Live music and great food at Barkin Dog Grill

A few years ago, I was a smalltown newspaper publisher/journalist who got called to jury duty in Modesto. Off I went on a Downtown Modesto adventure.

I was in the basement of the courthouse, sitting and waiting to see what my fate as a potential juror had in store as lunchtime neared. I looked over the list of places nearby to eat and found something I knew I needed to try: Barkin Dog Grill. I remember having a delicious hotdog for lunch. Now, let me tell you, I am far from a regular hotdog eater. Whn I make them at home, I insist on Hebrew National dogs and I pile it high with sauerkraut, onions, mustard, and bacon. So, for my first positive experience with a restaurant to include a hotdog, it really is a big deal.

In late 2014, I returned to Barkin Dog Grill with a group of colleagues, again on a lunch break. We walked over from an all-day conference at the DoubleTree.

I finally had the opportunity to give it a try at night. A Friday night even!

Barkin Dog Grill does more than offer great food. On weekends it often offers local music for entertainment. It is often crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, last night (Friday, February 5) was no exception.

A local band, the California 99ers played to a packed house. This band includes two MAMAs winners, the man who started Modesto's first rock band in the 1950s, and a young woman with a full and beautiful voice who can actually do justice to Patsy Cline tunes. Bassist Mike Thorington received the MAMAs 2015 Lifetime Achievement award. What's not to love about a band that pays homage to some of the greatest music of our time and has skilled musicians?



Put great music together with great food and you have a win for an evening out!

I enjoyed a burger with fresh greens, horseradish, bacon, and two onion rings. I added bleu cheese for good measure. It came with fries. While I often will skip fries and choose something else, I decided to go ahead and get them this time. As I had earlier perused the menu, I took note of the fact that one of the burgers included chipotle mayonnaise. When my plate arrived, I requested a side of the chipotle mayo and the server obliged. It was delicious!

Plus, they have 805 on tap!

If you're looking for some great food and a glass of wine or beer with good entertainment, give Barkin Dog Grill a try. It is also a fantastic and quiet lunch spot, conveniently located n 11th Street. A few doors down is the Firkin and Fox (a favorite of mine) and the Fat Cat is right next door. With draws such as those so close, it may be easy to overlook this understated place to grab a good bite. Street parking is limited and hard to find on a Friday night, but the 11th Street parking garage is directly across the street and available for a reasonable rate (day or night).

Pamyla's offers a place to retreat and escape without leaving Oakdale

Luxury spas in the Napa region, escape packages along the Central Coast, wine tours in the Foothills are all options people consider when they want to get away from it all and relax without traveling far. What if...just consider for a moment...what if you could escape from the day-to-day stresses of life without leaving Oakdale?

Stay with me here.

I am a transplant to the Central Valley. I moved here a little over 20 years ago just as I finished high school. I moved here from the Los Angeles area. Better than that, I moved here from a wonderful town about 13 miles away from Downtown Los Angeles. It had less hustle and bustle of a big city, but offered some amazing things to do. My friends and I enjoyed theatre and coffee houses, live music, and grabbing a shake and sweet potato fries at Rocky Cola. (Google it. It's still there.) I spent my first year of college in a fabulous college community with lots to do and see. And then, I settled back home with the rest of my family. In Oakdale. I admittedly have had my share of moments where I wondered if there was anything to do or see or experience here. Of course now, I have found there are lots of things to do, see, experience, and a myriad of ways to keep busy. As a single mom who works full time and has, at best, a minimal social life, I look for the occasional escape. I have also come to appreciate having pedicures. I get them because they help keep my feet healthy and the perk is that the right polish makes my toes sparkle and that makes me feel good, too. I had the same nail tech for almost 10 years.

I would still recommend her in a heartbeat. Right now, she is not working as a nail tech. Last year, a major health matter arose and she had to stop working. It was extremely sudden. And, scary. She canceled my appointment with her that was supposed to happen two days later. And a few days later, she was having major surgery. I worried more about her as my friend than anything else, setting aside my "need" for a pedicure.

Two months later, I finally had a pedicure. I was in Palm Springs for a conference that overlapped my birthday. One of my best friends met me there. While I spent a day at the conference, she found a place for me to get a pedicure. She picked me up and off we went. It had been three months since my last one. My poor feet were in terrible shape. This helped. Then, I returned home.

What now? Where would I go? Were my feet doomed?

Here's the thing. I am super picky about who does my feet, how they do them, and my comfort is extremely important. Going to a big salon that cranks out pedicures like nothing is not quite right for me. I need and want something more. A personal touch. Comfort. I looked around and settled finally on Pamyla's.

I first heard of Pamyla's a year or so earlier at the Oakdale Farmers' Market. (In fact, I recent came across a discount certificate buried in my "safe place" from that first encounter.) The name was familiar, and as I read through the services on the website, I knew this was the place to try. Turns out, Pamyla's opened in 1978. It remains in the same location today.

I made an appointment and gave it a "go." Wow!

This was what I needed.


Pamyla's offers a quiet retreat from life and when you're at the spa, you easily forget you're in Oakdale.  An electric fireplace and blanket help you cozy up during a pedicure in the colder winter months. She will even fix you a cup of hot tea! The champagne pedicure includes a "nosh" of crackers, fresh herbs, and perhaps a cookie. Pamyla listens to what you want and helps keep you at peace, encouraging you to let your stresses go and relax. She has a great color selection for polishes, too!

She offers more too! There are a variety of massages to choose from and she also offers hair and facial services. I especially recommend Pamyla's Signature Massage. You spend 60 minutes relaxing and working out the tension and knots. Additionally, she has a chakra balancing massage.

Pamyla mixes all of her own products, including moisturizers and essential oils.

I have tried a few of her services, including the Escape Package which includes a massage and facial. One on my list still to try is the Slumber Party! (Yes, you can even stay overnight!) The Slumber Party package is definitely for big girls. All those years of having friends over...who says you outgrow it? It includes use of the variety of tubs and showers. An outdoor waterfall shower, a massage, and peace and relaxation plus I only have to drive five minutes from home? Sounds great to me! Pamyla reports that she is in the process of updating and freshening up some of the plants in the garden, too.

Whether you need a seemingly basic service such as hair or nails or are looking for an escape, consider making an appointment at Pamyla's. Her array of services is worth checking out and when you find one that you like, go for it. Pamyla's offers monthly specials too! This month, she has some great ones, including a Valentine's Package for two. The special product blend she offers for pedicures this month is "Champagne and Roses." She has a scrub and lotion both ready to go.

Whether you want to relax for a couple of hours or escape for an overnight, Pamyla's has something for you. Avoid the higher prices and travel time and escape right here in your own backyard.

To find more information about services, specials, and more, check out Pamyla's website.