Day: June 1, 2021

First impression: The Boost Lf

The Cherry Bomb tea from The Boost Lf. Photo: Sandra Cruz

Since Monday was a federal holiday, I had some extra time on my hands and decided to do some local exploring. There is a fairly new small business in town that I have been meaning to try but somehow I always get distracted so this was a perfect time. The Boost Lf here in Los Fresnos is a self-described health and wellness business and I tend to favor the small, locally owned ones. Some of the items on the menu include energy teas, protein shakes, iced coffees, and even waffles and donuts.

I went early enough in the day, so I guess I lucked out because there was no waiting. The interior is brightly lit with booming music and the atmosphere is pleasant and cheerful. Currently there are only a couple of small tables for dine-in , but hopefully with easing COVID restrictions, this will change later. According to Chelly, the owner, business is booming and the ongoing dreadful construction has not affected her business. I decided to try out the Cherry Bomb tea, one of her best-sellers.

I was pleasantly surprised at the size of this drink; it is a generous sized portion. The cold, icy drink has a sweet and tart flavor combination and was a treat on what was beginning to be another hot and humid day in South Texas. This particular flavor promises an energy boost and includes real cherries. I counted six of them. They also have small Herbalife protein based snack bars for energy and nutrition, so I opted for two of those, one being the citrus lemon. These are rather tasty as well. Everything is moderately priced, I paid $13 for a tea and two protein bars

So next time you are craving a snack, do yourself a favor, put down the potato chip bag and head on over to The Boost here in town for a healthy treat. I think I will try the iced coffees next, because, after all, summer has unofficially started. I just wish it was open in the evenings for us night owls. Thanks to Chelly for taking the time to answer all my questions. Support local, small businesses; they will love you for it.

$$

Business hours:
Monday through Friday 7:30a.m. to 2p.m. and 4:30p.m. to 6p.m.
Saturday 8:30a.m. to 2p.m.
Closed Sunday

The Boost Lf
218 N Arroyo Blvd, Suite A
Los Fresnos, TX 78566
(956) 233-2215

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Celebrate summer at Taco Cabana with NachoMania

Taco Cabana launces NachoMania for summer 2021. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.

Launching Wednesday, June 2, 2021, Taco Cabana invites guests to kick off their summer with NachoMania. Featuring four new varieties of TC nachos, $4.59 each for a limited time at all participating Texas locations. (Taco Cabana, 2021)

NachoMania offerings include:

• Tex Mex Nachos: Crispy tortilla chips, ground beef, refried beans, enchilada sauce, queso, and jalapeno slices
• Supreme Nachos: Crispy tortilla chips, ground beef, refried beans, queso, tomatoes, and sour cream
• Mexican Nachos: Crispy tortilla chips, chorizo, refried beans, queso, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and pico de gallo
• Beyond Meat Nachos: Crispy tortilla chips, Beyond Meat, black beans, queso, sour cream, and pico de gallo

Summer would not be summer without an array of Taco Cabana’s signature $2 margaritas. Eight flavors just $2 all day, every day including: Lime, Strawberry, Mango, Strawberry Mango, Mangonada, Blue Curacao, Watermelon and Dragonfruit; the Pickle margarita will also remain available for a limited time. Guests have the option to add chamoy at no additional cost. TC guests may also purchase gallon margaritas of Lime, Strawberry and Mango for $34.99.

All menu items, including $2 margaritas, can be ordered online or via the MYTC! App for convenient curbside pick-up. TC drive-throughs are open for food and alcohol purchases and Taco Cabana dining rooms and patios are open for on-site dining as well. Currently, San Antonio residents can order alcohol and food delivery online or via the Taco Cabana app. Members of the MYTC! Loyalty Program also earn reward points for each alcoholic beverage purchase.

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up and delivery. As of June 1, 2021, Taco Cabana operates 142 company-owned restaurants in Texas.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service and catering.

MerleFest 2021 announces lineup additions

MerleFest, presented by Window World, will take place September 16-19. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce additional performers for MerleFest 2021, which will take place September 16-19 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, Shovels & Rope, Balsam Range, Jim Lauderdale, John Cowan, Peter Rowan’s Free Mexican Air Force with Los Texmaniacs, Amythyst Kiah, Yasmin Williams, and Brittney Spencer will be joining the annual homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These world-class bands and artists will join previously announced performers Tedeschi Trucks (Friday), Melissa Etheridge (Sunday), Mavis Staples (Sunday), LeAnn Rimes (Friday), Sam Bush (Saturday), Donna The Buffalo (all 4 days), Scythian (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances), and The Waybacks (Friday and Saturday). Additional artists scheduled to perform will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale Thursday June 10, 2021.  More information available online. (IV-PR, 2021)

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, would also like to remind potential volunteers that the volunteer application period is now open and the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (CASC) is accepting submissions until June 15. Information on all of these can be found online.

2021-09-16T13:05:00

  days

  hours  minutes  seconds

until

MerleFest 2021

Upcoming new book release: ‘Gone for Good’ by Joanna Schaffhausen

‘Gone for Good’ is the new novel by Joanna Schaffhausen, due out on August 10, 2021. Photo: amazon

Joanna Schaffhausen is a crime and mystery author. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. Her new novel “Gone For Good: A Novel (Detective Annalisa Vega)” is the first in a new mystery series from the award-winning author and features Detective Annalisa Vega, in which a cold case heats up. It will be released on Tuesday August 10, 2021, and is available for pre-order on amazon. (amazon, 2021)

“Gone for Good” – The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he is gone for good. Not Grace Harper. A grocery store manager by day, at night Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods where he hunted and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.

Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she is at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew―how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she had not acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose.

2021-08-10T11:36:00

  days

  hours  minutes  seconds

until

Release of ‘Gone for Good’ by Joanna Schaffhausen