We start today of a little story which begins on Valentines' Day several years ago. I (shocker!) was dateless this V-Day and had hoped to escape the evening with an entire bottle of wine at home alone. But I received an email that afternoon from a friend of mine, who also happened to not have a date that evening, suggesting that we do a girls dinner on Valentines' Day at the least romantic restaurant in Dallas - HPV Mi Cocina. Really? Go out in public on Valentines' Day without a date? I just wasn't sure. But the call of queso and mambos were too great to resist, so I went. And had one of the best times of my life.
There were only 3 of at that dinner. L, M, and me. We were seated at the second floor of MiC, far away from all of the couples who for some unknown reason chose MiC for their romantic meal. I hadn't known L & M very long. We were more acquaintances than friends at that point. But that day changed that. We talked, we laughed, we drank, and we created Supper Club.
The idea of Supper Club was quite simple. We were single women who wanted to go to nice restaurants but finding dates who wanted to do the same, not so easy (and P.S., if you know of any such guys, L & WiDi are still single, so hook us up). So we'd go ourselves -- one dinner, once a month, wherever we want to go, price is no object. We invited a few friends to join us. We had a great run. Ate some great meals at some great restaurants. But over the years, people moved, friendships changes, we just really got busy with life. Supper Club went from once a month, to every other month, to whenever someone thought of making a reservation, to gone.
But L, M, and I decided we still wanted to keep our original idea alive. So every few months, we get together and go wherever we want, just the 3 of us. It's our own little Supper Club which we will always cherish and which I hope we never stop.
At CFF, I sat across from Brian and Courtney Luscher of The Grape. They were so much fun and we had a great time. So, the next day, I sent an email to L & M and told them, next Supper Club, we're going to The Grape.
Now The Grape has been around Dallas for 38 years. That's an eternity in the restaurant world. It seems like everyone in Dallas has a Grape story. Since for years it was labeled as the "most romantic restaurant in Dallas", lots of people have had first dates, marriage proposals, anniversaries there. I, however, did not really discover the Grape until this year. I'll be quite honest, the "most romantic" title had kind of steered me away. Being, much to my mother's chagrin, in a state of perpetual singlehood, I'd kind of avoided the place. Single people just don't go there, do they?
I actually went to The Grape this spring for the first time on a first date. Well, at least I later realized that it was a first date. At the time, I called it a "I think I was on a date, but I'm not sure." See guys, women really are quite simple creatures. This is how we think: "kiss goodnight = date". But when you go and do the whole chivalrous "no kiss on the first date" thing, we don't know what to do with that. Sure, we will appreciate it and think it was adorable later, but the next day we will spend analyzing every aspect of the evening to try to figure out was it a date or not. It is not until you actually kiss us goodnight that we actually go, "duh, that was a date." I spoke to a guy friend about this, and he looked at me like I was a moron. He then gave me some very sage advice which I will now share with my 8 readers: "If he picks you up and pays for your meal, you are on a date, dummy." WiDiDallas' dating advice at its finest. Although, since I'm no longer dating the guy that took me to the Grape, maybe you should ignore my advice altogether. ;)
Now back to The Grape.
So I get there a little early and ask for the wine list. When our server hands it to me, she says these amazing words, "By the way, on Thursdays, all bottles are 1/3 off." Wait, wha? I will repeat. ON THURSDAYS, ALL BOTTLES OF WINE AT THE GRAPE ARE 1/3 OFF PEOPLE!!!!!!! How did I not know this?! As I look over the wine list, I am so happy. There are so many good bottles and pretty decent prices without the discount. But 1/3 off? Oh, we'll be drinking nice tonight.
Courtney comes over to say hello and we ask for a wine recommendation. Wow, she knows her stuff. She tells us she's really been into Italian wines lately so we go with her first choice, which, of course, bad blogger, I can't remember. It was Italian, it was delicious, it was 1/3 off, that's all I've got.
L, M, and I look over the menu. Courtney tells us that they've recently redesigned the menu so one side can reflect Brian's most recent creations and the other side will have the bistro favorites which never change. I like it. If you want an old standby, go to the right. If you want to try something a little different, go to the left. It took us a long time to decide what we were going to eat. As M said, "there is nothing on this menu that I will not eat." And she was right. Everything looks so good. What to decide? So . . . we asked.
Taking our server's and Courtney's suggestions, we ordered as follows: L - half orders of both Romaine Salad and Coal Miner's pasta; M - half orders of both Courtney's Salad and the Bistro Steak Frites; Me - half order of the Romaine Salad and the Coq Au Vin "Blanc".
