Roxanna "was R. got married now" L.'s Profile

All 5 of these stars go to Susan (owner).  I was looking for a good "doggie day care" spot to take my puppy for energy burn, socialization (with other dogs and especially other people), and to get used to occasionally staying away from home (in the event she needs to be boarded).

With the other good reviews/recommendations of Dog's Play, I figured I'd ring them up and visit the center.  I really like that they're open to visits/tours and that they require paperwork (making sure all dogs are healthy and vaccinated) along with an "interview" to make sure dogs are appropriate to attend.  When I arrived for our initial interview and tour, I was greeted by Susan.  Hendrix was about 4 months old at the time, and she was displaying some fear issues with strangers (mostly barking).  Susan immediately knew how to change up her body language to put her at ease.  In that moment, I knew I had found a place where my puppy would be in very good hands.  I first took Hendrix to stay and play for a half day, and when I returned to pick her up - Susan showed me some video she captured on her flip camera of her playing.  

Great things about Dog's Play: there's 3 separate play areas (usually divided up by small, medium, and large dogs).  Dogs are usually grouped according to where they fit in well for play.  There's also boarding areas away from the play area - where sometimes older or dogs not appropriate for play can rest easy.  This is one of the really great things about Dog's Play - they make every possible effort to get to know each dog (including their names) and group them and/or give them the best suited attention.

My pup (now almost 8 months) has gotten considerably better with her people socialization (she runs for Susan & some of the other gals with a happy wagging tail).  She barks at new people a lot less & is generally less fearful as a result of her socialization at Dog's Play.

The only drawback I can think of- the lack of a big outdoor dog run with grass.  BUT...you can't have it all ;)  They do have an outside area for potty breaks, but the dogs frequent use has taken its toll on the grass they did have.  However, they make the best use of the spaces they have and the people MORE THAN make up for a lack of grass.

Holy Hidden Gem, Batman!

I only recently discovered Patina Green Home & Market, and I've already been like 3 times.  I'm tempted to head toward downtown McKinney almost everyday when lunch time draws near.  I'm, personally, not much into the home decor department, but this spot might convert me.  This place is GORGEOUS, and the treasures they've accumulated from near and far are ever so specially arranged.

The draw for me is Chef Robert's lunch counter.  Finding this little spot for lunch is quite possibly the best thing I've discovered since moving to Collin County a little over a year ago.  Lunch is served Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-2pm (or until the food runs out...the earlier you go the better your selection).  He usually features a choice of sandwiches which are often served warm/pressed/grilled (there's almost always a veggie selection), a couple of soups (simple and DELIGHTFUL), and a few salad options (clean and tasty).  Everything has a focus on locally sourced ingredients, and everything is not only appealing to your eye and health conscious side - but darned delicious, too.  The store also features some market selections - local/organic produce, local cheeses, farm fresh poultry, milk, and eggs...  Hint: get some of the chef's pickled onions...omg they are the perfect little addition to add spark to any salad...they're usually featured in one of his daily salads.  

I've said it before - but I sure do a love a place where you walk in and someone's PRIDE and DEDICATION to their craft is so thick in the air you can almost touch it.  Patina Green's web site says Chef Robert "creates a menu using local and seasonal ingredients which are brought in daily from hard working farmers, bakers, and artisans".  As a patron, your tastes buds are tantalized and your heart is warmed at the same time.  Simple and straight forward, top quality ingredients prepared with a creative twist is a really refreshing dining alternative.

There are some super cute antique tables in the back (near the awesome restroom everyone's mentioned) where you can sit, eat your lunch and drink in the beautiful wonderland that is Patina Green.  Yup, I think I've found a new "happy place".

I'd like to take my arms and wrap them around Arbor Hills Nature Preserve & give it a BIG HUG!

Luke H said it best when he implied this spot is something taken straight out of the Central Texas Hill Country.  One of my biggest complaints about living in the North Dallas area is that everything seems so flat and boring...and parks are flat open spaces.  Arbor HIlls is the cure for the ho-hum.

I brought my pup with me, and we had a great adventure...encountering beautiful scenery, other walkers/joggers, and the occasional wildlife.  We both enjoyed the sights & sounds...Hendrix seemed to enjoy the new smells.  I've got to keep a tight grip on my leash though...because the occasional squirrel gets her beagle DNA all amped up.

I can't believe I'm the first person to review this AWESOME dog training center.

