My Farewell to Dallas: Twisted Root Burger Co.

In the Deep Ellum district of downtown Dallas there is a burger place called, Twisted Root Burger Co.  I am not the first to write about it and I definitely will not be the last.  Even Guy Fieri found this place before I did.  None the less it is worth putting out there for the less fortunate whom have not tasted a burger from this establishment.

Sol and I decided to go grab a quick bite before golf and since TRBC is right around the corner we agreed on it.  On this particular day we decided to split one, I know, totally not my style but I didn't wanna get full before slappin' that tiny white ball around.  It's hard enough to get in the hole as it is.  We went with the Peppercorn Ranch & bacon Burger and added a slice of American Cheese.  They have many different flavor combonations when it comes to their burgers including: "Chipotle, Guac & Cheddar Burger w/ Fried Onions" and a "Western Burger: Pepperjack, Bacon, Jalepeño & a Big, Fat Onion Ring".   The menu is written in chalk above the counter so you can check out your many choices before placing your order.  After ordering they give you a little card with a name on it so they can call you when your order is ready.  On this particular day we happened to be Conan the Destroyer.  I have also been He-Man and the Knight Rider before.  As we walked over to the soda machine to see what their homemade root beer of the day was the aroma of the kitchen filled my nostrils.  It was butter pecan root beer, I decided to pass and went with Coke Zero...don't say a word, Sol had the Watermelon Sweet Tea, tasty.  We went and sat at one of their high-boys (tall bar table) and awaited to hear our name, "Conan the Destroyer!"

I darted over to the counter with my mouth watering, it'd been a while since I'd had one so I was a little over excited.  I cut it in half and opened the bun to put some of their home made "Quincy's Grandpa's SECRET BBQ Sauce".  It already had a good helping of ranch so between the two moisturizers my burger was ready to be consumed.  I squeezed some of their homemade "Ancho Chipotle Ketchup" on the side for our curly fries.  Always enjoyable.  They also serve home made "Horseradish Dijon"  instead of table mustard, I'm not much for mustard so I din't touch it, but it's still cool that they make and package those 3 condiments for every table.  The burger was juicy and it had a nice sear on either side.  The bread was good and soft and the bacon was flavorful and crunchy.  The ranch was perfect and the cheese to patty ratio couldn't have been better.  What a great burger.  The curly fries were also very good, cooked to a nice crisp and seasoned so that they did not need any salt.  I have nothing but good things to say about TRBC.  They have a flavor and an attitude about them and they fit right into Deep Ellum.  They have four locations in and around Dallas, but don't let that keep you away.  They are just that good. 

Dallas restaurants have a different dynamic.  They can grow their business without loosing that small hole in the wall feel.  They're not chains and they don't sell out, they're just business savvy and they know when they have a good product.   Just because a place has more than one location doesn't mean you should stereotype it as a chain - I am guilty of this sometimes.  Take In-N-Out for instance.  They are coming to Dallas and they are going to build a meat production factory here so they stay true to themselves which means never freezing their meat.  I just spelled meat like meet twice in a row and had to go back and change it, anyways. 

So Dallas, I leave you with this - support your local business'.  Support the small hole in the walls, support "mom and pop places", stay away from the  chains.  Go to the Farmers Market avoid the Tom Thumb.  If you do these things you will be able to try something different, something fresher, usually something better and for sure something fun.

For those that don't know:   I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali....I am transferring out to Carlsbad, CA where I will continue to write, so that when you come visit, you can say - "Anthony I want to go to Santana's so I can get one of those California Burritos!"

Adios Dallas, it's been swell.

Mexican food @ 3 AM in Miami: Crazy Mexican Taco Bar

Mexican food at 3 AM... sound familiar?  I know for a fact my San Diegans and Los Angelans are very familiar with this.  I got news, Miami-ans are too, and we re-familiarized ourselves.  We stopped at a little place with bright colors that grabbed our attention on the way back to our hote called Crazy Mexican Taco Bar.  Since I don't have the pleasure of burritos in Texas I went for it.  I am stoked to go back to Cali and have a California Burrito when ever I want one.  I think it was Carne Asada...I apologize if this is a little fuzzy but my memory from that night is a little fuzzy as well.

I remember the tortilla being soft and the meat flavorful.  They had a great salsa bar.  On that bar they had a corn salad that once I tasted I could not get enough of.  I literally put it on every bite of my burrito, it was so soft and crunchy and sweet.  It was seriously amazing, I know, it's just corn. 

Marcos ordered some Nachos that came with Nacho Cheese, I know imagine that, Nacho cheese on nachos.  He was pretty pissed though.  He just kept saying, "Nacho Cheese!" in this angry voice.  "Who puts this kind of cheese on Nachos???"  Jessie ordered, well I'm not sure what Jessie ordered when I looked over it was gone...and our other friend who shall remain nameless had a water and talked to the young lady who was the cashier.  Overall not bad for 3 AM.  I hope y'all weren't expecting this mind blowing blog about Mexican food at 3am, I mean really, think of the state you're normally in when consuming a California Burrito after a night of good times....