Our salads were good and very fresh, just not that memorable, but it was our entrees which really stood out. First, thank goodness for half orders! If L & M had ordered full orders of their dishes, I might have had to wheel them out of there. The Grape's half orders (available on some dishes) are actually what I would consider a full portion. L's Coal Miner's pasta was delicious. It's Brian's take on the pasta carbonara. Chef Brian explained that since there are so many carbonara purist out there (really? who knew?), he didn't feel right calling it a carbonara since he adds spinach and tomatoes to his. So he calls it Coal Miner's from the English translation of carbonara. M's bistro steak looked very good, although the bitter greens salad was a little extraneous since M had ordered a salad as her starter. My Coq Au Vin was also delicious. A poussin is used instead of chicken in a nice, hearty sauce. The poussin simply fell off the bone. The homemade gnocchi added a nice texture element and the Chef's pancetta added another nice element to the dish. So good.
For dessert, we decided to do cheese rather than sweet. The Grape is known for its Cheese & Charcuterie plates, for good reason. And next time I go for drinks (and there will be a next time), I'm going to check out the charcuterie. We asked Chef Brian to create us a little plate, minus any goat cheese which L believes is what "the Devil tastes like." Yum. Three cheeses (my favorite, the triple cream), some grapes, a fig preserve, and a mix fruit sauce (I know there's a better word I can use but can't think of it now). A perfect way to end our meal. Well, that and our bottle of Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rose (good blogger took a picture of that bottle). Hello, do you not remember 1/3 off all bottles?!
What a fun night at The Grape, which, although I'm sure is quite romantic, is actually just a great neighborhood bistro and now officially the single girl's favorite restaurant in the 'hood. And here's an added bonus. We got the check and were shocked to discover that for the three of us, with 2 amazing courses each (our cheese course was compliments of the chef - THANK YOU BRIAN!), and 2 bottles of really nice wine, with tip (our server was great, fyi) and tax was less than $80 each. I love you Thursday nights at the Grape!
Thank you Brian and Courtney for your wonderful hospitality, your wonderful wine and fabulous food. Thanks L & M for the laughs.
Cheers!
PS - The Grape is hosting a great event this Saturday, October 30th, on their patio. It's the Food Truck Reconstructed. Brian will be making his famous "Texas best" burgers, there will be tacos, even snow cones. It's from 11-2. Going to try to make it. You should too!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wai Wai
Wai Wai
I had a meeting in Richardson this afternoon and just did not feel great. I'd been feeling a little off all day and a long meeting did not help. I cancelled my Rangers' watching plans and decided to spend the night at home to see if I can get rid of this crud before it starts. On my way home, I called in an order at Wai Wai on Mockingbird, next to SMU. I discovered Wai Wai earlier this year as it's right next door to the place where I get my nails done. I often get their chicken pad thai. It's pretty good, although it is a bit sweet sometimes. But I absolutely adore their Tom Yum soup with chicken. When I had laryngitis this spring (I lost my voice completely for a week. Me, not talking for a week. Imagine that.), it was all I wanted to eat. It's a little spicy with lime, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, green onions and mushrooms. It's like the cure for the common cold. But for the score of the game (come on Rangers), I would be feeling great right now. I also recommend their summer rolls. Some of the best in Dallas, although I think their peanut sauce could be just a tad thicker. I've been to Wai Wai about a dozen times and I either get the pad thai or the soup and summer rolls. I probably need to expand my menu selections there, but I found what I like and don't really feel the need to change it. I'm okay with that.
Headed to The Grape tomorrow to see what Chef Brian has up his sleeve for its 38th birthday celebration. Can't wait. Read all about it here on Friday.
Cheers!
I had a meeting in Richardson this afternoon and just did not feel great. I'd been feeling a little off all day and a long meeting did not help. I cancelled my Rangers' watching plans and decided to spend the night at home to see if I can get rid of this crud before it starts. On my way home, I called in an order at Wai Wai on Mockingbird, next to SMU. I discovered Wai Wai earlier this year as it's right next door to the place where I get my nails done. I often get their chicken pad thai. It's pretty good, although it is a bit sweet sometimes. But I absolutely adore their Tom Yum soup with chicken. When I had laryngitis this spring (I lost my voice completely for a week. Me, not talking for a week. Imagine that.), it was all I wanted to eat. It's a little spicy with lime, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, green onions and mushrooms. It's like the cure for the common cold. But for the score of the game (come on Rangers), I would be feeling great right now. I also recommend their summer rolls. Some of the best in Dallas, although I think their peanut sauce could be just a tad thicker. I've been to Wai Wai about a dozen times and I either get the pad thai or the soup and summer rolls. I probably need to expand my menu selections there, but I found what I like and don't really feel the need to change it. I'm okay with that.
