Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen

Lumi Empanada and Dumpling Kitchen
3407 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204
214.979.2424

The Ambiance...

What can I say..we went absolutely insane here. I think we ordered one of everything and split it... And had a couple drinks each, so we were full AND toasty. Lol

What we ordered: Classic Pork and Chives Dumplings, Thai Panang Curry Chicken Dumplings, Ahi Tuna Nachos, Thai Blue Crab Fried Rice, and Spicy Sriracha Buffalo Wings.

Let the gorging commence!


The Pork and Chives dumplings – very tasty.. and the chive sauce was plate licking yummy. I almost did lick the plate. The waiter boxed up the extra sauce for me, and I poured it on all the leftovers. lol

Thai Panang Curry Chicken Dumplings – also very tasty, but I liked the pork ones better.

Spicy Sriracha Buffalo Wings – OMG.. new best for wings. ( I'm going back JUST FOR THESE!!! They are fantastic.............Valentina)

Ahi Tuna Nachos – very tasty, but the tuna was too sushi/raw for me. It had a slimy texture I didn’t like. I'm all about textures. lol
Valentina rated them highly. (Yes, I thought they were exceptional, I could have eaten about 10 plates of just those tuna nachos...........................Valentina)

Thai Blue Crab Fried Rice – ok, the waiter brought out this large stack of fried rice being hugged by a fried crab. Literally. Unfortunately I didn’t think to take a picture until after we’d demolished it.

The crab scared me a little and Valentina laughed at me. I eventually demolished it to get the tiny bit of meat out of it, only to realize there was crab all through the fried rice. Duh! Very tasty though.

And we finished with the Chocolate Empanada with ice cream. Awesome. Till they have to roll us out!

Drinks: They have a pretty good happy hour. I had the St. Germain Elderflower champagne. Very tasty..and some kind of specialty drink with Thai coconut? The champagne drink was the better one, but they were both good.

Valentina had the Lumi Lychee, and the Jalapeno & Pineapple Margarita. The jalapeno tasted better in it than I thought it would, but I was bothered by the pineapple. It made it too sweet. The Lychee was really tasty. (The best drink was your Champagne and Elderflower...that's just a marvelous concoction, that will be a perfect Summertime in Dallas drink...Valentina)

The place is beautiful and we got there around 6:15, so it was early enough to get a table easily, and a good parking spot. The lot is small and fills up quickly. It filled up after we’d been there about 30 minutes. Good service, and our waiter was a hottie. lol Unfortunately I'm blank on his name! (Be warned that parking is a nightmare, they have only something like six parking spots for the whole restaurant, give yourself time to park! Valentina)

Oops!! Don't forget the box!

NEXT!


Afterward we farted around in West Village and then hung out at Barnes and Noble on NW Highway for a bit.


Lumi: 4 out of 5 stars.

I do not remember where this is... (Why do I look like this? I look so disturbed, like I've just spotted the Alien Mothership. What an unfortunate photo! How much do I have to pay you to remove it? Valentina)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - Cadot Restaurant

Cadot Restaurant
18111 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75252
(972) 267-5700

A very nice French restaurant with a Mediterranean atmosphere. Opened by chef Jean-Marie Cadot. He cooked in many upscale places before opening this restaurant.

Excellent food, needless to say...

I had the Veal Paillard, and it was amazing! It melts in your mouth...
Like meat candy.

Yes, I know I’m going to burn in hell for having veal, but I don’t care. AND I’LL DO IT AGAIN!! MWAHAHAHA!

Valentina had the Cassoullet.(spelling?) and I think she felt the same way about that dish.
For dessert we had some kind of cream puffs stuffed with icecream. YUM. (Profiteroles...Val)

Veal Paillard

Cassoulet (Otherwise known as HEAVEN ON A PLATE..............Valentina)

Cream Puffs (PROFITEROLES. Profiteroles is a much more fun word. These were fantastic!

I LOVE CADOT. Did I say that yet? I LOVE CADOT.......Val)

Valentina enjoying her cassoulet. I love this photo. She just looks crazy. lol
(Let me just explain that I have been searching for a place to eat real, old-fashioned Cassoulet for, literally, YEARS! When we arrived and Cassoulet was the Special, I nearly fainted from joy! I will always love Cadot for this! Val)

Here's a better one. I will play nice. :) (No, the awful photos are funnier. I always look crazy, anyway. I just need to embrace my crazy-look! I am SO HAPPY here! Cassoulet!!! Val)

Every week we pick our next restaurant from our trusty little green box.
So in photo fairness, here's me shaking the box.

"The Box"
Cadot: 4 out of 5 stars. (FIVE STARS! CASSOULET and PROFITEROLES!!! Val, insane.)

After we ate this evening, we went and goofed around at the Galleria.

The Ugliest Shoes in the World.

Still not sure what they're trying to sell here... fear?

For the person who has everything.. buy them a big glowy giraffe. That'll show 'em.

Morris had some indigestion after eating a little too much Taco Bell.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - Smoke

Smoke
901 Fort Worth Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75208
214.393.4141

Really great place. Like upscale barbeque.