Great Corn_Sweet Corn_Amazing Corn

Miami Edition: The Cubano

I went to Miami in search of fresh food and hand-made cocktails, what did I come back with? I forgot what I went in search for!  I did make sure to find a signature of Miami, the "Cubano" sandwich.  I had one at Mango's Cafe and the other at a little shop in Little Havana.  With that said I will compare the two, well kind of....

First Mangos Cafe:

Very flashy, bright colors and live Latin music (probably Cuban).  Sort of touristy, but fun.  I had a strawberry daiquiri, my first drink of the trip and it was wonderful!  I know, kinda fruity, and not really my style, but when in paradise - go tropical! It was definitely the fact that I was in Miami but none the less it was refreshing.  Marcos had a margarita, didn't look so great but he said it was good.  After that we decided to go with the classic Cuban sandwich.  It had ham, pork, cheese, mustard and pickles.  Not too difficult right?  It was actually pretty good, it came with a side of potato wedges.  Good dish and a great way to start my vacation.

My next Cuban Sandwich was at a little shop in Little Havana, a heavily Cuban populated area of Miami.  El Exquisito, was located on Calle Ocho (Ca-yay Oh-cho).  Some of you might know the song by Pit bull (pictured right), "I know you want me..." Anywho, cool area.  Almost everyone spoke some version of what seemed like Spanish.  I thought Miami was mostly Cuban, but there are many Latin/South American emigrants down there which made for a VERY cool culture in Miami.  I'm supposed to be talking about my sandwich though huh?  While we were waiting for our sandwiches to be made fresh, we visited a little cigar shop down the street.  There was three different people inside rolling cigars...fun stuff.  We jumped back on the tour bus with a warm sandwich to soak up the fluids in our stomachs from the night before.  It worked, the sandwich was great.  A different experience than the girls dancing on the bars in pink leopard full body suits at Mangos Cafe.  A simple sandwich in a brown paper bag.  Which was better?  They were both actually very good, moist, great bread and satisfying.  Neither was really that much better than the other so i call a draw.

So the simple question is, if I went back to Miami would I order a Cubano? Hell yes I would! 
Great Culture_Fun Music_A Classic Sandwich

Contribution: Alabama, Part 2: Flip Burger Boutique

This next place cannot be classified as a purveyor of Southern Food.  Despite this, I’m including a review of the restaurant as part of the Alabama series because, well, I went here three times.  Three times, three entrees, three drinks- my, my, my.

Flip Burger Boutique.  Sounds fascinating, does it?  The first Flip was opened in Atlanta (http://www.flipburgerboutique.com).  From what I understand, the one in Birmingham, AL was opened late last year.  Flip is definitely a trendy place, with smooth shiny surfaces, a sleek wooden and reflective bar, and chrome-accented lighting.  Nearly the entire ceiling is covered by a curvy, urban mural that screams, “Check me out, I’m curvy and urban.”  I know nothing about art or interior design, but the restaurant looks pretty cool.

The first time we sat in a booth that had the chrome lighting fixture, that I mentioned earlier, hanging from the ceiling.  The booths weren’t very big, but we fit five of us in there.

On the first visit I ordered the ossobuco burger, with tempura sweet potato fries, and a pistachio and white truffle milkshake.  The sandwich was sublime.  A thick, juicy veal patty topped with braised veal, some gourmet mayonnaise, braised ketchup, and fried onion in between two buns of flaky, crumbly bread.  I was in heaven.  Now, I know a lot of people out there have an aversion to veal, so I apologize to those of you, but me, I am definitely a veal guy, and I felt like someone asked me, ‘Hey, do you want some veal with your veal?”  To that I answered, heck freaking yes.  Wow.  That’s the best way I can describe this burger.

The tempura sweet potato fries were tasty, but there was a lot more tempura than there was sweet potato.  I thought it could have used a little more.  The ace up their sleeve was the chocolate salt.  No, you did not imagine that, and no, it’s not a typo.  Two parts finely ground dark chocolate to one part salt.  Very interesting.  The chocolate salt was sprinkled onto those fries lightly, just enough to add a little flair of flavor at the end of the bite.
The shake.  I like pistachio-based desserts, mostly ice cream and shake-type drinks, and this was a doozy.  The pistachio was not over-the-top, but light and refreshing.  The white truffle was a good touch and added flakes of sweetness into the concoction.  It was really quite good.  I also had the chance to try one of my friend’s nutella and burnt marshmallow shakes.  That was also good, the burnt marshmallow adding an accent to the chocolate and nutella.  Very good.

