DALLAS/FORT WORTH PICTURE RECAP

Hard to believe so much time has passed already since I've talked about our trip to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas at the beginning of last month.  Rich had to go for a work trip and we decided to tag along to visit our good friends and to show the boys the Big D.  Here are some pictures from our trip- we had a blast checking out the Forth Worth Zoo, lots of great restaurants in Dallas, and of course a bit of shopping.  We just love visiting Texas and hope to make it back soon!

JFK ---> DFW Up, up and away!

Brunch at Breadwinners Cafe and Bakery in Plano

Ice Cream at Sweet Firefly

Brunch at Meddlesome Moth

Some of the BEST cinnamon buns EVER at Meddlesome Moth

Checking out the Fort Worth Zoo

Watching the Water Show in Sundance Square in Fort Worth

Dylan's Ballet Recital- Richie loved it!

Lunch at La Duni Latin Kitchen and Dulce in Northpark Mall

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Shopping at Milk & Honey Boutique in Dallas

Lunch at True Food Kitchen

Ice Cream and Cupcakes at Sprinkles

Nothing cooler than a cupcake atm!

AUSTIN PICTURE RECAP

At the end of April, we took a little family vacation to Austin, Texas. Rich had to go for work, and since we have good friends who live in Dallas who had a baby girl we hadn't yet met (and they said they'd meet us in Austin), we thought it would be fun to all make the trip. 

 We chowed down on some amazing Mexican, some finger-licking barbecue and even some gourmet Japanese (at a restaurant owned by Bravo T.V.'s latest Top Chef Paul Qui). The capital of Texas is a great food city that is also known for its food trucks (which are almost on every corner!!!)  It was exciting to jet set to a new destination, and I certainly have plenty of blogging catching up to do.  

But, in the meantime, here's a little Austin Picture Recap to browse through this weekend.

WHERE CELEBRITY CHEFS GOT THEIR GRUB ON IN AUSTIN

I've been working on my list of places where I want to eat when I visit Austin, Texas.  In my search of where to go, I stumbled upon a blog that highlighted some of the places where Food Network Celebrity Chefs have eaten in Austin, and I just had to add the restaurants to my list too.  Those of you who know me, know I love Giada De Laurentiis and have the loved the places I've tried that she's been to, so Austin is no different.  So, here's where Celebrity Chefs got their grub on in Austin, and where I'll be getting my grub on too!

1- Amy's Ice Cream
1012 W. 6th Street Austin, TX 78703
(512) 480-0673
These ice cream stands are all over Austin, and they're supposed to be famous!  Their ice creams are made fresh and are super creamy according to what I've read.  They feature more than 300 rotating flavors.  When Giada went to one she tried the Texas Dirt Cake which is chocolate cheesecake ice cream filled with oreo cookie chunks.  Sounds good to me!

2- South Congress Cafe
1600 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-3905
This place is fun and young, sleek and modern and is supposed to be good for either brunch or lunch.  Giada also checked this place out.  The menu is full of yummy things like Carrot Cake French Toast made with homemade carrot cake.

3- Jeffrey's of Austin
1204 West Lynn Street Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5584
This is an upscale restaurant with equally upscale food.  Jeffrey's has become an institution since it opened in 1976, and is one of the first fine dining establishments in Austin.  Their signature dish is Crispy Oysters. They've been on the menu for over 30 years.  Giada had them and said they are fabulous!

4- Casino El Camino
517 East 6th Street Austin, TX 78701
(512) 469-9330
Guy Fieri headed to this spot for some of the best burgers in town, which weigh in at 12 ounces each.  He had the buffalo burger which is coated in wing sauce and topped with blue cheese.  If you like heat, I've heard you should try the Amarillo burger which comes with fresh roasted serrano chiles and cilantro mayo.

5- Green Mesquite
1400 Barton Springs Road, Austin TX 78704
(512) 479-0485
Guy Fieri checks out this barbecue joint which uses only green mesquite wood or young wood for cooking.  The owner swears by it for giving the meat the best and most consistent flavor.  They've got everything from brisket and beef to pork ribs and pulled pork and even smoked turkey and tacos on the menu.

6- Flip Happy Crepes
400 Jessie Street Austin, TX 78704
(512) 552-9034
On The Best Things I Ever Ate, Beau MacMillan shares his sweet-tooth favorite: Nutella Strawberry Banana Crepes from this trailer, where every crepe is cooked to order.

7- Magnolia Cafe
(512) 478-8645
2304 Lake Austin Boulevard Austin, TX 78703
Guy Fieri tries this spot which is open 24/7.  They have everything on the menu from pancakes to omelets to jambalaya to quesadillas to anything else you could possibly be craving.

8- Maria's Taco Express
2529 South Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-0261
This taco place has been around for 12+ years.  He orders the Pollo Guisado, which is like barbecue chicken in an enchilada.

9- TRIO at Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Boulevard Austin, TX 78701
(512) 685-8300
Giada heads here for the best bat-watching in the city (it's supposed to be one of the things you must do in Austin- watch a million bats emerge from under the South Congress Bridge at dusk).  She has a Batini Black cocktail which is a mix of Texas' Tito Vodka, blue curaçao, blackberries, grapefruit juice and champagne.

