Last weekend, we had Sunday Brunch at Uncle Julio's - another real treat for us that we don't do very often... I guess because there are so many places to eat and not enough time.

We go to the location at the Dallas Tollway at Keller Springs - a pretty building that's a bit hidden along the access road to the tollway.

We love their brunch menu, although it had changed slightly from the last time we were there. My fav is their Chilaquilies - scrambled eggs topped with fajita chicken, tortilla strips, sour cream, salsa verde & cheese and served with rice and beans (I opted instead for their seasonal fruit with crema agria- heavenly!)

RJ got Huevos Machacado - scrambled eggs with beef fajita meat, rolled into soft flour tortillas. His was also served with the fruit and crema agria. Our waiter brought us a basket of piping hot, freshly made flour tortillas, warm chips and warm salsa - oh my goodness!

Another plus - the staff at Uncle Julio’s is trained well too. Every time we’ve been, we’ve always had an excellent waiter. Great food, great service and a great time- what could be better!

Uncle Julio’s (www.unclejulios.com) 16150 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75248

After stuffing our faces, we had to do some double duty exploring. RJ needed to attend to some business. We headed north towards McKinney and, after he finished with what he needed to do, we took some backroads and finally ended up going east on 380. We started noticing signs along the side of the highway for a local winery, Wales Manor. Thought that sounded like something fun to check out and followed the arrows.

Now, the signs were easy to spot and, as I mentioned, did have arrows on them but we got a bit confused as to where in the heck this place really was! It’s definitely OFF the beaten path but just preserver and you’ll find it. We eventually turned in and saw where to park. There were others just leaving so we could tell which direction the actual visitors’ area was. We walked down the path and over a slight hill to see a patio with several tables & chairs, a small stage, outdoor fireplace and a pretty brick building with the door open welcoming us in.


As soon as we set foot in the door, we were greeted by Anita, the very knowledgeable lady who works at the winery on the weekends, offering folks information about the Wales manor wines & giving complimentary wine-tasting. We were the only ones there for a while, so she spent time with us, telling us the history of Wales Manor, about the owner, and all about the wines they produce. A lot was over my head – just give me an inexpensive, sweet wine and I am fine with a glass. RJ enjoys it more and was really intrigued by a couple of the wines they offered.

The owner, John Wales, did pop his head in for a moment. We learned that he is also a pilot for American Airlines and was on his way out to fly to Cancun (wish we could have gone along!). He did tell us that the area is available for most any type of events plus they encourage guests to bring a picnic basket on Saturdays 1-5pm for live music and wine tasting.You can purchase bottles there and they do serve cheese trays. It would be a nice way to spend an afternoon. The property is pretty and as soon as things start to green up, I bet it will be spectacular.

Wales Manor Winery (www.walesmanor.com) 4488 Country Road 408, McKinney, TX 75071

James Taylor Fire & Rain