Flemings - Restaurant Review

If you are wanting a delicious experience, great environment, nice ambiance, a feeling like a million bucks, great service, and the ability to try it anywhere in the nation this is a restaurant for you. They label themselves as a steakhouse and wine bar, however at the location we've gone to and enjoyed I honestly have enjoyed more their seafood dishes more! My personal review of this establishment is based off of the location in Plano, TX in the Shops of Legacy area; so I don't know about the other locations around the nation, I can only speak on behalf of this one.

The first time I went was with my sister for her birthday and we had my oldest (who was very little walking at the time) and I was already pregnant with my youngest. It was the Christmas season and the lobby entrance of the restaurant was beautifully decorated. Not only at this first visit but all others thereafter they always have a nice display for selfies and any group photos that may be desired to be taken; honestly a cool setup they have for before and/or after your meal. Moving on! So I'm not being biased by my oldest has always been well behaved and I make sure she's not one of those snot nosed brats running all around the table or restaurant with parents that always like to say "oh they're just kids being kids!" Needless to say even my knowing how well behaved my kiddo was I was still self conscious because a place that looked this nice made me wonder how the environment and ambiance was going to be, at least towards my kids. The world is cruel and likes to generalize so I was dreading how they might treat us thinking that my kid was like all the other snot nosed kids of the world...The waiter was so patient and even tried carrying conversation with my oldest (who really was just starting to use complete words), truly a calm and delicious meal!

With how lovely the entire evening was of course we returned! We've now gone about five times now and let me tell you! The consistency of their food prep, cooking, and meals are impressionable. Their flavors and menu items are all deliciously satisfying and an experience in themselves. Family members of mine have ordered some of their steak menu items but as I mentioned earlier, I have continually been deliciously satisfied and impressed with their seafood items! Below are the pictures of the items that are my favorites! 😁

I can't express enough how delicious this place is, but don't take my word for it and try it yourself! 😉 whether for an intimate dinner for two, traveling or work and wanting to eat at their bar lounge area, or a special family dinner - they won't disappoint https://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/locations#location-overlay

Here we have the crab cakes as an appetizer:

The next three images are of their seafood tower, mouthwatering delicious and oh so fresh!

This is my personal favorite as an entree, their chilean sea bass!

Their chocolate lava cake

Their cream brûlée

 

Let me tell you that I have been happily pleased and impressed with how phenomenal the staff is from the hostess down to the busboys! Hands down a 5-star feel with reasonable prices for the quality of food and all of their menu items from appetizers and drinks to their desserts and after drinks. More importantly, they are always wonderful, patient, and understanding of my little kiddos every time I bring them in. So to all at the Plano, TX location a HUGE thank you for how you have treated myself and my family at your establishment! Continue that wonderful feel and service! 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Gaylord Texan - General

If you're thinking of visiting Texas or perhaps need to plan something indoors with lots of options The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine is the place to be. On a stormy day, holiday, vacation, or just simply during a hot Texas summer day the Gaylord is a place to visit and/or frequent. Here's more specifically why :)

The resort by far has some great accommodations for couples and families alike. They are very family friendly not just in the mannerism of the staff of the resort but also in the activities that they also have; activities that are planned in advance and scheduled in their calendar of events. Their paths indoors and out (from the parking garages to the entire facility) are also family friendly for strollers or large wagons that families have for their kids, in turning also providing ample accessibility for handicapped family members as well, especially those in wheelchairs. They are plenty of restrooms to accommodate the potty breaks and also the diaper changing ages. There so many things to do as a family both inside and outside of the resort.

Now there are no kitchens in the rooms but whether your staying over night or even just for the day to pass the time, they have plenty of restaurant options within the resort that you needn't bother with leaving the premises. You can walk along the indoor "river walk" to see what restaurants you prefer, have room service, or yes you can leave the hotel for some nearby delicious Grapevine restaurant spots that are delicious and memorable. There is of course the Glass Cactus for the night life/restaurant/adult entertainment. (image below is not mine but from a google search of the Glass Cactus).

