Tupinamba

Monday Emily, Wyatt and I decided to try out Tumpinamba. This neighborhood Mexican food spot is located off of the tollway and Forrest. The inside is spacious, and the service was friendly and warm.

We arrived early since Wyatt was with us, but that just meant that we were still in time for the happy hour special. We each ordered a margarita for 3.95! Emily had the peach swirl and I had the sangria swirl- what a deal! I decided to try the Tupy Tacos. Apparently, this is one of the signature items on the menu. I'm not sure exactly what is in the tacos, but I can say they were pretty delicious. The outside taco is fried and you are served a lettuce, tomato, and cheese salad on the side. You can stuff your taco, or eat the salad separately. Either way you go, you definitely won't be disappointed.

Emily ordered a combo of cheese enchiladas, a Tupy taco, and a guacamole tostada. The guacamole had fresh tomato and real pieces of avocado with just the right amount of garlic. The cheese enchiladas were overly covered in sauce and sans onion, but these shortcomings were overshadowed by the other items.


Even Wyatt had a good time visiting with the waiter and the other patrons! We'll be back!

Dr. Sue's Chocolate

This week I received a box of Dr. Sue's Chocolate for a gift...might be the best gift ever.

First of all, it's dark chocolate and you know that dark chocolate is good for you...so you don't have to feel bad if you, say, eat half of the box in one sitting.

Second of all, Dr. Sue is a legit MD. She's done studies about chocolate and on top of that, she's researched how to create the most perfect combinations and then packaged them just for you.

Third of all, Dr. Sue's is now found for sale at Eatzi's. You can enjoy the benefits of Dr. Sue's far flung travels without ever leaving your bubble.

Highly recommend these treats. I had "The Bark Collection", which featured Cherry Pecan, Hazelnut Coconut, and Hazelnut Toffee. I'm hooked. Each bite was sweet and salty with a bit of crunch. Amazing!

Give it a try for yourself and take pride in the fact that you're helping your heart. In fact, go ahead and pour a glass of red - create a powerhouse duo.

(Wish I could say I shared this, but, no. I did all of this damage on my own...)

Cafe Expresso

Cafe Expresso is located near Preston & Northwest Highway, and it's a hidden gem. I've been around that area many times for Blue Plate, Snuffer's, and even Orange Cup, but I'd never seen Cafe Expresso. I think that is what makes it so appealing.

The clientele knew the staff. I overheard one lady order "the usual, please", and the waitress seemed to have no trouble. There was a table full of men in suits, several matronly ladies, and a group of Stay-at-home-Mom's dining with us for lunch on Friday, so it's a very mixed bag as far as the diners go.

The service is slow, so don't go if you're in a hurry. However, the service is so pleasant and friendly, that you don't mind things moving at a slower pace.

Hot bread and butter arrived at the table first - you know we were already impressed.

From there, we tried the Rosemary Chicken Soup with Rice. Again, impressed. This tastes just like something your mom would make on an overcast wintry day. It was perfect. The chicken had been grilled, which gave it a leg up on it's normal chicken soup competition. This is a definite re-order!


From the soup, we moved to the spinach salad with pink peppercorn. That peppercorn was spicy, but it gave a nice kick to something that can be kind of bland. The salad was tasty, but didn't blow my socks off.

We wrapped up with the "create your own pasta" option. You select which pasta shape you enjoy, then you add a sauce and, if you want, a meat. We chose the farfalle pasta with carbonara sauce and pretty much licked the bowl clean. They have a ton of options to choose from when creating your own pasta. This was a winner for us, but you can choose to go lighter or you can choose a dish that they have already paired for you.

Our food was fresh, delivered with a smile, and had a very home-cooking type of appeal.

Cafe Expresso isn't loud - you can have a whole convo with your table mate and no one has to yell. In fact, you might even need to talk quietly if you want to keep it private. There aren't many places in Dallas where that is true. The owner personally came over to the table and chatted with us, a kind gesture on this busy Friday afternoon.

We were both impressed and will definitely schedule a re-visit.

Herrera's Restaurant

Tornado? What tornado? We were so busy dining at Herrera's last night, we couldn't be bothered with the weather.

Located at 5427 Denton Drive (there are several listings, so don't be confused), this local isn't much to look at.
The inside is a huge space with an arcade, which the husband got excited about, a juke box, a bar, which I got excited about, and then tons of tables and booths. It's not fancy, but it's so good - who cares? Remember when Mia's was less trendy and more neighborhood - that's what this place is about. Easy parking, good food, respectable prices, kind service - we loved it.


They served our hot sauce in containers similar to IHOP's syrup dispensers. Everyone got their own bowl. It's so hot, your eyes water, but man, is it flavorful! The queso was the perfect consistency, very smooth and not heavy. Flavored by the peppers, it managed to be the star of the table.

(Queso accompanied by Herrera's Bean Soup)

Complimentary bean soup was brought, along with house made tortillas. Both were amazing. The bean soup, complete with bacon, was very temperature hot. But my tongue was so scorched from the hot sauce, I didn't even mind.

The cheese enchiladas were perfectly done. The con-carne sauce tasted authentic and wasn't overly tomato packed. The cheese taco was similar to an enchilada covered with queso. Can't go wrong there. The guacamole tostada was the only disappointing feature, but I was so full, I didn't even mind.


The combo fajitas arrived sizzling and with the biggest set-up I've ever seen. Mounds of real cheese, guacamole, sour cream, beans, rice...it was too much for one man to eat.
The rice almost tasted stir fried, but with the salsa-flavor that Spanish rice always has. I've never had rice this delicious.


The two TV's were set to ESPN - we were happy campers.
Definitely headed back.

Nova

The bar at Nova

Super cute star chandelier & entry way at Nova

To begin with, Nova is precious. It's funky, the decor is eclectic and fun; we both loved it from the second we arrived. We heard it was a converted DQ, but you'd never know that from the inside. A bar lines one wall with drink specials & beer offerings chalked up on the wall. An assortment of booths and tall boy tables make up the rest of the place.

The staff was super friendly and accommodating. More than that, though, this place has a neighborhood feel. The smells coming from the kitchen were inviting, just like home. The people meeting there knew each other and gave hugs in greeting. We just felt comfortable.

And then we ordered. Wowie!
We were very carb conscious, so prepare yourselves...

We started with the hummus and were immediately pleased. The pita was warm, fluffy, and had a seasoning on it that was part oregano, part Heaven. The cucumber/tomato salad was tossed in the lightest olive oil and then peppered. The hummus itself had a hint of garlic, was smooth, and was something we would definitely order in the future. In fact, it may have eclipsed our former favorite and slid into the #1 slot for hummus in Dallas.

For our main course, we split the three mushroom pizza with white truffle oil. This pizza was sized enough to split. The mushrooms were delicious. The white sauce (in place of tomato sauce), was rich without being overwhelming. The surprise element, goat cheese, wasn't mentioned on the menu. You know how we feel about goat cheese. Thanks, but no thanks - and feel free to never put it on anything served to these girls. While we liked the pizza, the goat cheese killed it for us. Next time, and there will be a next time, we're going to check before ordering.

And for dessert: the Asiago cheese fries. They were crisp, golden, not a soggy tater in the group. They had a nice taste, but we would have loved a ton more Asiago.

All in all, dinner was cozy and enjoyable. Our wine by the glass and friendly waitress made a dreary Tuesday completely pleasant. Thanks, Nova!