#22 A Day in Decatur

The only thing I remember about Decatur from my childhood is we drove through on our way to Wichita Falls to visit family and it was best to slow down on that stretch of 287.   But now that I live on the west side of DFW, Decatur isn't as far away as it used to be.  And it's a growing small town with some great restaurants and fun things to do.  On one of my Fridays off, I joined some friends at Casa Torres for lunch.  I've been hearing about this place for a couple of years, so I was excited to finally try it.  I decided to go traditional and get enchiladas, one of my all time favorite meals.  It did not disappoint!

Lunch was followed by pool time at Cindy's.  Not a new experience as pool day has become an annual summer event for us.  But definitely a fun, relaxing day!  By the time we were done with the pool, it was time for dinner, so we ventured back into Decatur for another new-to-me restaurant, Rooster's Roadhouse.  Yum!  So many delicious things on their menu.  I landed on a cheeseburger with a fried egg, because, well, why not?  If you've never had a burger with a fried egg, you are missing out.  Add it to your list of things to try.  I promise you won't regret it.

Who can resist a picture in a phone booth?

New experiences are fun, but when you add in friends like Cindy, Jessica, and Hannah, they're even better!  

#21 Barley & Board

Another summer Friday, another #50by50 lunch with friends.  This time, we hit up Barley & Board in Denton.  I absolutely loved this place!   Our service was exceptional, the food was amazing, and of course, the company was the best.  Barley & Board is on the square in downtown Denton, so if you have the time, there's so much to do, from shopping at Recycled to getting a snow cone at Gnome Cones.  But let's focus on lunch.  Barley & Board has an extensive local beer menu, so Mitzi and I started with a flight.

Once Anita arrived, we ordered a charcuterie board to snack on (surprise!)  We decided to sample the Herb Chevre, Dutch Mill Red Gouda, Prosciutto de Parma, and another meat that I don't remember the name of.   Why is goat cheese so amazing?  I could probably eat it every day.  And this particular one was rolled in fresh herbs. Even more yummy to the taste buds!

For lunch, I decided on the Shrimp and Grits.  It was a bit spicy, but the spice was worth it.  The grits were smooth and creamy with chunks of andouille sausage and topped with large shrimp.   If you are a fan of shrimp & grits, then you should put a visit to Barley & Board on your to-do-list.  It's one of the best I've had.  Anita got the Salmon; she gave it rave reviews as well.

The nice thing about a 3 hour hour lunch is you are there long enough to order the Cookie Board.  You get 6 cookies as big as your face and a pint of milk.  the order comes with 2 of each: chocolate chip, sugar cinnamon, and some kind of coconut, which was surprisingly yummy.

Yay for 3 hour lunches with the besties on a Friday during the dog days of summer and yay for new restaurants!

#20 Mothing

 

Mothing is something I didn't know that I wanted to do, but thanks to my friend and colleague, Outdoor Amy, I had a really cool experience in nature.  You can observe moths from your porch at home, but serious mothers have events.  We signed up for a night of mothing at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Seagoville.  As the sun set, we got a general overview of moths.  Did you know that there are more species of moths than butterflies?  And a big difference is that moths come from cocoons; butterflies come from chrysalis.  Their antennae is another big difference.  A moth's antenna are feathery with no ball at the end; butterfly antenna are thin with a ball-like structure at the end.

After our Moth 101 lesson, everyone was free to wander around to visit the moth stations throughout the wetlands.  We took the pathway through the wetlands which was super cool.  The sun had set by now, so I didn't get the full experience of how beautiful it was, but I can just imagine.  We had to rely on our sense of sound and the flashlights on our phones to see some of the amazing things.  It was so peaceful out there and the sounds of nature were just incredible.  The pictures and videos I was able to get really don't do it justice.

#19 Macrame

 My 50 by 50 challenge isn't just about new restaurants and trips.  I also want to try new things.  An ad for a cute little macrame rainbow kept showing up in my Facebook feed, so I thought that might be something fun to try.  I knew what macrame looked like, I just didn't know the actual definition.  Apparently is a method of crafting a textile that uses several knots to form the basic shape and function of the piece.  I would say the rainbow I made is the simplest form of macrame.  Knots are a defining characteristic and while I did have to tie a few knots, they were pretty simple.  It was a relaxing activity and I ended up with a cute little rainbow for the bookshelf in my reading room.  I don't think I'll become a macrame expert, but it is a craft I might add to list of things to do from time to time.

#18 Frida's Tacos

Fridays in the summer means time for adventures!  In this case, it's trying out a new to me taco place in West Dallas, Frida's Tacos.  It's a gem of a place on Singleton with a fun atmosphere and great food.

I had the quesabirria tacos, complete with consume.  A little messy, but oh, so good!  The handmade tortillas were filled with tender, juicy beef and melted cheese.  You can't get any more heavenly than that. Add in a cup of elote and a Victoria and you've got the perfect Friday lunch.  Just for good measure, I grabbed a couple of tacos (beef & chicken fajita) and agua horchata to go. 

Not only was the food delicious, but the atmosphere was festive, super fun and laidback. 

 

#17 Marathon

Last, but not least, a lunch stop in Marathon, about 30 minutes east of Alpine on Highway 90.  Marathon might have been the smallest town I visited with a population of less than 400.  But they are bustling for such a small town.  Marathon is home to the Gage Hotel, another historic hotel that has been around for decades.  It was designed by Henry Trost out of El Paso; Trost is considered to be the first nationally recognized architect from Texas and his style is distinct.  

 

The rain followed me from Alpine, so I was limited in my adventures.  I did manage to stop off at the French Grocer & Deli, the Marathon Public Library, and the site of the first schoolhouse in Brewster County.

I did get to have lunch at Brick Vault & Brewery which is next to the Gage.  I knew it would be legit, because Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly had reviewed it and listed it as one of the top new BBQ places in Texas when it opened a few years ago. It did not disappoint!  Check out my picture and you know that brisket was smoked to perfection.  The borracho beans were packed full of flavor and the green chili mac & cheese was creamy and wonderfully cheesy.

#16 Alpine

Alpine is about 30 miles east of Marfa.  It is home to Sul Ross University and the original Reata restaurant.  Reata is named after the ranch from Giant.

I felt it was important to have dinner at the original Reata.  A lot of really delicious options to choose from, but the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes was calling my name.  Simple, but oh, so yummy!  And the serving was huge.  Luckily my hotel room had a mini fridge, so I was able to bring my leftovers back with me.  For dessert, I tried the buttermilk pecan pie and it was one of the best pies I have ever had.  I would kill to have that recipe!  Like my chicken fried chicken, the serving was huge; that pie made for a great mid-morning snack the next day.

I walked about Alpine just for a little bit.  By this point in my trip, the 100 degree days had been replaced by rain, so I didn't really get to do the things I had planned.  But that's okay . . . I've already decided that a second trip to West Texas is real possibility.

Out of all of the places I visited, Alpine is the largest with a population of around 5000.  I guess that is due to the fact that Sul Ross State University is located in Alpine.  They also have a baseball team, the Alpine Cowboys.  

    

Last stop, Marathon and then it's time to head home.