A new Asian grocery store has replaced the former Smitty's location in Chelsea Square. It joins two others in town: Vonson and Koreana.

I'm not sure we need three separate Asian stores, but I welcome one on my side of town. And, I was told they will begin serving to-go sushi, as well.

Side note: The owner works at Kroger and said he recognizes me. This could be a teachable moment for me - I clearly get Kroger sushi way too often.

It's not a huge space, but they have a little of everything - frozen fish, condiments, snacks, produce, drinks, and even ice cream in the back.

I ended up purchasing garlic Cornick, which is a Filipino variant of corn nuts. I had never actually had corn nuts before (I know, I'm an idiot), but I had read something recently about them and the various kinds. And, well, the rest is history. The little savory, crunchy bits were decent.

I also got some frozen shumai, which is a guilty pleasure. I know this is probably white girl version of any authentic food, but I love them. Drizzled with teriyaki sauce mmmm.

And, I got some sort of white milk chocolate wafers, which weren't bad.

That just goes to show you the variety of stuff they have here. From fresh to frozen and authentic to just tasty, there's a little bit of everything for everyone. Parking is easy here, and it's pretty convenient. Keep in mind that if you're using a card, there's a $10 minimum.

Have you been? What have you bought?

It's no secret I am not a huge fan of Tex-Mex, but I figured if there was a place to turn me into a believer, it'd be in Texas.

... But, maybe, choosing airport food wasn't the best option. Urban Taco has a few locations, one of which being in the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

So, I ordered three tacos from the menu:

CHICKEN TINGA
chile braised chicken & potatoes, queso fresco, avocado lime crema 3

DOS EQUIS AMBER BARBACOA
beer and chile braised beef, pickled red onions, black bean & roasted corn pico 3

AL PASTOR
chile rubbed pork, grilled pineapple, cilantro, onions, salsa roja 3

There's an entire shop in Dallas, just down the street from where I had BBQ, dedicated to pie. PIE.

So, yes, I had to go.

Emporium Pies has a few locations, but just a handful of pie options. I ordered a slice of the Drunken Nut:

A SHORTBREAD CRUST CRADLES A SWEET SAUCE OF BUTTER, BOURBON, BROWN SUGAR AND TEXAS PECANS. YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY CORN SYRUP HERE. OUR BAKER FAVORITES THIS PIE ABOVE ALL THE REST, SO WE CONSIDER IT OUR MOST PERFECT PIE TO DATE. YOU WILL NEVER TRY ANOTHER PECAN PIE QUITE LIKE THIS ONE.

They warmed it up for me, which made the brown sugar melty and syrupy and delicious. I should've opted for the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. But even without, delish.

Grade: A

Steak is to Oklahoma, as BBQ is to Texas. Brisket, specifically. So, before I flew out of Dallas to head home, I went in search of the best BBQ in the city.

The result that seemed easiest for me to get to in the amount of time I had was Lockhart Smoke House. Once I finally found parking, I walked through to the back of the restaurant to the counter to order.


The menu isn't large. You can get brisket, pork ribs, half a chicken, and sausage, with a few sides: potato salad, mac & cheese, baked beans, deviled eggs and more.

The guys at the counter cut off a hunk of brisket, wrap it up in butcher paper and ring me up. I picked up a side of potato salad out of the cooler and went to pay. Fun fact: My card got declined. Oklahoma wasn't a trigger, but Texas was. So, whoops.

I got my package of butcher paper and headed out in the dining room. Fortunately, there, you can get some BBQ sauce and forks.

So, the brisket was pretty good. I did dip it in sauce, which I know is like the worst possible thing I could do. But, it was GOOD this way. I avoided some of the burnt edges that were just charred smoke or the fatty pieces. But beyond that, I could fashion a nice little sandwich from the bread, the meat and the sauce.

The potato salad on the side was a good choice because it was cool and helped temper some heat of the sauce. It even had some brisket inside!

Good meal overall. Heavy on the carnivore. Excuse me while I go eat salads for the next month.

Grade: A

I'm not sure if I'll ever have the chance to visit Oklahoma again, so after my presentation, I drove 2.5 hours north to Oklahoma City to reward myself with a nice ribeye.

The city the conference was in - Sulphur, OK - is halfway between Dallas and Oklahoma City. So, I wanted to hit up both cities while in the area. And, how could I return home without having had a nice cut of beef?

Cattlemen's Steakhouse is well-known for having the best steak in the city (according to my research). So, I filled up the tank and headed north. Fortunately, the steakhouse is in the middle of Oklahoma City's Stockyards City, so parking was simple.

Cattlemen's Steakhouse is located smack in the middle of Stockyard City, a "must see" when visiting Oklahoma City. The store owners and community leaders have all worked very hard in keeping Stockyard City from becoming "touristy." It's a place where the cattle and horse people can get what they need, have a good meal and enjoy each other's company. And, by golly, if a few greenhorns manage to wrangle their way into the boot shop, that's okay, too. They won't find any "My parents went to Stockyard City and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" shirts or Elvis salt and pepper shakers. But they may leave knowing what a real steak tastes like, and that real boots don't come from Bloomingdale's.

I got a table for one - a small booth - and looked over the menu for the ribeye. The ribeye, they say, is the perfect center cut from the eye of the rib.

T-Bone Steak	This hearty portion is sort of “two Steaks in one.” It combines the full flavor of the Strip Sirloin, the impeccable tenderness of the Filet and joined together by the famous “T.” This is the steak President Bush preferred when dining in Oklahoma City.
Cattlemen’s Strip Sirloin	Thick, center cut strip sirloin
Top Club	Cut extra thick for extra goodness from Aged Beef
Filet Mignon	A choice cut of beef tenderloin with all the sealed in savory juices, bacon wrapped and broiled to your taste
Rib Eye Steak	Perfect center cut from the eye of the rib
Small Filet	Cut special for our patrons with very small appetites, wrapped in thick sliced bacon
Dinner Steak	Small top-sirloin steak
Chopped Sirloin	Freshly ground sirloin beef broiled over glowing embers
Pepper Steak	A small sirloin topped with peppercorn sauce
Ham Steak	Served with red-eye gravy, full slice, bone-in
Cattlemen’s Chicken Fried Steak