Headed to The Grape tomorrow to see what Chef Brian has up his sleeve for its 38th birthday celebration. Can't wait. Read all about it here on Friday.
Cheers!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Chefs for Farmers
I went to Chefs for Farmers ("CFF") yesterday at Eden's Garden in Balch Springs. CFF brought together some of the best and brightest chefs in town and joined them with some great local farms to give you a true farm to table experience because, well, the table is right there at the farm. Seriously, one big long communal table for 100 in the middle of a field. All supporting gleantexas.org. It was a perfect day to eat and eat we did.
First, before we get to the dinner,
An Ode to An Appetizer
How do I love thee
Bacon wrapped dates from Cafe Malaga
Let me count the ways
One . . .nom, nom, nom
Two . . . nom, nom, nom
Three . . . nom, nom, nom
Four . . . nom, nom, nom
Ten . . . nom, nom, nom
Eleven . . . nom, nom, nom
Twelve . . . nom, nom, nom
Oh, please don't take them away server.
I still want to eat more.
I will remember you always
Oh delicious bacon wrapped dates
We had to hide our toothpicks of shame because none of us wanted to be conscious of how many of these pieces of heaven we actually ate. I kinda liked, er, loved them. Cafe Malaga is in McKinney and these would be worth that drive.
We took our seats at the long communal table. I can now safely say I finally sat with the cool kids. I didn't really know many of the people I sat by when the evening started but we had an instant rapport which made dining so much more fun. Lots of laughter was had when we weren't stuffing our faces.
First up, Nathan Tate and Randall Copeland of Restaurant AVA in Rockwall. Barking Cat Farms Roasted Sweet Peppers with Local Greens and Brazos Brie (wine pairing: 2008 Cooper Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR). When I spoke to Chef Copeland at the after party, he told me that he was really excited about being first up and he wanted to keep the dish very simple. It was . . .simply amazing. Purple basil was combined with lightly dressed local greens. To the side, some melted brie on top of roasted yellow sweet peppers. I adored the brie/peppers combo. Smeared on a little bit of the bread placed in whole loaves on the table, yum. I'm a bit embarassed to say this, but when the girl next to me whom I just met didn't want to eat hers, I helped myself right off her plate. It was that good. The sweetness of the pinot gris was a nice pairing with the peppers and cheese as well.
Second course, Abraham Salum and Al Havens of Salum. Seared Scallops with Eden's Cucuzza Squash, Caprino Goat Cheese, and Pancetta Bread Pudding with Grain Mustard Viniagrette (wine pairing: 2007 Brooks "Ava" Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR). What's a cucuzza squash you might ask? It looks like a pale zucchini on steroids. They have a zucchini flavor but retain their firmness better when cooked. Chef Salum carried around a cucuzza proudly when explaining his dish -- which, by the way, was probably the BEST scallop dish I have ever tasted. As everyone who loves scallops knows, they aren't the easiest things to cook. They get chewy quite easily. How they managed to cook 300 of these scallops to perfection, I have no idea. Melt in your mouth good. I was extremely hesitant about the riesling pairing since I was convinced the sweetness of the riesling would ruin the scallop perfection. Imagine my surprise when I tasted the riesling and it was dry. A wonderful pairing. Crisp but not overpowering.
Third course, Matt McCallister of Stephan Pyles. Smoked Tennessee Duck Breast with Spiced Pumpkin Puree and Rocky's Swiss Chard (and red celery and pomagranate seeds) (wine pairing: 2007 Brooks "Janus" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR). When I saw duck, I sighed. I'm not a huge duck fan. It's a bit too greasy for me. But smoked duck breast (aka "duck ham") made me a duck convert. The smokiness took all of that ducky fat out of it and made it so good. The pumpkin puree and the crunchiness of the celery and the sweetness of the pomagranate seeds threatened to be "one thing too many" but they combined to make a complete dish. I wasn't too crazy about the wine pairing for this course, however. I thought the pinot was a bit too overpowering for the dish. I understood what they were trying to do in light of the smokiness of the duck, but it didn't quite work. Who knows, maybe I was just over Willamette County at this point.
