Let the Adventures begin...

I decided to start this blog at the encouragement of my wonderful friend Thisbe, who seems to think people might actually want to read about where and what I eat and drink.

As the daughter of an amazing women who loves to cook, my childhood was filled with wonderful food. There was never take out, there was never boxed products around...it was all from stratch and although I tended to be a picky eater, those things I liked were awesome! The kitchen was truly the center of our home and anywhere you could put a cookbook there was one...when we moved 15+ years ago I actually counted and there were over 400 then, I am sure there are many more now. My Mother, my grandmother and many other family members brought the joy and relaxation of cooking and eating together into my life.  I have wonderful memories of sitting around the table, which I always got to set and decorate, and enjoying time together.  Back then I never thought all of that influence would lead me to where I am today. 


As a Catering Manager for Wolfgang Puck in Dallas, my job is all about food. I help my clients select menus for their weddings and special events.  It is a blast to work with the Chef Reagan, who happens to be a good friend, to put together creative and different menus for our clients.  It is fun to be challenged to create a menu that really reflects the personality of the bride and groom or client, something unexpected that leaves guests remembering the event.  In addition to my job, I sit on the board of the DFW Chapter of NACE - National Association of Catering Executives, and we meet monthly and share a meal together, talk about trends and work on expanding our knowledge of the industry.

I have always loved to cook for friends and now I myself own over 150 cookbooks.  I collect them when I travel and read them just like my mother has always done. Many of my friends are the same way and we often can be found around a table together having a great conversation over a fantastic meal.  I am also a member of a Breakfast for Dinner club that several of my friends and I started as a girls night dinner but then decided it would be so much more fun to wear our PJ's and have a totally lazy night eating breakfast for dinner.  It is one of the best nights of the month and one filled with lots of laughter!  I am truly lucky that so many of my friends also enjoy food as much as I do.

In addition to cooking and eating in, working and serving on the board of NACE, I love to eat out.  It is a tradition that my friends and I experience at least two restaurants during restaurant week here in Dallas every year.  We love to go out and try new places, new cuisines, and enjoy it together.  Dallas has amazing restaurants and I have some favorites and a long list of those that I still want to try.  Traveling is also a big part of my life and I love to seek out the hidden jewels in any given city.  Sometimes you can find them easily and sometimes you have to take a chance on a little place that just looks good.  You just never know what you might find.

I don't know if all of the above qualify me to write a blog about where and what I eat or if anyone will actually read it and find it interesting but I thought I would give it a try.  I will share with you the good and the bad, from Happy Hour locations around Dallas, to my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner places.  Sometimes I go out several nights in a week and other times I don't get out for weeks at a time so the posts will be random and sometimes few and far between, and sometimes I may write about a favorite place from the past since so many of my memories are of eating with family and friends.  I hope you enjoy....may you be inspired to embark on your own culinary adventures!