After some research, I decided on What A Great Dog! as the spot to pursue puppy training for my new canine companion.  I felt entirely comfortable teaching most of the basic commands to my new pup (sit, down, stay, come, and heel) on my own.  However, I wanted to make sure she got a chance to socialize with other dogs and people during the crucial puppy socialization period.  My little mixed breed mutt has some questionable (at best) origins (taken in from a litter of an abandoned dog my brother came across).  We know the mamma had some socialization issues with people, and I wanted to give this pup the best opportunities to begin a happy balanced dog life.  The puppy class at WAGD seemed like just the right fit for this purpose.

Well, let me tell you - we got more than we bargained for.  Maureen is a fabulous trainer and was always poised & in control.  She could lead a class of unruly puppies and their owners - give group direction and simultaneously offer individualized feedback.  My pup went into the class a little shy and nervous around other dogs and people, and came out a lot more confident around both and pretty consistent in: attention to name, loose leash walking, sit, down, stay, come, and leave it.  We also got a brief intro to some of the agility obstacles - which I found out my dog LOVED.

I really liked that WAGD made sure all puppies were healthy and vaccinated before starting class, and that Maureen goes the extra mile to offer some advice on the benefits of really solid nutrition for our dog friends.  There is a retail area with AWESOME treats, food, toys, and other training equipment (leads, collars, etc).  I prefer to spend my money here for treats & equipment rather than the big box pet stores.

Overall, What A Great Dog! made me feel like I became part of a community.  We enrolled in the Intermediate class (almost finished now) and our trainer Judy has been equally as amazing as Maureen.  My little 6 month old pup amazes me how balanced & behaved she is at such a young age.  She still has a few nervous barking with new people issues to iron out, but I love knowing that everyone at WAGD is trying to help us overcome them.  I honestly cannot more highly endorse What A Great Dog! for all your training needs.  Training is via positive reinforcement, and is broken down into the really important pieces that help solidify good behaviors.  It's also a great place to support small and local business.

I thought we'd be finished after the 1st six week puppy class, but we rolled right into the Intermediate and are planning to begin Agility in January.  This place is JUST THAT AWESOME - you want to keep going.

I've been driving from Frisco down to Wagging Tail in North Dallas to get my 6 month old pup some socialization and play time.  Thankfully, Ruff Range opened and it's only a 10 minute drive versus 30 minute.  Overall, this park is a much welcomed addition to the Frisco area.

We've been several times, and my gal Hendrix is a fan.  There's a large dog side (over 25 pounds) and our side for the small dogs (25 and under).  The plusses are - fairly large play area, nice grass, there is a shaded pavilion for the non canines, dog fountain, dog rinse area, and  plenty of poop bags and most people seem to clean up after themselves.

As always - at any dog park...be a good advocate for your dog.  The visitors can make or break any dog park!  I find it's safest to keep my leash on hand and wander with my dog as she roams around.  I want to be able to remove her if she encounters someone she doesn't particularly get along with (that can happen you know...even with well behaved dogs...you never know).   Sometimes, being a good advocate means you may have to make an unexpected & earlier than planned departure.

One thing to be careful of at this dog park - occasionally people bring quite young children (I've seen toddlers) and let them roam and run around in the off leash area.  I have no problem with children of any age in the dog park, but for the safety of all humans and animals - both dogs and children should be closely supervised.  Seriously, I've witnessed dogs playing and chasing each other and a child about 2 years old run after and throw itself into the play tussle of small dogs.  The dogs were not familiar with the child and one dog started playfully chasing and nipping at him...and the kid got scared and started crying and the parent got upset.  Not really a good idea for the kids or the dogs...especially puppies that may be learning how to behave around small children.   While all dogs that visit dog parks should be well behaved, dog parks are not petting zoos either.  There is a proper way for people to introduce themselves to strange dogs.  Dogs have varied personalities just like people, and really the dog park is for the dogs to be dogs.

The folks that manage this park seem to be especially responsive to feedback - they've already made significant improvements since opening in October to the pavilions where the fountains are located.  (They were creating some fun mud holes for the dogs to get good & dirty in!)  I've also seen a gentleman out there on multiple occasions asking for feedback from visitors & generally making sure everything is going well.

Good to know - this park is closed on Thursdays for maintenance.

LazyPaw is indeed - as good as it gets.

I love these people...I came across this vet office when doing some online research trying to find a spot for my (now 5 month old) puppy, Hendrix.  Dr. Hunter has a whole series of videos on the LazyPaw site as well as on YouTube.  I appreciated the clear passion that must've been involved to educate others (by video) in various ways to care for their pets.

