Author: The Impatient Traveler

Connecticut born & Texas raised, I am constantly doing. I strive to experience every opportunity presented to me in life. Traveling is my favorite hobby but, between trips, I explore everything Dallas has to offer both culturally and culinarily.
Trinity Groves, Dallas, Texas

Trinity Groves, Dallas

by The Impatient Traveler, posted in Dallas, Dallas, Dallas Eats, Eats

If you haven’t been to the Trinity Groves area in Dallas, it is an adorable little area across the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge, consisting of one long warehouse full of little restaurants. There is a patio that goes the length of the warehouse which you walk down, passing each restaurant and it’s menu along the way, to pick out the perfect cuisine for your evening. This place is perfect for progressive dinners with friends or a delicious date night!

Some of my favorite spots there are listed below with links to their sites and my corresponding blog posts on what to get at each place:

I would love to hear your suggestions and experiences too so feel free to comment away!

Trinity Groves, Dallas, Texas

Sushi Bayashi, Trinity Groves

by The Impatient Traveler, posted in Dallas, Dallas, Dallas Eats, Eats, Trinity Groves

I love sushi, but unfortunately, my boyfriend does not. To get around that, I always suggest getting sushi when catching up with my friends or doing girls nights to get my fix. Fortunately, I was lucky the other night when one of my friends replied  “yes!” to meeting at Sushi Bayashi in the Dallas Trinity Groves area.

Sushi Bayashi in the Dallas Trinity Groves

We started with some happy hour sake since their happy hour is from 5-7 everyday, even on the weekends! Love that. And after perusing the menu of tempting entrees, we decided on three rolls:

  • A spicy tuna roll – this roll was yummy but a typical tuna roll. If you are into the basics, this roll is not a bad option.
  • A coconut crusted soft shell crab roll – Soft shell crab is, by far, one of my favorite Japanese dishes and, mixing those flavors with coconut and a peanut dipping sauce, is a culinary feat. I will be day dreaming about this roll until I go back for more!
  • An eel roll with basil cream and eel sauce drizzle – You must try this roll! My dinning companion had never had eel and couldn’t get enough of this roll, so naturally, we had a chopstick fight to determine winner of the last few pieces. The picture of this roll, featured below, does not to it justice (got to love ambiance lighting that doesn’t bode well for picture taking), so feel free to order it, take a picture of your own, and post it below with how much you love this roll too!

Eel roll with basil drizzle

A few things to note –

  • The rolls range from $7-$24, a little more pricey than usual. Our specialty rolls were about $14 – $15 each but totally worth every penny.
  • The online menu is complete from the entrée side, but not for sushi. I heard great reviews about this place but was a little worried after looking online and not seeing many roll options. Rest assured, the sushi menu is much more flushed out when you are actually at Sushi Bayashi.

Overall, if you are a sushi lover like me, Sushi Bayashi is basically guaranteed to be a winner in your book too!

Chocolate Art

by The Impatient Traveler, posted in Dallas, Dallas, Dallas Eats, Eats, Trinity Groves

I have a habit of being early to things and, the other night, I was about 20 minutes early to a dinner at Sushi Bayashi in the Trinity Groves area of Dallas. I decided to walk around and check out the area and came across Kate Weiser Chocolate. I am a self-proclaimed choco-holic – 100% addicted to coco – so of course, I had to go in.

The chocolates in the display case were little pieces of art. I started chatting with the lady behind the counter and she told me all about how the chocolates are all hand painted. They were in the process of painting some of the chocolates while I was in the store and invited me back to watch their process. It was really interesting and I couldn’t wait to see if the chocolates tasted as delicious as they looked. The chocolatiers paint on a regular basis and you can see the process take place from the shop, so I definitely recommend watching the process when this happens!

From Caramelized Pineapple, Mango Habanero, Lavender Apricot, to Fresh Mint, the flavor profiles are creative and delightful. I bought some Strawberry Basil, Passion Fruit, and Truffle Honey chocolates they completely melted in my mouth. Absolutely delicious.

IMG_1025

In all, if you are looking for a tasty chocolate treat for you or a loved one, Kate Weiser Chocolate are sure to take you to choco-holic heaven.