The second visit, I had a gyro burger and a crème brulée shake with regular fries.  Oh my, I love gyro.  A lamb patty with, yes, you guessed it, braised lamb, shank this time, over the top.  Also tzatziki sauce, a tomato, lettuce, and red onion were fit between the buns.  Juicy patty, and fantastic braised lamb were, oh so fun to devour.  The onion was really strong, perhaps too strong, but they didn’t detract from the sandwich.  The shake was alright, but I didn’t really detect much of a crème brulée flavor other than the really thick caramelized sugar broken over the top.  It wasn’t bad, but I was expecting more.  The fries here are amazing.  They are hand cut, and I don’t know if it’s the smoked mayo and ketchup, or the cilantro they use when preparing them, but they really are something else.

Finally, I get to the mu-shu burger.  The mu-shu was the burger of today, an ever-changing assortment of burgers that they make one day and maybe never again.  This burger had a pork patty with an ‘asian omelet’ over the top along with caramelized onions.  The meat was great, and the omelet and caramelized onions worked well in combining with the tangy sauce and the patty.  I had regular fries again, because they’re that good.  For this meal, however, I had a beer.

I asked the bartender for a suggestion, and she listed a number of high-density beers that the restaurant deals with. I opted for the one she said was a best seller, and truly, while I was sitting at the bar, maybe 20 of those went out.  Orange Blossom Pilsner is an 11% by volume beer with orange blossom honey used as the yeast-food.  The flavor was much like a wheat beer, but the subtle hint of orange was definitely a nice touch.  Definitely try it if you can find it (http://www.uniquebeers.com/obp).  It went down great with the meal.

If you ever find yourself in Atlanta or Birmingham, or if Flip expands out to where you are, check it out.  Huge patties on your burger, great shakes (oh, I forgot to mention they use liquid nitrogen to chill and pull out some moisture from the ice cream in the shakes….pretty darned cool).  You will not be disappointed.  My only regret is that I only got to this place three times in my time out here.

Food Bloggers Diet Day 11

Well i am at the airport on my way to Miami. It's tough to be on a diet at the airport, fast food everywhere, junk food before you get on the plane. I'm starving, so what did i do? Went to Uno's and got a banana and a green machine natural juice. I'll pat my self on the back since no one is here to do it for me :)

I brought my running shoes with me, think I can find time to run? I havn't missed a day yet and I'mm down 7 pounds.

Sol said I can drink Bacardi and diet for a 0 calorie cocktail so that is probably what i'll be consuming when we are painting the town. And if there really is a South Beach Diet I suppose ill be sticking to that.

My Dad told me this is a life change, not a diet. I think he's right, it's gotta be. I have to keep on making good decions like my breakfast this morning. Everyday for the rest of my life. Think I can do it? Only time will tell...wish me luck!

I apologize for any mis spellings or formatting errors im blogging from my phone.

Food Bloggers Diet Day 9

Well I am on Day 9 and I just finished another tough workout.  I haven't missed a day yet.  I've been eating very good and that was something I hadn't even planned on.  I weighed myself this morning and all of a sudden I was down 6 pounds! I'll have to check the next two days to make sure it wasn't a fluke but I am down about 4 pounds for sure.  Not too bad in 9 days, but when you have more to lose its a lot easier to start.

Yesterday was the first real mental challenge I faced.  I was having a really tough day with some personal things and I did not feel like getting up and working out.  I didn't feel like eating healthy I just wanted to stop.  But I didn't I got up, worked out and ate good.  That was a big hurdle for me. Since I started I've been very motivated and haven't really had to "dig deep".  Yesterday I did, and I felt better about it.  It's those days I can't let win, I have to be the winner, today, tomorrow and the next.  Hopefully its 6.5 pounds already, and if it is, I will never see them again.

Like my aunt Diane said yesterday, nothing tastes as good as thin feels....:)

Slider Saturday

As I had hoped for Sol and I made it over to The Place at Perry's for "Slider Saturday".  I had to get up early, 11:30 a.m., and do my Insanity (I borrowed it, didn't pay for it) workout before we went but I got it done.  We walked up and in, it looked a bit older which I found interesting because I thought it was a newer establishment (turns out they just had to change the name because "Perry's Steakhouse" from Houston came into town and their name is trademarked nationwide and this Perry's was only "trademarked" in Dallas County - or something like that).  We strolled in the door and the greeter asked us if we were there for Slider Saturday and we nodded our heads.  We had the option of chowin' down in the dining room or the bar...yes we picked the bar.  There was some nice sized TV's in there and I wanted to check out their layout.

On draft, they had Stella and Brooklyn Lager, both good beers but I was surprised they only had two on draught.  I must say they were intriguing due to the base of them being covered in about an inch thick ice all around.  They had a ton of liquor probably almost anything you could ask for.  The bartender gave us a menu and we started perusing.  While we looked Sol ordered a Bloody Mary, I was jealous since I'm not drinking until next Thursday when I get to Miami.  But I had a taste: the vodka was infused with various peppers, olives and sun dried tomatoes.  The show piece for this was a sight to see, a large infusion jar layered with different reds, greens, and yellows.  The flavor was sweet from the sun dried tomaters but had a little bite from the peppers.  Very nicely done.