Everyone at the office is SUPER friendly and knowledgeable.  Their office is extremely neat and clean (that's no small task in a place were all our furry friends are frequently tracking through).  They have a place where you can book your appointments online.  They call to confirm your appointment - and the next day to follow up.  Everyone remembered Hendrix by name the second time she came for vaccinations.  We've called a few times with questions & concerns and all the vet techs, Dr. Hunter and Dr. Bilhartz have been readily available and enthusiastic to help.  I also appreciate that they give really thorough, factual and down to earth info...no old wive's tales here.

The icing on the cake - Hendrix and I just stopped in this afternoon.  I just wanted to make a quick visit because she will be in to get spayed in a few weeks.  Not only were they welcoming - even though I just dropped in unannounced.  Mallory took Hendrix to the back, weighed her, gave her some treats, and spent a few moments bonding with her.  Hendrix has already grown quite fond of Ms. Mallory in prior visits...but I think she's officially landed in Hendrix's top friends list!

I'm hard pressed to believe there's a better veterinary office in the Plano/Frisco area...

Love this place...I've taken my 4 month old puppy a few times, and we've had a blast.

It seems there's a regular weekday morning crowd, and they were all extremely polite, knowledgable, warm, and welcoming dog people.  We were there 2 hours...and didn't even realize it...it's like a little separate peaceful place apart from the rest of the hectic world.

We've also been on weekend mornings...it's a bit more busy but still really nice.

So far, this dog park wins hands down versus all the other ones I've visited so far in North Dallas.

This is one Thai spot worth trying.  I remember Bambu being on my radar, but never got to it.  Apparently, the recent Dallas Morning News review has stirred up a lot of buzz and a friend emailed me we should check it out.

So, hubby and I snuck in (ever desperate for good Thai in DFW) on a Saturday evening.  It was definitely busy in that post good review way, but we walked over to the nearby grocery store and picked up some beer (that's right BYOB).  The wait went pretty quickly and it was totally worth the wait.

We started with a daily special - Esan sausage.  This house made sausage was slightly spicy, had wonderful depth of flavors, and was delicious.  We also ordered som tum (papaya salad) and pad prik khing with beef instead of chicken.  If you've read any of my other Thai food related reviews, you might know I'm practically family with some hot Thai women back in Austin.  The food that I ate at Bambu is something that's only been paralleled in meals where I dined with my Thai family...meals that were prepared by them or their friends/family.  It was authentic (melt the face of of an average American) Thai style spicy.  FABULOUS!  I think that's the best compliment I can pay.  The som tum was quite satisfying- the salty sour tang of fish sauce, slightly sweet twang of papaya, and the crunch of all fresh ingredients sprinkled with a few peanuts.  The beef in the pad prik khing was tender and the green beans were fresh & snappy (not overcooked as often found in other places).  

My two favorite things (with only one visit so far) about Bambu:

-they don't appear to be Americanizing their food...they're unapologetic about their creative dishes/flavors and challenging the average North Dallas palates

-as the kitchen was wrapping up service for the night, one of the cooks walked out to the patio to chill out with a can of Bud Light

I still haven't read the DMN news...not that I really care...cuz I don't always agree with "proper journalism" and their reviews.  Hopefully, the buzz keeps these friendly folks at Bambu cranking out the good food.

Update: pretty typical of some Thai spots...we've been on several occasions and Bambu waffles a little bit...when they're on it's 5 plus stars...when they're not it's still probably the best Thai in the area but not nearly life changing.  So, I deducted a star for the inconsistency.

Things I like about The Pub:

-the beer

-nice decor - definitely your typical pub regalia but still feels cozy

-the food - it's not haute cuisine but it's better than your average chain restaurant and better than average pub fare...the hamburger is actually pretty darn good and the Pub Pork Rinds (house made) are KICK-BUTT.  I realize not everyone may be into pork rinds but they should.

My husband and I have been on several occasions now (busy nights, slow nights, week days, weekends, etc).  We've tried nearly everything on the menu.  The beer selection at The Pub hands down beats most other similar type places.  (It's not Flying Saucer exhaustive but it's quite nice).

Things I don't like about The Pub:

-food quality and/or service can be hit/miss...hence 3 not 4 stars

As far as visiting landmark department stores in London goes- this was by far my favorite.  Still lots of tourists shopping for souvenirs...but not like at Harrods.  I wanted to buy everything in Fortnum & Mason...all the treats have that "je ne sais quoi" that makes you feel you have to have it.  I'm DYING to have their high tea set.

Speaking of- there are several restaurants within Fortnum & Mason which feature tea service.  We did take high tea upstairs in the St. James restaurant.  It was quite good- pricey- but well worth it for a quintessentially English experience.