Zin Zen Wine Bistro is a MicKinney, TX wine bar that serves more than 80 wines from all over the world, specialty cocktails, beer and fresh fare. One of the owners Regina Reed (the other Owner is her husband Randy), says she was a frequent visitor Zin Zen Wine Bistro before purchasing it from the previous owners in February 2015. The wine bar holds a special place in her heart. It was the place her son got engaged and the entire family was able to watch and celebrate together.

The bistro’s ownership has changed a few times since it first opened in 2006, but Reed says she wanted to preserve the atmosphere that keeps people feeling welcome and celebrating.

“Zin Zen Wine Bistro was the creation of two ladies who were the original owners in 2006,” Reed says. “More than the love of wine in particular, we fell in love with the bistro, the cozy, intimate ambiance, the delicious food, the talented musicians that play live music each weekend and the Adriatica area in general. Customers celebrate events with friends and family all of the time at Zin Zen. It is the perfect spot to make lasting memories with the special people in your life.”

The wine selection at Zen Zin Wine Bistro is long, offering wine flights, full bottles and individual glasses. The menu spans zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, meritage, merlot, pinot noir, other reds and blends, rose and blush wines, pinot grigio, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, Riesling, sparkling whites, champagne and other types of white wine. They also offer ice wine, port, sherry, specialty cocktails and beer.

Reed says popular wines are constantly changing. Right now, she says The Calling is a favorite, featuring flavors of fresh cherries, mushrooms and spices that give the wine a rich acidity, delicate texture and powdery tannins. She says the 14 Hands Riesling is another go-to recommendation, with a crisp flavor with a sweet, tart finish.

“Chef Agustin takes great pride in the menu items he has designed for Zen Zin Wine Bistro,” Reed says. “He is extremely particular about the ingredients he uses in his house dressings, sauces, soups [and other recipes.] He has put together a delicious menu with a variety of appetizers, salads, paninis and sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and desserts.”

The menu features light, bistro-style meals. Like most wine bars, Zin Zen Wine Bistro serves many assortments of meats and cheeses to snack on while enjoying a glass of vino. Reed says the hummus is one-of-a-kind and often a customer favorite. Flavored with roasted garlic, feta, sundried tomatoes, tzatziki and olives, the hummus plate is served with toasted pita bread.

The gambas is another popular dish and is only served at dinner. It’s a spanish combination of garlic shrimp, smoked paprika and is served with cheesy sourdough bread. For dessert, Chef Agustin makes a bread pudding that is served with a maple-bourbon butter sauce topped with vanilla ice cream. In addition to regular menu items, Zen Zin Wine Bistro features weekly specials for customers. Past specials have included seared ahi tuna, rigatoni pasta with Italian sausage and shrimp risotto.

As the seasons change in McKinney, TX, you can be sure the menu specials and the recommended wines will too. Reed says her favorite wines change with the weather, but one thing that never changes is the close-knit community that Zin Zen Wine Bistro and they love when new patrons come in and become lifelong friends.

By Kelly Church

You have heard the prescription medication ads on television that come with a list of side effects for those taking them? Well, King Institute based out of Frisco has an answer. Adapt at treating the whole person and not just the symptom(s), this healthcare organization offers natural approaches to medication, as well as other treatment options, namely TKM® Therapy (also known as The King’s Method®).

TKM® Therapy, often called touch therapy, is a hands-on therapy that uses the body’s 26 energy points (natural energy sources) similar to acupressure. Practitioners must be certified by the King Institute. Institute founder Glenn King, PhD, CDN, CN notes that the method he created “surpasses all of the latest technologies available in providing breakthroughs in very difficult and advanced cases for recovery.” Aside from King’s degrees and training in environmental science, nutrition, diet and acupuncture, he is also a Reverend who teaches his therapy with Christian values in mind.