I thought trying to enjoy food inconjunction with trying to eat healthy might be a challenge, and it really is because I am not necessarily ordering what I normally would.  I guess that's a good thing.  But I'm determined to find things that taste good but aren't terrible for you.  With that being said we ordered the lesser of the evils on the menu.

Coincidentally Sol and I were looking at the exact two menu items so we went forth and ordered the: BLT (A) a stands for avocado & the Crab Sliders with lumps of crab, REAL crab...I think.  We had a choice of fries, onion rings and salad.  Since both sets of sliders came with lettuce and tomato anyways we had one with fries the other with onion rings.  Is that a good enough excuse?

In case you haven't guessed yet we each had one.  I started with the crab.  I am quite sure it was real crab and not imitation.  You know what they say, if it looks like crab, tastes like crab, and smells like crab, then it's crab!  It was soft, juicy and quite tasty.  It was lightly dressed by no means did the dressing it was tossed in over power the flavor, it enhanced it.  There was no mayo, mustard or "special sauce" - it didn't need it either. 

Next was the BLT (A)vocado:  At first glimpse I noticed they only put two sliced of bacon, I thought that was kind of chincy (chin-seeey).  But I broke it up and fit it on the slider.  I cut up the avocado and spread it on the bun then "crunch!".  Very niiiiice.....light, flavorful and simple.  No dog and pony show just a classic sandwich.

  The fries were very pedestrian but good. The onion rings were huge, the onion it self wasn't that good but the batter was crispy, soft and tasty.  The bun was the same on both sets of sliders and probably on all of the sliders for that matter.  Definitely not a bad thing, they were lightly toasted, soft and came out warm - perfect one might say.  Admittedly, I felt a little guilty eating so much bread...isn't that sad?  The truth is it's a good thing because that means my head is right for this losing weight thing I'm trying to partake in.  It was a good lunch and it was fun.  Not too pricey either, I think we got out of there for $28 - two entrees, a cocktail and an OJ.

For those that didn't read my other blog where I described "Slider Saturdays" it's basically a fine dining that turns casual on Saturdays.  You can wear whatever you want, they have a special menu and serve  $2 bottled beer and $10 bottomless mimosas.  They are targeting the "uptown crowd" that likes to hang out during the day.  If you don't know what that means, drive up McKinney Ave around 230 in the afternoon on a Saturday - you'll see.  The patios are packed.

Real Crab_Great selection_Well priced

Barbeque in Alabama??? A contribution from my little bro...part 1

Anthony put the idea in my head to be a contributing writer on this blog. Truth is, I thought it’d be a fun challenge. Anthony seemed to be having a lot of fun, and I figured why not. Being out of town on business, I’ve had several opportunities to check out a lot of restaurants, many offering some sort of Southern specialty cuisine. So here you are. This is the first part of a multi-part series on the food in Birmingham, Alabama. Enjoy. I know I did.


Alabama, Part 1: Full Moon Bar-B-Que

I went to this place on a suggestion from my coworker, David, who said that the place had been rated top ten barbecue in the country according to MSN. It was a Saturday, my first one out in ‘Bama and I figured, why not give it a try?

Walking into the place, the first thing that I noticed was that it wasn’t a sit-down restaurant and appeared to be more of a fast-food place. This worried me. I did like that there were television screens all over the place all tuned to sports channels of one sort or another. The walls were decorated with all sorts of sports paraphernalia from Auburn gear, to Crimson Tide photos, to NASCAR mementos. My first visit, there were actually all sorts of Indy Race crews eating there, as there was a big Indy event in town that weekend. Way cool. I must also point out some of the t-shirts worn by female employees; the shirts read on the back, ‘The Best Butts in town,” and I’m afraid my gaze was drawn unconsciously down. Seeing as how I’m currently engaged, I think I will withhold judgment on whether or not they’re the best in town. Ambiance was definitely southern.

Onto the food. I have been trying to be a little healthier with my food choices (with mixed success, as you will see with some of my other food choices down the line), so I decided on a barbecue plate of a ¼ chicken with collard greens, corn on the cob, and a piece of cornbread.

First, the chicken: tender, juicy, full of flavor. The meat disintegrated off the bones. The barbecue sauce was sweet and tangy, and not too much of one or the other for an excellent sauce. I ripped through that chicken much like the Tasmanian Devil rips through trees in the classic Looney Toons show. As for the sides, the corn was sweet and buttery, probably not the healthiest dish, but what do you expect from a BBQ place in the Deep South? I’ve never really had collard greens. My mom probably doesn’t even know what they are, so I’ve gone most of my life without trying them. Now that I have, I compare the taste to having steamed spinach, and I happen to love spinach! Now, I’m in no way an expert on these vegetables, so I apologize if my first experience with them does not match up to your collective expertise. This brings us to the cornbread. Yum. That’s pretty much all that needs to be said. The cornbread here is not overly sweet and it was perfect for mopping up the barbeque sauce that was left on the plate.

