amokscience's Profile
Taqueria El Fuego closed for good?
Awww, I'm kind of pissed. All my coworkers had the same expression of disbelief when I told them.
Pho in Dallas?
Hopefully Pho Bang won't be randomly closed on the day you decide to visit. It's also filled with smoking but the pho is as good as everyone says in my opinion.
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Pho Bang Restaurant
3565 W Walnut St Ste A, Garland, TX 75042
Looking for South Dallas / Duncanville / Desoto Recs
I think Rudy's Chicken is well worth checking out if you're in the mood for that. I didn't really like it but Sweet Georgia Brown is worth a look if you've never been.
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Rudy's Chicken
3115 S Lancaster Rd, Dallas, TX 75216
San Diegan coming to Addison/Dallas for the weekend, need your hidden gem recommendations!
Eh, the problem with Addison is that it's just drowned in chains and mediocre places. I've enjoyed Constantin's, La Spiga, Mi Piaci ,Ferrori's, Fogo de Chao, Chamberlain's, Momo's , Pastazio's , Smashburger , Zuzu's, and more. No, not generally what I'd want if this was a special trip to Dallas but perfectly fine to eat and spend your money at.
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Mi Piaci
14854 Montfort, Dallas, TX 75254
Smashburger
4980 Belt Line Rd, Dallas, TX 75254
What, you thought we were finished talking about In-N-Out Burger?
My rating goes Shack Stack > Double-Double Animal Style > ........ > Five Guys
Shake Shack is expanding though so maybe in another 10 years we can compare them side by side in Dallas.
May Hua supermarket site
Seemed like May Hua died because their produce quality went downhill then all their customers fled. Don't know what led to that decision/change but I visited regularly until then and they always had brisk business. Bad downward spiral. Super G Mart also cratered quickly .
Heart Attack Grill
I find the concept both hilarious and offensive at the same time. Wish they'd post the calorie counts proudly and go the final step. Not really curious enough to actually try it.
Sushi in Dallas
Ahh the delicate dance of trying to find good, creative, and affordable when dealing with sushi.
Another vote for Sushi Sake
Enjoy Sushi Robata when Mori-san is(was?) the preparing chef
Yutaka did not disappoint although I'd rather have the appetizers than the sushi
Not sure I'd go to Tei-An (which is generally excellent) for sushi.
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Sushi Robata
4727 Frankford Rd, Dallas, TX 75287
Tei-An
1722 Routh St, Dallas, TX 75201
A Good Indian Buffet for Lunch in Plano/Richardson/Addison/North Dallas?
Went there a couple months ago. Seemed pretty solid. They bring out fresh naan as you need them.
D/FW Food/Taco trucks
Ojos wow... the texture is incredibly gelatinous. Just coats your tongue and mouth completely. Wouldn't put the tacos I had at the tops of any list but glad I had the experience.
In-N-Out Burger
I think you're just reacting the stupid levels of hype or you've met too many cultists who've rubbed you the wrong way.
The product is better than most, business model works (elsewhere), price point is good, quality of service is above competitors, quality of organization appears to be well above the competitors, loyal customer base.
In-N-Out Burger
Reporting in. The Allen location was about 20 minutes in the drive thru at midnight Sunday. Burger was better than I remember it being... easily into my top 5 in Dallas and far better than any chain. Just all around flavorful goodness... veggies tasty, burger greasy and juicy... medium rare was not noticeable. Fries, however, were not good - often cited as a weakness - and I'll just be skipping them entirely in the future. Shake was a shake. Now I have a fantasy of an In-N-Out burger in one hand and a Shake Shack burger in the other. Just have to figure out how to bend time and space.
In-N-Out Burger
air said it wasn't much noticeable... I'm just curious to try it. Probably head out next week at some absurd off hour and pray for a short line.
