Roly Poly

Billy and I went to NorthPark Center last night. Since they've finished adding on, it's become a really great mall. It used to not be child-friendly at all - no children's stores (other than clothing stores, but boys don't like those!), no food court (only La Madeleine and other upscale eateries). The only thing of interest they had for children was the small indoor "pond" with a few ducks and turtles.

In fact, it wasn't too me-friendly, either. Most of the stores were upscale and unaffordable. The anchor department stores that I could afford were the same ones I could find closer to home, so I rarely went there. But now they've added other stores that the ordinary person can afford to shop in.

There's a great toy store there now called Puzzle Zoo. It's got a lot of the usual toy store stuff, but they also carry retro and unique items - and the prices are pretty comparable to other toy stores, too. It's going to be our new birthday and Christmas shopping place!

There's also a food court an International Food Plaza. There's the usual: Chick-Fil-A and Sonic. Then there are the really fun, unique options: Which Wich?; Snappy Salads; The Original Soup Man (the Soup Nazi!); Tin Star Taco Bar; Famous Famiglia; Panda Express; and Hibachi-San.

We couldn't pass up a chance to eat food from a Japanese grill, fast-food style. We haven't been anywhere like our beloved Shogun in Shreveport since we moved to Dallas. Our closest Japanese restaurant is just a sushi bar, and I don't like sushi. (Yes, I've tried it.) The food from Hibachi-San was delicious! (The chef, Pedro, did a great job!) Billy chose steak; I chose chicken and steak. It was served on a bed of fried rice, with stir-fried vegetables on the side. We also split an order of dumplings, which were pretty good. I ate way too much food, but it was so good I couldn't stop myself. I was truly miserable when I finally got up from the table.

For dessert, you also have many options: Great American Cookie Co.; Cold Stone Creamery; Auntie Anne's; Jamba Juice; CrepeMaker; and Peciugo Italian Gelato. I had paid particular attention to Paciugo as we walked by on our way to the food court International Food Plaza. We even turned around and went back to look over their extensive flavor offerings before we made it to the restaurant section. It looked so tempting, I was determined to try some after we ate - but the food from Hibachi-San was so good, I completely forgot! I was disappointed as we rounded the corner again and I realized that I was too full for even a sample bite of that creamy Italian treat. Billy chose his three flavors: Tiramisu, Amaretto (I think), and Cinnamon. He said they made a great combination. I don't know what three I would have chosen. There were so many! Hopefully we'll make it by there again soon so I can try some. Maybe I'll eat dessert first!