The Smith List - Pilot

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India Palace

A few weeks ago Michele and I went to one of our favorite places: India Palace.  If you like big flavors, India Palace is simply a must do.

Offering wonderfully prepared dishes from India that stimulate all the taste centers of the palate.  From savory Kebobs and Tandoori Chicken, to creamy smooth Chicken Tika Masala, and the uniquely sweet and delicious Palace Naan: you will enjoy a feast fit for kings.  Did I mention they have a lunch buffet?

Time to add some spice to your life!  

Hair it Is!

I am so excited by the Dallas Arts District that I want everyone to know and take advantage of it.

As a New York transplant who had season tickets to the ballet at Lincoln Center, I felt something was missing when I moved to Dallas.  Now I can truly say that the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District has filled that void for me.  Ten beautiful acres of living, breathing, art and culture brings a smile to my face.

Winspear Opera House

The AT&T Performing Arts Center is one of the most accomplished in the country and has been said to be one of the most significant since New York's Lincoln Center.  The Winspear Opera House, the Wyly Theater and Sammons Park are just a few of the many venues that unify the Center.  Contemporary dance and music, local performance arts organizations like the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Black Dance Theater and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico are just a few of the wonderful exhibitions you can experience.  One of the biggest draws to the center are the community are touring performances: enter stage right, from Broadway: "HAIR"!

HAIR is a musical about love, peace, passion, freedom and self expression.  The social content in the play reveals an interesting parallel as it takes the audience back to a time in our country, not unlike contemporary American society, when people cried out for hope and change.  This great musical was at the Winspear Opera House and I had the pleasure of seeing it.  The audience was filled with Baby Boomers reminiscing about their afros and long flowing hair (I'm talking about the men actually), bell bottoms, and rebelling against the system.  Then, there were the Generation X and Yers looking around in amazement and laughing at how the boomers were all trying to recall their youth.

The actors were not just on the stage they were in the audience rustling our hair and making us get up and dance.  We were a part of the play...snapping our fingers and clapping our hands and at the end...we even had a chance to get up on stage and dance with the cast...it was awesome.


I look forward to more great experiences in Dallas' Art District and the AT&T Performing Arts Center: Public Zumba and Yoga classes, Jamie Foxx at the Brinker International Forum and so much more!  Hey maybe I'll see you at the Ballet...

As Don Cornelius would say: "Love, Peace, and Soul!

Texas State Fair 2011

Check us out at the fair this year.  125 years of deep fried excellence!

Tiano's Restaurant in Lihue, HI...Again?

The fact that we have to create another entry for Tiano's should tell you just how much we like this spot...it just that good!

One of the many gems that we found on the garden island of Kauai was Tiano's Restaurant (formerly the Oki Diner)  Tiano's was a short drive from our place, the Lawai Beach Resort, in the city of Lihue, HI.   Let me also take this moment to interject one of the great features of this island: it's small...so you can get anywhere on the island in a relatively short amount of time.

Remember this?

At Tiano's, Executive Chef Joel Navasca was on his game mixing great Polynesian and Filipino dishes while offering traditional American fare for those who are not that adventurous.  Everything we had was "off the chain!" and pricing was comparable to the other location in the area.

TIP:  Always search out the spots where the locals eat, you can get really authentic food at the best prices!

Tiano's Kalua Omelette...Do you see the pork busting out of this thing!  I had pork all over this island at just about every chance I got, this was the best portion size I had in a week.

Adobo Fried Rice and Eggs...Here's some of that Filipino influence: fried rice for breakfast?  Tiano's makes it work.

Michele had the French Toast Deluxe made with Hawaiian sweet bread, and more portuguese sausage...You ARE indeed my resolution sweetie! (see Michele's t-shirt)

When you are in Kauai you gotta check these guys out.  You can't miss them...they are just a short drive from the airport, so you have no excuses!  Mahalo!

Tiano's Restaurant

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

4479 Rice Street

Lihue, HI 96766

808-245-6909

www.tianosrestaurant.com

The DeFries Lunch Wagon

We met some great people during our time in Kauai, Hawaii, and the DeFries family is right at the top of the list.  Mrs. Sandy and her family hooked us up when we stopped by to try their famous "shaved ice.  Due to their tremendous hospitality, we left the Anahola Fairgrounds with a plate of DeFries chicken, roasted pork, veggies and mac salad for dinner!   THANKS Mrs. Sandy!  You guys are truly "Da Best!"