It's decorated in a 1950/early 1960’s style. On the wall they have put up old family photos of the owner, and also of some of their regular patrons.

It's on Ft. Worth avenue, right next to "The Belmont", a historic Dallas hotel. (which we explored after dinner). We both had a Shiner and I had the "EB&D loaded up cheeseburger". It was pretty good, but it had an egg on it, which I thought tasted just a little bit weird. I guess that's a pretty common way to do burgers, but it was just "off" to me. Good fries though.

Valentina had the BIG RIB. And it was a BIG RIB!

It was like someone chopped off a hunk of brontosaurus and brought it out on a plate. It was like The Flintstones in real life.
Really REALLY tasty. But freakin huge.

 Valentina and the BIG RIB

For dessert we tried the key lime pie, because they were pushing it as “best in Dallas”. It was good, but not “best in Dallas”. Sorry guys, so far Kenny's Woodfired Grill is still winning for best key lime pie in my opinion.

Key Lime Pie

After we looked around the hotel we drove down the street about a mile to a historic graveyard and just looked around. Did you know Clyde Barrow, of "Bonnie and Clyde" fame is buried there? We didn't stay long though. It's a bad neighborhood and Valentina was creeped out. lol

 View Of Downtown Dallas from the Belmont Hotel

Smoke 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - Hatties American Bistro

Hatties American Bistro
418 Bishop Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75208
214.942.7400

Another great Oak Cliff area restaurant. It's in a gorgeous old building.. an old furniture store from the 1920’s. It still has all the original trim and tin ceilings and stuff. Excellent service.

We split an order of fried green tomatoes to start. Then Valentina had the Carmelized Onion and Cheddar tart.. and I was feeling cold and wanted comfort food, so I got Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Valentina’s was excellent but my meatloaf was just ok. A little undercooked.

(My Onion and Cheddar Tart was SO GOOD! This is what I will return to eat! Val)

I warmed up with a Jameson and coffee though. :)

I made the mistake of not going with my first instinct and getting the Low Country Shrimp and Grits. Next time!

Definitely worth a return visit. (I'm going back for some more Tart.....Val)

4 out of 5 stars. (I agree.....Val)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Bolsa

Bolsa
614 West Davis Street
Dallas, TX 75208-4744
214.367.9367

This is a little place in Oak Cliff, Texas with all fresh food. None of it's packaged or frozen. The menus change daily depending on what food they buy for the day.

YUM!

It's all kinds of awesome! If I knew how to pronounce “YUM” in other languages, I’d probably throw a few more yums in here. Lol

It's a cute little place, built into an old service station from the 30's I think. And they make and sell their own sauces and honey and stuff. It's a little bit tight and a bit noisy but the food made up for it.

I had the Windy Meadows Chicken Breast, and I practically licked the plate afterward. I don't remember what Valentina had. (I had a pork tenderloin that melted in my mouth! Val)
And we had something small for dessert that had their homemade honey in it. Totally blank on what it was.

It's definitely worth a second trip.. and a third trip..etc.

(I've been here many times, and it's always really good! It's a fun place to take visitors to Dallas. The food is always terrific and surprising.........................Valentina)

It's not easy to find parking though. We parked about 2 blocks over and walked to it.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - Bliss – Raw Café and Elixir Bar

Bliss – Raw Café and Elixir Bar
6855 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75231
214.987-0204

Alrighty then.. out of all the places we've been so far, the first bad review.

I don’t think I even have the right words to completely describe this trainwreck.

First off, it’s tiny, and crammed into a weird spot, so if you blink, you drive by it and have to turn around.
Secondly we went there on a really cold night and there was NO HEAT. Most of the tables are outdoor patio style, and the hostess couldn't figure out how to turn on the kerosene heat lamps outside. You'd think they'd just pack it in that being the case, but noooooo..... and we were just as retarded for staying. ha!

So.. we ended up sitting in the only warm spot..huddling at the bar that overlooks the kitchen and balancing on uncomfortable bar stools.
Oh and to get to the inside part you have to actually walk outside, around the restaurant and go in a different door, because the kitchen is smack in the center of the place.

And it just kept getting worse.

The food.. ugh.

Ok.. first we were advised to try some elixir that our server described as “refreshing”. We both took a sip and froze. And took another sip expecting it to get better and it didn’t. It tasted like grass and old crayon wax. She took them off the check though and we got water.
I ordered something they called the “Rawsagnia”. Like lasagna. But it was weird cold layers of various raw things, no tomato sauce, cheese or pasta. I was afraid, but surprisingly it was very good. Valentina got some sort of raw bean tostada thing that was apparently horrible.

Afterwards we had desserts. I had a marbled cheesecake sweetened with agave nectar (no sugar) and Valentina got a carob chocolate mousse. I thought they were good, but a little went a long way.

Oh, and their website is a pretentious piece of crap with really loud music and no menu listing.