In-N-Out Burger
Work keeping me way busy... sounds like I want to avoid for a while but I know what I'm getting: Extra Toast, Double Double, Medium Rare, Animal Style, Extra Salad, Fries Well Done, Neapolitan Shake
In-N-Out Burger
Thinking of going this week... anyone know if the lines are crazy or bearable?
Last meal (in Dallas) before leaving the US for 2 years
Bingo... when I lived in Asia for a while it was burgers and pizza that I missed the most. So whatever is 'home food' is what she'll probably be craving after a few months away.
Looking For Suggestions in the Plano Area
I'm usually eating lunch at these places, often with a coworker or three:
El Torito - I've enjoyed the chilaquiles, puerco, al pastor (burrito/quesadilla), potatoes, pretty much everything except the tacos I've liked and the prices and (sometimes huge) portions make it a great deal. El Fuego is a better overall but this is not bad for a local rotation.
Suma Veggie Cafe is a small Chinese buffet. I really don't know how to describe the food except it tastes little different from normal Chinese food, replacing the meat with tofu and tempeh type items. I'm a bit curious about the nutritional differences when the taste and texture difference is minimal (to me at least). I pretty much can't stand most of the Chinese in the area (including Mr Wok... gave it a few tries) unless I hop north to Umeko or further south to the main block in Richardson. And since I am usually alone but prefer a variety... the little veggie buffets pull me in. There's the International Buddhist Society building nearby and they have a sparse cafeteria style lunch buffet as well... a bit plain to my taste. Also a "tea room" which looks elegant but I've never dined there.
I probably do not like most 'authentically' seasoned Indian food. I understand a lot of it is Americanized (blander but richer) and that's probably what I'm eating. Mumtaz - I enjoy the chicken masala, spinach, (fresh) naan, the beef (!) meatballs and the desserts. At Chettinad Palace I love the spicy dosas. My Indian coworker has both good and mediocre things to critique the dishes at times, rarely bad, but fresh naan and one or two dishes I can fill up on are usually good enough for me until I'm ready to try diving in deeper.
Some additional dishes:
Afrah - molokhia (and chickken) in the lunch buffet. Seasoning can be off at times but that's the main reason I go. Pistachio baklava (don't particularly care for the others).
Ali Baba - the rice at the buffet... something about it is great.
Blue Mesa - Sunday Brunch desserts (start there, work your way backwards). Will probably be packed from opening
Sushi Sake is a bit pricey but very good across the board. Also very crowded and popular!
Pho Bac - pho or bun with grilled pork... Pho Bang has better pho but is randomnly closed and further away.
First Chinese BBQ - Beef flat noodles
Sushi Robata - the unique/chalkboard appetizers and seasonal fish. Mori-san doesn't cook as much anymore but (as air notes elsewhere) everything is best when he's doing the work.
Jasmine Thai - whole fried fish (usually snapper or bass) with either curry or thai sauce.
99 Ranch bakery - baguettes and french bread (not always out), the puffed fruit pastries, milk buns. Don't care for the savory stuff.
Casa Milagro - the brisket, chicken, and puerco (pork) chile rellenos.
Umeko - minced pork w/ bean curd and hot peppers
Kosta's - not crazy about the food in general (enjoyed the gyros) but the hummus was very different and blew me away on one visit. Need to repeat.
El Fuego - lunch special with almost any of the non-beef items. I always get black beans and green rice and never miss out on the homemade corn tortillas.
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More scattered thoughts follow...
Abuelo's, Carolina's, Luna de Noche, Aparicio's and many Tex-Mex joints are acceptable Tex-Mex in nice surroundings at slightly inflated prices. There are several local chains that are pretty poor. There's an amusing stretch along 75 with 4 or 5 tex-mex joints nearly one after another.
I think Tampopo is a good value for the Japanese food they serve, nothing out of the ordinary but generous portions of food.
Italia Village is your typical Russian run neighborhood American Italian / Greek joint staffed by Hispanic and/or Arab workers (ever find that mix amusing?) and surprisingly served one of the best ribeyes I've ever had. The guy just said he had good meat that day and I should try it.