Allure of the Seas

Have you ever been on a cruise?

I know every time I ask this question I get a varied list of answers:

• "I'm afraid to get on a boat"
• "You know I would love to go but I don't have anyone to go with me"
• "I have always thought about going but just have not had a chance"

You know what my answer always is…"You've just got to go!"

We love cruising. Our first cruise was on our honeymoon 12 years ago, and we have been hooked ever since.  Why?  It's one of the best values and ways to see and do the most stuff while on vacation, or you can relax and do nothing...it really is your choice.

Chillin in Haiti

When you get on the ship (not boat), you don't have to worry about where to eat, transportation, or about what to do next.  Cruise ships have multiple restaurants, casinos, spas, jazz clubs, dance clubs, movie theaters, rock climbing, basketball courts, ice skating, surfing, mini golf,...should I keep going?  I am sure you get the point, there is something for everyone.  To add icing to the cake, you can do all these things as you visit great ports of call like: the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Hawaii….the possibilities are endless.

Scuba in Mexico

We are great fans of Royal Caribbean (RC).  We've been on four cruises with RC and they have gotten better each time. 

When we heard the largest cruise ship in the world would be sailing out of Port Everglades, Florida we knew we had to get on it.  Welcome Allure of the Seas!  Our itinerary was Cozumel- Mexico, Labadee - Haiti, and Falmouth - Jamaica.

1970's Parade

We made it to the port and entered the ship with much anticipation.  We entered on Deck 5 - The Royal Promenade, a huge area in the middle of the ship filled with shops, clubs, sidewalk dining, bars, lounges, shopping and people walking around as if you are at your neighborhood mall...a very big neighborhood mall.  They actually have two character (themed) parades.


After seeing this, we could not wait to see what the stateroom would look like, and we were pleasantly surprised.  Since we have earned Gold status with Royal Caribbean, we were upgraded to a stateroom with a view of Central Park!

The room was tight but very functional, We had a queen size bed, sofa with coffee table, 32" flatscreen TV and wait…is that a veranda?  The most beautiful view of Royal Caribbean's Central Park neighborhood.  As we stepped onto the veranda, which is separated from the stateroom next to us with tall privacy walls, we saw trees and park benches and people strolling in and out of more restaurants and shops.

View from our state room 

We quickly got out of our stateroom and headed down to the Ice Skating Rink on the 4th floor…yes I said the ice skating rink, one of the locations where reservations could be made for the myriad of shows being featured that week on the ship.  The Oasis class ships are the first cruise ships to offer actual Broadway shows at sea.  All cruise lines conduct "Broadway-style" shows of their own, but Royal Caribbean has changed the game by offering actual Broadway productions.

The ship was filled with activities that David and I enjoyed.  If I could not find David I knew exactly where to go:  The FlowRider, this spot became his second home for the next seven days. 

I zip lined across the ship nine decks high, we saw shows, rode the Carousel, ate hot dogs and ice cream in freshly made waffle cones on the Boardwalk...remember we are on the ship, not ashore at one of the ports of call!  We participated in the parades, danced, enjoyed comedy shows, toured the islands and ate food that would rival any five star restaurant.  The destinations were unique and showed us the beauty of the Caribbean and its wonderful people.

The Smith List top 5 reasons you should cruise:

5. Year round availability - Cruise any time of the year!  The Caribbean is the destination of most cruise lines, and it's always warm and sunny down there so even when it's 30 degrees in the states, it's 80 degrees in the Bahamas, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Puerto Rico or many of the other great ports of call.

4. See the world - literally!  With ports of call in the Mediterranean, Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe and so much more. You decide where you want to go and what you want to see.

3. Something for the whole family - kids want to go to the Boardwalk and get their faces painted and you want to go to the Casino?  Yeah you can do that, and the kids club can take them for you!

2. Simplicity: Easy to book either through a travel agent, a Royal Caribbean agent, or online.

1. Bang for your buck

Fine dining at it's best, the most affordable way to see the world, great accommodations, friendly staff and attention to detail at less than $100.00 a day, per person.  You can't beat a cruise with a stick!

Tell us about your cruise experience!