Aja Shroll

I woke up this morning at 4 AM and the sky was bright. I thought, "What in the world is going on?" I went back to sleep and woke up to snow! Lots and lots of snow with huge flakes. Dallas, TX doesn't see this kind of snow very often. Today is also my husbands birthday. So he decided to take the morning off work and we all stayed home to play in the snow. This is the first snow like this that our 2 year old has ever seen. He had fun making snow angels and throwing snowballs. I think he enjoyed the snowballs the best! It's still coming down hard so there may be time to build a snowman yet!

After you wind down from the morning festivities of DASH FOR THE BEADS, spend the evening at the OCarnivale Masquerade Ball which will feature live entertainment from Dallas' own Rebel Alliance Jazz Band, a 19 piece group famous for bringing down the house. The event will take place in the Bishop Arts District. The entrance will be on N Bishop, next door to Eno's Pizza Tavern. Tickets are $25 between now and January 25th at Indigo in the Bishop Arts Disrtict, 1745 7th St. They will be $35 after January 25th and $40 at the door. Funds raised will benefit the Bishop Arts District Merchants Association, which pays for things like landscaping and beautification of the N Bishop/Davis area. Get out your dancing shoes- It should be an awesome night!

The 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Parade in the Bishop Arts District will take place on Sunday, February 7th at 4 PM. If you haven't registered your float yet, you better hurry! Deadline for registration is Tuesday, January 5th! The entry fee is $50. You can have a float for your local neighborhood, your business, or for yourself because you deserve one! If you'd like to have printed signage for your business or organization, deadline is January 8th. For more information and to print your registration form, go to www.mardigrasoakcliff.com

I attended last years parade and it was so much fun, especially for the kids! If you live in Dallas and especially if you live in Oak Cliff, I encourage you to get out and join in the festivities!

Don't forget about DASH FOR THE BEADS at 9 AM, Saturday, February 6th and OCarnivale Masquerade Ball at 8 PM.

I'll see you in the Cliff!

To add even more fun to the 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Parade in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff, there will be a 5K run, 1 mile walk, costume contest and festival at 9 AM Saturday, February 6th called DASH FOR THE BEADS! The money raised will benefit the Bishop Arts beautification, LIGHT UP BISHOP ARTS PROJECT. This is an initiative to wrap merchant roof-lines and trees with lights that will shine year-round and make the district shine!

If you are interested in registering for one of these events, go to www.dashforthebeads.org and click on "register" to sign up for the competitive 5k run (timed), the uncompetitive 5k (untimed) or the 1 mile walk. Entry fees range from $15-22.

If you don't plan on running or walking, I hope to see you there cheering everyone on and enjoying the Bishop Arts District Festivities! The Mardi Gras Parade will be held the following day, Sunday, February 7th at 4PM.

I'll see you in the Cliff!

On Tuesday when my husband, Dean, got home from work he surprised me and said we were going to dinner. I said, "Who is we?" If we included my 21 month old son, I thought I might pass. To my surprise, he had lined up a babysitter and it was just the two of us. My choice! I love Mexican food, so I suggested one of my local favorites, Veracruz Cafe in the Bishop Arts District, near our house in Oak Cliff, TX. They serve Mesoamerican, Mayan, Huasteco, and Aztec cuisine. This is definitely a step up from the usual Dallas Tex-Mex.

When we arrived, I looked at the specials written on the chalk board as we entered. The lunch menu is served all day on Tuesdays! This was excellent news, because although Veracruz Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants, it's not the cheapest Mexican food you can find in Oak Cliff.
Dean and I both ordered from the lunch menu and had more than enough food. I am pregnant and I hate to admit it, but sometimes, okay most of the time, I order food based on what I think will be a bigger portion. So you can imagine I was a little leary of the lunch menu. I had the fish tacos, which came with rice and black beans. Veracruz Cafe has THE BEST fish tacos of any place I've ever had them. They hand make the taco shell out of a blue corn tortillas that is so fresh it's still warm when you eat it. The fish is a nice size piece of grilled, not fried, white fish. The absolute best part is probably the cilantro sauce that it comes with. If you're not a fan of cilantro, they do have an alternate sauce that is equally delicious!

Dean went with the carne asada with a chicken mole enchilada, also from the lunch menu. He swears that Veracruz Cafe has THE BEST mole sauce of anywhere he's ever had it. I know they made it fresh daily with real chocolate and fresh spices. I am not the mole connoisseur he is, so we'll have to take his word for it.

After having lunch portions for dinner, we were both too full to even share a flan. This was a bit disappointing, but for the best I'm sure! I highly recommend Veracruz Cafe in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff if you're in the mood for delicious Mexican food. This is authentic from Veracruz region of Mexico. You will not find Tex-Mex anywhere on the premise, but you will find fantastic Mexican cuisine different than any other Mexican food you've had.

Other specials include happy hour Monday through Wednesday from 11AM-7PM and brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-3 PM.