Snack

Checked out Snack on Friday, Avner Samuel's new place next to Veritas on Henderson. You know, where Horne & Dekker used to be (and whatever it was before that, and whatever it was before that). I really want something to succeed in that space. I love Veritas and Sushi Axiom on either side of it. Would Snack finally be the restaurant that would break the "snake bit" curse of that location?

We waited a bit at the bar before getting sat at a table outside. Yeah for a June Friday in Dallas when you can sit outside! The theme of Snack is, well, snacks -- small bites from around the world. The menu is quite limited. If you want a salad or are vegetarian, well, go next door to Sushi Axiom because Snack does not have much for you. Since I've been trying to eat a primarily plant and fish based diet lately, I found the menu extremely limiting. Oh well, I can always find something to eat on any menu - so we ordered the Chicken Schawarmas, crispy brussels sprouts (yeah my favorite veggie!) fritters, and the paella special (minus the pork sausage).

We started with the Chicken Schawarmas. Prior to Friday the only thing I knew about schawarmas was it was what Iron Man wanted to eat after the Avengers saved the world. (Sorry. Did I just spoil the ending of The Avengers for you? It is a super hero movie afterall. That's kind of what they always do. If you're surprised by that ending, then whatever you do don't go seeTitanic. See, there's this iceberg. . . . and, Rachel, stop being a smart aleck and get back to schawarmas) Snack's chicken schawarma is basically a gyro. Grilled chicken, cucumber tahini and pickled vegetables (aka onions) wrapped in a flatbread. While the inside was tasty (I really liked the pickled onions), the flatbread was a bit burnt so the burnt toast taste overwhelmed the dish. For $8 you will get one schawarma, cut in half. An entire order is probably just enough for one not particularly hungry woman's meal.

The paella showed up next. Where were the brussels sprouts I inquired? Our waiter, a young harried type, looked very confused and said he would check. He came back shortly thereafter and asked us, "Did no one bring them to you? The kitchen said they went out." Me (in my head): "Oh, whoops, you caught me. I just lied to you about not receiving the brussels sprouts. I'm actually hiding them in my purse." No, we didn't get them, that's why we asked! They must have gone to another table.

The paella was a huge disappointment. It started with such promise -- a huge paella pan full of mussels, chicken, other seafood and rice. Plenty of food for two hungry, brussels sproutless girls. With much anticipation, I opened up a mussel and found, well, the dried up remnants of a bivalve. The mussels were overcooked. Every single one of them. Sigh. The rest of the paella was just bland. Absolutely none of that wonderful saffron flavor which makes paella so rich and wonderful. It reminded me more of the Campbell Soup chicken and rice recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up than paella. We finished it because it was there and familiar but not because we were particularly interested in it.

The brussels sprouts fritters finally showed up. When I saw "fritters" I imagined something other than battered and fried brussels sprouts, but that was what they were. Not a particularly inspired offering. It came with a pine nut and caper dip (read aioli) which was tangy and enjoyable though.

So, my first take on Snack? Street inspired bites that are truly pedestrian. They've only been opened for a couple of weeks, so maybe I'll let them work a few of the kinks out before I go back. But that's what I said about Horne & Dekker when I first went there and never went back so who knows.

Cheers!