July Happenings

Let's Eat ~ San Remo

     We are excited that San Remo is back in town and located in their new downtown location on Connally Street, 226 Connally Street to be exact.  They are open Tuesday through Sunday, ready to serve you and your family. This family run restaurant is a great addition to the Sulphur Springs dining options.  San Remo has a varied menu for your group and a good selection of wine or beer to choose from.  Don't forget about a cocktail to start off your dinner along with an appetizer.

    One of our favorite appetizers is the Caprese salad.  They have elevated this dish into something unique to their restaurant and sliced out a large tomato and stuffed it with mozzarella cheese and drizzled with  balsamic, olive oil and shredded basil.  

    We also enjoy the Dela Nona salad, shared as a group or as a meal on its own.  The salad is bursting with flavors, that will make your taste buds sing.  Just the right amount of dressing brings out the best in this dish and is sure to satisfy.

    You can never go wrong with the Malanzane Parmigiana, or egg plant parmesan, or Pollo Parmigiana, chicken parmesan, they are two great, standard Italian dishes that will leave you full.  Both are substantial portions, that you might want to take some home.  

    All of the pasta dishes are worth a taste, so you can keep coming back to try and find your favorite.  This time we tried the Verde and the Puntanesca.  Both were delicious and satisfying to enjoy.  Come and bring your friends, family and guests, to enjoy this local treat.  You will not be disappointed with your meal.

Travel East Texas ~ Paris

 

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    About forty minutes north of Sulphur Springs, is the city of Paris, Texas.  We made the journey north to check out their downtown and of course visit the "Texas Eifel Tower."  We made a few stops around the downtown area to check out what shops to venture into and what kind of food offerings they have for visitors.  

    Downtown Paris has a good variety of shops to choose from when visiting.  Antique shops, Olive Paris, an Art and Wine shop, along with a grouping of boutiques.  The length of your stay can depend upon how much you want to explore and what you are looking for in your treasure hunt.  The antique shops we stopped into are delineated into vendor booths, so an assortment of items can be found, if you have the time to look and browse for that special item.  

    Olive Paris, is a great stop to consider to find artesian olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  You can taste before you buy so you are able to find exactly what you want and for what dish you want to cook up.  They also have a range of items for the bar b que master in your family.  With Father's Day rapidly approaching a great gift can be found here.

    Tresors de Paris, is a unique stop, with art, wine, craft beer and of course bar b que items in store.  Their creativity in combining multiple different ways to attract a customer helps to bring in men and women alike who walk away with a package.

   
    We caught  Paris Bakery in the middle of transition from breakfast to lunch.  Prepared lunch sandwiches went into the bakery case as we were leaving after enjoying a cinnamon roll.  No coffee today but I'm sure their coffee would be worth the trip, I noticed a familiar coffee vendor, Addison Roasters, on one of the air pods for drip coffee.  

    We dropped into 107 to see what their menu looked like for a possible consideration for lunch.  While entirely indoors, they have brought the outside in, by creating a space more like an open patio, with clear roofing to give you that feeling of being outside while still remaining cool in the Texas heat.  Their menu had a lot of great options, for everyone, so bring your group and pull up a chair.  

    We did end up eat at Jaxx Gourmet Burgers, I know what you are thinking, why would you make that choice?  They had a portobello mushroom salad on the menu, no change or questions necessary for me to order, and my companion found a choice for himself, that he loved how they cooked, even if the portion was a little on the lite side.  They are obvisouly known for their burgers, stop in if that's the way you want to go.  We loved how they "framed" the t-shirts on the wall, with t-shirt frames, it added a quirky touch to the décor that guests will not soon forget.  

    The central part of the square is a green space, with a fountain in the middle, where people can meet to enjoy a visit, listen to concerts, or check out the farmers market.  The community theater is also downtown on the corner, and open for the season.  Be sure to check out their schedule to see what is coming up next.

    A trip to Paris, would not be complete without a visit to the "Texas Eifel Tower."  The tower is topped with a red cowboy hat and is located by the Veterans Memorial and Love Civic Center.  Be sure to make the stop, not only for the tower but to see and experience the memorial.  The Veterans Memorial is unique tribute to those who have served from Lamar County.  

    Until next time I hope you can find your way to Paris, and find a new treasure or two to bring home.  If nothing else, enjoy some good food and exploration with friends and family. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Citrus Basil Margarita

 

    This month for our herb infused cocktail series we are featuring basil.  We currently have four kinds of basil in our garden and each one produces a different flavor to this wonderful herb.  We love to use it is summer dishes, that are cooked as well as those that use the herb raw.  For this this drink we chose two of the varieties to muddle in our mix.

    Basil has been used in the past to help ease stomach issues but the most common use of basil is to make pesto.  Pesto is such a delicious condiment for food use, that while in season you could hardly make enough.  Although it can be time consuming to make pesto, the end result is worth the wait.

    Today we are not making pesto but rather a citrus basil margarita.  Who does not like to make a Margarita to help cool down on those warm summer nights? 

Citrus Basil Margarita

8-10 Basil leaves, muddled

1 medium Lemon

1/2 Lime

1 oz. Tequila

1 oz. Simple Syrup

    Place your basil leaves in the bottom of your shaker cup.  Muddled them quite a bit to release the oils and flavors from the basil.  Squeeze in your lemon and lime.  Add in the Tequila and simple syrup.  Top it off with ice.  Shake until the container is frosted.  Strain  your liquid into a salt rimmed glass.  Garnish with basil and lime.  Enjoy!

    

    As usual if you want to make your own simple syrup, we recommend making it was some basil as well to really bring out the flavor of the basil in the drink.  We love basil so that is what we did when we made this drink.

    We hope that you enjoy this version of a margarita, so simple and refreshing.  If you want to make it a mocktail, just add more lemon and lime, and withhold the tequila.  Enjoy responsibly and always select a designated driver.  Cheers from the Oaks bed and breakfast!