Maggiano's is great for groups looking to be gorged. Some dishes are misses but plenty are good enough.
Sambuca360 is setup to be a cougar bar / music venue but the food was surprisingly good... of course everything is overpriced so don't be going there for the food!
Old Town Creamery - has some exotic flavors that I like, not as exciting as I want it to be though.
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream is a local place that many like. To me it taste like... ice cream.
Paciugo - gelato chain that will sometimes rotate in some interesting flavors (different for every location).
Jamal's Convenience Store has pretty tasty, greasy tacos if you like that authentic hole in the wall type experience.
May need to try:
Ferrari's Pizza, Sea Breeze Fish Market and Grill, Cafe Roma, Urban Crust, Simon's Sushi
Forgot to mention:
Hirsch's Meats for a local butcher. Not exactly convenient hours for working folks but quality meat, real butchers, friendly people.
Lucky Layla Dairy Farm is over in east Plano where you can buy raw cow's milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. if that sort of thing is of interest. Some of their products make their way into local groceries.
Plano has light alcohol in shops, you get to head north to The Colony or south to Addison for hard liquor. Centennial, Sigel's, Goody Goody are the bigger local places.
LH: RE the burger thread: I was at that strawberry farm you mentioned in a thread last year. Strawberries weren't too much improved over supermarket but the experience and drive out to the countryside was refreshing. Friendliest lady too.
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Pho Bang Restaurant
3565 W Walnut St Ste A, Garland, TX 75042
Mr Wok
2600 14th St, Plano, TX 75074
Cafe Roma
151 W Spring Creek Pkwy Ste 509, Plano, TX 75023
Old Town Creamery
6205 Coit Rd Ste 344, Plano, TX 75024
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream
2909 W 15th St, Plano, TX 75075
Simon's Sushi
810 N Central Expy, Plano, TX 75074
Ali Baba
2103 N Central Expy, Richardson, TX 75080
Aparicios
1001 18th St, Plano, TX 75074
Urban Crust
1006 E 15th St, Plano, TX 75074
Looking For Suggestions in the Plano Area
Welcome to the suburbs... Here's a shotgun blast of names you'll see regarding Plano food places:
West Plano:
Shops at Legacy is bunch of upscaled Americanized places: Jasper's (American), Fireside Pies (Pizza), Samui Thai, Nicola's (Italian), Cru Wine Bar, Bob's Steak and Chophouse, Naan (Japanese), Main Street Bakery, Village Burger Bar. Nearby on Preston is Holy Grail Pub which is a pretty good pub, just north is Blue Mesa Grill (Southwestern)
There are a whole bunch of chains and better quality places all along Preston from
Spring Creek: Mignon (French), Ziziki's (Greek), Bread Winner's Cafe
Park: Blue Goose (Tex-Mex), Snuffers (Burgers), Yao Fuzi (Chinese), Awaji (Japanese), Kosta's (Greek)
Plano Pkwy: Zorba's (Greek), Red Hot and Blue (Memphis BBQ)
GWB: Lavendou (French)
Frankford: Cadot (French)
Tollway and Frankford: Sushi Robata (Japanese), Bene Bene (Italian)
Central Plano:
Mr G's (Deli, Wine, Beer), First Chinese BBQ, Umeko (Taiwanese?), Sichuanese, Fred's Downtown Philly, Jasmine Thai (Custer & Spring Creek - avoid other locations), El Norte (Tex-Mex), Picasso's Ristorante (Italian), Kosta's (Greek, another location) at Parker and Alma.
