Simple Living

I forgot what I ordered but wanted to record it here I had a decent Negroni and some Watermelon energy cocktail.  Was good.

Sometimes I just want a margarita and some chips.  Mi Cocina is most elegant choice.  It’s not the best margarita, but it’s decent and strong.

Ordered the steak and it was excellent.  Had a bunch of appetizers and amazing Old Fashioned.  This place has got it all.  Prices were not bad for the drinks.

I had some time again in Dallas for work and stopped at Nest Craft.  Love trying new coffee spots and the Cortado was delicious, but the Old Fashioned with Toki Whisky was meh.  They used simple syrup rather than muddling of fruit so it tasted more like sugar and scotch.  Strong yes, but wanted a proper drink. I plan to visit DFW quite a bit for work.  Love the per diem.

My next bottle of champagne I wanted to try a Bollinger Special Cuvée as I learn more about this brand’s history and contribution to the craft.  They developed the riddling process that help usher in the production capacity of champagne. I’ll save it for a special occasion and see where this fits in my recurring rotation. Tasting Review This is a delicious drink and I’m getting hooked on champagne.  It’s better than the Veuwe Cliquot I had previously.  It’s perfectly balanced in terms of dry and hint of fruit. Flavor Profile: Dry Slight Sweet (hint of fruit) Balanced (not sour / low acidity)

Embarking on a 3 night road trip to Waco, Austin and San Antonio.  Riding in the 2016 Toyota Highlander V6. Planned Itinerary: Day 1 - Monday - Waco, Austin 10:30 am - Dallas to Waco 1 pm - Waco (2.5 hrs drive) 1:15 pm - Magnolia Market 1:30 pm - Lunch - Club Sandwich Food Truck 2:30 pm - Waco to Austin (3 hrs drive) 5:40 pm - Austin 6 pm - Dinner - Ramen Tatsu-ya Day 2 - Tuesday - Austin, San Antonio 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9 am - Umlauf & Downtown 11 am - Domain Shopping Center 12:30 pm - Lunch - Miyo Sushi 1:30 pm - Chi Cha Boba Tea 2:30 pm - Austin to San Antonio (2 hrs drive) 4:30 pm San Antonio 5 pm - Riverwalk Mall 5:30 pm - Dinner - Dave & Buster 6:30 pm - River Walk Day 3 - Wednesday - San Antonio 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9:30 am - Alamo 11 am - River Walk Boat Tour 12:30 pm - Lunch - El Castillo 1:30 pm - River Walk Mall 4:30 pm - Dinner - Ostra 6 pm - River Walk Day 4 - Thursday - Austin, Dallas 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9:30 am - San Antonio to New Braunfels - Bu

Practicing with more white wines and champagnes and picked up for New Years a bottle of Veuve Cliquot. Tasting - Dec 2023 This was my first real champagne I’ve enjoyed outside of a wedding or major celebration and I’m liking it.  I can see now why people love it. For me it was dry like a sake or Pinot Grigio, yet had enough sweetness to make it pleasant.  It has to be served cold and a bit faster on consumption to enjoy the bubbly. Still much to learn but will add more champagne’s into rotation.

I was foolishly curious and decided to try 4 Loko for the first time.  Yuck.  It tasted like liquid jolly ranchers.  My teeth were hurting indicating a ton of sugar and wasn’t sure if my head was buzzing from the sugar or the alcohol. It did give a buzz though so I know this is potent, but the sugar rush masks the alcohol and makes this somewhat dangerous as it’s equivalent to 4 servings of beer in a single can. At least I tried it. One benefit of trying 4 Loko - Add to your taste portfolio There is one benefit in trying something like 4 Loko, it expands your taste profile experience so you can recall and compare it with future taste profiles.

Final leg of my 2 week vacation is a weekend in Vegas.  Arrived Thursday night and went to a couple casino bars and met up with friends.  I’ll hit up the buffet then Shin Lim magic show before heading back home. Day 1 - Arrival, Downtown - Golden Nugget - Decent Day 2 - Vegas Strip - Caesars Bacchanal Buffet - Crap Day 3 - Shin Lim @ Mirage - Meh Day 4 - Departure Overall - Vegas is Meh unless you spend big. Overall Vegas is no longer worth it unless you plan to spend at least $500-1,000 per day minimum for a good hotel, food and entertainment.   I spent $1200 for food, hotel, transportation and a show for a mediocre experience.  You would think I’d get something good out of that?   Only highlights was 1 amazing Old Fashioned at Alto Bar in Caesars.  A decent magic show and that's about it.  Only $100 of what I spent was worth it, the other $1100 was a waste. 1st Day - Flight into LAS from LAX, Stayed Downtown at Golden Nugget I first flew into LAX on ANA and got to ride on the Sta