You can bet that Emerald City brings all of them to the table and then some!  This gem of burst onto the Dallas music scene in the summer of 1983. Emerald City electrifies audiences with a repertoire encompassing the last 50 years of popular music, as well as playing the most current songs on the radio with a mix of their original music.

Emerald City Band has performed for President and Mrs. Bush at The White House, and numerous fortune 500 companies including MCI, Ford Motor Company, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. As Wedding Musicians, Emerald City has been featured at many high profile weddings for clients such as Emmitt Smith, Mark Cuban and Angie Harmon.

Averaging more than 300 performances a year, The Dallas Morning News voted Emerald City as “Dallas’s Best Band”. Their ability to entertain is only rivaled by their extensive ability to get the audience up on the dance floor.

The collective energy of this 14 piece, 4-horn section group has flown all over the country from New York to Los Angeles to OpryLand. At each engagement they take their audience to an even higher level in entertainment. 

Playing tonight at the Down Under Pub in Frisco and it’s always a great time!  The music is phenomenal and the performance the band puts on is even better!   Exceptional energy all around!

It’s time for the 2010 Strut Your Mutt event put on by the North Texas SPCA.  The event benefits the SPCA in our local Frisco community by helping abandoned or mistreated animals find caring, forever homes!

Mutts (and purebreds) come from all over North Texas come to participate in this event.  Large, medium, small and toy pups come in all shapes, sizes and colors with tongues hanging and tails wagging to join in the fun!!!  Sporting rhinestone or camo collars and doggie bling or sweaters all the mutts and owners spend the day enjoying the diverse company of all the other families.

The 5th Annual Strut Your Mutt 3K Walk/Fun Run to be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the SPCA of Texas Headquarters.  Complimentary valet parking will be provided.  The festivities are from 9:00 am until 12:30 pm with the walk beginning at 10:15 am.

Last year, almost 1,300 registered Mutt Strutters raised a record amount for animals at SPCA of Texas. The funds help us rescue and care for abused pets, provide low-cost clinic services, and find homes for the animals in our care. Because SPCA of Texas relies entirely on private donations, events like Strut Your Mutt are absolutely essential to making our community a better place for people and pets.

The event will have plenty of family-fun events for you to enjoy at the Bow-Wow Bazaar. The Bazaar includes vendor booths, activities for pets and kids, demonstrations and more! Mix 102.9 will be on site to provide music for the event and Rick O’Bryan from The Morning Mix will be our emcee.

So, whether you are a walker, a runner or just want to hang out at the finish line, we hope that you will join the rest of the DFW community in celebrating our common compassion for animals.

On March 29^th there will be a gold tournament head at the TPC Golf Course at the Four Seasons Country Club.  This scramble is sure to be a great time with a wonderful cause benefiting the students of the Frisco ISD.  Donations make and money earned will be added to the Scholarship Fund to assist students in North Texas with the sometimes overwhelmingly large burden of college tuition.   With the deadline to register quickly approaching….it’s time to get in on the action!!

DATE: MONDAY MARCH 29, 2010
TIMES: 11:00 AM REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN BEGINS 1:00 PM SHOT GUN START 6:00 PM AWARDS , RAFFLE AND BALL DROP FORMAT: FOUR PERSON SCRAMBLE
DEADLINE: MARCH 15, 2010
 
PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP—$3,500
Eight (8)-Player Entries and 4 carts Eight (8) Player Gift Bags Entry in the putting contest, longest drive contest and closest to the pin contest for each player Title Logo on Tournament Sponsor Banner Company logo on all cart signs Name in Press Release One page insert ad in Gift Bag Two (2) hole-signs
 
GOLD SPONSORSHIP—$2,000
Four (4)-Player Entries and 2 carts Four (4) Player Gift Bags Entry in the putting contest, longest drive contest and closest to the pin contest for each player Logo on Tournament Sponsor Banner Name in Press Release One (1) hole sign
 
CORPORATE TEAM—$1,050
Four (4)-Player Entry and 2 carts Four (4) Player Gift Bags One (1) Hole Sign Entry in the putting contest, longest drive contest and closest to the pin contest for each player
 
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER —$200
Includes 1-Player Entry and Shared Cart One (1) Player Gift Bag Entry in the putting contest, longest drive contest and closest to the pin contest
 
HOLE SIGN SPONSORSHIP—$250
Hole Sign

For additional information, please contact:

Marla McManus at 214-683-9639
Greg King at 214-934-9618
Cheri Hunter at 972-377-7612
Ken Doherty at 214-213-9466
Diane Smith at 214-364-8156

Information about the Four Seasons Country Club and the TPC can be found at:

http://www.fourseasons.com/dallas/

Probably didn’t do much there for the song and Van Morrison would more than likely smack me if he heard me squeaking that song….I’m not much of a little canary over here.  But anywho…seeing how it’s almost 75 degrees for the first time this year the only thing that I can thing about while I finish up my work day is a frozen mango margarita on the patio at Gloria’s on Gaylord Parkway!!!  Frozen with salt…I’ve been chanting to myself today…frozen with salt!