At the top of Hidden Peak, Snowbird, Utah

Ski Trip Packing List

by The Impatient Traveler, posted in Ski Trip Packing List, Snowbird, Utah

There are two main components to any ski / snowboard ensemble – a base layer and a top layer. There are also two important rules to both – comfort and style (of course)! Below are some of my favorite items for layering up, as well as a guide to packing for the perfect trip!

Ski Trip Packing Guide

1) Boulder Gear Hepburn Jacket   2) The North Face STH Pant  3) North Face 4) Denali thermal beanie 5) Bolle Volt Ski Goggle, White Dots
6) Spyder Essential Ski Gloves 7) Totes Womens Cam Snow Boot

Ski Trip Base Layers

7) Nike Pro Short Sleeve V-Neck Women’s Top 8) Stance Kora Socks 9) Lululemon jacket 10) Nike Shield Leggings 11) Champion Absolute Cami Sports Bra

A few other packing essentials:

  • Make sure your leggings, like the ones above, have a zipper at the bottom to put over your ski boots. You only want your seamless socks in your boots as any other seams or edges can cut off circulation in your legs causing tingley, cold toes.
  • Bring a stick chapstick and mini-lotion for your ski jacket. Chapstick and lip gloss can freeze if you do not have the stick kind.
  • Advil for soreness.
  • Quest bars or any other bars to snack on while you are on the slopes. Pro tip – keep them in your inner layers so they do not freeze or become hard.
  • Bring a nice pair of gloves and a scarf for going out at night.
  • Ditch the heels – wearing your snow boots everywhere is the best thing ever after a long leg day.
  • Pack comfy sweat pants and fuzzy socks for the hotel room. Walking on cold tile bathroom floors is never fun!
  • Use your ski jacket pockets as your wallet, chapstick, and mini-lotion holder during your time on the slopes. A small side bag will do the trick the rest of the time!
  • Don’t forget sunscreen! The snow reflects the sun and burning is easy.
Skiing in Snowbird, Utah
Outfit look familiar?

 

At the top of Hidden Peak, Snowbird, Utah

Getting to Snowbird, Utah

by The Impatient Traveler, posted in Snowbird Skiing, Snowbird, Utah

After a very hectic first three days of New Year’s week, I finally wrapped up at work, grabbed my keys, and jetted home to embark on our long-weekend getaway to Snowbird, Utah! As we packed the night before, it was a grab the bags, energy drink, and go situation to get out of the house. Expecting holiday rush hour traffic at 4 PM on a Wednesday, we planned for lots of traffic time, but the travel Gods parted the highway seas for us and we arrived at the airport, checked our bad, and passed through security with 2+ hours to spare. Pros of being early – no stress. Cons of being early – spending 2+ hours in an airport…

Anyway, we squeezed into a two-top at the airport Chilis for a quick bite. I spent the majority of that dinner eavesdropping on the two single travelers next to us that serendipitously made a love connection over chips and salsa. Yay, airport entertainment!

Our plane boarded on time and I spent most of the 2.5 hour flight catching up on the gossip magazines and looking out of the window at all of the city lights. Flying over cities at night is pretty, but doing so while people still have their Christmas lights up is a completely different experience. There is something so enchanting about twinkle lights and it was just that much better once we landed, hopped on our Canyon Transportation van, and drove through the city where the twinkle lights combined with the snow’s reflection. Oh to live in a state with snow…

While we did have to wait about 30 minutes for our transport van to show up, our shared ride there was easy and warm, which was especially good because it was 0, yes 0, degrees out! We had some good conversations with the local driver and other fellow Snowbird travelers during the ride, arrived at the Cliff Lodge around 10:30, checked in, and then unpacked for our first day on the slopes!

Utah travel tips:

  • Bring eye drops, lotion, and chapstick as the air is very dry.
  • Hydrate starting the day before your trip and drink lots of water throughout. The elevation and dryness in the air will be much worse if you don’t.
  • Ask your hotel if they have a humidifier in the room. Most hotels have them and it makes a huge difference when you are trying to sleep.
  • Decided if you want to rent a car or get a transport to the hotel. If you feel safe driving in snowy conditions and want to go to multiple slopes / places, renting is a good option! If you are not a snow day driver and / or are only staying on-location, do the transport option.