How To Have A Great Girls Night Out In Dallas

Cynthia Smoot with WFAA's Jane McGarry and the Ft. Worth Star Telegram's Food Editor, Bud Kennedy talking about great spots for a Girls Night Out at Scardello

Having great girlfriends is a crucial part of my happiness. My husband tries to empathize and be supportive about certain things, but he will never truly understand some of my issues around my body, child-rearing, and (let's face it) our marriage. Only another woman can nod along and know exactly what you are talking about when you go off on how your man left the toilet seat up for the 10,000th time or how he got you a vacuum cleaner for your birthday "because you said you needed one". There are endless articles about how to strengthen your marriage and keep the love alive. But friendships are much like a marriage - you have to dedicate quality time to any relationship if it's going to flourish and stay the course. Today, I visited the set of Good Morning Texas to chat with Jane McGarry about some of my favorite ways to get enjoy a Girls Night Out in Dallas. Watch the segment and let me know if I left off a favorite haunt or yours. I'm always looking for fun new options. Click to see the segment(s) and hopefully you'll discover one r two new things to try with your gal pals. Cheers!

Oh So Tasty: Ida Claire

So, here's the thing. My general rule is that this blog is about Dallas and the people, places and events that make Dallas such an amazing city to live in. Plano, Mesquite, Addison, Frisco, and Garland may be suburbs of Dallas - but they are not Dallas. And since I am only one person and this blog is not my full-time job, I've had to circle the wagons (so to speak) and set some geographical boundaries because there is only so much that one person can physically do. However, occasionally I make an exception to the rule, and such an exception was recently made when I received an invitation from Ida Claire on Beltline Road in Addison.

Touch your mouse to the image below to flip through a delicious slideshow:

some photos c/o Ida Claire

First off, can we just all acknowledge that Ida Claire is about the cutest name in the history of names. I am a total sucker for anything paying homage to Southern culture and the fun play on the classic Southern saying of "I declare" was too adorable to resist. Ida Claire is a one-off owned by Fork It Over Restaurants, the group that brought us Whiskey Cake in Plano, the Ranch at Las Colinas and Twin Peaks. The website explains that Ida Claire is "South of Ordinary" and that diners can expect an intriguing, southern-inspired destination for relaxing suppers, slow weekend brunching or a meeting hub for business lunches and happy hour. They claim that Southern hospitality is not something one does, it's the way one is. It's an attitude and way of life that is engrained in Southerners that makes people sincerely welcomed. I couldn't agree more!