Fourth Course, Bruno Davaillon of The Mansion at Turtle Creek. Confit of Local Pork Belly with Blood Sausage, Heirloom Apple, Rapini, Chestnut and Aged Sherry Vinegar (wine pairing, Anam Cara "Nicholas Estate" Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, OR). Ok, I'll admit it, I was a bit terrified when I saw "blood sausage" on the menu. I've had it once before and it kind of "oog'ed" me out. But this was Bruno Davaillon and this was his beautiful interpretation of blood sausage. It had a very mild flavor and smooth texture which actually reminded me a lot of one of my favorite Polish breakfasts, kishka. I said this out loud at the table, and one of my table mates started belting out the Kishka Song which made me laugh. This silly little song was like a lullaby to me and my sisters growing up and I honestly thought it was something my grandparents had made made up. It's a polka (of course) and goes like this:
Who stole the kishka
Who stole the kishka
Who stole the kishka
From the butcher shop?
Silly I know, but, hey, I'm Polish, and we do silly well.
But I digress, this course was delicious. I enjoyed the contrast between the sweetness of the apple and chestnuts and the sausage and pork belly. As for the wine pairing, I enjoyed this Pinot better than the last and would have probably preferred the pinot served with Chef McCallister's course with this dish and vice versa.
Fourth course, oh, dear, how can I eat any more? But it's Chad Houser and Janice Provost of Parigi and they were making Burgundy Beef "pot roast" deconstructed (wine pairing 2005 Boudreaux Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State). I love me some pot roast so I was excited. Served with root vegestables and mashed potatoes, this was a slight miss. It was very tasty and the meat was very tender but compared to the previous dishes, it just didn't have that wow factor the other dishes had. And it needed just a touch more salt and pepper. I enjoyed the Cab though. Cajun goes to Washington, starts a vineyard and calls it Boudreaux. Sweet.
And we are finally to the end, Chef McCallister did double duty and made the Gleaned Sweet Potato Panna Cotta with Coconut Lemongrass Sauce (wine pairing Anam Cara "Nicholas Estate" Gewurtztraminer, Chehalem Mountains, OR). Luckily, it tasted nothing like Boston Cream Pie Yogurt (sorry, inside joke). It was very good. Not too sweet but just sweet enough to make your sweet tooth happy at the end of a long meal.
It was an amazing night. Great food, great wine, great weather, great people and a great time. Not only was the food fantastic but I was absolutely amazed with all of the chefs. They looked like they were having so much fun and they were constantly helping out each other. The comraderie was amazing. No egos could be seen here. They were plating and serving each other's food and smiling the whole time. Great job guys.
After dinner, many of us convened to Veritas where Brooks and the gang hosted an after party with food provided by Horne & Dekker next door. I honestly couldn't eat another bite (although drinking 2 more glasses was apparently no problem whatsoever), so I couldn't tell you what food was served or what it tasted like. But it was great to see the party continue. A sign of a truly successful event.
A final word to my dear friend, Iris McCallister, who organized this event. Iris, you are truly amazing. Your drive was awesome to watch and your biting wit made those late night calls and emails about the little details so much fun. You honored me with your Special Thanks but I was the one truly honored that you let me share just a little part of this with you. I cannot wait for the next event!
Cheers!
First, before we get to the dinner,
An Ode to An Appetizer
How do I love thee
Bacon wrapped dates from Cafe Malaga
Let me count the ways
One . . .nom, nom, nom
Two . . . nom, nom, nom
Three . . . nom, nom, nom
Four . . . nom, nom, nom
Ten . . . nom, nom, nom
Eleven . . . nom, nom, nom
Twelve . . . nom, nom, nom
Oh, please don't take them away server.
I still want to eat more.
I will remember you always
Oh delicious bacon wrapped dates
We had to hide our toothpicks of shame because none of us wanted to be conscious of how many of these pieces of heaven we actually ate. I kinda liked, er, loved them. Cafe Malaga is in McKinney and these would be worth that drive.
We took our seats at the long communal table. I can now safely say I finally sat with the cool kids. I didn't really know many of the people I sat by when the evening started but we had an instant rapport which made dining so much more fun. Lots of laughter was had when we weren't stuffing our faces.
