JordanB's Profile
Fayetteville, AR - local, unique but not upscale.
I will be spending a long weekend in the NWA area and wanted to do one dinner in Fayetteville. Ideally I am looking for a place that is unique to the area and something not to miss. I can do fine dining here in Dallas so I was hoping to find something with more atmosphere and local flavor that would make for a fun night out. Any and all suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance, fellow hounds.
(I've scanned the boards a bit but most rec's seem to be for either bbq or more upscale places like James; or places that have since shuddered so sorry if this thread seems repetitive.)
Good eats in Baytown, La Porte, Kemah, Seabrook area and Galveston
Topwater Grill in San Leon for good fried gulf seafood, the oyster specials are good as well. Try the Torpedoes. Just read something in Robb Walsh's column about an interestingly thick but good CFS at T-Bone Tom's but have never been personally.
One Lunch in Bologna
We leave in just a short 9 hours. Thank you all so much for the advice. I will report upon return.
One Lunch in Bologna
Hello fellow hounds,
The wife and I will have time for just one lunch in Bologna before we head on to Ancona. We will only have a few hours so proximity to the train station is a factor. We would love to enjoy a lunch with plenty of local bolognese flavor but also don't want to break the bank. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance.
Texarkana to Dallas food tour
Sorry so late, but I can reccomend two places: both with reservation as I've only eaten at these once and it was quite a while before I realized that often there are much better options available if sought out on this board; but I remember liking Bodacious BBQ when I was a college student. You will find a handful of locations along I-20. The other would be Jucy's hamburgers in Longview. Again, take this with a grain of salt, I still consider myslelf a Chowhound newbie.
(Fort Worth) Creative Mexican
Though not really Mexican (more Californian to me), Fuzzy Tacos ain't bad for fast fish tacos (think Wahoo's) and cheap beer.
hill country wineries
I think perhaps what Bhutani is referring to is Lincoln St. Wine Bar. They do indeed have a very generous selection of wines by the glass and good beers in the fridge. They also will open just about any bottle they have (within reason) to offer you a by-the-glass option. Avoid the Fredericksburg Winery which is not only a waste of time, but I felt an unfortunate scam. The wines are horrible, and the entire time you are being 'sold' at; it feels as if you are in the middle of an infommercial. Let me first admit that I am without question a wine novice, but I did enjoy quite a few of the wines in that area. Becker was good, though a little commercial feeling. Spicewood I felt was also nice, and very down-home Texas feeling which may have added to the charm. A previous poster mentioned McReynolds which as stated was quite an interesting experionce. To me none of their wines tasted very good but the atmosphere itself, and the drive to get there, waranted a visit for the adventurous. Last note, if you are coming from the north don't miss the opporunity to grab some brisket and turkey sausage at Inman's Ranch House in Marble Falls.
Mexican near Park Central?
Manny's for tex-mex would be a pretty short jaunt down 75, off of Lemmon.
Dallas Late Night Spots
Greenville, South of Mockingbird, north of Monticello, right across the street from Snuffer's. They have some interesting combinations which may not all work but the dogs themselves and potato buns are quality. Or at least they seemed that way after a night of drinking at Stan's ;)
dallas - melrose hotel- oak lawn ave
To each his/her own but I personally don't understand the appeal of Herrera's. Tex-mex can be great indeed and it doesn't need cloth napkins or tablecloths. But, it also doesn't need store-bought taco shells and high-performance cheese either. I think sentimentality creeps into rec's for Herrera's more than the actual quality of food.
Dallas Gram visit, need restaurant help!
I second Cuquita's, though I think the cross street of the one on Spring Valley is actually Coit. Also, depending on which side of the Galleria you are staying there is a location at 13260 Josey Ln. in Farmers Branch which may actually be closer.
Dallas Gram visit, need restaurant help!
I would not recommend going to the old Nuevo Leon location on Greenville if you are looking for any food at all, though those other choices for Mex are all solid.
http://cbs11tv.com/local/local_story_172185310.html
Platinum Sirloin??
It might also be Premium Gold Angus, they have a "platinum" line as well. http://www.pgabeef.com/About%20PGAB.htm
First Post: Best Chile Con Queso in Northern Dallas?
It was simply a reference to your claim that I must not be a Texan. (I didn't think my cheesy Terry Allen quote would need explaining). Yes, I have been to Pappasito's.
aaronswoman, I'm happy for the Pappas corporation. If you want to eat at a chain you could certainly do a lot worse. It's nice that they've been, like, voted "best mexican" in D magazine, but if I or anyone else were that interested in what they thought (and I am to some small extent) we could go buy their publication (or even look it up online). I thought that what this board existed for was something different - an honest opinion from food loving people simply looking for the best chow.
laurie - I'm sorry that after 21 years you never found more worthy places to spend your money. Come back to Texas (Dallas) and we can go to Cafe San Miguel, La Hechizera, Brother's, Cuquita's, Trece, Mia's . . . it may be a revelation.
First Post: Best Chile Con Queso in Northern Dallas?
I don't wear no Stetson, but I'm willing to bet, son . . . that Papasitos Mexican Cantina is not worth your time or your money.
