Thanksgiving has got to be on of my top three holidays during the year. Thanksgiving, Christmas and 4th of July, in some order. Since Jenna and I got married in 2011 (and maybe even a year or two before), we spend every 4th of July in Okoboji, IA. We are always running around like crazy, trying to get in complete days full of mini-golf, nutty bars and the pool, of course. We spend Christmas split between my family on Christmas Eve and the Davies on Christmas Day. It’s great to see both families over the time, but travelling can be a little hectic. The reason Thanksgiving is near the top of my list is because it is a time where I can just relax. Whether we are spending time in Columbus or with my family in Lincoln/Ashland/Sioux Falls, I know that my expectations for activity are very low on Thanksgiving Day, and really the whole weekend.
With that being said, I broke my own rule this year. Rather than enjoy the extra 2.5 days off, we spent Thursday at my parents’ new house in Ashland, Friday with Jenna’s family in Omaha, and then I flew to Dallas on Saturday to visit my brother Paul. One of my college roommates, Jarryd Widhalm, flew up from Mexico City to meet us both and celebrate his 30th birthday and my upcoming one.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving weekend, we ate better (more) than I think we probably should have. On Saturday, we ate at Grub Burger Bar and watched the beginning of the Ohio State/Michigan football game. We got some Luau Fries, which were basically skinny fries covered in cheese and pork with jalapenos and BBQ sauce on the side. Those got devoured pretty quickly when we ordered our actual meal: Paul the Guacapotle burger, Jarryd the Mac ‘N Cheeseburger and me the Jive Turkey. I can’t speak for the other two, but the turkey burger I ate was one of the best (right up there with one from The Cheesecake Factory). I didn’t even mind the avocado right on top, which is usually a big “no-no” for me. That night, we were too full to really think about food until about 9:15pm when we ordered a bacon calzone crust “The Original” from Picasso’s. Jarryd said that pizza doesn’t quite taste the same in Mexico City, so he slathered on the marinara, ranch and garlic butter before devouring about six slices of pizza.
The next day, Sunday, we planned to go to a BBQ joint in Deep Ellum that would only be open from 11am-3pm. We got there at 10:45am and already were 45 minutes deep in the line. Even so, it was totally worth it to stop at the Pecan Lodge. Between the three of us, we got sides of mac ‘n cheese and individual dinner rolls, and then were able to try pork ribs, sausage, pulled pork and the beef brisket. This place was highly rated both in Dallas and nationally, and we did not leave disappointed (or hungry). However, we did manage to find just enough room for a piece of “Smooth Operator” (think French Silk with a pretzel crust) at Emporium Pies, which was conveniently located next door.
That night we attended a Mavericks basketball game against Anthony Davis (whoops, I mean the New Orelans Pelicans…after 36 points, it felt like “the Brow” was taking them all on my himself), and Jarryd was such a big fan of Picasso’s that we stopped there again after the game (just plain hamburger this time).
All-in-all, it was a great trip, and as I’m sure you can tell, we all left with new exercise, nutrition and weight-loss goals. If you ever find yourself in Dallas for any reason, I’d have no problem recommending any of the food places we visit. Well worth the trip!
Logan
Leave a Reply