snapper, salmon, trout, and talapia have not been up to par. I figured the fish at Whole Foods would be good quality, but it hasn’t measured up. These days, for edible aquatic creatures I head to Tom Thumb and Central Market. So far, my purchases have been tasty and not too smelly.
I am not one to give up easily, so I will give Whole Foods another try, but let’s hope the funk is gone.
By Michele Valdez Jul. 19, 2011 | 8:20 am | 2 Comments | Comments RSS -
Einstein Gets a Bagel for Service
Preston Center is congested. Invariably I find myself circling the area looking for a parking spot. So when the new Einstein Bros. Bagels opened in the tiny and awkward spot in Preston Royal Village, I was thrilled.
The problem is that the service is awful. I know it’s new, but after several months the service is not improving. Recently, I tried the Preston Center Einstein Bros. store just to see if I could figure out the problem. Maybe I could share my observations with the new Einstein’s management? Here is what I observed.
At Preston Center, you order and give your name. Then one of several people prepare your order and pass it to someone who calls your name and hands it over. Seems simple. At the new Einstein Bros., you order and give your name. Then, the first person behind the counter stands around reading the orders while the next person prepares all the orders and then a third person waits until the order is ready to call your name. The difference: Everyone at Preston Center is preparing orders, and at Preston Royal only one person is schmearing bagels. Maybe this is a nuance I need not worry about, but I just can’t figure out why buttering one toasted green chili toast bagel takes so long.
To the new Einstein Bros. Bagels management: please solve the service failures!
By Michele Valdez Jul. 18, 2011 | 11:20 am | 2 Comments | Comments RSS -
Cooling Your Heels With A Clean Snack
In the summer, we have a nightly routine of visiting the local yogurt shop. Last summer, we made our nightly pilgrimage to Orange Cup. Since it closed, we have been in search of the perfect spot to grab a bowl of yogurt. Well, we have struck gold. I Heart Yogurt, on the southeast corner of Preston and Royal, is the ticket. It is small, cute, and oh so clean. I usually don’t like yogurt or ice cream shops because they are sticky places where the smell makes my nose wrinkle.
I Heart Yogurt feels more like an operating room than a yogurt shop. Finding a crumb would make for a good scavenger hunt. And the toppings are perfectly full tins of colorful treats. Even the music is fun, but last night my daughter brought the iPad and we watched reruns of Modern Family as we brought down our temperature with the refreshing yogurt. Our summer nights have never been so cool.
By Michele Valdez Jun. 28, 2011 | 11:33 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Five-Star Date Night Advice: Ignore the Critics
Saturday night was date night. Given our chaotic life that is filled with kids, kids’ activities, and volunteering for kids, date night is a welcomed relief. For this date night we decided to try the latest hot spot for dinner with a movie chaser.
Lucia is the hippest, atmosphere-filled restaurant in town since it scored five stars from Leslie Brenner of the Dallas Morning News. Reservations are booked a month out, but we were willing to plan early for anything with five stars, plus an excursion to the uber cool Bishop Arts District to break bread was a nice alternative to the eateries in Preston Hollow and Highland Park.
The latest movie darling of the critics and most film festivals is, The Tree of Life which you can catch at the the Angelika at Mockingbird Station. NorthPark Center’s AMC theater is convenient, but the crowds and teen clientele are overwhelming. I love the Angelika because its moviegoers are of the The Brady Bunch era and not the Sponge Bob generation.
In hindsight, we should have stayed in the ‘hood. Lucia was great if you like gaining weight just looking at your meal. The food was heavy and laden with olive oil, butter, or other ingredients that weighted down each plate. Everything tasted good, but should you feel like you swallowed a bowling ball after a meal? I thought that feeling was reserved for the deep-fried delights at the State Fair of Texas.
We hoped the movie would be better than dinner, but it was far worse. If you like silent films, self-absorbed storytellers, and scenes from the Discovery Channel spliced in, then this movie is for you. When the movie was over I walked out in disbelief that I had wasted two hours of my precious date night. The proverbial root canal would have been a better choice. My only comfort was overhearing similar sentiments from the rest of the audience as we exited the theater.
So, what’s the moral of this story? Critics don’t know everything and a five-star night can sometimes be a simple evening out in comfortable surroundings with people you care about.
By Michele Valdez Jun. 6, 2011 | 10:13 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Wacko Sales
Summer is here and I have been shopping for some inexpensive (code for “sale”) items for the kids and me. Sometimes NorthPark Center is crowded so the other day I headed north on Preston Road looking for somewhere to earn a few miles on my credit card.