I came here a second time and ordered a barbeque chicken sandwich. I probably could have been a little more adventurous with the choice of meat, but, I was still trying to preserve some farce of eating healthier. Excellent sandwich! The chicken was just as good as it was when I had it in quarter-chicken form. This is probably because the chicken had recently been pulled off the bones to be placed in my sandwich. Additionally, there was a lot of it. After only a few bites, chicken was falling out of my sandwich! Typically, I also had fries. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They were a little on the salty side, but not too bad.

I recommend this place for anyone that loves barbecue. Not sure if I agree with a nationwide top ten, but the barbecue is delicious, the chicken is great, the price is not offensive, and you can’t go wrong with the local sports theme. Check this place out online (www.fullmoonbbq.com); you can also check out their MSN/Gayot review (http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-us-top10-barbecuerestaurants_7_01us.html). Oh, and they serve alcohol, like most of the places do here in Alabama, which is to say they have bottled beer.

The Food Bloggers Diet...

Over the last few months I have been contemplating on when I would get my tail in gear and start working out.  On Monday I decided enough was enough and it was time to start getting healthy.  I started the insanity work out and five days later I'm feeling good.  Some might say this is a contradiction to my blog but I have to get healthy and stop living the lazy life!  I can still eat and drink and have a good time and enjoy the things I love but I have to do it sporadically and reward myself after a hard weeks work and make sure not to over do it.  Mixed in with working out I need to start trying to eat healthier.

I am not a huge fan of fruit and veggies but it's time I acquire a taste.  For instance I just finished day 5 of my work out and I right now I am eating a fruit salad made with hand cut fruit from my kitchen with strawberries, banana & cantaloupe.  It's so good.  I don't mind fruit as long as it's ripe.  And most times our ripe fruit comes from the Dallas Farmers Market.  You can pick which fruit is ripe because the vendors are usually handing out samples right in front of their stands.  Last night at had chicken, asparagus, spinach & broccoli.  Yuuuuuuuuumy...bleh.  It wasn't too bad but I''m in the zone right now, I know I can stay there.

At any rate, I'm excited to shed some pounds and get to a healthy state.  It's been  along time coming.  I need to stay motivated though - so I am sure I will use this as an outlet to help me through this.  Don't worry I still have some good places in mind to write about, but no beer or cocktails for one more week though.

I will probably be sprinkling in some of my fitness in with my food blogs - hope you don't mind.

Now - Let's Do this!

Not much to blog about...Miami's coming soon though!

Well, I am afraid I will have a big lull in the blogging department for the next 10 days or so.  I will be working every day until I leave for Miami.  I might try to squeeze in breakfast at Smoke or at brunch at Place at Perry's.  I just read an article that said Perry's is targeting the shorts and flip flop (aka Chanclas) crowd on Saturday's, which is totally me and sol.  I also heard they have 19 different types of sliders for lunch, definitely can't go wrong with that.  In fact I just glanced at the lunch menu - and I think that is where I might spend this upcoming Saturday - if I don't have to come in for inventory that is.  Smoke has been looking good for breakfast I just haven't made it in though.  It's not often I get up early enough to score the breakfast menu at McDonald's, let alone a normal restaurant.  Either way I'll have some good eats in Miami!

The good news is I leave to Miami next Thursday AM, bright and early.  I'm excited to see what they're cooking up over in South Beach - Cuban food is definitely on my radar.  You better believe I am going to find the best hole in the wall in South Beach.  I'm also looking forward to trying some interesting cocktails as well.  I know I'll be forking over 15 bucks per drink but I'm prepared!  I'll definitely take some pics and get some recipes.  I'm also betting on some rather exotic seafood since we'll a)be on the coast and b) be in an area I'm not accustomed to.  I am a little worried about the oil either ruining the fresh catches or driving up the price.  I don't think I'll be eating anywhere too fancy so I'll be getting creative on where we "dine".  In the airplane i'll probably have a shuffle of LMFAO's "Im in Miami *&^%#" and Will Smith's "Welcome to Miami".  So if I don't see you till then then adios!

P.S. I'm on a diet_I made a deal with Sol to not drink till Miami_I'm doing the Insanity video training series!

Cowboy Chow

We've been meaning to go to Cowboy Chow for a while now.  It's right here in Deep Ellum next to us but for some reason we always either forget about it or just miss them.  With my mom in town we wanted a quick bite to eat and went on over.  It's right in a good little area of DE across from Angry Dog & Baker's Ribs.  All kinds of goodness within a block of one another.  From the outside of Cowboy Chow you can see what looks like an old saloon, with rocking chairs lining the outside.

