Can anyone recommend a good affordable set of knives?

Thanks!

Hi Jeremy,

I started drinking whiskey with a Seven & Seven. 7-up mixed with Seagram's Seven (a Canadian Whisky, which usually has a more mild taste than other brands) to taste. It is a very smooth drink and since you can control the alcohol content, you can slowly build up a taste for whisky.

Then, once I was used to the 7&7s, I moved on to Whiskey Sours and Boston Sours (my favorite). For this I usually use Jim Beam or Maker's Mark. They're not the fanciest or the best, but they are relatively smooth without too strong of a flavor to make them acceptable for mixing. But if you're not ready to drink it straight, I would recommend a good cheap alcohol anyway. After all, you don't want to mix a $80 bottle of scotch into a cocktail.

Good luck!

There are two reasons for this. The first is that the company created the recipe in order to sell their brands. The second is that the recipe is made with the particular nuances of a single brand in mind. In the case of vodka, it is usually the first because vodka tastes vary very little between brands. But there are some alcohols, like bourbon, which can turn into a completely different drink depending on the brand. If you're not sure, try it once with the more expensive called-for brand, then again with a cheaper version and see if there is a difference in taste.

Can you post the recipe? It sounds delicious!

Yeah, it's pretty casual. I would say...if you can wear it to the Olive Garden, you can wear it to Cafe Istanbul.

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Cafe Istanbul
5450 W Lovers Ln Ste 222, Dallas, TX 75209

Olive Garden
2418 S I Hwy 35 E, Lewisville, TX 75067

I guess my biggest concern would be if it was cost-effective to update it every few years. I'm constantly picking up new "favorite" recipes so I would eventually end up with the cookbook I created and a few dozen printouts sticking out of it.

I live near Love Field and there's a decent place there: Dallul at 2515 Inwood Rd, #117, Dallas, TX. The location is shabby with little to no atmosphere, but the food is quite good. And they also serve Italian ;)

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Dallul Restaurant
2515 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235

I don't have a neighborhood preference as long as in Dallas (not Plano or other burbs). I'd prefer to be left alone, but will put up with more attentive waitstaff if the food is worth it.

OCNC, I thought starting two weeks ahead of time was reasonable! I'm I really already doomed?

I recommend the Village Burger Bar in the West Village and Mint on Oak Lawn. The both have excellent food and really good cocktails.

Anyone have good ideas for Valentine's day dinner? I'm fine with expensive restaurants as long as it's worth it. Preferably something cozy and romatic (obviously).

Thanks!

I definitely second the Pearl Cup, it's my favorite coffee house. But my second choice is Opening Bell www.openingbellcoffee.com

I think the salads at the Village Burger Bar are quite good...but they burgers are so good I hardly ever order them so beware, you probably won't get a salad once you step in there.

Coal Vines Pizza is pretty good and just down the street www.coalvines.com‎

My absolute favorite Indian place is Bombay Indian Grill http://www.bombaygrillfortworth.com/. It's pretty close to the FW Zoo, so it'll be convenient too.

If you're looking for something a little different, I would recommend Lumi Empanada and Dumplings http://www.lumikitchen.com/. It's a Brazilian/Vietnamese fusion so it's not authentic, but it is delicious.

For the upscale side, you should definitely go to Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck in Reunion Town, it has an amazing view of the Dallas skyline and the whole restaurant rotates so you'll eventually see the whole city.

For Mexican, or really Tex-Mex, if you can take the time to travel to Fort Worth, Joe T Garcia's is one of the best Tex-Mex in DFW mostly because of the incredible garden there. But I would also recommend La Duni (which is really more Latin American) and Cafe San Miguel.