They're something both chaotic but peaceful when walking the grounds of the Gaylord Texan resort. I say that because it is a popular spot during the major holidays because they tend to plan and have these events for all age groups so it can get pretty crowded, yet there are some trails inside the main dome area of the resort that allow moments of peace and the sound of the water flow, making you almost feel as if you were out in nature instead of a man made/created indoor trail and nature walk. Whether you're inside looking throughout or perhaps in one of your rooms looking out, there are great views everywhere you stop. (image below not mine and is from a google search for "exterior view of the gaylord texan."

With the resort being next to the Grapevine Lake, you have the ability to venture out of the resort (if you're having an overnight stay) to have a day on the lake with the dock area nearby the resort where you can both take your boats and rent boats for the day. The cool part of the resort and the lake views is also the beautiful display of lights and colors during their major national holidays. For example on the 4th of July, there is a beautiful display of lights in the sky with sunset as many wait for the 4th of July fireworks to begin. They have their tradition to display the fireworks for all over the lake. It's not only a memorable display but its also serene in its own way with the reflection of the fireworks against the water (the Grapevine lake). So you don't have to feel stuck just using their workout room and their large poolside accommodations but you can explore the lake events as well during your stay and/or outing. (image below is not mine and was found with a google search for "gaylord resort and grapevine lake").

The Gaylord Resort has a vast schedule throughout the year and as I mentioned before, the holidays are also where the Gaylord tends to shine. Specific ones I can attest to and have been in attendance would be; Valentine's Day, 4th of July, Christmas Season both in their decorations and their special events like the ice sculptures and the Christmas adventure they host in the convention center area of the resort. There's also Thanksgiving and New Year's Day along with some other national holidays. There's always something going on at their location.

I have not personally had a staycation to be able to elaborate on the rooms themselves, however I've seen the pictures of the room accommodations and they look nice/pleasant for the needs of those staying. Personally only seen the room accommodations in passing but there have been good review on their rooms. Guess I'll have to stay there in order to provide and update on their room service and their room accommodations. 

I mentioned briefly about the indoor trails that the resort has and the "riverwalk" but it's hard to do this facility justice by my writing to explain truly how awesome the trails are and the extensive steps you can enjoy all indoors within the AC (during the summer) in the warmth of being indoors (during the winter). From the main entrance all the way into the convention center areas of the facility, it's all connected and can be explored whether you're just stretching your legs and trying to get steps in or you're on a mission to enjoy every facet of the event that the resort is hosting. You won't be disappointed. 

Hey some of these pictures don't really do it justice so feel free to take a day out there to explore yourself!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

A Crying Scare

I've been through different things and different levels of emotions in my life but nothing compared to what I felt during the night, three days before I delivered by second daughter. You see, my original due date was basically the first week in July, but instead because of healthy precautions that my doctor was taking, we were going to deliver close to the July date designated, but not at the forty week mark. Therefore I felt that I physically had enough time to prepare for the delivery. Boy was I ever wrong!

The year 2018 and the Friday before I delivered my second daughter, I was already oddly in pain and feeling a variety of unknown physical variables-many of which weren't anything I had known or ever experienced with my first daughter. I was physically exhausted and felt more heavy than any other day during the pregnancy, I was waddling uncontrollably, my back was hurting from the weight of the baby, I was feeling nothing close to Braxton hicks (as I had experiences with my first) but full on contractions - definitely more painful and persistent where nothing was making them go away- and then finally twice I thought my water had broke. Because of my oldest and I know my not completing what I thought would help prepare the arrival of her sister, I went about my day until I knew for sure that the contractions were close enough together to warrant going into the hospital. So my day continued on like any other with my mom and my oldest daughter...I will admit though that I was definitely even more moody that day. Deciding to let my husband (at that time as he is now my ex-husband) finish up working on his truck without us women around, my mom and I had decided to go visit my aunt and cousins that weren't far from the house. He was tinkering on his truck again and I didn’t know what for this round since it was another new truck and there wasn’t anything wrong that I was made aware of…apologies squirrel moment and I digress…So the afternoon and evening was spent with my cousins at my aunts house. I remember that at one point I had to tell my aunt how I was feeling so I could have some assistance if needed, without the panic or concern mode I knew my mom would go into.

