Foodie Friday: Re-Visiting Mio Nonno

It’s only been six months, but Mio Nonno has already become an institution here in Flower Mound. Whether you go for a business lunch during the week or join them on Friday evenings to enjoy the Lakeside Music Series from their patio, Mio Nonno always provides the perfect atmosphere and is consistent in serving up incredible food.

Noti Krasniqi and Chef Francisco make the perfect team at the Flower Mound location in Lakeside DFW, and their common goal is to introduce locals to the fine dining Italian cuisine you can find in New York City. And Chef Francisco is the perfect choice to create that five-star cuisine as he started as a chef in New York at the age of 17 and worked at restaurants in the city for several years afterward. And he’s cooked for some very notable people over the years including President Reagan, the Rolling Stones and Will Smith. So, if you dine at Mio Nonno, you’re in great company!

All of the food comes from Chef Franciso’s family recipes, but he has created new presentations for those passed down recipes.

One of Noti’s favorite dishes on the menu is their Cacciatore which you can order with chicken or veal and comes served in a delicious tomato sauce and with a side of their fantastic polenta.

When we went for lunch this week, we also enjoyed their Meat & Cheese Board which was full of incredible fresh cheeses and meats, as well as their Pasta Primavera and one of their Chef Specials – their Chilean Sea Bass served with a medley of fresh vegetables.

Mio Nonno has incorporated many more specials into their rotation over the past couple of months, including their Veal Capresa, Bone-in Veal Chops, and Orata (a Mediterranean fish served whole).

Throughout the week, you can also join them for some of their weekly specials including “Wine & Dine Wednesdays” where they serve up luxurious wines at incredible prices and “Ladies Night” on Thursdays where their martinis are $4.

They’re also looking to add an exclusive Sunday Brunch menu starting in the next few weeks. You’ll get to enjoy some delicious brunch dishes as well as some quality mimosas.

Mio Nonno has some big goals they’re working on achieving. And Noti told us that they believe they can achieve them because of the success and support they’ve experienced since opening here in Flower Mound. They are so appreciative of their customers and always want you to feel at home when you’re at Mio Nonno.

Their vision is to “act locally but think globally” and I think that’s an awesome philosophy for all of us to adopt in our businesses. That honestly inspired me for my own real estate business.

We are so grateful to have Mio Nonno here in our community and for all the great meals they’ve served us over the past six months. We wish them all the best success in achieving their goals and hope you all will join us in supporting them!

Go visit them tonight to wind down from the week and enjoy some cocktails and incredible fine Italian cuisine!

*Mio Nonno is located at 2450 Lakeside Pkwy ste100, Flower Mound, TX 75022.

**Check out their full menu here.

Foodie Friday: Home Taste Asian Restaurant

Home Taste Asian Restaurant is one of Flower Mound’s newest restaurants. And the owners, Za and San San, have one of the most inspirational and amazing stories we’ve heard throughout all of our Foodie Friday experiences.

Both Za and San San grew up in Burma, where they were a part of forced labor because of their Christian beliefs. After years of being persecuted by the military-ruled government, Za and San San finally built up the courage to escape in the middle of the night across the border to Malaysia where they sought refugee status.  There Za worked as a cook and made several other trips back until he was able to bring other members of his family to the refugee camp.  This family has faced hardships that would have made anyone want to quit.  Za and San San have a deep belief in their own American dream.  We talked in detail on and off camera and there was not a dry eye in the room.

Za has spent the last 12 years learning to cook all varieties of Asian cuisine by studying other chefs, reading books and even watching YouTube videos. He also loves using his creativity to come up with new and inventive dishes and absolutely loves sharing those creations with his customers.

I know we’ve said before at other restaurants that you can really feel the love in each dish, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt that as strongly as at Home Taste Asian.

If you are a fan of sushi, you will absolutely love Home Taste Asian’s sushi selection. A Spicy Tuna Roll is always my go-to and theirs is fantastic. We also ordered their Rainbow Roll and it was so fresh and had wonderful flavor.

