Nikki "I'm a Trooper" B.'s Profile

I wish I could say more for this place, but I guess we're just not meant to be a match made in tapas heaven.

The dishes come out faster than I could have imagined, which makes me wonder how long things are sitting back there. A few comments on some of the dishes we ordered:

- Octopus: too chewy and served cold (FYI), just not my cup of tea
- Scallops: my favorite dish of the night, well cooked and seared nicely
- Veggies: very bland, badly needed a kick of flavor
- Wine: I rarely dislike any type of wine, but I found our Spanish red very tasty

The atmosphere was intimate yet laid-back, which is perfect for a date night with your S.O. Our waiter was outstanding - humorous, gave appropriate suggestions and cleared plates away quickly without rushing us.

Unfortunately, my experience here wasn't as great as others. Maybe it was opening weekend jitters - not sure. Whatever it was, the experience was terrible enough that I probably won't be back.

We arrived on the Saturday before Halloween expecting Stringfellows. The three girls working the hostess stand outside (yes, three) caught us before we could turn around. I was hopeful because of their cheery attitudes and prompt seating.

The menu is small (not sure if they've added to it) and didn't have very many lady-friendly options. Weird, because the garden patio beckons females to sit and enjoy a meal.

We ordered a bottle of pinot grigio but a bottle of pinot noir from the same vineyard came out. I wondered why the waiter didn't ask us to specify when we asked for "pinot" considering they offer both, but my gal pal prefers red so I let it go.

My friend ordered the citrus salad and I ordered the Brazos Caesar with smoked chicken on top. Both salads were missing key ingredients. Mine came without avocado, cojita cheese and I didn't see any cilantro dressing. Instead, I saw shaved carrots and bland iceberg. I was almost positive I had received the wrong salad.

I picked off the chicken and we both left our salads half uneaten. Instead of recognizing it and asking if we didn't like them, the waiter picked them up without a word. Sure, I should have said something but at that point I had lost all hope.

In addition to all of this, they were installing wrought iron gates on the side of the patio -- this was extremely noisy and bothersome. It makes no sense why they scheduled this on a busy afternoon for the Granbury Square when visitors are everywhere and you're trying to impress lunch guests.

Nothing ever survives in this location and if they keep experiences like this up, Brazos Smokehouse won't be an exception.

Signs that this place is a top-notch establishment:

- Tiffany Derry invites you back into her kitchen to say hello and chat for a few minutes
- Lisa Garza is meeting a group of friends for cocktails and bites at the bar
- The bartender makes you a few cocktails "on him" to get you to try different things
- The head bartender, Rocco, remembers your pals who recommended the place to you (and what they drank!)

I'm so glad this place found home on McKinney Ave. On a street filled with pubs with so-so food and sports bars, Private Social is a welcomed addition for those of us who still like to go to happy hour and have fancy cocktails and pay a bit more for great food.

Chef Tiffany was a delight to meet (the introduction was prompted by the bartender) and she seemed genuinely happy to meet with us. I really enjoyed her trio dip - the bean and sage is my fave. We also ordered the Thai mussels, which arrived steaming hot and very flavorful. The broth was so good that I ended up slurping the remainder up with my spoon. And when we suggested that they be served with more bread, the bartenders noted that the kitchen is working on doing that soon. Duly noted!

My thanks goes out to Leigh P who recommended the place - and Rocco the bartender. He was outstanding!

PS - Order the Aviation and the Things That Make You Go Hmm cocktails. They aren't on the menu but are dangerously good.

Don't be fooled by the unassuming residential façade of El Sibil. This place is a bitchin' venue to host any underground party of your liking.

It looks like a modern-cool house from the outside; but I can assure you my friends, this venue has everything you need: a 2nd floor with overlooking catwalk/balcony, a kitchen area with a full-size fridge and stovetop oven and an enclosed bar area for your 'tenders.

You could probably shove 100 or so people in here, and there's even a designated area for a full size band or entertainment show. And the DJ? He/she can set up in the ladder-access only bird's nest above the bar.

The only downside is that the space only has one bathroom - and the door doesn't exactly lock well. Bathroom buddies are a must!

So, I'm getting married.

Woo hoo! Pop the bubbly!

