Fooling around in Frisco

Public art in Frisco

The only reason we go to Frisco any more is to do some business. Back in the ‘good old days’ we’d run up to the Abby Restaurant (now defunct), or take the 30 minute drive from my door in Plano to a friend’s house in Aubrey. Now, even if I lived in Plano, it would take at least an hour to get to Aubrey. Frisco has really changed.









As with many small towns in Texas, a railroad seeded the small town that became Frisco. But along with carrying produce and goods to and from this stop, the train stopped at Frisco to take on water to help power the

Old wagon wheels

train. At one time steam locomotives needed these watering stops about every seven to ten miles, and that’s the real reason the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway stopped at Frisco. The distinctive Frisco coat of arms is based on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway's logo and the town is named for the railway. However, before the trains the Shawnee Trail ran through the area bringing wagon trains of pioneers. Shawnee became Preston Trail, later named Preston Road, on which the hamlet of Lebanon was built. However, since the train stopped at Frisco rather than Lebanon, some residents moved their houses their and new settlers were attracted. As the town grew, so did the opportunities for retail establishments. Over the years cotton gins, grain elevators, a 110,000-kilowatt electricity generating plant and a gas company came to the area.

The growth in the nearby cities of Dallas and Plano has also advanced

Practice field

the growth, both retail and residential, in Frisco. Although still a retail point for farmers, Frisco has become a suburb of Dallas and has attracted more light industrial businesses. Sports teams have also found Frisco an attractive place. It is now home to the Frisco Roughriders (AA minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers MLB team), and FC Dallas, a major league soccer team. Very lately Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys football team have moved to the city. The newest construction includes an extremely large practice facility along with hotels, eateries, medical facilities, and shopping. The population of Frisco, from its modest beginnings has risen from 618 in 1930 to 116,989 in 2017-2018.

Four carrots

On our latest visit to Frisco we stopped off at Tupelo Honey (6725 Winning Drive, Frisco, TX 75034, 469-403-2160) for a bite of lunch. This national chain gives a Carolina-inspired take on made-from-scratch

Top L to R: Menu logo, Mountain Harvest
Bowl
Bottom L to R: Chicken fried steak, Burnt ends
sandwich

southern dishes and craft cocktails, according to their website. We had a very nice lunch at a sunny table with virtually no other diners in the restaurant. Dave had a Chicken Fried Steak with Yukon mashed potatoes, milk gravy, caramelized onions, pickled okra, green beans. He said it was pretty good but the meat was a bit tough. John had a Burnt Ends Sandwich made with all-natural, certified black Angus, hickory-apple smoked brisket, smoked jalapeño barbecue sauce, house-made pickles and a side of collard greens; he said it was wonderful. I really enjoyed my Mountain Harvest Bowl with its roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed kale, grilled chicken, goat cheese, granny smith apples, white rice, and white balsamic dressing; it was tasty and fresh. Prices are in line with the location and I’d be happy to eat there, again. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.

The Huddle

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