I have a name Lyndsey!

On Saturday, at 2:30 pm, as I walked aimlessly through downtown SA looking for my car, I received an irritated phone call from Chris' brother, Greg. He announced that he "couldn't believe" that I hadn't talked about him yet in my blog, and that I called him "Chris' brother," on the one mention I did make of him. He actually said, "I have a name Lyndsey!" So, blog followers, today I introduce you to Greg, my oldest friend in the world (so I probably SHOULD have mentioned him by now), Chris' brother, boyfriend to Kierstin, MBA student at Texas State, and new SA resident!

 

Okay, so here are the top 10 things you need to know about Greg:

1. We've known each other for 12 years! We met in the 7th Grade in Life Management Skills. He was about 4 feet tall (slight exaggeration) and wore Carpenter Jeans from Old Navy, a braided belt, and plaid short sleeve shirts.

2. We went to Homecoming together our Freshman year of high school. After that, I had a crush on him for about 10 minutes...and then I met his brother! 

3. I take full credit for his #18 (I think) rank in high school, as he cheated off of me in every class we were in together, except math--I'm terrible at math. I also signed his mother's name on all of his progress reports, report cards, etc.

4.  He has a deviated septum (sp) so he's constantly blowing his nose and sounds like he has a cold. 

5. He's too lazy to cook, so he's skinny. I often find him at my house around dinner time...

6. He likes all sports, but LOVES basketball. There is no doubt that he'll have 5 kids, just enough for a basketball team.

7. He's afraid of heights. He knows that I HATE when people touch my neck, so he tries to, often!

8. Our family doesn't often like to take us out in public together, as we tend to embarrass each other and them!

9. He loves to watch movies, even chick-flicks.

10. He's a great friend, excellent boyfriend, stellar brother, wonderful son...I'm really trying to make up for my not mentioning him before this post. Can you tell?

And, as of this moment, he is on notice: anything you do going forward, is potentially blog-worthy material!! Be careful what you wish for Greggie!

Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy. ~Author Unknown

Here it is blogosphere--my very first restaurant review! I've learned quite a bit tonight about being a food critic, and I'm so FULL!
1. Don't LOOK like a food critic. I kept catching the waiters'/waitresses' eyes all night and it made them all tense and nervous...and they kept calling me ma'am! Really!?
2. Don't try to review a restaurant before its' grand opening, regardless of  the fact that they've been open "informally" for 3weeks! They just use it as an excuse when something goes wrong, i.e. no appetizer plates and only 1 menu for 2 people.
3. Don't EVER be in a hurry at a new restaurant. Even if your appetizers arrive on-time, your food will take FOREVER!

So that leads me into my full discussion of our meal. At 6:30 pm, with our stomachs growling, Chris and I made the long 2 mile journey from our casa to the new hot spot in town. As we entered we were greeted warmly. The crowd was mostly 20 and 30 somethings. The hostess asked if we would be okay with sitting "in the cocktail area," which we agreed to because the place was packed. Upon seating us, she informed us that they were short on menus, so could we share? Of course we said yes, but come on, really? It took our waitress, who doubled as a bartendress, about 5 minutes to come to our table and offer us drinks. She brought us our water quickly, and re-filled it often. We started our meal with Shiner Bock Battered Onion Rings.

The onion rings were salty and delightful...the sauce that accompanied them was way too rich when combined with the onion rings. We opted for plain ole ketchup instead.

For our meals, Chris ordered the Jalapeno Cheeseburger, and I opted for the Monte Cristo--made with cornflake encrusted French toast, not deep fried, and served with raspberry preserves. Deeelish! We were very pleased with the taste and presentation of the food, though it took almost 30 minutes for them to deliver it. The only true disappointment was that they served my meal with these weird fry/chip things, and Chris' with more onion rings because they ran out of French fries. Again, the waitress pointed out that they weren't "officially" open for business yet...though they've been serving customers for 3-4 weeks now? On a side note, I caught a glimpse of several of their salads and they looked amazing.

Jalapeno Cheeseburger

Monte Cristo

Last, no meal (for us anyway) is complete without dessert! I let Chris pick this one because I knew he would LOVE the Pineapple Upside Down Cake...and he did! As did I. It was decadent and fantastic. It was served warm with ice cream, and came to our table very quickly. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this dish!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with a few bites missing!)

 So, what is the overall conclusion of this long-winded attempt at sounding like a sophisticated foodie? The food was delicious, the service was fair, and we will definitely go back...in about 2 months after they've worked out the kinks. We were told that the grand opening is February 4th, they'll start happy hour specials the week after, and they have plans for special drinks, etc. for Valentine's Day. We're looking forward to sitting out on their beautiful patio this summer and enjoying the weather.The owner says they have plans for live music and drink specials.

We give it 3 Stars! (Out of 5)

First on my list...

I truly think that my calling in life is to be a food critic. I mean, if I'm going to be overweight because I love food so much, I might as well get some $$ and notoriety out of it, right? So, I've decided to use this blog as my beginner's guide to becoming a food critic...or really just an excuse to go out to eat and talk about it! I've identified my first victim (Firewater Grille), gathered my war party (Chris), and am going in for the kill (code for going for dinner) tomorrow night! Bahahahaha!