First up, Nathan Tate and Randall Copeland of Restaurant AVA in Rockwall. Barking Cat Farms Roasted Sweet Peppers with Local Greens and Brazos Brie (wine pairing: 2008 Cooper Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR). When I spoke to Chef Copeland at the after party, he told me that he was really excited about being first up and he wanted to keep the dish very simple. It was . . .simply amazing. Purple basil was combined with lightly dressed local greens. To the side, some melted brie on top of roasted yellow sweet peppers. I adored the brie/peppers combo. Smeared on a little bit of the bread placed in whole loaves on the table, yum. I'm a bit embarassed to say this, but when the girl next to me whom I just met didn't want to eat hers, I helped myself right off her plate. It was that good. The sweetness of the pinot gris was a nice pairing with the peppers and cheese as well.
Second course, Abraham Salum and Al Havens of Salum. Seared Scallops with Eden's Cucuzza Squash, Caprino Goat Cheese, and Pancetta Bread Pudding with Grain Mustard Viniagrette (wine pairing: 2007 Brooks "Ava" Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR). What's a cucuzza squash you might ask? It looks like a pale zucchini on steroids. They have a zucchini flavor but retain their firmness better when cooked. Chef Salum carried around a cucuzza proudly when explaining his dish -- which, by the way, was probably the BEST scallop dish I have ever tasted. As everyone who loves scallops knows, they aren't the easiest things to cook. They get chewy quite easily. How they managed to cook 300 of these scallops to perfection, I have no idea. Melt in your mouth good. I was extremely hesitant about the riesling pairing since I was convinced the sweetness of the riesling would ruin the scallop perfection. Imagine my surprise when I tasted the riesling and it was dry. A wonderful pairing. Crisp but not overpowering.
Third course, Matt McCallister of Stephan Pyles. Smoked Tennessee Duck Breast with Spiced Pumpkin Puree and Rocky's Swiss Chard (and red celery and pomagranate seeds) (wine pairing: 2007 Brooks "Janus" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR). When I saw duck, I sighed. I'm not a huge duck fan. It's a bit too greasy for me. But smoked duck breast (aka "duck ham") made me a duck convert. The smokiness took all of that ducky fat out of it and made it so good. The pumpkin puree and the crunchiness of the celery and the sweetness of the pomagranate seeds threatened to be "one thing too many" but they combined to make a complete dish. I wasn't too crazy about the wine pairing for this course, however. I thought the pinot was a bit too overpowering for the dish. I understood what they were trying to do in light of the smokiness of the duck, but it didn't quite work. Who knows, maybe I was just over Willamette County at this point.
Fourth Course, Bruno Davaillon of The Mansion at Turtle Creek. Confit of Local Pork Belly with Blood Sausage, Heirloom Apple, Rapini, Chestnut and Aged Sherry Vinegar (wine pairing, Anam Cara "Nicholas Estate" Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, OR). Ok, I'll admit it, I was a bit terrified when I saw "blood sausage" on the menu. I've had it once before and it kind of "oog'ed" me out. But this was Bruno Davaillon and this was his beautiful interpretation of blood sausage. It had a very mild flavor and smooth texture which actually reminded me a lot of one of my favorite Polish breakfasts, kishka. I said this out loud at the table, and one of my table mates started belting out the Kishka Song which made me laugh. This silly little song was like a lullaby to me and my sisters growing up and I honestly thought it was something my grandparents had made made up. It's a polka (of course) and goes like this:
Who stole the kishka
Who stole the kishka
Who stole the kishka
From the butcher shop?
Silly I know, but, hey, I'm Polish, and we do silly well.
But I digress, this course was delicious. I enjoyed the contrast between the sweetness of the apple and chestnuts and the sausage and pork belly. As for the wine pairing, I enjoyed this Pinot better than the last and would have probably preferred the pinot served with Chef McCallister's course with this dish and vice versa.
Fourth course, oh, dear, how can I eat any more? But it's Chad Houser and Janice Provost of Parigi and they were making Burgundy Beef "pot roast" deconstructed (wine pairing 2005 Boudreaux Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State). I love me some pot roast so I was excited. Served with root vegestables and mashed potatoes, this was a slight miss. It was very tasty and the meat was very tender but compared to the previous dishes, it just didn't have that wow factor the other dishes had. And it needed just a touch more salt and pepper. I enjoyed the Cab though. Cajun goes to Washington, starts a vineyard and calls it Boudreaux. Sweet.
And we are finally to the end, Chef McCallister did double duty and made the Gleaned Sweet Potato Panna Cotta with Coconut Lemongrass Sauce (wine pairing Anam Cara "Nicholas Estate" Gewurtztraminer, Chehalem Mountains, OR). Luckily, it tasted nothing like Boston Cream Pie Yogurt (sorry, inside joke). It was very good. Not too sweet but just sweet enough to make your sweet tooth happy at the end of a long meal.