As we walked in the decor was perfect.  I personally think they nailed it, the western theme was great.  Pictures of buffalo, cowboys, old signage, wooden booths and waggon wheels too.  After perusing the menu I felt like I was getting ready to eat something the cowboys really used to eat, it was probably the photos on the walls.  I'm not making this up for the sake of blogging either. 

They had kind of a "serve yourself attitude" even though it was a normal sit down restaurant.  It was kinda cool actually, it was different.  It was the complete opposite of what Ocean Prime was the night before.  Sol and I ordered "Mexican Coke".  For those of you that don't know that means it comes in a glass bottle, is slightly sweeter and the label is all in Spanish, it's all the rage these days, lol.  Click on the link for Mexican Coke, I found a pretty good blog on the difference.  Back to the Chow, the server dropped the Cokes off at the table with the cap on and said, "There's a bottle opener at the end of the table".  My Mom ordered iced tea and it was served in a carafe that held probably two to three refills.   The server took a glass off the stack that was pre-set at the end of the table and gave it to her.  The silverware was in a glass jar that had 6 settings inside that was also pre-set on the table.  Most places will roll silverware, here they just roll a napkin and give it to you.  Enough about the lunch-ware. 

I ordered a Brisket Sloppy Joe w/ homemade potato chips.  It was severed on a Jalapeno butter bun that held up nicely against the moisture of the "Joe".  I wasn't sure how they were going to make brisket taste like sloppy joe but I went for it anyway.  They succeeded without over doing the flavor, they didn't try too hard, in a good way.  There was more than a hint of flavor and it was very hearty.  I'll tell you one thing they got the sloppy part down.  Once I picked it up I feared putting it down for the fact that it might fall apart.  So I ate it with my right hand and ate the potato chips with my left hand.  The chips were actually very good, thick with a Cajun salt dusting.  Fresh and crunchy and almost healthy tasting.  Is that possible?  Healthy potato chips?

My mom ordered the Brisket Tacos, something I urged her to try since I think it is a Texas/Dallas "dish".  It's the perfect fusion between Texas (brisket) & Mexican(tacos) hence Tex-Mex.  She went for it, and loved it!  The Lone Star Brisket Tacos had beer braised brisket w/ cheddar and Jack cheese, cowboy pico, sliced avocado & lime cream sauce.  It also had black beans and rice that were strategically placed at the bottom of the miners pan that it was served on.  By miners pan I mean what they used to pan for gold with during the Gold Rush.  Why do I say the rice was strategically placed?  Because all the drippings fell right onto it enhancing the flavor. Sol ordered some ribs and mashed potatoes that she said were very tender.  After a few minutes I looked over and the meat was clean off the bones and they were sitting on a plate, empty.  So I'm guessing they were good.

After all was said and done I asked for some water.  To my surprise the server dropped off a large glass reusable bottle of water; then she gave me a glass so I could pour it myself. 

Overall I liked it.  I would go back.  It was different, it was original and it was good.  I thought that Cowboy Chow was a different kind of place and if you're up for something different and quick - go giver 'er a try.

Original_"What they used to eat"_Nice Decor

Primetime @ Ocean Prime

So after a fun day of golf and (I start a lot of these posts that way huh?) a short nap, it was time to eat.  Sol has been telling me to go to Ocean Prime for a while and last week I found out a friend of mine's brother works there as a bartender.  Those two things were enough to give it a shot.  Luckily my Mom was in town so she was able to come out to the extravaganza, and that is exactly what it was...

Three hours earlier...we pulled up to valet, because EVERY place in Dallas has a valet, even the sports bar, the tex-mex restaurant and the Cantina.  As we got out of the car there was a red carpet leading us to the glass doors that opened up into the restaurant.  The greeter was very friendly as we told her we would be going to the bar.  We found a seat on the right side of the U shaped bar.  It was very clean cut, LOTS of bottles of liquor and wine in neat rows, all of the finishes were polished and glimmering showing the new restaurant off.  We took a peek outside at the patio before going in and it was very rich also we later found out they dropped about a million on it.  If I didn't know any better i'd say we were in Beverly Hills - there was plastic every where, and not on the walls.

My friend's brother, Micah (My-kah), was our bartender and  asked us what we would be having.   He explained that they had "hand crafted cocktails" meaning they used fresh squeezed juices, fresh garnishes and house-made syrups.  My kind of place.  Folks if you haven't been listening to me - THESE ARE THE BEST KIND OF COCKTAILS!  Go get some, you can get a great deal on their cocktails at happy hour.  I will say you do need to be patient because hand crafted cocktails take some time to make, just like a good work of art.  Similar to the other places, the bartender tasted the drink with a straw to make sure it was right, if he needed to balance it out he would add a little more of this or a little more of that. 

While we waited...the bartender put a bowl of popcorn in front of us, drizzled with truffle oil, very nice.

