Bluegrass & BBQ
May 29, 2008
I spent the weekend of Memorial Day at a retreat in nearby, Branson, Missouri. The retreat began Friday evening and ended around 10 o’clock Monday morning. We began boarding the church vans for the rather short drive home. As I was loading my luggage, my friend announced to me that he had two free guest passes to Silver Dollar City. Apparently, he was planning on meeting his parents, who both held season passes, for the annual Bluegrass and BBQ festival. The regular adult admission to Silver Dollar City is quite hefty, so I knew that this was the perfect chance to go there without breaking the bank!
I enjoy most all genres of music, at least a little bit, but bluegrass isn’t at the top of my list. Then again, it isn’t exactly at the bottom either. I decided to attend the festival with my friend, who also treated me to lunch, even with the sky-high prices that are prevalent at theme parks such as this. I ended up having a great time! Additionally, I was exposed to some bluegrass bands with which I was not familiar. As a result, I developed a new appreciation for the genre. Three of the bands became new favorites to me.
- Cherryholmes is a Grammy-nominated, family based out of Nashville.
- The Grascals are a six-man band, also based out of Nashville.
- Dailey & Vincent, is a five-part group, including leads, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent.
I had a fabulous time at the retreat! Then, just when I thought the weekend was over, it got even better!
As many are already aware from previous posts, I spent a fun-filled day in Branson, Missouri last Saturday. My girlfriends and I “shopped til we dropped” at Tanger Outlet Mall and Branson Landing. While at the Landing we had the privilege of dining at, what I believe to be, one the best restaurants in Branson. Cantina Laredo is a trendy, rather upscale restaurant that serves up delicious Mexican fare.
The eatery, with a patio that overlooks Lake Taneycomo, gets quite packed, especially on weekends. Therefore, we decided to venture there early so we could at least get our name on the waiting list. We arrived around 5 pm, and luckily, were able to be seated right away. It was a difficult task in deciding what to order as most everything sounded appealing. We already knew that we wanted the fresh guacamole, made table-side. That was a given. I opted for the Durango which consisted of a chili cheese relleno, a chicken mole enchilada, and a spinach enchilada with sour cream sauce. One of my friends ordered the Botanas Platter which was like a sampler platter with tacos, chicken fajita quesadillas, chili con queso, stuffed jalapenos, and beef, shrimp, & vegetable skewers. She raved that everything was wonderful!
While the delectable food was definitely the main attraction at Cantina Laredo, we couldn’t help but praise our server. The restaurant was packed. By the time we received our food, there was a line going out the door for people waiting for a table. Despite this fact, our waiter made us feel like we were his ONLY table. Our glasses never fell below the half full mark. Our chips and salsa were always kept plentiful. He maintained professionalism and a keen sense of humor at the same time. I believe it takes a very special talent for a server to be this attentive, with out being intrusive and annoying. He had that talent. Everything just seemed to flow smoothly.
Honestly, there wasn’t a single complaint among our group. We all were in complete agreement that this was one of the best dining experiences we each have had in a long time. Cantina Laredo gets a definite 5-Star Rating!