It was an amazing night. Great food, great wine, great weather, great people and a great time. Not only was the food fantastic but I was absolutely amazed with all of the chefs. They looked like they were having so much fun and they were constantly helping out each other. The comraderie was amazing. No egos could be seen here. They were plating and serving each other's food and smiling the whole time. Great job guys.
After dinner, many of us convened to Veritas where Brooks and the gang hosted an after party with food provided by Horne & Dekker next door. I honestly couldn't eat another bite (although drinking 2 more glasses was apparently no problem whatsoever), so I couldn't tell you what food was served or what it tasted like. But it was great to see the party continue. A sign of a truly successful event.
A final word to my dear friend, Iris McCallister, who organized this event. Iris, you are truly amazing. Your drive was awesome to watch and your biting wit made those late night calls and emails about the little details so much fun. You honored me with your Special Thanks but I was the one truly honored that you let me share just a little part of this with you. I cannot wait for the next event!
Cheers!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Veritas and Neighborhood Services Tavern
So had my law school alumni happy hour at Veritas on Henderson last night. The Anderson brothers who own Veritas are alum, so it was the perfect location (except for the $5 valet parking charge which will ALWAYS tick me off). Veritas has been open for a couple of years now and it's become my go to wine bar in town. It's cozy, never uncomfortably crowded and they have good wines and good prices. Plus the staff is great and knows their stuff. As an added bonus, if you are hungry, you can also get some great cheeses and sausages there (I always tell them to surprise me) and, if you are really hungry, you can order from Horne & Dekker next door and they'll bring it right to you. As my 7 readers know, I'm not a fan of H&D but heard the fried chicken is quite good.
They started a wine club a few months back and I'm a member. There's 2 levels - $30 or $60 - which gets you 2 bottles, mostly reds, per month. I'm at the $30 level. Since I usually drink at least 2 bottles of wine at home per month anyway, I thought I would check it out. I haven't been disappointed. At the $30 level, you will get good, everyday wines that are ready to drink now. Since I'm a very impatient person, it works great for me. In addition to the monthly bottles, you also get discounts on all other bottles you buy there, all case orders, wine dinners, etc. Plus Brooks is now sending out emails notifying us wine members of some great deals he's coming across. Just purchased a 2005 Cain 5 which retails for $120 for $89 (impatiently saving that one for a special occasion) and Brooks says he's expecting more deals soon. Sweet.
After Veritas, M and I headed to Neighborhood Services Tavern for dinner. Wow, it was hopping on a Thursday night, and we got there well after the dinner rush. Like all Neighborhood Services concepts the dining room is, well, loud. But it wasn't so loud that M and I couldn't hear each other so it wasn't that big of deal (do I get old lady points for complaining about the loudness in the restaurant?).
We started out with the brisket meatballs. Cooked perfectly and just what we needed since it was late and we hadn't eaten yet. One word of warning. Now I know my 7 readers are all far more intelligent than I, but whatever you do, don't do what I do and pop an entire meatball in your mouth right after the server puts them down on the table. First, hot. Second, they are sprinkled with bread crumbs which you can inhale and choke on, causing everyone in the restaurant to turn to look at you. Yes, I'm classy that way.
Entrees were next. I told myself I was going to get the schnitz but damn if the handmade noodle special called my name and, apparently M's too. Homemade fettuccine with mushrooms, yellow and red tomatoes, and pancetta in some type of sauce (yes, I know, bad blogger). It was delicious. NST has rotating fish, roast and pasta specials nightly and I highly recommend you try those out first. I've always ordered off that menu and it's never disappointed.
Oh, and how could I forget the brussel sprouts. M and I love, love, love brussel sprouts (I know, weird but it's one of the many things that make us such great friends) and try to order them just about every time we go to dinner. NST has a nice twist on them, adding a touch of maple syrup to give them a nice sweetness. I think next time I go (and there will be a next time), I might just order meatballs and brussel sprouts as my dinner. Oh, that sounds sooooo good right now.
Service was good but not great. Our initial server was nice but she kept getting confused with the specials. Dinner has been going on for a few hours now and you should be able to recite them by heart. Then at some point, we had another server just take over. Not sure what happened to the first girl.
Unfortunately too full for dessert which totally bummed me out because NST has some of the best desserts in town. Ding Dong 2.0 gets the most buzz but it's a tad too sweet for me. I love the rice krispie treat ice cream sandwiches myself. Yum
Cheers!
