Staycation

So Jake and I needed a mini vacation, but didn't have the money for it. So we did a stay-cation in Dallas instead!  My Mom and Dad stayed with the girls Saturday night (thank you Mom and Dad! Sorry about the 3am Madelynn wake up.)  Jake and I stayed at the Belmont Hotel in downtown Dallas. It's a 3 star hotel that is on this awesome hillside with fantastic views of downtown Dallas. It's simply decorated with a modern feel, but very nice and clean. It was too cool to swim, but the pool is backed up against the hill with a fountain that looks like it's coming from the hillside and the uninterrupted view of downtown can be seen 180deg. around the pool (what a great place for a wedding!) There was a local rock band (nobody knew the name) being interviewed at the hotel and looked like they were going to shoot video at the pool. The staff was very nice and courteous and the valet people didn't even roll their eyes when we had them park my car about 3 times during the night (we were coming and going for various events.)
Next door to the hotel is The Smoke Restaurant.  Jake and I ate breakfast there the next morning, and the food was FANTASTIC!  The atmosphere in the restaurant was very cozy with a large fire going. On the menu was some very interesting dishes that I'd love to try (like blueberry pancakes with a vanilla apricot cream sauce,) but I just stuck with the eggs, bacon, and biscuit with a cheesy grits casserole.  The grits were very good and had some spice to it that made it better than most grits I've tasted. The biscuit was large and homemade and came with the chef's homemade pineapple cinnamon jam (he makes a new jam every week). VERY Awesome!  The bacon was the largest slice of meat I'd every seen that had been grilled but left very juicy on the inside. The plate also came asparagus and tomato.  I'm normally not a fan of either vegetable, but these had been brushed with barbecue sauce and grilled.  DELICIOUS! I will never look at asparagus the same way again!  This is my new favorite spot! Jake and I can't wait to try their lunch and dinner menus.  I recommend everyone to try it!
Jake and I also recommend everyone to try a stay-cation of their own! It was a lot of fun and we had a great time with some great friends!