Eastwards:
Down 75
Legacy: Chitos (Mex-Mex, attached to a gas station), 99 Ranch (Chinese bakery, supermarket), Little Sichaun
Parker: Chettinad Palace (Indian)
Park: Big Easy (Cajun)
Downtown Plano: El Torito (Mex-Mex), Jorg's Vienna (Austrian), Fillmore Pub, Fish Shack, Kelly's Eastside
GWB: Pure New Orleans
Into Richardson along 75:
Campbell: Mumtaz (Indian), Sawadika Thai, Sushi Sake, Twisted Root (Burgers), Taqueria El Fuego (Mex-Mex), Ali Baba (Lebanese), Casa Milagro (Tex-Mex)
Arapaho: Betchee's Brasil, Veggie Garden (Chinese Vegetarian), Suma Veggie Cafe (Chinese Vegetarian)
Belt Line / Main: Masami (Japanese), Kirin Court (Chinese), Maxim's (Chinese), Royal Sichuan, King Noodle (Chinese), First Chinese BBQ, Pho Bac (Vietnamese), Nam Hua (Vietnamese), Afrah (Lebanese)
McKinney is a nice visit if you have a reason to go north along 75 (skip Allen). Square Burger, Gregory's Bistro (Continental?), Cavali Pizza, Rick's Chophouse.
Plano Super Markets:
Central Market
99 Ranch (Chinese)
Minoya (Japanese)
Whole Foods
Fiesta
Asia World (Chinese)
Indo-Pak
Stuff I'm particularly fond of from above:
Central Market, Minoya, Sushi Robata, Kosta's, First Chneses BBQ, Umeko, Sichuanese, Jasmine Thai, Kostas, 99 Ranch, E Torito, Mumtaz, Sushi Sake, Taqueria El Fuego, Ali Baba, Casa Milagro, Suma Veggie Cafe, Kirin Court, Pho Bac, Nam Hua, Afrah, Square Burger, Gregory's Bistro, Cavali Pizza.
A short trip down the tollway gets you to Addison which has a few interesting options and a ton of chains. Dallas dining character is generally concentrated in Oak Cliff, Knox Henderson, and Uptown with smaller pockets scattered around.
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Kelly's Eastside
1422 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074
Lavendou
19009 Preston Rd. Ste 200, Dallas, TX 75252
First Chinese BBQ
111 S. Greenville Ave., Richardson, TX 75081
Veggie Garden
510 W Arapaho Rd, Richardson, TX 75080
Suma Veggie Cafe
800 E Arapaho Rd, Richardson, TX 75081
Pho Bac Restaurant
153 N Plano Rd, Richardson, TX 75081
Kirin Court Restaurant
221 W Polk St, Richardson, TX 75081
El Fuego
1891 N Plano Rd, Richardson, TX 75081
Ziziki's
11661 Preston Rd Ste 309, Dallas, TX 75230
Cru Wine Bar
7201 Bishop Rd Ste E2, Plano, TX 75024
Fireside Pies
5717 Legacy Dr, Plano, TX 75024
Awaji
4701 W Park Blvd Ste 101, Plano, TX 75093
Big Easy
1915 N Central Expy, Plano, TX 75075
Fillmore Pub
1004 E 15th St, Plano, TX 75074
Fred's Downtown Philly
1144 N Plano Rd, Richardson, TX 75081
Ali Baba
2103 N Central Expy, Richardson, TX 75080
Casa Milagro
1403 E Campbell Rd Ste 110, Richardson, TX 75081
Cadot Restaurant
18111 Preston Rd # 120, Dallas, TX 75252
Chitos Restaurant
301 Legacy Dr, Plano, TX 75023
Main Street Bakery
7200 Bishop Rd Ste D11, Plano, TX 75024
Fish Shack
700 E 15th St, Plano, TX 75074
Sushi Robata
4727 Frankford Rd, Dallas, TX 75287
Jasmine Thai
2050 Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX 75023
Quick Trip Report
Another short trip to NYC and here's some of my notes (prices from memory). Generally I don't do a full meal but hop and skip around trying one or two things from a place.
Streets:
Hallo Berlin - Meh, nothing stood out to me.
Azuri Cafe - Falafel sandwich... meh, tossed it after a few bites. Taim is much, much more to my liking.