Well the day finally ended and the evening  routine began-prepping my eldest for bed. After she was ready for bed I then proceeded to do my own nightly ritual; fixing the bed, washing my face, brushing my teeth, then fixing both my daughters bed and then our bedroom bed. I was still feeling odd or off whack, for lack of a better term, and even my oldest daughter started to act funny...she became uncontrollably clingy to me, that any movement I made from trying to rock her to sleep and leave, she would quickly awaken and try to get me to stay. I then took her into our bedroom to our bed…after a few minutes and thinking that she was peacefully and deeply asleep, she once again awoke to grab my hand while crying so I could stay, her realizing that my breath wasn't near her head/face; my husband couldn't even console or help her but it was getting to the point of my not even able to get up from bed to use the bathroom! So in order for me to have gone to the bathroom I had to literally go downstairs to the first floor and hand her to my mother while I used the bathroom; that was the only thing that would console her and give her comfort. My mother was the only person that she was able to calmly be with while she wasn't with me. Then when I was out of the bathroom and headed to bed, I had to have her with me and falling asleep with me...and that's where she stayed until about 1:15am. At 1:15am I had to move to the guest bedroom bed because between both my husband and oldest daughter, I was being kicked out of the bed! Thankfully my oldest was in deep REM sleep so my departure didn’t disturb her. At that moment I still felt my baby belly move or shift around, while walking to the guest bedroom and settled in a comfortable spot to fall asleep and rest…after of course relieving myself again in the bathroom. Prego women out there know exactly how annoying this part can be 😋

I oddly woke up again around 2:30am because I felt the sensation of needing to use the bathroom again. So there I go, big belly and all, when I noticed as I made my way back to bed that the baby hadn't budged or shifted as she usually did when I would use the bathroom. I made a mental note and then tucked myself in bed (more like rolly pollied my way back into the bed and fixed myself into what was the most comfortable position possible and tried to go back to sleep; except when I would rub my belly, the baby was still not making any movement. She would usually nudge me in someway when I would rub my belly and she wasn't doing it at all. I stayed calm thinking that maybe it was just my overall panic of the delivery date being close by, financial stress already, the fact that I thought I had my water broken since earlier, etc. I could even almost hear a doctor and my husbands voice in my head saying “babies in the belly fall asleep too”, but this was also intuitive for me, my mom had always reinforced to trust my instincts pre pregnancies and especially post. So my first goal was to stay calm, so I closed my eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. I felt myself moving or more like shifting positions in bed, so my hands veered back to rub my belly and still no movement...I tried gently nudging my stomach and still nothing. Everything and anything I did that would usually make the baby move wasn't working and the baby wasn't moving at all, nor any butterfly sensations of any kind. What felt like hours was only twenty seven minutes later and an emergency phone call to the doctor on call from my OBGYN office. I continued to try everything to make the baby move and when still nothing, I don’t remember how but I felt tears streaming down my face as I quietly cried, while walking to our bedroom to wake my husband. I walked towards his side of the bed and nudged him awake as I felt the hot tears rolling down my cheeks more and started whispering to him what was happening, so as not to wake our oldest sleeping in our bed. My husband tried to calm me down and then proceeded to do his things that would usually annoy or make the baby move and even his touches wouldn't do it! No reaction from within on the baby’s part. He finally just said for us to get ready and go to Labor and Delivery. I knew what that meant, money we didn't have for expenses we couldn't afford at this time, and my thoughts were going to the worst scenarios of what was going on in my stomach; so I couldn't help but begin to pray like crazy!

I started to change into my "check in clothes" even though I was having contraction pains, grabbed my "overnight bag" for the delivery scenario option just in case, then fixed the bed with our oldest daughter still sleeping, when my husband came quickly back upstairs to our bedroom to let me know that he had woken up my mother and was getting the truck ready with the binder we would need for the hospital. I started to tear up even more knowing I was leaving one little one while being cornered for the other little one...my mom gave me a quick blessing and then my husband and I headed out the door to the hospital. Thankfully a healthy second daughter was born almost three days later.

What’s the point of this story you may ask? The point is, whether it’s your first pregnancy or your 20th pregnancy, trust your instincts as a mom and/or mom to be because it’s the start of knowing how to be proactive where your kid/s safety, health, growth, and overall well-being is concerned. If you don’t know how to interpret those “spider senses” the pregnancy is a good start to understanding and “reading” those instinctual sensations you have.  

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman