Help Wanted: Local Gift Ideas for Irish Friend

I just placed an order for the Mesquite Smoked olive oil. Thank you for that recommendation.

And lvandavgv, BBQ sauce is a perfect idea. Any particular brand you are fond of? I'm not huge on BBQ sauce myself so I really haven't tried many varieties.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Help Wanted: Local Gift Ideas for Irish Friend

Tortillas is a great idea. Definitely going to go that route. Also I was thinking about buying some local chocolates, so I'll take you up on the Dude Sweet Chocolate recommendation. And I'd love to send him some of Paula's cheese...just not sure about the shipping aspect of it. I'll go up to the store and talk to someone about it. I'm sure they'll have great recommendations.

Pint glass from Rahr has been secured. Going to check out the praline recommendation...will be picking up some for myself, too. ;)

You guys are awesome. Many thanks.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Help Wanted: Local Gift Ideas for Irish Friend

Oh, I wish! That would be awesome. I just looked at their transit map and they only ship within the U.S. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for, though. All ideas welcome.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Help Wanted: Local Gift Ideas for Irish Friend

Unfortunately, Dublin does not benefit from the wonderful selection of beers that you're able to get elsewhere in Europe. Their beer selection is very limited...most bars have the following, and only the following, beer offerings: Guinness, Carlsberg, Smithwicks, Budweiser, Miller, Bulmer's Cider, and Paulaner. Beer stores are much the same. I searched high and low for some local beers, or anything resembling a great international beer list, and only found two functioning breweries, and one bar with an international beer list.

So, in summary, yes, I think sending alcohol would be a great idea.

I'll check out the recommendation, CocoaNut.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Help Wanted: Local Gift Ideas for Irish Friend

I traveled to Dublin, Ireland for Thanksgiving and got robbed of my money and camera by a group of idiots...a wonderful gentlemen who witnessed the ordeal ended up helping me by calling the police and lending me some money. I'd like to send him a package with some local goodies to say 'thank you'. I definitely want the items to be quintessentially Texan.

So far, I have bought a 6-pack of Saint Arnold's Christmas Ale and Real Ale's Coffee Porter (yes, I realize you're not supposed to mail alcohol...I'll take my chances).

I think I'm also going to buy a jar of El Fenix Salsa. Out of all the jarred salsas I have tried, I find that one to be the best combination of flavor and spice.

I'm thinking some pecan pralines would be a good gift, but really don't know where to go to get an excellent version.

Any ideas on where to get some southern confections, or maybe some ideas on other "Texan" gifts I can buy? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Recommendations for Dining Alone

Thanks for the suggestion of the prix-fixe and tasting meals.

I tend to travel alone, too. Not for business but again, because most of my friends do not have extra income to travel with. And because I'm like you and feel I need to experience what is unique about the city/country I'm in, I have never had issues with making a reservation for one. For whatever reason, I have that apprehension while home, though. I agree that I need to get over it.

I appreciate all the suggestions. Nonna, Local, Stephan Pyles, and the bar at Abacus are on my short list.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Best Soups?!

Just so you can rest a little better tonight, I did a search for "best soup" before I posted this and that link didn't come up. I do apologize, though, for not meticulously reading through every thread ever created on this board before making a new thread. I hate the thought of inconveniencing you with a duplicate thread you never intended on contributing to but clicked on anyway. Gosh, I just feel awful.

Anyway, the sausage and green bean soup at Celebration, the quail soup at Paul's Porterhouse (never heard of this place at all before), and the shrimp won ton soup at First Chinese BBQ sound like soups I most definitely need to try.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Looking for a good gyro [DFW]

My favorite so far is at Sevan's G&G Cafe in Lowest Greenville. Located directly across Greenville from the former Whole Foods Market. They are a mixture of lamb and beef. Their dolmas and pistachio baklava are great accompaniments, FYI.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Best Soups?!

Oddly enough given the weather, I have been on a severe soup kick for around two months now. I order at least a cup of soup almost every time I go out to eat.

I have to give these soups a nod:

Lentil soup at Stoneleigh P
Tortilla soup at Cuba Libre
Chicken & veggie soup at Angry Dog (I almost feel bad ordering soup here considering the menu, but it's just so damn good)
Clam chowder at Louie's
Seafood gumbo at Jason's Deli (I know, I know...it's GOOD though!)
Jalapeno soup at The Meridian Room/Libertine Bar (though I went to Meridian last week and it looked and tasted like pickling juice...hope new owners didn't ruin it for good)
Corn & poblano chowder at Jasper's
Cream of poblano at Truluck's
Arroz a la tumbada at La Palapa Veracruzana
Tom Yahm Goong at Royal Thai

Any soup suggestions? What are your favorite soups in the area?

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Recommendations for Dining Alone

luniz,

I suppose I didn't make that clear, but yes, I'm more looking in that direction.

swicker,

I actually did go to Central 214 a couple of weekends ago and sat at the bar, but I got there as the kitchen was closing. I didn't expect it to close at 10 pm on a Friday night. But I intend to go back.

sike101,

Thanks for that suggestion. I have been looking for an excuse to try Stephan Pyles, and I may have just found it.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Recommendations for Dining Alone

I'm in my late 20s, single and financially stable. Other than a couple of older friends of mine, the remainder of my group of friends rarely have enough extra income to splurge on dinner. Which means that I am usually flying solo. I don't mind this at bars because it's a more relaxed atmosphere and you can eat your dinner, have a drink and read a book/chat with the bartender. And lunching by oneself seems to be rather common, so I have no issues with that. But I have yet to find very many restaurants where I feel comfortable having dinner on my own.

Understanding that what I feel "comfortable" with may differ from your view, are there any recommendations out there for great dinner places where a solo diner would not feel overly awkward? To reiterate, I am not looking for bars that serve food (I've probably already been there, anyway), but I certainly would not mind recommendations for restaurants that serve their full menu in their bar area. Any price point, and I have yet to find a cuisine that I don't like. So bring it on, and thanks in advance.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Dallas-Recommendations Please

I'd recommend going to a "hole in the wall" Tex-Mex restaurant, and then going to either a casual or a more upscale restaurant, just to test the variety. For the hole in the wall, I would personally suggest taking a trip to either East Grand Avenue and I-30 (assuming you have a rental car, of course)...my favorite place in that area is called El Taquito Cafe; or taking a trip to the Jefferson Avenue area of Oak Cliff and just pick a place. It's very unlikely you'll be disappointed.

For the more casual Tex-Mex restaurants, you can choose Mattito's in Uptown, Matt's Rancho Martinez in Lakewood, Sol's Taco Lounge in Deep Ellum, Mariano's on Skillman & Abrams (home of the first frozen margarita, and very easily the best steak fajitas you will ever eat) or Chuy's on McKinney Avenue. Each have a slightly different focus and each are quite good, in my opinion. Don't forget the margaritas (except for at Chuy's, they're forgettable). They're a must.

I can't really recommend any upscale Tex-Mex restaurants. I suppose La Calle Doce in Lakewood would be a good choice...more seafood oriented Tex-Mex, though.

I think you can look all of these up on the interwebs to find exact locations. Hope you enjoy yourself.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

They were reviewed. Several times.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Westvleteren 12 in dallas area?

The owner of Gezellig (bar in Lowest Greenville) pretends like he has it on the menu there, but when you ask for it he will tell you that he "knows a guy in Belgium" and "can get some for you" but it never happens and I stopped trying after about four unsuccessful visits. No other bar in the area has ever even uttered the name of that beer. So unless you find some great connection, I'm afraid you're going to need to make a pilgrimage.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Yes, incredibly surprised to see it go so soon. They opened, I believe, in very late January, and by mid May they have closed the doors. Though I rarely saw more than a few people there on any given night (and I only went three or four times, to be fair, but all my visits except one were during their specials), I assumed this is simply the way it goes for virtually any new restaurant with no name recognition. Would really like to read an explanation from the owner as to why they gave it up so soon. Perhaps there were other reasons besides slow business.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Great Greek Food in Dallas?