Gloria’s is the perfect place to spend a warm spring evening with friends and family…with fantastic food that finishes with hints of Brazilian goodness one can’t help but try one of everything.  But tonight is a night to celebrate…spring is finally here and Gloria’s is where it’s at!  

The nightly menu can be downloaded at:

http://www.gloriasrestaurants.com/templates/glorias/images/dinner_menu.pdf

Happy Monday!  While I got into a number of things this weekend that are worth sharing on the Frisco area….you’ve probably notice that I’m a border line “foodie.”  Not to be confused with a “gourmet,” but I just really love to eat, drink and learn the history and preparation of each dish I consume.  That being said…the first stop for the week is a tasty treasure I’ve come to know as Loft 610.

I’ve always had a hard time eating at and dealing with chain restaurants…everything is so cookie cutter and living in Frisco it’s hard to find a gem of a place like Loft 610.  A little back ground…while I love to eat and experience different foods….I’m not real big on who preparing and dreaming up the delectable dishes I’ve sampled.  Apparently, the executive chef is Tre Wilcox a contestant from the Bravo’s show Top Chef season 3.  Well heck…I’m down to try something created by a guy that went toe-to-toe with the likes of Tom Colicchio whose meanness gives me nightmares after watching just the previews!!

First the restaurant and then the food.  The Loft area is the lounge located upstairs with the restaurant located in the downstairs section.  The décor looks like Ikea threw up in every nook and cranny of the place, so obvious I loved it!  Very clean modern lines with not much lighting, funky art, exposed duct work, open kitchen and brick…all and all a very trendy looking joint.

The food was amazing…I feel if I ramble on about what I had it might skew choice selections, but I don’t care…y’all are gonna hear about my food!  I first had the duck spring rolls….don’t get duck very often and often times it’s dry but I gave it a shot…YAYAYA!!!  So crispy and light with a spicy pomegranate dipping sauce which provided zing and sweet all in one dunk!  A slam dunk duck I could chow down on every day!  My main course I selected the Scallops with Bacon served with Risotto and Pomegranate Citrus butter! Now these….I don’t think I can do it any justice….so just go to Loft 610 and try it!

Great food, exceptional service and amazing drinks!!  My only caution is to men in their mid-to-late 20’s…do not go by yourself or a group of all men on a Saturday…it’s Cougar central and can get a little scary!!

Habitat for Humanity is one of my favorite charities in North Texas…and by far puts on one of my favorite fundraising events. Habitat for Humanity South Collin County is hosting their 7th Annual Building Foundations Building Lives Gala & Casino Night on Saturday, March 6th from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Frisco. 

Proceeds will provide decent affordable homes to deserving families in our community. Gala guests can expect fine dining, exciting casino games with live and silent auctions featuring a wide range of items from international hotel stays to dinners at local restaurants. 

To date, Habitat for Humanity has built over 350,000 homes in more than 3,000 communities across the globe.  I was fortunate enough to build a home here in Dallas and I must say…it was a great experience.  I met some of the greatest people from all over Texas and we still remain in touch today.  It was amazing to see folks with no formal training in construction, roofing and other specific home building trades all come together under the instruction of a professional to accomplish one job…build a home to better lives of a fellow north Texan. 

While this isn’t an outdoor event as I promised to be bringing in the spirit of spring, it’s a really great cause that I truly believe in.  While the cost is $100 per guest, the look of appreciate from the families affected is worth far more than money could ever buy.  Come out and join your neighbors at a fantastic evening event and support and even better cause!!!

Information and tickets for the event can be found at http://www.habitat-scc.org/about_us/news.php?ID=33.

With the good weather looking like it’s here to stay (wishfully thinking over here), I believe every one I know is starting to sweat about getting back their “summer body.”  We all do it…wear big sweaters and jeans to hide the extra weight we all put on during the cold winter months.  I like to compare myself to a bear…I have to get fat or I won’t survive….while that’s not EXACTLY true, it’s what I like to tell myself!

Well apparently, tennis is supposed to be a grrreeat workout since it’s toning and great cardio.  Personally…tennis scares the crap out of me.  Let’s think about it for a minute… John McEnroe…yep…he was a little scary…and those Williams sisters, absolutely terrifying in so many ways….namely the notion they could crush my skull with their quad muscles!  In short, the game has always struck me as one with such uptight players, that not even smacking a ball with a racket at 200 miles per hour can ease the tension.  SCARY.

I have yet to agree to go, but there’s a place located on Legacy called Lakes Tennis Academy.  For the oh…not really steep price of $20/hour lesson (cost for non-members…the words “paying your dues” and “initiation” tend to render images of gang and girl scouts…hah!) you can learn the great game of tennis.  Even though the game scares me and the closest I’ve been to a tennis court is a game of beer pong in college and a game of flip-cup last weekend I’m still considering giving it a whirl since the weather is breaking are getting nice! 

