First visit: Oct 2011
Interesting that we were just in this area during the week, and here I am again. As mentioned in the Kenny's Wood Fired Grill post, the RJG lived in Addison from 1988-1991. That same summer of 1991 I moved about 4 miles north to Carrollton and lived there until the end of 1993, before shuffling off to Colorado. Since I rarely visit the area anymore, I always return with a sense of nostalgia. Mrs. RJG is attending a wedding in Carrollton next week, and she wanted to know how to get there (we have do a reconnaissance with Mrs. RJG so she doesn't get lost). And that's the perfect excuse to add a new restaurant to the Regular Joe's Guide!
Of course the Carrollton I left in 1993, is not the same one that exists in 2011. Incredible improvements have been made, especially to the Old Town. In line with other such renovations, like NE Tarrant's own Grapevine, the Old Town has been gussied up, with new lofts, boutique stores, and nice restaurants. There's now a light rail stop here, which gives the place a European meets Texas feel. And the old grain elevator that once touted the Word of Faith megachurch, now more politely invites you to visit old Carrollton. You can read all about Word of Faith and the crackpot Robert Tilton here. It boggles my mind how people can use the name of God to make a quick buck. There has to be a special place in hell for folks like that. Even if you weren't a believer, I wouldn't want to tempt fate like that. Anwway, after lunch we wandered around the stores, and visited the fantastic and fully stocked antique mall - where Mrs. RJG found a few new decorative things to take home.
There aren't any of my old haunts remaining from Carrollton to revisit (except Herrera's), so it was time to try a new place. So off to Urbanspoon I went - and we settled on Agave Azul. Mr. RJG likes a good frozen margarita, and since it was highly rated, I figured it was a worth a shot. And, as it turned out, it was an excellent recommendation. Agave Azul is amongst the new style of Mexican restaurants - upscale decor with a mix of Mexico City styled creations and old school Tex-Mex. Generally when I go to places such as this, I try one of the Mexican Interior dishes. So I had the beef tenderloin tacos, which featured a wonderful spiced marinate. The rice and charro beans were delicious as well. The Mrs. went for the chicken flautas, which were deliciously crunchy with a nice ingredient mix for the meat. She also enjoyed the rice and the refried beans. The opening chips were crisp and flavorful. The chipotle salsa comes out steaming hot (temperature), always a plus for me. I asked if they had a spicier salsa, and they came back with the same concoction but with finely diced serrano's mixed in. Works for me, as that definitely tripled the heat component. Somebody forgot to turn on the margarita machine I think, as I had to wait a few more minutes to get mine. And while slightly frozen, it probably could have used another 10 minutes or so cycling through. Mrs. RJG goes for on the rocks, and she stated hers was great. As it should be, given that the place features multiple tequilas. The RJG knows squat about tequila, preferring to deep dive with beer and wine. However I asked Mr. Music, a tequila connoisseur, if he's been here. And indeed he had, and said the tequila selection is "awesome". And he's spent some time sampling various ones. So there you go.
Of course the Carrollton I left in 1993, is not the same one that exists in 2011. Incredible improvements have been made, especially to the Old Town. In line with other such renovations, like NE Tarrant's own Grapevine, the Old Town has been gussied up, with new lofts, boutique stores, and nice restaurants. There's now a light rail stop here, which gives the place a European meets Texas feel. And the old grain elevator that once touted the Word of Faith megachurch, now more politely invites you to visit old Carrollton. You can read all about Word of Faith and the crackpot Robert Tilton here. It boggles my mind how people can use the name of God to make a quick buck. There has to be a special place in hell for folks like that. Even if you weren't a believer, I wouldn't want to tempt fate like that. Anwway, after lunch we wandered around the stores, and visited the fantastic and fully stocked antique mall - where Mrs. RJG found a few new decorative things to take home.
There aren't any of my old haunts remaining from Carrollton to revisit (except Herrera's), so it was time to try a new place. So off to Urbanspoon I went - and we settled on Agave Azul. Mr. RJG likes a good frozen margarita, and since it was highly rated, I figured it was a worth a shot. And, as it turned out, it was an excellent recommendation. Agave Azul is amongst the new style of Mexican restaurants - upscale decor with a mix of Mexico City styled creations and old school Tex-Mex. Generally when I go to places such as this, I try one of the Mexican Interior dishes. So I had the beef tenderloin tacos, which featured a wonderful spiced marinate. The rice and charro beans were delicious as well. The Mrs. went for the chicken flautas, which were deliciously crunchy with a nice ingredient mix for the meat. She also enjoyed the rice and the refried beans. The opening chips were crisp and flavorful. The chipotle salsa comes out steaming hot (temperature), always a plus for me. I asked if they had a spicier salsa, and they came back with the same concoction but with finely diced serrano's mixed in. Works for me, as that definitely tripled the heat component. Somebody forgot to turn on the margarita machine I think, as I had to wait a few more minutes to get mine. And while slightly frozen, it probably could have used another 10 minutes or so cycling through. Mrs. RJG goes for on the rocks, and she stated hers was great. As it should be, given that the place features multiple tequilas. The RJG knows squat about tequila, preferring to deep dive with beer and wine. However I asked Mr. Music, a tequila connoisseur, if he's been here. And indeed he had, and said the tequila selection is "awesome". And he's spent some time sampling various ones. So there you go.
10/24/11 (new entry)
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