Central Texas BBQ
I am fairly new to this board as well. I've been reading for over a year but have only begun posting the last couple months. Mostly because (though I have always been a big fan of food) I have never, until reading this board, realized the extent of how much transcendental food exists that goes unknown to the general public. This board opened my eyes to the world of food that I had (perhaps unknowingly) been seeking. I accept the fact that my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. But I still check this board everyday looking for new finds and will continue to offer any worthy insight I can. I'm still learning.
Anyway, I couldn't concur more with Scott's response . . . it seems that quality reports have been on the decline and for one like this to drop was refreshing to say the least. I too look forward to more as well (and Scott's next CFS update).
The only comment I have about the food would be that I recently did the trinity in Lockhart myself about a month ago and while I won't get into every aspect the only real disagreements I had with your assesment of those three was that I found the brisket at Blacks to be quite dry and unremarkable and the ribs to be quite good . . . that day. Oh, the finnicky nature of BBQ.
I look forward to trying Gonzalez and Vencil's . . .
What is the best sushi in San Antonio, TX?
I'm not from SA but have been to the Sushi Zushi in Dallas and while it's not bad per se, I wouldn't qualify it as really good either. Definitely more style than substance.
I'm also willing to bet that if the OP has posted on this board, he/she is probably aware that local newspapers are available and is probably seeking a more 'chowish' opinion.
KRLD Restaurant Week (DFW)
Of those two choices I would chose Go Fish, it's more inventive, not a chain, and I have heard some so-so reports on Oceanaire recently. Take this with a grain of salt though: the founding chef at Go Fish hasn't been there for a while and neither have I, perhaps someone else could give a better recommendation.
If you want to stay in that same area, III Forks and Steve Fields Steak and Lobster Lounge are still open for RW. III Forks will serve a good steak, but none better than what you could get in LA for the right price . . . the atmosphere might be something fun for an out-of-towner to do as it propagates about every Texas cliché possible. I've never been to Steve Fields.
Of all the restaurants left open for RW, I personally would chose Standard if you don't mind heading closer to downtown. I don't know what the RW menu is like but every experience I have had there otherwise has been very positive.
www.standarddallas.com
KRLD Restaurant Week (DFW)
donnaaires, thanks for the great report, I'll look forward to more posts on your website.
I too was at the Mansion last night and found my experience to very consistent with yours. I dined with a companion and we also tried both choices at each course. Service was impeccable and the food very good. My only complaint with the food was that I felt my chicken had been slightly overdone. And after visiting Abacus I was slightly dissapointed that there weren't more menu options, but I realize that Abacus is the exception in this case so it's hard to fault any restaurant in that regard -- especially for $35.
Also, it probably warrants mentioning that the lobster taco wasn't offered to our table or any others I saw -- I bet your friend in the kitchen was responsible for that touch. Lucky you.
KRLD Restaurant Week (DFW)
Went to Abacus last night and will say that our overall experience was very good. We had reservations for two at 7pm. We were seated within about 10 minutes of arriving and were quickly greeted by our waiter. Overall the service was attentive, but relaxed - we never felt that they were trying to turn our table quickly. Bread was delivered immediately with an herbed butter. There were three kinds: a sourdough, cinnamon raisin, and a denser cheese type bread.
We had the central market fourth course, the lobster shooter to start which was good, interesting as it was our first time to the restaurant though I can understand how the novelty of this menu item would where off quickly.
Next I had the soft shell crab which was very nice. It was very lightly fried with a plump juicy, sweet interior. It was complemented well with the crisp watercress along with some slivers of red onion, tangy lemon sauce and mustard. My companion had the seared scallop which was perfectly seared. The scallop was great though my companion didn't feel the sweet-corn truffle custard went that well with scallop. I thought the custard was quite good on its own, however.
Next I had the flat-iron steak. The meat was done perfectly medium rare as requested. The sauce it was served with was good but the beef, as excellent as it was, certainly didn't need as much. Thankfully it was mostly served around the steak so it was possible to avoid excess. The gnocchi along with it was good, if not slightly bland. The star of the night was my companions 'big plate': the seared long island lemon sole. The fish itself was perfectly done, moist and flaky throughout and ever so slightly browned from a quick searing giving the exterior a wonderful light crust. All of the vegetables in the dish (artichoke, pear tomatoes, and mushrooms) were excellent and paired perfectly with the fish. The sauce was nice, rich but not overpowering letting the fish and vegetables shine through.
For dessert, we had the bread pudding and the chocolate souffle cake. Both were good, especially the bread pudding, dense but not too heavy. The souffle was very decadent; thankfully at this point the portion was pretty small.
Overall, it was a very solid meal and an exceptional value.
Doughmonkey's poor CS
This past saturday (7/15) the GF and I were in there, our first time, and recieved the exact same service described above. After being stared at while trying to make our choices we asked for any suggestions and were informed with an annoyed voice that the espresso chocolate chip cookie was their most popular item . . . not exactly the kind of information we were hoping for.
Once back home, I will say the pastries were wonderful. The key lime tart and eclair especially.
KRLD Restaurant Week (DFW)
As the above mentioned event nears and reservations may become coveted, anyone care to share any particularly memorable experiences (good or bad) at the participating restaurants from last year?
http://www.guidelive.com/feature/180/
Sage (DFW)
Could someone please give some indication of the price point at this restaurant?
Thanks in advance!
