DKS1's Profile
Marquee, Private Social, or Cedars Social?
Hi all,
We are getting a rare night out this weekend (had a baby 10 mo ago) and am wondering about the three restaurants I mentioned... We definitely want to try someplace new to us and these are three I've heard about lately that we have yet to try.
Any suggestions? Any other places to consider instead?
Our two favorite "regular" restaurants - those we probably visit too frequently when we have the chance - are Nonna and Rise. The last new-ish place we tried was Oak and had a great meal there. Just to give you a hint of our tastes...
Thanks in advance!
Calle Doce--Am I missing something?
Yeah, we were pretty underwhelmed when we tried the Skillman location a few months ago as well... It wasn't bad, but just wasn't as good as we had hoped/expected it to be. I'm such a sucker for homemade corn tortillas and I REALLY wish more places around here had them.
Help finding the right restaurant
I honestly can't think of much in the north Dallas/Addison area that I would truly consider "special." And despite other recs, we did not have a good experience at Tramontana at all earlier this year... I think there are much better restaurants to visit, but unfortunately most of them are out of your stated driving range. Would you be willing to reconsider, as Luniz suggested, in order to fully appreciate some of Dallas' finest food? I think a lot of us would have at least 2-3 no-fail restaurants that would fit the bill (no pun intended)!
-----
Tramontana
8220 Westchester Dr Ste B, Dallas, TX 75225
Best cookies in Dallas
I really love the chocolate chip cookies from Creme de la Cookie in Snyder Plaza. My good friend and neighbor swears by the "sparkly fudgie" cookie which is a gluten-free cross between a brownie and a chocolate cookie. I've never been disappointed by their cookies!
Also, by and large, Whole Foods (at least the Lakewood location) makes some delicious cookies. I personally love the lemon sugar and choco chip...
Follow Up to Bad Experience @ Market
I just felt compelled to let you all know how it turned out...
As I had previously stated in my trip report, the manager had been trying to contact us throughout the week while we were visiting Vancouver that first week in August. We were unsuccessful at talking in person, so I finally emailed her yesterday to respond to her numerous calls. I wanted to not only briefly outline our experience for her, but to thank her for taking the time to follow up with us. That truly was impressive.
AFter a brief, but productive and very kind, conversation, she told me that they would reimburse us for our meal that evening simply because the service we received was inexcusable. I insisted that she did not have to do that, but only said that once. ;)
She said that somebody (the head bartender, perhaps, who was the most helpful person that night?) had been so upset by what happened that night and talked about it with her for days afterwards. So that made me feel better. And obviously this was some gross exception to their usual and customary service protocols, so I understand that sometimes places just have a really off night...
Anyways, I am happy with the way it has been resolved and just wanted to share with you all. I can't say that I would want to go back, but the manager was extremely professional about the whole situation and her concern about our experience there means a lot to us.
Thought I should share the upside of the whole thing considering how willing I was to share the negatives!! ;)
Emergency recommendations! 4 days "Downtown Vancouver"
Based on our visit a couple of weeks ago, I would definitely second at least Lupo, Chambar, and Medina (for breakfast)! You won't go wrong with any of these... Enjoy!
campisi's pizza-I didn't want to believe
Agree completely. Never liked it much, but I'll eat it in a pinch or if others want to go. We've done a desperate delivery a couple of times, too, and I always regret it. But the name and the stories that go along with the place are fun! But there is definitely better pizza to be had in the Dallas metroplex.
Suggestions for Rehearsal Dinner location in Dallas - private room
Not sure about the space (privacy) issue, but what about Samar? Eddie Dean's is always fun, too, though not quite as close to the rail as you'd like... You might also try one of the places in One Arts Plaza, but nothing there strikes me as ideal for a rehearsal dinner spot (in terms of space and/or price). Hmmm, will keep thinking on it!
(Best) XLB in Dallas?
Thanks everyone. I've heard good things in general about Yao Fuzi - we've just never made it up there. Must put it on the list now! Otherwise, I'll keep exploring...
(Best) XLB in Dallas?
I'm afraid you're right... I was at least hoping for *something* close - sounds like Royal China might be the best bet. How disappointing - I'm actually kind of surprised there aren't more solid options here. It would be so nice to have a good local place. Thanks for your feedback.
-----
Royal China Restaurant
201 Preston Royal Shopping Ctr, Dallas, TX 75230
(Best) XLB in Dallas?