Sol ordered a "Cucumber Gimlet" - Bombay Sapphire gin, muddled fresh cucumber and hand squeezed lime. Let me say, the fusion of cucumber and gin is a natural one. I believe this is the 3rd cucumber-gin cocktail I have written about and though all have been very different they have all be very good and well balanced, the Cucumber Gimlet was no different. The green you see was a cucumber peel for a garnish.

 
Next, I ordered a "Whiskey clover"
Gentleman Jack whiskey, Hennessy VS, honey water, hand squeezed lemon and orange.  You'll notice in the background of the Cucumber Gimlet picture the bartender is hand squeezing the orange juice to go in my cocktail.  This should give you an idea of the freshness of every concoction.  If you look hard enough you can see the built in wood cutting board that every garnish is cut on.  My Whiskey Clover was amazing, the perfect amount of fruit juice and liquor.  Micah, cut a piece of orange peel about quarter sized, heated the outside up with a lighter, then with the flame close he bent the peel squeezing a burst of juice out of the rind and the flame popped like someone was blowing fire out of their mouth, it was a nice touch.

We started with some bar appetizers: Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli with Golden Oak Mushrooms - a light, fresh slightly tangy dish.  The ravioli were small and bite sized.  What an easy dish, I have had this once before at a place called Anteprima in Chicago - I can't say one was better than the other but they were both wonderful and if you have an opportunity to try this dish or a variation of it, you should.

The next was as Micah put it: Texas "Surf n' Turf" - Diver Scallops, Slow Braised Short Ribs over a bed of mashed potatos.  The scallops were seared perfectly and the inside was tender and moist.  I LOVE scallops.  The addition of braised short ribs was a nice touch to this dish.  I am not going to lie before we ordered these flavors did not seem like they would go together but they did in a fantastic way.

I hate to do this to those of you that read this blog on a regular basis, but we ordered deviled eggs again...I'm sorry, No, No I'm not because they were amazing.  Devilled eggs are getting more and more trendy, and I can say, I'm not upset about it, because I love them.  These particular ones were "White Truffle Caviar Deviled Eggs".  So how could we not?  Truffle makes everything better.  They were a little salty but since I love salt they were perfect for me.  For those of you not into caviar, like my mom, just pop it in your mouth, close your eyes, and enjoy!  Go ask her, you can't even taste it.

We just relaxed for a while, did some people watching.  Oh, and in walks pretty much the whole offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys!!!!  I am an AVID fan so yes I knew their names.  Marc Columbo is the first one I recognized, then some of the backups.  It's crazy how us guys remember meaningless information like the 2nd string offensive line's names.  The punter and the EX-kicker were there too.  It was pretty cool, I was a little star struck.  Then we saw some cougars perusing the bar, apparently this is a pretty hoppin' place.  Obviously,I didn't get the memo.

After we worked up an appetite people watching we ordered some dinner.  My mom and I ordered Filets and Sol ordered a Chilean Sea Bass.  Our steaks were good and the Sea Bass was light and flaky.  For sides we asked the bartender what he liked and he said the creamed spinach.  He said it was cooked in bacon grease and though he normally doesn't like spinach it was to die for.  How could we not take his advice?  We didn't regret it, it was amazing, definitely not the spinach Popeye used to give him his strength.  Then there was the Chophouse Corn, a staple of mine when it comes to a steak dinner.  A real treat was mixing the corn and spinach together.  I am not sure if the bacon grease hopped the train or if the corn was cooked in bacon grease also.  Either way they were to die for both together and seperate.  Mom picked the starch and ordered a Scallion Twice Baked Potato with Cheddar Cheese & Bacon.  This was a monstrosity of a potato.  I mean that in a good way, the cheese was oozing, the bacon bits were crispy and the scallions were fresh.  How could we fit anything else in?

Fun fact:  Did you know our bodies were made so that when we we're done with dinner a pocket opens up in our stomachs for dessert?  It's some weird physiological thing where the stomach communicates with the brain.  I am happy we were constructed this way cause I love me some deeeeesert!  We ordered chocolate cake, a dessert we NEVER order.  Unbenownst to us it was actually more like a soufflé topped with homemade vanilla ice cream.  The chocolate filling rushed out like lava out of a volcano, the ice cream cooling it off to an edible temperature it was great.  My only gripe is I wanted more ice cream. Overall it was an excellent end to a fantastic meal.  I don't believe I have ever had a soufflé before so that was a nice surprise.

It was a pleasure showing my mom what Sol and I enjoy doing.  Galavanting around town to nice places enjoying life.  Soaking in the creations of great chefs and bartenders alike.  Trying something new or tasting a recreation of something old.  This is the life my friends.  Here's to you!

Flashy Ambiance_Hand Made Original Cocktails_Great Service

Mom's in Town!

Alright, be on the look out for some good food, my mom's in town! Definetly on the schedule, Mother's Day Brunch at Central 214, Hotel Palomar, with the Naughty Chef - Blyth Beck.