I like Sevan's G&G Cafe in Lowest Greenville (across from the former Whole Foods). It's "Mediterranean," and I believe the owner is Lebanese, so it may not be completely authentic Greek, but does feature some Greek dishes. Honestly, virtually every time I go I get the gyros because they are simply that good. However, I have tried a good number of the appetizers, and have tried the chicken curry, and all have been good. The lentil soup wasn't my favorite, though. Homemade baklava, too. Most of the times I have been there it is pistachio, but that does change.

Considering the facts that: this place hardly ever garners a mention; every friend I have ever taken there has loved it; and each time I am there for lunch, virtually everyone is ordering the gyros, I think it's worthy of a mention here, even if not authentic Greek.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Microbrews and Gastropubs: Dallas

Dallas has a pretty sorry beer selection as compared to other major cities, but your best bets are:

Trinity Hall, located at Mockingbird and US-75 at DART's Mockingbird Station. Only about 20 taps, but 100-150 bottles, and they are better at rotating their bottles than anywhere else. Food is decent, if you like the Irish pub food gimmick.

Capitol Pub, located east of US-75 on Henderson. Decent selection of bottled and tap beers. Good food.

Flying Saucer, located at Belt Line & Montfort (via the Dallas Tollway). About 100 taps and 100 bottles. Great food. Kinda out of the way, though, and parking is a nightmare.

The Libertine, located in Lower Greenville (take US-75 to Mockingbird, right on Greenville, about 2 miles down on your right in a standalone building). Excellent food, about 10 taps with a nice variety of styles and breweries, and a decent selection of bottles.

The Meridian Room, located in Fair Park (Exposition & Parry). This neighborhood has pretty much died, but thankfully this place is still trucking. Killer food, killer cocktails, and similar selection of beers as Libertine. In fact, those two bars had the same owner for many years, and it is quite apparent when you view the beer lists and menu.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your stay here.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Wednesday happy hour in Dallas??

Monica's Aca y Alla has great drink prices and great food. Located in Deep Ellum, on Main Street.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Best Fish and Chips (Dallas)

I second this. Don't let the high price keep you from ordering it, however. The portion is absolutely massive (4 large battered fish filets and a mound of fries) so you can split the plate and the cost with a friend.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Does anyone know where to get a good bento box in DFW?

I would try Genroku on Greenville in Richardson. They have really good food there at really cheap prices. I've only ordered their Bento once (with shrimp tempura) and it was really good. My friend orders the chicken teriyaki Bento and the chicken is great. This one doesn't come with any pickled veggies or "what the hell" items, though.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Actually, your comment reminded me of the one awkward thing there: the bench seating along the wall is entirely too high for the tables. I actually got used to it fairly quickly, but when I first sat down, I felt like I was towering over my friends sitting across from me. You'll know exactly what I mean when/if you visit. It's a bit odd.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

I should have mentioned that the pizza we ordered was spinach and tomato with pesto sauce. They have sauces of the green, red and white varieties for their pizzas. I thought the pesto was quite good...not too oily, which is the complaint I make most often re: pesto (especially when I make it at home...can't ever seem to get the amount of oil right).

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Good observation. I didn't even think about that, but you're right. It doesn't really bother me when those beers are on the menu in bottles as I just avoid ordering them, but it sucks when they take up a perfectly good tap that could be used for a great domestic microbrew. And it's always a nice touch when a restaurant won't cater to the masses on little things like that. It's a way of saying "when you step in our place, you're going to step out of your comfort zone, or you're going to go home thirsty." Trinity Hall does the same thing in principle...they stock the macros in bottles, but they charge $4.50 per bottle for them. At that price, why not order a nice Belgian tripel for $1 more? That's the idea, anyway.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Apparently the post that I responded to got deleted, which subsequently caused my post to get deleted, but it looks like you gave it a read before it got axed so that is a good thing.

