Tag: Dallas Best

Eating Up Dallas

Last night, I was treated to such a superb meal! There were $1 Bellinis, plenty of laughs, and the tastiest of morsels.
As I stand in solidarity with my fellow foodies, I just had to share! This is definitely a new fave of mine in the Big D!

We flocked to Patrizio’s and noshed on several delectable dishes. Obviously, we started with an appetizer. Technically, we ordered FOUR:

Cauliflower Steak – A breaded and fried vegetable to confound the tastebuds. I actually plunged a forkful of the breaded yumminess into the Beau’s mouth before he could put up a fight. When told it was cauliflower he couldn’t believe it. Yes – this dish is that good!

Tender & Juicy, with a hint of a crunch from the Spinach

Garlic Cheese Bread – This is quite a standard option for an Italian food establishment, but what makes this notable is their take on a marinara sauce. The Marzano tomatoes make a world of difference and bring a sweet tang to the cheesy bread, when paired.

Bruschetta – Navy. Beans. I’m a HUGE fan of beans. I was thrilled when the bruschetta plate came up with both an eggplant mixture and a bean mixture, as well as the traditional version. The navy bean aspect of the trio was partially mixed with parmigiano

Calamari – Personally, I do not enjoy the full squidlets. I do however love the rings. The breading on this calamari could use an upgrade and reimagining. It is good, but not nearly as wonderful to the palate as the other dishes on the table. The marinara sauce and garlic aioli was perfect, and – quite frankly – I’d have been displeased had they ruined these two basic (and completely crucial) condiments.

No amount of cheese could have made this better. Well, maybe a bit more cheese…

The need to try a plethora of options meant that each of us ordered a different dish. My Fettucine Pappagano choice was too salty for my taste, but I was able to doctor the leftovers with some heavy cream, broccoli florets, french green beans, and julienned carrots. The bacon in this dish was too much and overpowered the light sauce on the perfectly cooked pasta.

This dish easily had a half pound of chicken atop it. Chunks, people. Huge, clunking pieces. Not sexy.

The Beau and Jules opted for the two lasagne choices. These pictures speak for themselves, but in case you don’t speak food and prefer to ogle, I should tell you that the chicken mushroom version is far superior to the three meat traditional. The chicken was succulent, supported by slightly wilted spinach, and a cream sauce that could damn near sing me a lullaby.

Our friend ordered the Chef’s Special for the night. It was apparently so delicious he refused to wait for anything further than a quick picture. There was not a speck of sauce left on the plate from this seafood scampi. The aroma was just the right tinge of garlic-meets-cream, with generous amounts of basil, lemon, tomatoes, and purple onions.

Some people don’t like their food cooling while a picture is snapped.Sorry for the blur.

Overall, Patrizio’s in Uptown was splendid! The food was right for the price, and (mostly) caressed my foodie passions in all the right ways. I strongly recommend you visit this quaint location, in the heart of Uptown, as soon as humanly possible. The atmosphere is lovely, there was no need to yell over our meals, and the waitstaff was swift and courteous. All great things.

Much love,
Cerebellum Chef

Tags Bellinis, Cauliflower, Dallas Best, foodie, Italian, Lasagna, Patrizio's, rave, restaurants in dallas, Uptown

Reviews

She Took Me to the Bahn [Mi] Shop

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date October 20, 2014
No Comments on She Took Me to the Bahn [Mi] Shop

There’s this specialty restaurant on SMU Blvd, this teensy place where Mel’s been dying to get her snack on. Tonight, we decided to order out, and we’re pretty glad we did!

5629 SMU Blvd., Dallas.
214-890-9776.
banhshop.com

You may be wondering why there are no pictures (Never Fret – I included some mouth-watering ones from their site)….well, let me tell you – we ate way too damn fast!
There was no time for pictures.

Here’s the breakdown:

We ordered:
#1 Grilled Steak Bahn Mi – This lovely selection, grilled to perfection! That rhymed. The beau scarfed it down and licked his fingers, to boot! The steak was soft and succulent. A nummy treat!
#2 Pork Meatball Bahn Mo
Mel lurved her sammich! The meatballs were not anything like those found in traditional Vietnamese Pho, which is what I feared. They’re thick, tough to eat, and usually have an innocuous mixture of spices that just land in the vicinity of too damn peppery. Ugh. thankfully, this bahn mi’s meatballs were more like flavorful pork patties; crunchy, slightly sweet, with a deep smokey flavor that added to the over-all mouth-watering taste.

#4 Coconut Chicken Bahn Mi
This was the sandwich I chose, after having asked the (very nice & quite patient ) waiter what the most popular dishes were. He said this was the second most-beloved sandwich choice. Which now, after having eaten an entire one, begs the question – What the hell for?

I am so disappointed in this order. The chicken was bland, the bahn mi was wrapped in all-too-much mint, and there was truly nothing amazing about this sandwich.