Home Taste Asian also serves a fusion of several other Asian dishes like Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Pad Thai, Ramen, soups, and some Asian-inspired salads.

The fact that incredible people like Za and San San chose to pursue the ‘American Dream’ by opening their first restaurant in our town is amazing to me. And I believe that warrants our 100% respect and support.

You can feel the passion they both have as they talk about this opportunity they’ve created for themselves through their courageous journey and they are both determined to succeed. And I absolutely believe they will succeed if we, as residents of Flower Mound, help support them in achieving this dream.

I can’t wait for you to visit Home Taste Asian and meet Za and San San for yourself. Prepare to have your life changed when you do.

As always, be sure to let them know that Jay Marks sent you!

*Home Taste Asian Restaurant is located at 2628 Long Prairie Rd, Flower Mound 75022.

Click here for their full menu and hours.

Foodie Friday: Bumbershoot Barbecue

I’m not sure there’s any better way to enjoy some delicious barbecue than under lights while enjoying some live music on a beautiful, summer night. Which is exactly what I did at Bumbershoot Barbecue in Argyle last weekend!

Bumbershoot is one of the newest additions to the same restaurant group that opened LSA and Barley & Board in Denton, as well as Earl’s 377 on the same corner in Argyle.

Similar to their other restaurants, Bumbershoot has an incredible atmosphere. You order your food from the 32-foot trailer, all their meat is smoked in an adjoining trailer, and you get to enjoy your food at one of the picnic tables situated under a canopy of lights.

We were there on a stormy Saturday night and the place was still packed. Threats of thunder and lightning weren’t going to stop people from eating here!

And the food was well worth it. Pitmaster, Jason Ramey, and Executive Chef, Chad Kelley, have created a fantastic menu. Bumbershoot serves up all your traditional barbecue favorites: brisket, turkey, ribs, chicken sausage and pulled pork. You can order your meat by the pound, on a plate served with two sides, or served up on a sandwich.

But if you really want to try something unique to Bumbershoot, you’ve got to try their Loaded Tater Tots which are a mountain of tots topped with melted shredded cheddar cheese, chopped brisket, sour cream and jalapenos.

They’ve also got some unique twists on classic barbecue sides. We had some of their Slaw which was made with apples and jalapeno. It was so fresh and had some heat to it from the jalapeno. The perfect, light compliment to the rich and smoky meat. We also had some of their Baked Beans which were a delicious, peppery take on the classic.

And if you want some dessert, you can walk just a few feet away to get yourself a Gnome Cone!

This weekend should be the perfect weekend for you to visit Bumbershoot Barbecue if you haven’t already. Plan out some time to just sit under the summer night sky and enjoy some fantastic food, live music and games. It’s a place the whole family will love and we’re glad to have it right here in our backyard.

*Bumbershoot Barbecue Hours:

Closed Mondays

Tuesday-Sunday: 11am-Sell Out || 5pm-Sell Out

**Bumbershoot Barbecue is located at 425 US-377 S, Argyle TX 76226.

Foodie Friday: Sonora Factory Grill

Everyone in Texas is very familiar with our well-known Tex-Mex style food that can be found just about anywhere. But when it comes to real, authentic Mexican cuisine – not everyone is so experienced or comfortable. And it’s especially hard to find authentic Mexican cuisine in a fast-casual setting.

Which is why we are so glad to have Sonora Factory Grill here in our Flower Mound community! Sonora Factory Grill is a Mexican-based restaurant concept that was brought here to the States by Frisco residents, Juan and Jackie Carrera. And the Flower Mound location is the first location here in the US! How cool is that?

Juan’s day job is as a Mechanical Engineer and when he came upon the Sonora Factory Grill concept, he was immediately drawn to it because of its innovative cooking technology. Sonora Factory Grill is the only one of its kind in the world. They have a truly unique conveyor grill which is able to cook 12 pounds of steak in just a few minutes. That’s how they are able to serve fresh, made-to-order food quickly to their dine-in customers as well as to their drive-thru customers.

And they have an amazing chef manning that grill. Chef Roberto was most recently a chef at a Sheraton in Panama and has won international competitions in cocktail-making, cooking, and even in making pasta!