Empanada Mama - There will be a long wait so I guess calling in for pickup is the thing to do. I tried a Cuban and Brasil. Brasil was good but the Cuban was stellar (and simple too). These are on the smallish side but packed full of flavors and come with a few sauces. ~$2.50 ea
Crif Dogs - Tried to ring the booth but they were still closed. Grabbed a Spicy Redneck instead. Wish they'd do something with the bun to elevate it but a good hotdog. $5+
Sigmund Pretzelshop - Had a pretzel but didn't like it much. The one I had on previous trip at Katja was excellent. $3ea.
Rahman's Kwik Meal Kart and Famous Halal Guys - I found I prefered Rahmans to the 53rd st cart. I like them both but Rahmans felt more refined and less raw and was more convenient for my travel. The 53rd cart has red spicy sauce and Kwik Meal uses green. I'd happily eat at either depending on convenience or mood. $6 for Chicken and Rice.
Burgers:
Shake Shack - tried the UWS location and it was perfectly fine... love the Shack Stack. Good shake too which I tried for the first time (vanilla/coffee, but who screws up a shake?) $8.50 + $3
Minetta Tavern - $26 Black Label burger vs $17 Tavern Burger (both cooked the rare side of medium rare). Hands down the $17 burger was better. The BLB had an extremely neutral flavor and there was absolutely nothing that would justify the price or its reputation for me. My brother agreed. Think I'm done with trying expensive burgers... the price to flavor payoff just doesn't work for me. *Terrific* french fries, I want to know how those were done.
Pizza Trio:
Motorino - Had the Brussels Sprouts w/ Speck and it was a beautiful pizza (picture). Needed a bit of salt and the crust wasn't the best but very good. A bit large for a single diner so splitting one with a friend would be great, especially if you wanted to eat more in the area. $12+ at lunch
Keste - Had the Pizza Del Rey which was a tad too salty but otherwise excellent, guessing it was the prosciutto added on top of the existing pizza. Loved the texture, flavor, dough, etc. $19+
I liked the topping at Motorino better but the dough and crust at Keste was much more to my liking. Both were cooked beautifully with spotting, melted cheese, slightly wet interior.
Joe's Pizza - Great fresh out of the oven on one visit. Bit too sweet and not quite warmed up enough on another. $2.75
Sweets:
Doughnut Plant - Hard to fit in regularly for my itinerary so I showed up early one day and bought several Tres Leches so I could enjoy them every morning of my visit. $3ea
Ceci Cela - Loved the almond chocolate croissant and the macarons. The macarons were not too sweet and chewy and much more to my liking that the ones I've had elsewhere (including Bouchon). Did not like the plain chocolate croissant but I bought several of the almond chocolate croissants. I eventually bought a box of macarons for a gift and it was very well received. ~$3-4 croissants and $1+ macarons.
La Bergamote - Perfectly good almond croissant. Great place with actual seating. ~$4
Kee's Chocolate - Bought them as a gift so I haven't actually tried them but feedback was positive. $2.45 ea
Viva le Crepe - Very rich Nutella Crepe... hard to screw up, no complaints except calories and price :) $8
Other:
Momofuku Milk Bar: Pork buns (pork belly, hoisin, scallions) were pretty darn good. Still digesting the price on those but those did not suck. $10 for two. Tried a trio of cookies which were fine but I'd rather have Levain's offerings. $5 for three.
Filling Station - Was fun sampling the salts, oils, and vinegars. Particularly enjoyed the blueberry and cranberry pear vinegars. Inside Chelsea Market.
Congee - Ate with some friends. Some sort of chicken, bokchoy, and two different congees which were all good. Did not like the dessert thing (rice milk?) at the end.
Previous trip: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/733896
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Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
Taim
222 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10014
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019
Ceci-Cela
55 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Cafe Katja
79 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Hallo Berlin
626 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Azuri Cafe
465 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019
Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
Congee
98 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
Crif Dogs
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Empanada Mama
763 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Halal Chicken and Gyro
106 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
La Bergamote
515 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Kwik Meal
45th St and 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Shake Shack
366 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024
Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
Sigmund Pretzel Shop
29 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Momofuku Milk Bar
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
The Filling Station
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Doughnut Plant
220 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Are there any *real* Cajun/Creole restaurants in Dallas?