We also ordered the Vietnamese street corn and summer rolls.
The corn was delicious! The nouc mam they mix in with the coconut milk is a pleasant change from the Dallas standard Mexican street corn. I say this with all my corazon, this corn is buenisimo! Though I still experience a significant amount of mouth-drooling at a few of our fave Dallas Mexican restaurantes, this shop is a pleasant change on a great snack for the beau and I.

Here’s a warning though – stay the hell away from the SUMMER ROLLS! They’re gross. Too much mint, no added protein, and not a hint of flavor in the wrapping. Both Mel and Angel agreed that these tiny packages were disgusting. Don’t let the picture fool you, loves!

What the three of us decided – these Bahn Mi sandwiches are wrapped in an insane amount of bread. Yes, I get that bread is a cheaper commodity upon which you can stuff your customers full of – but why skimp on flavor?
Let’s do better about this, YUM! foods (they own this place, along with Taco Bell & Pizza Hut). I’m pleased to say that, had I not researched the restaurant, I wouldn’t have figured it for a fast food place. It is reminiscent of a mom&pop establishment, with great personality and an awesome down-home vibe from the staff. The shop was clean, cozy, and adorable.

Stop in at this yummy place THIS week!
We may run by for a quick corn cup and the drunken noodles…the next dish I so desperately need to taste.

Have a delicious week!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags asian, Bahn, bahn mi, Bahn Shop, corn cup, dallas, Dallas Best, Grilled Steak Bahn, Nouc Mam, restaurants in dallas, SMU, Summer Rolls, Vietnamese

Reviews

Grub – Winningest Shakes & Burgers

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date August 31, 2014
No Comments on Grub – Winningest Shakes & Burgers

There’s this burger spot in what feels like the most awkward spot to park a restaurant along Greenville avenue.
When there are so many places to choose from along Dallas’ much-loved, mostly drunk-upon, street – why choose Grub?

Let me shed some light on why you’re eating at the wrong burger place.

You see, Grub’s located across the way from Desperado’s, Kosta’s Cafe, Rusty Taco, Start, and the soon to be nighttime Starbucks (which I will surely frequent). Grub has some serious food competition nearby, but nothing like their menu.
Burgers, shakes, and scary-ass ghost peppers…just a few of this couple’s favorite things.
Well, why lie – I wouldn’t eat a ghost pepper for anything less than one million dollars, but the beau sure does love the heat challenge. So do my two marine brothers, for that matter.
Just before David left for boot camp, we took him to Grub, thankfully – this establishment did not disappoint.

Now, you’re hearing this from a deeply proud Texan, who loves texas toast and Whataburger, but let me say this…Grub does it right, for the most part.

We started out with the luau fries and crawfish pistolettes. The latter were a bit too grainy for my liking. The bread was slightly undercooked, but the Mississippi Comebac Sauce – smooch! That tastiness should be on everything.
The luau fries have to be one of the most amazing pieces of fry art I have ever had the pleasure of eating. They have just the right amount of smoke on the pork, deep-fried to the perfect crunchiness, and slathered in more barbeque sauce than I should probably eat in one sitting (or seven).

The burgers were pretty great. They’re grilled just the way you like it, and the chef didn’t miss. I chose to faceplant into the Guacapotle, but was seriously bummed by their guac. My burger was cooked to perfection, then quickly ruined by the murdered-by-lemon guacamole.

The boys were much braver and decided on the Ghost Burger.
At first, everything seemed ok – then things took a turn for crazy-funny.
Add this to the “oh shit” list for Marines.

The Beau's face when the burgers arrived — The Beau’s face when the burgers arrived

David was in the process of trying to make-weight for his ship date, so he shared a burger with my big guy.
A few bites later, the spice kicked in…and so did his reality of a spicy death for his taste buds.

He tried to drink some water, but that didn’t help him at all.
We ordered a shake for him, but while we waited – all he could do was…laugh.
You should know that the milkshakes are so damn goooood. Thick, creamy, and the type that goes straight to your ass, but you just don’t care. Yep, that freaking good.

Really, this boy must have laughed for a good five minutes. I’m pretty sure that’s how he got through boot camp too.
He laughed, and dreamt of this “amazing burger.” He loved it. I loved watching him laugh.
Crazy kid.

This restaurant is one of our favorites. Stop in for a meal and you’ll see why!

Cheers,
CerebellumChef

Tags BBQ, Burger, Dallas Best, Greenville Avenue, GRUB, restaurants in dallas, shakes

Reviews

BBQ Bliss

Summer vacation is almost up, which means I have realized just how out of shape I’ve gotten.
Volleyball practice started this week, which also coincides with my foray into coaching a high school sport.
Let’s just say, it’s been a challenging week!

I’ve worked out every single day and come home to work on class curriculum, volleyball workout routines, and map out my upcoming schedule. Part of this organization means I need to figure out just when the beau, friends, and I will be heading out to continue our 52 week, 52 restaurant challenge.

One of the restaurants we visited recently was the Pecan Lodge – why it only has 3.5 stars on YELP is beyond me.
Sure, their greens were too salty, and the wait time was ludicrous, but overall – this BBQ is all kinds of Texas food sexy.