I know we will hit some other spots, hopefully Ocean Prime or Smoke. Maybe the All Good Cafe over in Deep Ellum for a quick bite to eat. She usually cooks too, and you know, there's nothing like mom's home cookin'.

Stay alert because some good blogs are coming, know this.

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Hectors & Neighborhood Services

On day 3 of my extravaganza, Sol and I took a trip over to Hector's on Henderson for some wine & appetizers.  This is a place that always amazes me when it comes to the food.  If you go between 5-7:30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays the chef is typically creating something special for the complimentary bar appetizers.  Chef Jorge Cruz almost always comes out to visit, say hello and sample some wine that Manager/Bartender Chris Chapman is serving that day.  I say that day because everyday there is always different wine.  He typically has a wine geek sitting at his bar trying to push some wine into his fridge.  And for good reason too - Chris knows his wine.  Most of the wine he strives to acquire, many establishments around town do not have in their inventory.  In fact I am quite sure that is what he strives for.

On Wednesday's they have $6 glasses of wine - GREAT wine, just ask Chris what he likes that night.  Another great perk if you're a whino, they have a 30 for 30 menu, meaning 30 different bottles of wine for $30.  Thursday's is craft beer night - great list $3 a beer I think?  Maybe $5 for their more expensive ones.  Also, Hector, the owner, is always out on the floor talking to tables, running drinks, food or singing.  He is a man of many talents.  ANY-WAYS on to some good food. 

We were too late for the free apps so we decided to go with the Lobster Caviar Deviled Eggs and...that's when Chris grabbed the chef and asked him if he had any left over apps from happy hour - HE DID!  They were Chicken Fried Smoked Sausage (You better not be thinking breakfast sausage) over Tabasco aioli and served with a remoulade.  At six to a n order I had 3 and so did Sol.  They were even better than they look.  Bartender Chris said this was the first time he'd even seen it.  Chef Jorge - making new shit ev-er-E day.  I could never even dream of the stuff he puts on a plate.  Oh yeah, the deviled eggs?  Amazing!  I had just had some not-so-good ones a few days earlier so these were like heaven in my mouth.  Creamy and rich with some good texture because of the lobster.  Way good.  Next place....

Some of you might know I've been wanting to go to Neighborhood Services (link is to restaurant not the tavern i went to, not sure it has a website yet), it's a new spot over on North Henderson.  Let me just tell you it was everything I was expecting and more.  It had a funny start (weird funny not haha funny).  But it ended well.  The bartender with a handlebar mustache welcomed us and told us to have a seat.  He was wearing a white shirt, a colorful tie and an apron.  I checked out the beer, nice selection.  But I had read about their cocktails, hand crafted, original, and thoughtfully made.  I am happy to say it was everything I had hoped it would be, and I had high hopes.  The bartender was a nice guy very talkative and informative.  He also had a trainee following him around, so that was interesting to watch.  The guy in training was actually making our drinks, stirring it, smelling it and of course - a trait of any great bartender - tasting it to make sure it was balanced.

I had a: "New Fang" - Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Sugar, St. Germaine's, and Oranger Bitters

Sol had a:  "Domino Fizz" - Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup Soda garnished with Lavedar

What good drinks - so well made - so much thought put into each one that left the bartenders hand.  Some people talk about cooks putting love in to their food, well, good bartenders put passion into their cocktails.  I truly believe that, because you can taste that passion while enjoying your cocktail sitting at the bar top talking to them listening to the way they speak about their profession.  I think that is why I like to sit at the bar instead of at a table.

Unfortunately, my camera phone was running out of battery so I could not get a good picture of the cocktails. So I do apologize for that.  One cool thing worth mentioning is that these places that I like so much stir a lot of their drinks rather than shaking them, therefore, they use a bar spoon (pictured left).  At this establishment they not only stir but they garnish every drink with a bar spoon.  I thought it was kind of a nice touch...oh yeah about that bar spoon ummmmm when Sol let me try her drink I was a little buzzed.  So without looking I put my mouth over what I thought was a straw, and yes, it was the bar spoon.  But you know what?  IT WAS A STRAW TOO!!!!!  Pretty nifty right?  I never would have guessed.

We were a little upset because the kitchen had already closed but after talking to us for a while the bartender went to check to see if there was anything left in back he could scrounge up for us.  What he came back with was chickpea spread, also know as hummus.  Great presentation.  It was very good, normally I have slight allergy to hummus, my tongue starts to itch, TMI?  Sorry.  For whatever reason this was fine, more than fine.  The different flavors pranced around on my taste buds, and the buds were happy with me that I was finally giving them some stimulation after such a long lay off.  In fact I was happy with me for that too!

Oh yea and bartender handle-bar mustache guy - turns out he was the GM.

Great Chef @ Hector's_Master Wine Guy(Chris)_Handlebar-mustache-bartender-GM Guy = GREAT NIGHT OUT!