The first restaurant on my list is a new place just north of Stone Oak on Overlook Parkway, Firewater Grille. I've been inside once before. The ambiance is fantastic and the decorations are beautiful. Their main decorative feature is a water wall that changes colors. They have a great outdoor space and the owner and manager were extremely nice. Though we just stopped in for a quick drink before a Spurs game, we were pleased. But now comes the hard part, the deciding factor, the FOOD! Firewater Grille hasn't yet had their formal Grand Opening, so I'm bringing you this feature piece before anyone else! Stay tuned for the details...

These are a few of my favorite things!

So, let's make this quick and dirty! There are a few things in this world, besides Chris and The Linda, that I cannot live without. I'm sure I'll write about these things more than once!

Here's the list, in no particular order:

Chips and Queso! Once, I ate chips and queso for dinner 3 nights in a row! I know, I know...now YOU know why I gained 10 lbs when I moved to SA. I promise, this won't be the last time you have to read about food--particularly Mexican food. Yum!

Disclaimer: if you know me well, you know that I'm always on some kind of diet, usually unsuccessfully, because I love food and I love to EAT!

My girlfriends! Love these ladies! Again, I promise this won't be the last time you hear about them either!

Kalissa (UT Friend), Steph (High School and UT Friend)

Kierstin (High School & SA Friend--also dates Chris' brother)

Amanda (Grad School Friend and my voice of reason!)

 

 Books!!! Feel free to reply with anything you think I should read. I'm super-excited about the new book club I just joined. This month we're reading a book called "The Last Block in Harlem" and the author has agreed to do a book-chat via Skype with us in March!


Shopping! San Antonio has some world-class shopping like La Cantera Mall, Northstar Mall, home of the world's largest pair of cowboy boots, Fredericksburg, a charming town filled with great finds and delicious wine, and the San Marcos Outlets.

My New Blog! Follow me if you can, or just add me to your bookmarks if you can't follow (you have to have a certain account to be a follower). I can't wait to expand on my favorite things, my SA adventures, and just life in general!

The BF (Boyfriend and Best Friend!)

Good morning blog followers (so exciting to have "followers")! Today I'm continuing with my introductions. I present to you my boyfriend, Chris--Mox to my MA family, and Bruce or Watson to his friends. For almost ten years, I've been looking at this face, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Two years ago we moved to San Antonio, and about a year and a half ago, we bought our very own house. It was a big, blank canvas, but we're making it our own. Together we have two children (he hates it when I call them that!):

Peachy (Left) turns two in February, and Bailey (Right) turns five in February! My babies are getting so big! Peachy, actually is huge and she slobbers on everything. The picture was taken on Christmas Eve. She sat in the backseat and drooled all over Chris' brother's gift the whole way home! (Ha!) Bailey has more attitude than a teenager...sometimes I swear he's a cat! His Aunty lovingly refers to him as Bailey Bullet because he's as fast as a bullet. Okay, back to Chris...Although I hate to admit it (to his face) Chris is way smarter than me, and proves it everyday by his great work, his knowledge of crazy tax-related, governmental, political things, and his endless desire to continue learning. He spoils me every chance he gets, and I love it!! We met in high school. We were on the tennis team together. One day, we were playing tennis and all of a sudden, he made his friend leave the court. Ok, that's weird. Then, we sat down and he looked into my eyes (maybe a slight over-exaggeration) and asked me out. I promptly replied that I had to ask my mom! We'll be together 10 years in March, thanks Mom! We consider ourselves a yin and yang. I'm high-strung and a worrier. He's laid back and calm. Together, we work!

The Linda!

First on my list of introductions is my Mamacita! I chose to put her on my blog as my first "guest" for two reasons. First, she's my mother and she gave birth to me, so I felt it only right that I give her a big shout-out. I lovingly refer to her as "The Linda," much to her chagrin! Second, she's the only one who answered the phone when I called to ask permission to post her picture on my blog! :) My mother, a Massachusetts native, moved to Texas in 1983, after she married my Dad--Hutch, in a cold snowy wedding ceremony in MA. Three years later, there I was! We lived in South Texas my entire life, and I have fond memories of the flat landscape, large bugs, and humidity that made up my childhood. The Linda still lives in Beeville, works for the State, and takes care of my beautiful grandmother--Meme. More on Meme to come. Five years ago, my dad died of a rare blood disorder called A plastic Anemia. My mother was, and is, a rock for our family! She is a beautiful woman, with a funny accent, a great sense of humor, and she can cook like a pro. She can turn any conversation into a "why aren't you married yet" guilt trip...but secretly I love it! She's the type of mom who shows up at my house with a grocery bag full of stuff to make us dinner, still tries to give me gas money (even though I've been gainfully employed for 2.5 years now), and babysits my dog for 3 weeks at a time!

Welcome to Lyndsey's world!

Welcome to my first-ever blog post! I recently realized that I am WAY behind the times when it comes to social media, so today I created my very own blog and Twitter accounts...I know, I'm so darn modern its scary! Anyway, I thought I'd take the next few posts and introduce you to my life, the people, places, and things that are important to me. I'm glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoy what I have to say.