I give it 1 1/2 stars because it was so uncomfortable, even though I liked my dinner. Valentina would probably rate it lower. lol (I rate it NO STARS. This food is inedible. Val)

(Okay, first let me explain that I was actually a RAW VEGAN for about six months last year, and I LOVED it, so I'm not someone who goes to a specialty-diet type place and is ready for it to suck. I SO wanted Bliss to be wonderful, because I love the Raw-Foods Diet, and the problem with a raw diet is the prep time required...wouldn't it be fabulous to have a delicious raw restaurant in town? I was so excited when they opened!

And Bliss REALLY isn't good; we had nothing that I would go back for or recommend. A friend of mine says the wraps are pretty good, he's tried them at lunchtime. I was SO grossed out by the awful flavors and textures, I will never return to try them. The tostada on my Cowboy Nachos was not even chewable, I couldn't even cut or tear it with my knife! The only thing edible was the dessert, the Carob Mousse, and it was WAY too sweet, just sickening after a few bites.

Will someone PLEASE open a GOOD raw restaurant in Dallas? A place something like PURE in NYC? Please?..................................................Valentina)

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Masaryk

Masaryk
5004 Addison Cir
Addison, TX 75001
972.701.8500


Described as "Modern Mexican". I'd post a link to their site, but apparently they didn't pay their hosting fees. Nice modern atmosphere and food. We would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been raining and ass freezing cold the night we went. And good luck finding close parking in Addison Circle, even on Tuesday night.

We both had some pulled pork enchilada thing, and a glass of sangria. It was very good, but when it comes to Mexican food, I’m really happier with the cheap greasy stuff. ;)

Masaryk’s website is still disabled, so I couldn’t check the menu to remember the name of the menu item we ate.

This was really good...I think it was the Chile Rellenos we had. It was a little hard to find (the restaurant, not the Chile Rellenos) We were soaked and chilled by the walk, and the food and wine warmed us up nicely! Val

3 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - Obzeet Restaurant and Tropical Bar

Obzeet – Restaurant And Tropical Bar
19020 Preston Road
Dallas, Tx, 75252
972.867.6126


I love this place! It's absolutely adorable for atmosphere. There are twinkle lights in the ceiling, pretty salt lamps all over the building, and an outdoor waterfall and pond. They often have live music on the weekends.
There's also a gift shop full of unusual items inside, but I don't think I've ever seen it open.

We shared an order of crunchy olives which were heavenly. I had a steak tremezzino. It was good. And big. I had part of it for breakfast the next day. I don’t remember what Valentina had.

It's better to go when it's warmer, I'll tell you that. Going in November it was a bit chilly. Even inside.

(I honestly can't remember what I ordered that night! All I remember is those marvelous olives! This is a fun place to meet friends, and it's actually quiet enough deep in the bar to have real conversations! The menu has SO MUCH CHOICE that it's easy for everyone in a group to be happy. For me, this is another Always Good place......................Valentina)

3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - Ziziki's

Ziziki's
4514 Travis St. #122,
Dallas, Texas, 75205
Phone: 214.521.2233

We went to this one on Valentina's birthday. She had the Mousaka, and I had the Chicken Fettucine. Mine was really good. Afterwards we had the Baklava Ice Cream cake. Definitely worth a trip just for that. It's a beautiful restaurant with a nice atmosphere.

4 out of 5 stars.

Happy Birthday To Me! I always get the Lamb Salad here (have for years), so decided on the Moussaka (My pal Spero just loves it). It was really, really, good! The Baklava Ice Cream Cake is my favorite cake in town, after La Duni's Quatros Leches. I think it's the textures that make it SO GOOD...the crunch of the nuts and pastry with the creamy rich ice cream. If I have to be a year older, at least let me eat marvelous food...........................................Valentina

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - Kenny's Woodfired Grill

Kenny’s Woodfired Grill
5000 Beltline Rd. #775
Dallas, TX 75254
Phone: 972-392-9663

Great place! Tasteful and Cozy. Make a reservation though, people are finding out about it fast. I had the sterling silver burger. Best. cheeseburger. Ever! Seriously..Best I’ve had to date. Also in my opinion, the best key lime pie I've had to date. I don't remember what Valentina had. My good friend Mike Nichols is a manager and bartender there. He gets all the credit for my discovery of this place. :)

I rate it 5 stars.

I also had the Sterling Silver Burger, perhaps the Best Burger I have ever eaten! This is now one of my Top Five eateries in town...That burger, with a dirty martini (they keep bringing you chilled glasses and pouring your drink into a fresh glass...WOW!) is my new Comfort Food!!!

I Love This Place!!! Can't wait to get back. The French Onion Soup and Mac and Cheese are amazing. I rate it FIVE STARS................Valentina

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - The Porch

The Porch
2912 N. Henderson
Dallas, Texas 75206
214.828.2916

Ok.. Bear with me as I get caught up for the last couple months...

The beginning of our tour of restaurants.. The first place we went: The Porch. It has a nice atmosphere, but crowded. I had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Cobb Salad. Valentina had some little miniature hamburgers, and the mac and cheese. The food was good, but not extraordinary.

I'd rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I thought it was just okay, not really worth a second trip. I did indeed have the sliders; they were heavy and greasy...the mac and cheese was not spectacular..........................Valentina