Understood about wanting to know more about their food than anything else. I was drawn to the sign outside because of the fact that there was actually a sign about beer on Lower Greenville that wasn't made of neon and hung in a window, but when they finally posted the food menu online, I was sold.

I would probably order something other than the sliders next time, only because there are a number of other things I would like to try, and my stomach only has so much room. I'd absolutely order the pizza again. Not necessarily because it is the best pizza ever, but because they use local mozzarella (Mozz Co.), the ingredients are fresh, and I love the taste a wood grill imparts on food. And $4.50 (Monday's Happy Hour price) for what amounts to eight small slices is a steal.

As for the beer, they didn't have anything that I haven't tried elsewhere. The menu is posted on their website, which I linked to, so you can see if there's anything that tickles your fancy. I ordered a draft Guinness (they didn't pour it correctly, but it was still good) and two draft Spaten Optimators. They were out of Affligem Blonde, unfortunately. The seasonal rotator was Rahr & Son's Winter Warmer. Like I said, nothing you can't get elsewhere, but the food is considerably better than most bars, so that's a plus in its favor.

It's also good to note that it's been open maybe two weeks. They may start being a bit more adventurous with their wine and beer lists once they've established a clientele. I hope so, anyway. The beer selection in this city is the worst I've seen, and that includes the other big cities in Texas.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Yes, I'm a native and I walk a lot. Granada to Mockingbird Station is about a 15 minute walk. And I wouldn't advise walking there at 2 am, since, as I mentioned in my post, the buses stop running before the bars close.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

So I tried it out last night. Mondays have Happy Hour prices from 5-7. All draft beers are $3 (besides Maredsous 8) and pizzas are half price ($4.50 instead of $9). Went with a group of four so we ordered a few different items, all were tasty. We did a plate of the sliders: crawfish tails with slaw and portabella on a hamburger bun; proscuitto with mozzarella and pesto on a baguette; and spinach, asparagus and sun dried tomato on a panini. Also ordered a spinach and tomato pizza. Ordered a side of fried green tomatoes. And an order of the fried calamari and artichokes. Everything was great, including the service.

The website is fully functional now: http://www.zymologydallas.com. Menu is great and I'll definitely be back to try out some other items.

BTW, Wednesday nights are $15 bottles of wine. All of the wines are quite reasonably priced on regular nights, and our server gave us small tastings before we ordered a full glass.

Highly recommended. I'll second other peoples' comments that the rooftop patio will be killer once the weather turns nice.

Oh, and by the by, I walked over to Gezellig afterwards. I hadn't been in there in a while, but I do remember them having a good beer selection. Uh, not anymore. It was actually quite sad. Looks like they're going out of business, and quick.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

When I go down to Lower Greenville, I park at Mockingbird Station and take the #1 bus from there to Greenville. It runs parallel to Greenville Ave. on Matilda, and you just get off at the appropriate cross street and walk one block to your right. Buses do stop running before the bars close (maybe around 1 or so), so it may not be an apporpriate solution all the time. However, if you're in the upper part of Greenville, where the Granada is located, it's not even a mile walk from Mockingbird Station.

That's my two cents.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

Excellent. I'm so glad to hear this. I think Gezellig was trying to go this route (not with the gourmet food as much as an excellent beer list), but they have gotten caught up in the clubbish atmosphere in that area and the music on most nights is so loud you can't even enjoy yourself. I don't know a single person who wants to sip on a Delirium Tremens while listening to Ludacris at a million decibels. Jazz night is immense, there, though.

I'm excited. Totally broke this weekend, but next weekend, I'm there. Will provide a full report here.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville

That's where I read about it! Couldn't remember.

Anyway, I think I'm going to go by there next weekend and see if it's open/what it's all about. Oh boy do I hope the beer selection is not as lame as the rest of this area's.

mistyp0523 in Dallas - Ft. Worth