FORE!!!  Whoops…wrong sport!

http://www.lakestennis.com/pages/index.cfm?siteid=11700

After a record breaking winter in oh…pretty much all those categories that you DON’T want to break records in…days below freezing, number of frosts, total snow fall accumulation, number of days with snow…could it be that spring has finally sprung here in north Texas?  (Just as a side not, I was half listening to the news the other day, I only ever half listen…too depressing…and I heard the anchors discussing that TXDOT estimates that it costs tax payers $37 to fill EACH pothole/crater that opened up in the roads this winter!!  $37!!  A little steep for just slapping some asphalt into a hole and beating it down.)

With spring comes warmer weather, sunshine and fun!  (Not to mention flip flops and no more dry hair and skin).  Frisco is a great place to enjoy the great outdoor activities, clothing and shopping that comes along with the season!  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the up and coming events, super shopping dates, fun for the little ones and where you can find the best patios and summer drink specials in town (just so we are clear…I don’t mean little one fun and bar patios at the same time…it’s just the way it feel in the order of the sentence).

Stay tuned for more information to fill each and everyday the Frisco way this summer!

Yep…I still feel that way, but I’ve gotten a whole lot better at pushing myself to actually do it!  While I have to DRAG…I mean literally drag myself kicking and screaming to the treadmill at the gym, I’m learning to like the burning sensation that surges through my chest like my lungs are about to burn up and explode and the cramps under my ribs that feel like a knife slicing through what is probably pretty important muscles.  Okay…no that’s not true at all…I hate the way running makes me feel while I’m doing it, but really enjoy the high and sense of accomplishment once I complete my trek.

Despite my love hate relationship with this, one of the oldest forms of exercise…I’m really looking forward to the Lochrann’s Paddy Dash beginning in Frisco Square on Saturday, March 13, 2010 with registration between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. the day of the race.  The race this year will benefit the Frisco Family Services (FFS) http://www.friscocenter.org/, which is a non-profit that is dedicated to providing assistance to families and individuals in crisis in the Frisco area. 

It’s a great cause and a great time for folks of all ages with a 1-mile fun run and a 5k runs which begins after the fun run.  Even though this is my first organized run and in the past my idea of a good fundraiser was a pub crawl….okay…another lie…it still is….but heck, let’s try something different with the 5k!  Information and registration details can be found at the link below!!

http://www.paddydash.com/

It’s strange to think that just a few short years ago I was a vegetarian.  Hah…yes..it’s true, I felt the need at that time to save and cherish all God’s creature (exception being  snakes, spiders, roaches and to be honest…most other insects) and hug a few trees.  Know I know what you’re thinking…but come on…I think we all at some point in time go through a hippie preachin’, Doors and Beatles listenin’, savin’ the planet phase which seems to happen almost always in your early 20s.  That being said….you couldn’t get a piece of steak or chicken in my mouth to save your life.

While I lost the hippie phase and colored my hair back to a somewhat “natural” looking shade and got a real job…I still didn’t eat any meat.  Well, that all changed when I moved to…uhhh…TEXAS…the steak and bbq capital of perhaps the world.  Today, I can be found chowing down in a medium-rare steak at Houston’s and grubbing on some killer bbq.

Which brings me to Rudy’s in Frisco!  Funny thing…most good places aren’t chains from what I’ve found….but this chain has strategically placed restaurant locations in virtually any “major” metro area in Texas that is big enough for your to have heard of and not compromised a morsel of flavor!  And don’t let the “chain” hold you back from stopping it…not the best I’ve ever had, but it’s right around the corner and it’s CHEAP goodness!

From the outside Rudy’s doesn’t look like much more than an old gas station.  But inside, you’ll fun some pretty delectable q and some hella friendly folks inside to serve it to you.  After fighting off the hankering from some meat I stopped in and immediately the employees began making recommendations on some of their favorite chow downs.  Fatty brisket…check…St. Louis style ribs…check.  Of course I stopped them after the first two and was sold…but the list of choices and sides goes on and on…turkey, chicken, gamie type stuff…coleslaw, cream corn (icky btw) and more!

The meat is all delicious…smoked over oak wood chips to perfection.  The only thing that makes these meats eat better….the sauce!  The ribs are so meaty and seasoned to perfection it’s almost not needed, but a like to use the bbq sauces as more of a tasty moppin’ sauce for a little added kick.  The sides are vast in variety and I can only comment on those I’ve tried…the slaw and creamed corn.  Slaw good, corn…yugh…what was I thinking?  It had nothing to do with the was it was cooked or prepared at Rudy’s….it’s the concept in general…corn in a goo.

All in all…1.5 thumbs up from me.  Great place for lunch or a grab and go dinner!!