I arrived at The Gap at Preston and Royal. I have been to the store several times and each time there is a different sale. I once wandered in and there was a sale because it was Tuesday. Another time there was a 40 percent off day and another time a 15 percent off day. This week there is a buy-one-get-one for $5 day, but only on kids shirts and not on shorts. Keep in mind the 40 percent off is good on most items, but not for jeans and, by the way, the buy-one-get-one for $5 sale doesn’t apply to marked down merchandise. But, that’s okay because there’s an extra discount if you use your Gap credit card or open an account.
Confused? I love a great sale, but I also like predictability. Spastic sales, like a spastic colon, are an annoyance. I always leave the Gap wondering if I got the best deal or will there be a better sale tomorrow. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe spastic sales bring shoppers back or maybe they just go to Nordstrom for the oh-so-simple semi-annual sale.
By Michele Valdez Jun. 3, 2011 | 12:34 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Summer Daze Craze
When I was a kid summer meant sleeping late and playing in the street until past dark. Kick the Can and Green Light Red/Light were the games of choice. On occasion, my parents sent us to a local parks and recreation class, but that was boring compared to our summer adventures. This week I spoke to several moms who are stretched thin driving children to lessons, camps and tutoring. I’ve got my cutie in tutoring three days a week, tennis five days a week, and cheer class once a week. My sloth-like summers are a thing of the past.
Several friends have hired college students to help them drive their children to activities that only Mapquest can find. These days college is competitive and maybe our kids will have an advantage because their summers are spent learning everything from a slice serve to geometry. When I attended college it seemed like a heartbeat and a high school diploma were all you needed to get into the school of choice. Today? Kids work hard all year around building the skills to distinguish themselves for future teachers, coaches, colleges, and employers.
But, have we gone too far? Will our kids know how to relax and enjoy life?
By Michele Valdez May. 31, 2011 | 3:42 pm | 2 Comments | Comments RSS -
Teacher Appreciation: What’s a Parent to do?
The end of the school year brings a lot of emotions. My kids are happy, my husband is relieved that the hustle and bustle of finals and awards ceremonies is over, and I am stressed about what to give the teachers as a “thank you” for teaching my child and putting up with me.
I know its their job to teach, but given all they do, don’t teachers deserve an extra “thank you” from parents? Is there a thoughtful, but reasonably priced gift for teachers this time of year? One year I gave the teachers candles. But, judging from the assortment of other candles on their desks, it wasn’t an original idea. Another year I gave the teachers personalized notecards. Two years ago I gave out Starbucks gift cards and last year I bought six chocolate Nothing Bundt Cakes.
A Hallmark card doesn’t seem like enough of a gift, but cash seems like a payoff for tolerating, comforting, and teaching my little ray of sunshine. Is there a better option? Please share your thoughts. You will probably help out a neighbor and fellow parent looking for the perfect end of year teacher gift.
By Michele Valdez May. 20, 2011 | 11:32 am | 3 Comments | Comments RSS -
Squeezed Out of Reading at Barnes & Noble
I like to read in carpool line. It is the only chance I get. I could curl up with a book at home on the couch, but I would feel too guilty that I am not running errands, cooking or otherwise being productive.
The other day I headed to Barnes & Noble for a new book. I also decided to pick up a gallon of milk at the Tom Thumb conveniently located at the same Preston Royal Village shopping center. The problem is that I could barely fit my Infiniti QX 56 in any of the parking spaces in the lot in front of Barnes & Noble.
I circled twice and gave up on two parking places that were just too tight before squeezing into a spot. After driving this monster car for over four years, like most carpooling, errand-running moms in the area I could thread a needle with this bad boy. But parking at Preston Royal Village is a challenge even for the best of drivers. Don’t parking lot planners know that this isn’t Paris where people drive Vespas and Smartcars, but Texas where cars, like my friends’ diamonds, are super-sized?
Once I parked I then struggled to get out of the car. I practically needed Spanx and liposuction to wiggle out of my SUV without scratching the car next to mine. By the time I got into Barnes & Noble I was in a bad mood and ended up with a book I’ll never read. On top of that, I was so annoyed I forgot the milk.
Mr. Thumb and Mr. Noble: Could you please redo the parking lot to accommodate cars real people drive?
By Michele Valdez May. 17, 2011 | 11:54 am | 4 Comments | Comments RSS