They started a wine club a few months back and I'm a member. There's 2 levels - $30 or $60 - which gets you 2 bottles, mostly reds, per month. I'm at the $30 level. Since I usually drink at least 2 bottles of wine at home per month anyway, I thought I would check it out. I haven't been disappointed. At the $30 level, you will get good, everyday wines that are ready to drink now. Since I'm a very impatient person, it works great for me. In addition to the monthly bottles, you also get discounts on all other bottles you buy there, all case orders, wine dinners, etc. Plus Brooks is now sending out emails notifying us wine members of some great deals he's coming across. Just purchased a 2005 Cain 5 which retails for $120 for $89 (impatiently saving that one for a special occasion) and Brooks says he's expecting more deals soon. Sweet.
After Veritas, M and I headed to Neighborhood Services Tavern for dinner. Wow, it was hopping on a Thursday night, and we got there well after the dinner rush. Like all Neighborhood Services concepts the dining room is, well, loud. But it wasn't so loud that M and I couldn't hear each other so it wasn't that big of deal (do I get old lady points for complaining about the loudness in the restaurant?).
We started out with the brisket meatballs. Cooked perfectly and just what we needed since it was late and we hadn't eaten yet. One word of warning. Now I know my 7 readers are all far more intelligent than I, but whatever you do, don't do what I do and pop an entire meatball in your mouth right after the server puts them down on the table. First, hot. Second, they are sprinkled with bread crumbs which you can inhale and choke on, causing everyone in the restaurant to turn to look at you. Yes, I'm classy that way.
Entrees were next. I told myself I was going to get the schnitz but damn if the handmade noodle special called my name and, apparently M's too. Homemade fettuccine with mushrooms, yellow and red tomatoes, and pancetta in some type of sauce (yes, I know, bad blogger). It was delicious. NST has rotating fish, roast and pasta specials nightly and I highly recommend you try those out first. I've always ordered off that menu and it's never disappointed.
Oh, and how could I forget the brussel sprouts. M and I love, love, love brussel sprouts (I know, weird but it's one of the many things that make us such great friends) and try to order them just about every time we go to dinner. NST has a nice twist on them, adding a touch of maple syrup to give them a nice sweetness. I think next time I go (and there will be a next time), I might just order meatballs and brussel sprouts as my dinner. Oh, that sounds sooooo good right now.
Service was good but not great. Our initial server was nice but she kept getting confused with the specials. Dinner has been going on for a few hours now and you should be able to recite them by heart. Then at some point, we had another server just take over. Not sure what happened to the first girl.
Unfortunately too full for dessert which totally bummed me out because NST has some of the best desserts in town. Ding Dong 2.0 gets the most buzz but it's a tad too sweet for me. I love the rice krispie treat ice cream sandwiches myself. Yum
Cheers!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sushi!
I ate a lot of sushi last week. First stop -- Sushi Axiom. Met A for a last minute dinner. I had had a bad day and was in a mood. I was headed to the gym to work out some aggression, so when A called to see if I was available for dinner, I gladly changed directions. Surely sushi would change my mood.
Must admit, getting there I was cranky. First, I cursed at having to pay a $5 valet charge on a Wednesday night before 8. Damn you City of Dallas for taking away my street parking across the street. Damn you strip center for not only making me valet but making me pay for it on a weekday. Grrr.
Needed to take an edge off so treated myself to a $14 glass of Stag's Leap chardonnay. That helped. The weather was fantastic (thank you fall for finally making an appearance) so we sat outside and enjoyed the patio. We were having one more joining us later and we wanted a bigger table and learned one problem with Axiom's patio -- most of the tables are bolted down so it makes bigger groups out there difficult. But we made it work.
Started out with our usual edamame. Forgot my coupon for free appetizer that the concierge in my office building gives out. Dangit. Then our usual spring mix salad with ginger dressing and extra sushi ginger. The salad is simple, but it's good and pretty big.
Before our entries came out, we got a very nice surprise. The gentleman who was eating dinner behind us had ordered a bottle of wine and only drank about a glass out of it. He didn't want to see the bottle go to waste, so he gave it to us. We politely declined it at first but he insisted. We think he's the owner, but yeah, free wine made my mood even better.
