Sounds to me like the city is going to end up giving the restaurant the OK. We’ll see.

While a sign featuring moving parts might be distractive and create unnecessary clutter, it could also enhance the eclectic ambience of the shopping center and make it more interesting for shoppers and pedestrians.

Will the council consider revising city ordinances to let Kuby’s go cuckoo? The meeting is at 5 p.m. tonight in the city’s doublewide at Goar Park.  Stay tuned.

OK…we’re all wondering…what’s the deal with Mustang Donuts now? Donuts are different. Staff has changed. Weekend lines are missing. Is there a story here?

Last week, when the big Dunkin’ Donuts news was confirmed, Tierney was commenting that she doesn’t understand how a donut place can stay in business. Does anyone still eat donuts often enough to keep them in business?

I have to think there are enough office break rooms in Dallas to keep really good donut stores prosperous for many years to come.

A reader shares this story, which is a great reminder that we need to take the time to appreciate the people we come in contact with on a daily basis, even if it’s just the person behind the counter at the restaurant or the dry cleaner:

My wife came home crying the other day because she had stopped by the City Café to go to pick up and iced tea, and instead of the cheerful attractive lady that usually greats her, there was a framed photo of that same lady. The mid 30’s lady had died in a car accident the day before, her 3 children, aged 2,4 and 7 were also injured. Evidentally, this lady is a popular character who is was a favorite with many regular customers and now has 3 very young children who are temporarily being cared for by her former/estranged husband. My wife learned this very sad story from the manager at city café to go. It just made me think that there are so many in the park cities who probably knew of this woman, would be touched by this story and in some way want to help.

I live in HP and am often struck by how often we come in contact with people who’s stories must be fascinating, yet while we see them often (sometimes every day for years) and they brighten are lives, we barely know them. For instance, the lovely man from Africa who works at the gelato place in the HP Village movie theatre, or the guys at Eatzies serving breakfast omelettes – many of these folks must have incredible stories and lives and yet we glance by them without knowing the hardship they endured to be here etc. I can recall the first generation Vietnamese lady who showed up at my mother in laws’s funeral sobbing when she discovered that a 30 year customer had passed away.

My suggestion is to get out there and eat as many Balls’ sliders as you can.

Why is this important to you? It probably isn’t, but it does give me the opportunity to share a wee bit of trivia…

Did you know that Miller High Life aka “The Champagne of Beers” is the brewery’s oldest brand, first made available in 1903?  It wasn’t until the ’70s that they started making Miller Lite, and the ’80s that they introduced Miller Genuine Draft.

But do you know the difference between High Life and Genuine Draft? It’s the same recipe. The difference is  they add more carbonation to High Life to give it that champagne-y bubble, and it’s heat-pasteurized. Genuine Draft is cold filtered, but the two recipes are identical.

The problem wasn’t the Southern appetizers- the brisket biscuits and seasoned shrimp were flavorful and disappeared in a hurry. The problem wasn’t the decor- the spacious but quaint dinning room decorated in greens, browns, and ivory will be a future power-lunch spot. The problem wasn’t the tart-but-not-too-tart lemon drop martini- it was great.

No, the problem arose in the restaurant’s much talked about “drink of the true Southern woman,” the mint julep.

When it was served, it looked like a winner in its silver tumbler (like those served at the Kentucky Derby) and crushed ice with the perfect garnishing of mint. However, the first taste - and second and third - revealed that this house blend of sugar, water, mint, and whiskey did not taste like a mint julep, but like orange cough syrup.

Thick, sugary, and lacking that whiskey kick, the cocktail was hard to drink and reminded me of a melted Popsicle over ice. I only made it to four sips before I discretely set down my glass and quickly walked away. However, as I looked around the room, I noticed a littering of left-behind mint juleps and realized that others probably felt the same way as I did: disappointed.

A friend of mine, Southern to the soul, once told me that her grandmother was a “true Southern woman” and didn’t crack a smile until her morning mint julep. Unfortunately, there was no smiling after the one last night.

The recently opened restaurant is hopping right into the social scene by hosting various cocktail parties for local philanthropic groups. Tuesday is “Mint Juleps and Martinis” for KidneyTexas followed by Wednesday’s “Afternoon Tea” for Art for the Bridge.

Are the mint juleps worth a try?