I probably don't know enough about real cajun food to make a comparison but I've enjoyed the food from Pure New Orleans.
I've had the fried oyster and roast beef poboys, gumbo, and red beens and rice. Nothing blew my socks off (like the perfect poboy from some random truck stop out in the Louisiana sticks) but seemed perfectly reasonable lunch fare and I really like the bread. I prefer this place over Big Easy when I want this sort of thing.. Place is clean - one wall is a mirror so it makes it feel even more open, service is friendly and attentive, front door can stick, they are closed for a few hours between lunch and dinner service.
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Big Easy
1915 N Central Expy, Plano, TX 75075
Best Burger In Dallas/Fort Worth
Went by Square on my way back from picking strawberries and had the (plain) burger and sweet potato fries. Solid burger, great potential, but not quite great. Asked for medium rare, delivered medium well (shrug), needed a bit of seasoning, not a fan of the large slab of iceberg lettuce (should have been broken into smaller leaves or shredded). Fried pickle was... interesting. I prefer the chip style with a very thing batter (which no one around Dallas seems to make). The thin sweet potato fries were excellent. Service was great. I'd come back if I was in the area (after I try Rick's and Gregory's again).
I also stopped by The Porch a while back to try the Stodg burger. The two places seemed similar in my mind but was not impressed withe the Porch burger. Ingredients separately all good but together it didn't work. Too many flavors (foie butter? so what, don't notice it) , too messy - instantly starts to disintegrate, unremarkable fries. Service and atmosphere were nice but this burger is another in a long string of expensive burgers that have disappointed me.
Looking for MONSTER size pancakes - any tips?
Way past the request date but I was by WIngfield's a few weeks back and saw their pancakes being made. Large dinner plate sized pancake, very thick, drenched in butter... Big. Then I realized you get three for an order and started laughing. It looked like a pancake cake, just missing the frosting. I think I'll have to try another food challenge.
upcoming 1st trip to Dallas - have a dining plan - would love input
Hit Kalachandjis at some point.
In-N-Out Burger
The stock menu has 4 items plus drinks and shakes. Here's a more thorough version of the options that are available:
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/03/the-in-n-out-survival-guide-we-ate-every-single-item-on-the-secret-menu.html
http://daviswiki.org/in-n-out_secret_menu
Looking for (non-American) Supermarkets to Check out
Add Minoya in Plano for Japanese.
24 Hours to (and in) Ft. Worth
You are going to be in the Hill Country so _definitely_ wait on the BBQ until then... that'd be like filling up on tv dinners before Thanksgiving.
The original Kincaid's is fairly unique/historical although I like other burgers better (Love Shack Dirty Love Burger). Joe Ts is a venerable trap that some people still like. Tillman's Roadhouse is near the museums... might be of interest and Lanny's is great if you like upscale.
http://www.tillmansroadhouse.com/eats_fw_lunch.html
http://www.lannyskitchen.com/lunch.php
Kimball is great and if you have time you can do the Amon Carter (western) and/or Modern Art (all three are right there).
New York Times comes to North Texas for something decent to eat
Hopefully it's more of a doorway to the Mexican taqueria experience.
Khao Soi--Chiang Mai Noodle Soup
I'd like to know what 'good' Kha Soi tastes like (seriously) since I liked the one at Thai Ocha. I like soup noodles and the Thai bowls seem pretty limited around here. The random mixes I make at home are usually more interesting. Guess I'll have one more thing to hunt around for!
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Thai Ocha
1509 Malone St, Denton, TX 76201
New York Times comes to North Texas for something decent to eat
Yeah completely disagree. The picadillo taco (beef + potato) is great. The tortillas seem about par for most taquerias.