They slow roast their meat, and it tastes like love…only, better!
You have a few selections, which makes choosing your meal while dealing with the gut-pleasing smell from the slow seduction of the smoke pits winding their way through your nostrils all the more distracting.
We chose several kinds of meat: the brisket, beef rib, pork ribs, and fried chicken.

The dishes we selected came with one or two sides.
I had a hankerin’ for the bacon-infused, bacon crumbled, macaroni and cheese.
It’s thick and creamy, bacon-blessed, but a bit too salty for my taste.

Jules ordered the greens, which were seriously lacking in flavor and down-home taste. These need fixin’, but do have some potential. I’ve got a friend who can fix these up for you guys, just let me know!

The beau chose the fried okra, which he’s discovered – is far from his favorite fried side. He also snagged the coleslaw, which he LURVED! It was sweet, tangy, crunchy and cold! Perfect for a Texas summer lunch. [Believe it or not, some restaurants serve coleslaw room temperature or warmer. Talk about disgusting!]

I can’t forget to tell you about the fried rib!
Holy mother of all things delicious.
When you visit this tasty establishment, you have to order one of these beauties.
Just one, lest you begin questioning the reliability of your taste buds and whether you’ve been missing out on other wonderful flavors in your lifetime.

My guess is these ribs are dredged in a spiced-with-wonderful-yumminess before being double fried to a scrumptious crisp. Pecan Lodge, you must let me visit your kitchen! This delectable treat was shared among the three of us, and it was fall-off-the-bone tender. We also happened to have ordered the last one of the day!

Dino-sized and packing a flavorful punch!

That’s right – they can run OUT of BBQ!
We arrived around 11:15am, and the line was already a winding, 50 people deep.
You can skip ahead if you’re going to order an ~~obscene~~ week’s worth of deliciousness.
In my humble opinion, it’s totally worth it! The beau and I will shamelessly visit again, and skip ahead to devour these goodies ASAP.

Dining here is a Dallas fave. It’s one of our new bbq loves, and boy – what an affair we will have.
The Pecan Lodge delivers finger-licking, fight-me-for-the-last-bite, sweet and smoky tenderness that begs the question – why the hell don’t you all serve sweet tea?

Honestly, not serving such a BBQ staple [especially in the South] is just plain wrong. Get this on your menu, pronto!
We loved this place.
How could we not, when it left the beau looking like this:

Superb tastiness in nearly every dish, but seriously – work on the sweet tea, guys.

We will visit you soon!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags BBQ, Dallas Best, greens, Pecan Lodge, Smoked meat, southern cooking, Sweet Tea, Texas, YELP

Reviews

Strip Mall Sensation – Olive Burger

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date June 24, 2014
No Comments on Strip Mall Sensation – Olive Burger

Technically, this teensy kitchen packs a big punch –> IN RICHARDSON! Ok, so it’s not in Dallas, proper. So what?
About 15 minutes North of Highway 12, exit on Arapaho and charge forward to:

OLIVE BURGER!
451 W Arapaho Rd, Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 231-5842

Olive Burger is in a quaint, kind of run-down, strip mall on the corner of Arapaho Rd. If you blink, you’ll drive right past it. This meld of Greek+American Diner cuisine stacks up and crushes other lunch hotspots in the area. They don’t deliver (bummer), but they definitely accommodate for call-ahead orders! They’re speedy, efficient, and everything smells yummy!

This bumpkin-esque locale is all about the food. The decor is all wrong, but hilarious. There are a few posters of T-Swift, Megan Fox, and oldies-but-goodies movie posters from the 80’s. Max capacity is 49. [Yep, tiny.]

Walk up to the bar, where you can order anything from their extensive menu.

The prices are reasonable, but deceiving! Everything is huge. Really.
We didn’t know what to expect, and our eyes greedily scarfed up half the items.

The beau chose The Ultimate Cheeseburger and I set my tummy on a Gyro with a side of fried zucchini.
We waited a whopping 8 minutes for our meals. Seriously, awesome service. Our food was piping hot and looked amazing!

Thankfully, it was pretty tasty too. the fries were hand-cut, crispy, and full of potato! None of this powdery crud that some people try to pass off as pomme frites. No, these chefs don’t use duck fat, but they do work by the double fry standard. Much love for this.
Their half-pound burger, stuffed with onions, mushrooms, bacon, avocado, and cheddar cheese is pretty damn tasty. My one complaint, the salt level. It was a tad too much for my palate, but it wasn’t like lapping up sea-water. Just a bit overdone. The burger, grilled well, not burned or too rare. The beau lurved it! We were told this was the best burger in Dallas, but we respectfully disagree. The burger was good, but not the best. Sorry, gents.

Now, the gyro and zucchini. Again, the lamb+beef combo was too salty; much saltier than the burger, so I was disappointed. The zucchini chips did not have enough salt – go figure, right? Their Z-sauce was light and fresh, but needed some more oomph! because it was lacking in the cucumber department.