And that means buying the perfect wedding dress. I knew I wanted to try on a variety of dresses, so I figured I would start at the top at Stanley Korshak.

I expected impeccable service, and impeccable service is what I received. Pamela, my bridal consultant, let me roam free to pick out the first round. Then she led me upstairs to my own HUGE, private room to try everything on.

As I picked out things I liked and didn't like about each dress, another round of gorgeous dresses was brought up by the staff. I bet I put on at least two dozen of them. Pamela was so helpful with everything, and so honest with me. I really appreciated that.

Even though they knew I wasn't purchasing that day, it didn't stop them from letting me romp around the store in as many dresses as I liked. I was there for almost 2 hours and felt no rush at all.

And you know what? I found The Dress that day.

Three weeks later, I returned to look at The Dress again with my mom. And we did indeed purchase it. Yay!

What's even sweeter, as a Korshak Bride I get 10% off all things like shoes, jewelry, etc in the store. Louboutin... here I come!

**As of today, Yelp's business listing is out of date. Kosta Dino's is now located a few blocks away at 4022 Oak Lawn, across the street from Eddie V's**

I bought a daily deal from Beget for Kosta Dino's - after all, it's in my neighborhood and I knew I had a few pairs of shoes that needed some lovin'.

On a late Wednesday afternoon, I dropped off two pairs of my favorite heels that had a few dings, scratched leather and needed to be cleaned and conditioned. I fully expected the wait to be a week or so (I'm used to it after going to Deno's in HP), but for sh*ts and giggles I asked if she could have them ready by Friday at noon in time for a weekend wedding.

Lo and behold, she said yes! I was shocked.

Come Friday at 12:15, I picked up my shoes. Not only were they spotless, but they were returned to the best condition possible considering the shape they were in previously. I was really impressed.

Another plus? The gal up front couldn't have been more friendly. Seriously - she was really sweet and accommodating.

In a few days, I'll be dropping off my beloved Rebecca Minkoff bag to be cleaned up. And THAT is trust, folks.

Unfortunately, Jsix left much to be desired during our stay at the Solamar.

The service was downright terrible and the food is mediocre. Hoping our first Saturday night visit was a mishap, we tried again for Sunday lunch.

Both times we felt like we were non-existent. Water glasses went empty, the staff was unenthusiastic about everything and much more interested in talking with one another than serving, and tables were left dirty for much longer than needed.

The trio of dips we shared on Saturday wasn't great. The hummus tasted like lemon cake batter, the artichoke dip was bland - the only winner was the shallot dip that resembled french onion dip.

On Sunday, we both ordered grilled chicken salads. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time (a sign maybe?) and our dishes took almost 30 minutes to be prepared.

I wish I could recommend the hotel restaurant in this case, but I cannot. With a plethora of choices around you - go somewhere else.

This is a solid breakfast/brunch option if you're staying in the Gaslamp District. It's an easy walk from Hotel Solamar, and the granola is simply divine.

DIVINE, you hear me?

We popped over on Saturday around 10am and found a table easily on the patio. Service is super casual - but then again, that's SD style.

I recommend the sunrise panini and add sliced avocado. It was so good, that we went back on Sunday (which was much less crowded) and had a bowl of granola and fruit with some croissants.

Try their mimosas too. The peach flavor is delicious.

Does anyone here watch The League? If so, here's a place to take your special lady for Terrific Lady Day.

The food is divine, the atmosphere is magnificent and you really feel like a proper socialite when dining here. Wear your fancy clothes and remember what your mama taught you about manners, because anything less will stand out like a mouse in a litter of kittens.

Ladies, this ain't no dark steakhouse. Options can be as light or heavy as your palate (and diet) pleases, and presentation is spot on. Of course, all of this doesn't come cheap -- but isn't your lady worth it?

Don't be scrrred of the kitchy/touristy appearance when you walk in - this place is legit.

Summer Shack in a nutshell:
Fantastic, friendly service by cute gals
Juicy lobster rolls prepared just the way they should be
Strong "un-mix-y" margaritas

The only downside is I that I felt like a tourist eating here. I mean, I was a tourist that weekend, but I hate when it's stamped on my forehead.