I was trying "make better food choices" (read: I'm on a diet), so rather than my usual Mustang roll (a favorite of many. order it and you'll figure out why), I ordered salmon sashimi instead. It was cut a little too thick, but it was fresh and good. That's the thing about Axiom -- it's good, fresh sushi which isn't going to break your budget. One of my go to places in Dallas. Mood much better. :)
Mood got even better on Friday because L was in from the OC! She wanted Tei Tei so to Tei Tei we went. Since there were 5 of us, we made reservations. We started early since we were going to meet people out later Our reservation was for 6 and they told us if we weren't there by 610, they'd give away our table. Well, we got there on time, and when we left at 730, place was still kind of dead. Hmpf.
We ordered several starters. I had the seaweed salad. It needed just a bit more acid to be perfect. There were 3 orders of the sea bass. They looked a tad over-cooked. Our order of mushrooms and scallops were also overcooked (and had a funky spicy sauce). But the tuna and avocado special was delicious.
I always get the "feed me roll". It's basically chef's choice. I always take a risk here. I don't like octopus and sea urchin so if the sushi chef chooses to use those ingredients, I'm kind of screwed. But luckily, no octopus or sea urchin today! I wish I could tell you what my roll was, but no one seemed to know and no one wanted to ask the sushi chef either. Hmpf. From what I could figure out, it was a tuna roll with something crunchy inside, topped with seared tuna and micro greens. Very, very good. But I was still hungry so I ordered a dragon roll to share with L. It was so very good. California roll, topped with eel and avocado. So very good. It's not on the sushi menu, so ask for it when you go.
Overall, Tei Tei was good but kind of disappointing. Service was spotty (although the busser was very attentive) and all the grilled items were slightly overcooked. Stick with the sushi and you won't be disappointed.
Cheers!
Must admit, getting there I was cranky. First, I cursed at having to pay a $5 valet charge on a Wednesday night before 8. Damn you City of Dallas for taking away my street parking across the street. Damn you strip center for not only making me valet but making me pay for it on a weekday. Grrr.
Needed to take an edge off so treated myself to a $14 glass of Stag's Leap chardonnay. That helped. The weather was fantastic (thank you fall for finally making an appearance) so we sat outside and enjoyed the patio. We were having one more joining us later and we wanted a bigger table and learned one problem with Axiom's patio -- most of the tables are bolted down so it makes bigger groups out there difficult. But we made it work.
Started out with our usual edamame. Forgot my coupon for free appetizer that the concierge in my office building gives out. Dangit. Then our usual spring mix salad with ginger dressing and extra sushi ginger. The salad is simple, but it's good and pretty big.
Before our entries came out, we got a very nice surprise. The gentleman who was eating dinner behind us had ordered a bottle of wine and only drank about a glass out of it. He didn't want to see the bottle go to waste, so he gave it to us. We politely declined it at first but he insisted. We think he's the owner, but yeah, free wine made my mood even better.
I was trying "make better food choices" (read: I'm on a diet), so rather than my usual Mustang roll (a favorite of many. order it and you'll figure out why), I ordered salmon sashimi instead. It was cut a little too thick, but it was fresh and good. That's the thing about Axiom -- it's good, fresh sushi which isn't going to break your budget. One of my go to places in Dallas. Mood much better. :)
Mood got even better on Friday because L was in from the OC! She wanted Tei Tei so to Tei Tei we went. Since there were 5 of us, we made reservations. We started early since we were going to meet people out later Our reservation was for 6 and they told us if we weren't there by 610, they'd give away our table. Well, we got there on time, and when we left at 730, place was still kind of dead. Hmpf.
We ordered several starters. I had the seaweed salad. It needed just a bit more acid to be perfect. There were 3 orders of the sea bass. They looked a tad over-cooked. Our order of mushrooms and scallops were also overcooked (and had a funky spicy sauce). But the tuna and avocado special was delicious.
I always get the "feed me roll". It's basically chef's choice. I always take a risk here. I don't like octopus and sea urchin so if the sushi chef chooses to use those ingredients, I'm kind of screwed. But luckily, no octopus or sea urchin today! I wish I could tell you what my roll was, but no one seemed to know and no one wanted to ask the sushi chef either. Hmpf. From what I could figure out, it was a tuna roll with something crunchy inside, topped with seared tuna and micro greens. Very, very good. But I was still hungry so I ordered a dragon roll to share with L. It was so very good. California roll, topped with eel and avocado. So very good. It's not on the sushi menu, so ask for it when you go.
Overall, Tei Tei was good but kind of disappointing. Service was spotty (although the busser was very attentive) and all the grilled items were slightly overcooked. Stick with the sushi and you won't be disappointed.
Cheers!
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