King tells us, “Many people come to us after they have exhausted medical approaches.” Indeed, there are numerous studies and reports on his method that show it works for treating a wide range of ailments. “Injury, surgery recovery, physical/mental/emotional needs from common everyday aliments to chronic, critical and very rare health concerns can be helped by this method,” King says. “All is done using totally natural non-invasive, non-toxic forms of testing and treatment solutions.”

King is thrilled with the international coverage his method has drawn. “This therapy alone has placed us in national and international health news numerous times over the years,” he says. From talks with radio and televisions personalities to magazines and journals (Telemundo, Alternative Health Digest, Miami herald, CNN Headline News), TKM® is widely touted.

Authoring nine books on TKM® therapy, King’s most recent one, Wonderfully Made, is a pregnancy guide for parents covering preconception through the toddler years. A book for pregnant woman was penned by King. Woman will especially appreciate the one-step TKM® action for labor, which is currently taught in many birthing centers.

“We have accumulated empirical evidence from thousands of people over the years,” King explains. “Some is well documented and presented in medical lectures, universities and hospitals, as well as international natural seminars we’ve been invited to concerning benefits for nerve regeneration, brain damage recovery, immune deficiency disorders, allergies to any degree and any age, eyesight, viruses, cardiovascular diseases, parasites, slow viruses, spinal issues, bacterial infections, digestive disorders, Autism, sleep disorders, SMA and celiac.”

The Institute’s form of integrative medicine using mainly TKM® therapy, diet, nutrition, mental health and exercise, helps to balance the body, thereby ridding the system of what ails it. Believing that by treating the whole person you get at the root of the health issue, incurable is not a word in the Institute’s vocabulary.

Don’t forget to check out their new facility at 7651 Main Street, Frisco, TX 75034 at their Open House on March 5th! For more information about this event and more, visit their website.

‍

By Elizabeth R. Elstien

It’s a dog’s life. Should you choose the Mini Spa for your pet, with a hydro-massage bath with premium shampoos and conditioners, tearless and coat brightening facial, fluff dry by hand, brush out, nails clipped and filed, paw moisturizer, light trim of face, feet and tail, and ending with optional cologne and bow or bandana? Or the Full Day Spa with all of these plus a haircut or styling as appropriate for the breed?

With Barkhaus, the spa comes to your driveway. Pet owners who struggle with all the guilt and anxiety of leaving their dogs on their own for hours in a salon love the idea. Owner Paula Cocuzza says that when working in a salon, she saw that pets were not really comfortable in that environment.

“I had been grooming for 8 years in a salon and its not always comfortable for the pets. There are a lot of elderly and sick pets that people have a hard time getting to a salon. I have 4 dogs of my own, one having separation anxiety and 2 have congestive heart failure. I decided there must be a better way. So I saw a van and decided that I could have 1-on-1 time with each pet. It works so much better. They are not as nervous or scared in the van right outside their own home.”

Not surprisingly, the business has taken off rapidly. In fact, Barkhaus and its groomers are so much in demand that it’s necessary to book at least a few days ahead. The mobile spa is a converted 22-feet Mercedes Sprinter with its own electricity and water, and a full-service grooming station that gets sanitized after each appointment.

Even more important, Cocuzza says that she takes the time to get to know each pet, so they can be comfortable with the whole process: “I travel from home to home and visit with each family about the pet I will be grooming. While they fill out the paper work I sit on the floor and visit with the pets so they can get to know me.”

Each appointment takes one to two hours and Cocuzza says that dogs should be groomed every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the breed. It works better for the dogs, since they don’t have to go beyond their own driveway. Unlike a grooming salon, they are never left alone and unattended, in a cage along with a roomful of strange dogs. However, for safety and liability reasons, pet owners cannot watch the grooming.

Apart from the pampering care pets receive, they avoid some of the discomforts and drawbacks of grooming salons. They won’t be left in cage dryers, and the risk of infections and altercations with other pets is absent. The stress-free environment of the mobile spa is specially suitable for puppies, who are very impressionable. With in-your-driveway pampering, they can learn to love being groomed. At present Barkhaus only accepts small to medium dogs, up to 80 lbs.

‍