AUSTIN HERE WE COME!

Between having a baby, buying our first house and moving...jet setting has been far from our minds.  But, that all changed today when we booked a springtime trip to Austin, Texas.  It will be a first for all of us and we are so excited!  I wrote about a good restaurant to check out in the Austin airport here and had a guest blogger post about his Austin favorites here.  So, now I'll be re-reading those posts and spending my free time planning our to-do list.  I can't wait!  If you have any good Austin recommendations, please let us know.

GUEST POST: THINGS TO DO IN ATX

(We have a guest post to share with ya'll today!  This one comes from Logan Baker from Blog Content Guild.  Logan is from Austin.  He enjoys jet setting, and his favorite trip was when he went to Japan and ate monkfish liver!  Thanks for sharing about your hometown with us Logan!)

This year, Austin, Texas has been on the top of more than a few best cities lists. People who live in Austin have the opportunity to enjoy city life and the outdoors in equal parts. Austin’s growing tech industry has attracted people from all over the world to the city. Austin is not only a great place to live. It’s also a great place to visit. There’s never a shortage of things to do in ATX (as it’s lovingly called by locals). If you’re planning on taking a trip to Austin in the near future, you should check out the following three attractions:

1. Lady Bird Lake – This gorgeous lake is smack dab in the middle of all the action in Austin. If you go canoeing on Lady Bird Lake or hiking around the lake, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of Austin’s beautiful downtown skyline. Here’s one view of Austin’s skyline from Lady Bird Lake:

2. SoCo – SoCo refers to a section of South Congress Avenue in Austin that starts near St. Edward’s University and ends at the Congress Bridge, which connects the SoCo area and downtown. SoCo is famous for its boutique and specialty shops as well as its restaurants. If you want to buy some products or clothing that have a special Austin flair to them, SoCo is the place to go. Here’s what the area looks like from a car:

3. The Food in General – The food in Austin is phenomenal. This is probably because there are so many locally owned eateries in the city that use fresh, delicious ingredients. If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, you have to go to Matt’s El Rancho, one of the city’s most famous Mexican restaurants. If you’re craving some quick food, you can walk up to one of the many food trucks in the city and grab a bite to eat. And if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, you have to check out Amy’s Ice Creams, a local, independently owned ice cream chain that is well loved for its Mexican vanilla ice cream. Here’s a shot of Amy’s:

There’s a lot to do in Austin, so you definitely won’t be bored when you visit there. Be sure to check out Lady Bird Lake, SoCo, and Amy’s Ice Cream when you get a chance. You’ll be happy you did!

"BIG D" IN THE SPRING

After posting my Dallas-To-Do List yesterday, I realized that I had also posted about our first trip to the "Big D" back in December 2008, but never posted about our trip there in May 2010.  Silly me!  Right after we got back, we jet setted to Korea and Japan for two weeks, and then came back and learned about some REALLY exciting news that has kept me very busy and has even made me neglect this blog somewhat this past year and delay the launch of our travel guides on JetSetSmart...but we wouldn't have it any other way!  Anyway, excuse me as I sidetrack here for a minute.  We had a great time with our friends in Dallas and ate lots of good food.  Here's a recap, in pictures, of when we jet setted to the "Big D" in the Spring.  We chowed down on AMAZING Bar-B-Q food at Sammy's located in the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas.  This food is off the charts ya'll!!!  I wish they catered out of state!

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Shiner Bock Beer

We had a fun afternoon with yummy appetizers and cocktails at Bolsa in the up-and-coming Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas.  The food here is delicious, locally sourced, and organic.  It's worth the drive!

Brushetta Tasting: White Bean Puree with tomato jam, basil and feta/ Fuji Apple with petit basque and toasted almonds/  Prosciutto with medjool date compote/ Smoked Salmon with creme fraiche and capers

Oak Cliff Creeper Cocktail with Blood Orange, Tito's Vodka and Citrus

We also had fantastic dinner at R+D Kitchen located in the University Park neighborhood of Dallas.  R+D Kitchen was created by the owners as Houston's, but don't let that chain-restaurant fact discourage you from trying it.  This is a classy place with really good food, great service and cool decor.

Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti served with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Broccoli and Reggiano Cheese

Deviled Eggs

Wild Mushroom Meatloaf with house-made Worcestershire Sauce and Mashed Potatoes

Cheeseburger which is ground fresh daily and served loaded on their homemade bun

Tiramisu

Of course, when you are in Dallas, you must also eat some Mexican. This time we tried Urban Taco.  We started out with some of their Chips and Salsa (some of the best I've ever eaten), along with their creamy and oh so yummy guacamole.  You can also choose a platter of three different tacos- so we tried chicken, pork and beef...all were delish!

These restaurants are now part of my favorite list for Dallas. 

 Got any more good recommendations? Leave a comment below or email me at jetsetsmart@gmail.com.