As far as Sonora’s food goes – it’s some of the Mexican dishes we’ve all become familiar with like nachos, tacos and burritos but served in an authentic Mexican style. Their tacos and burritos don’t come filled with cheese, lettuce, rice and beans. Instead the focus is really placed on the protein – the Carne Asada, Fajita Chicken, Pastor Pork and Barbacoa.

One of their most popular items is the Tres Amigos which is Carne Asada served with 3 tortillas, salsas, lemon and refried beans so you can assemble your own tacos. The Carne Asada is so tender and has incredible flavor.

Look at the size of that burrito tortilla!

One of Sonora Factory Grill’s other popular dishes is their Super Nachos which come served with refried beans, two kinds of melted cheese, sour cream, guacamole and your choice of protein. And after eating a few bites of some, I understand why this is such a popular choice!

Sonora Factory Grill also has a fantastic bar where they serve margaritas made with the finest blue agave tequilas as well as all your favorite beers.

When we asked Juan why they chose to make Flower Mound the spot for their first location, he said it’s because they knew they wanted to be in a strong community where the residents would push them and give them feedback that would allow them to perfect their model and eventually open other locations. I think that’s an amazing compliment to our town!

I feel honored that we had the chance to sit down with Juan this week and hear his story and I love that he has chosen to do business here in Flower Mound.

*Sonora Factory Grill is located at 1050 Flower Mound Rd, Suite 310, Flower Mound 75028.

Foodie Friday: Local Restaurants Featured in DFW’s 20th Annual Restaurant Week

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year! Monday marks the official beginning of DFW’s 20th Annual Restaurant Week. The 3-week event benefits the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home. Last year they were able to raise $711,000!

You can make all of your reservations on OpenTable. And you can make reservations at as many restaurants as you think you can visit during those 3 weeks! Just be sure to check which dates each restaurant is participating.

You’ll enjoy special two- or three-course, prixe-fixe meals at each restaurant and the cost is $20 for lunch and $39 or $49 for dinner.

And the most exciting part is that we have several Foodie Friday restaurants who are participating in this year’s event! Check out the local restaurants who are participating below.

Bistecca – An Italian Steakhouse

You can join Chef Morris Salerno for a truly special dining experience. They’ll be serving an option Calloway course for an additional $5, two salmon dish options for the first course, either Black Drum or a Akaushi beef brisket for the main entree, and either strawberry pie or chocolate mousse for dessert.

Bistecca is participating during the Preview Weekend (this weekend!) as well as all next week (August 7-13). The cost for the three-course dinner is $49 or $69 with their recommended wines. Make your reservations here!

Carvao Prime Brazilian Steakhouse

Or you can check out Carvao in Lakeside DFW. They have a fantastic salad bar with 60+ items to choose from. But the best part is enjoying their 16 cuts of meat served tableside.

Carvao also has a fantastic wine list and bar offering drinks for before, during and after your meal.

They are offering a $49 dinner and are participating from August 7-13. Make your reservations here!

Prime Farm to Table

Flower Mound’s Contemporary American restaurant, Prime Farm to Table, offers customers truly unique dining experiences. Chef Chris Flahaven is constantly coming up with special dishes to serve his customers to allow them to try things they never have before.

Prime Farm to Table is serving dishes on their prixe-fixe menu like Chilled Melon Soup, Grilled Spanish Octopus, Ricotta Gnocchi, 24 Hour Short Ribs, Olive Oil Cake and Chocolate Terrine.

They are participating from August 7-20 and their 3-course meal will be $39 per person or $55 per person with paired wines. Make your reservation here!

Yellow Rose Steak and Chop House

You can also check out another one of Flower Mound’s steak houses, Yellow Rose Steak and Chop House, in Parker Square.

Yellow Rose will be serving dishes like a Citrus Summer Salad, Char Grilled Salmon and Shrimp, 10 oz Prime Rib, and Bread Pudding.

They are participating all three weeks of the event (August 7-26) and are offering both special lunch and dinner menus. Make your reservation here!