Hi all,
We just returned from a trip to Vacouver, where, embarrassingly enough, we tried our first XLB in an uber-authentic Shanghainese restaurant. I don't even eat pork but decided I could eat these any time, anywhere! Do y'all have any recommendations for where to go to get these little gems in the Dallas area? Somewhere in Richardson I imagine?
FWIW, the process of eating them was quite fun... I was just glad to have read a CH thread on it before trying them!
Thanks in advance - it would be such a shame to not find these around town.
-D
Trip report - finally!
Hi all,
Thanks once again for your wonderful advice and suggestions. We had a wonderful vacation and were so sad to have to leave so soon (and of course to work today!).
Okay, so despite our horrendous experience at Market (which I assume anyone reading this will know about - and if not check out the "Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!" post and look on down the thread), we had a few incredible meals and dining experiences and a few so-so ones. I'll start with the best (but not in chronological order):
Chambar. Wow. So, so good. And what a unique restaurant and menu in general. We loved it. I wish I could attach some of the photos we took, but that might have to happen another time. My husband ordered a wonderful Belgian Ale (the Chambar Ale, I believe) and I ordered a glass of the Bodega Fontana "Mesta" per the sommelier's recommendation. It was perfect. We started our meal with an order of the mussels in white wine and butter sauce. The mussels were perfectly cooked and their were plenty to go around between the two of us. The frites that came with the order were crispy and delicious - perfect. The REAL treat came in the form of our entrees, however. I ordered a perfectly-executed pistachio-crusted halibut that came with lemon quinoa, sauteed kale, and a tomato-ginger broth. It was heaven. My husband ordered the chevreuil (venison) aux cerises with a cherry concasse on one piece and a champagne mustard on the other and it was to die for. A wonderful pasta with pesto and prosciutto came with the dish. He loved it. The meat was cooked to perfection and the whole dish just melted in your mouth. Mmmmm. We ended with a delicious espresso cheesecake with a belgian chocolate mousse. I was devastated when it was all gone... Needless to say, had we had more time in Vancouver (and had we had any foresight about some of our other, less-than-stellar meals), we would have gone back there in a heartbeat.
Next, Lupo. Possibly even better!! We absolutely loved the setting (what a beautiful building) and the service was spot-on perfect. It was pretty amazing. We loved our server, Chris - but I think he was the manager, too. Not entirely clear on that... Anyway, we started out with an order of the focaccia (with tomatoes and zuchini on top) and devoured that. Also had an order of the bufala mozarella salad and the tomatoes were perfectly ripe and wonderful and the whole thing seasoned perfectly. It was delicious and I wish I had ordered one for myself! We each got a pasta dish for our main course, but it was a very difficult decision as EVERYTHING on the menu sounded incredible. We shared them - I had a taglierini with wild mushrooms, garlic, and chili and he had the pappardelle with braised veal short ribs, sage, and mozarella. Again, I think I could have eaten both dishes myself. They were perfect. Both very different flavors (I thought the pappardelle was much richer for obvious reasons), but both so wonderful. Then we ended with the tiramisu, which was just heavenly. Heavenly! That was our last night in town and we couldn't have been happier.
The last of the best was Medina Cafe. We actually had breakfast here twice during the week - once on our first day and once on our last day. It's such a cute place and then menu, again, is really unique. We pretty much stuck with the same items on both visits: dark chocolate lattes (yum!), waffles (his with maple syrup, mine with berry compote the first time and orange-fig marmalade the second (preferred the latter)), and the skillet omelettes. Our first omelette was a lot better than the second time around, but it was just a matter of personal preference. The first had a bunch of mixed herbs and was topped with a tasty mixed greens/arugula salad. The next visit we had a roasted vegetable omelette, but felt it was too loaded with potatoes (probably to "take up space") and was a bit salty. But overall still very good! We are creatures of habit, what can I say - although I wished we had been a bit more adventurous with some of the other items on the menu. Overall a very great breakfast both times.
So now come some of the ho-hum places/experiences:
We did try Japadog upon arriving in the city and although they were very good, I can't say that I would necessarily ever want another one. We both got a terimayo dog and it was tasty and interesting and we felt glad to have tried them. Otherwise, it wouldn't be something I crave in the future, I don't think (but will keep you posted if that changes! ;) )...
We also had sushi one night at Kampei Royale which, to us, felt like a big tourist trap. My husband felt like it was pretty authentic Japanese-style dining (to some degree), but of course I had been looking for and hoping for a different (and better) sushi experience. The sushi and fish itself was perfectly okay, but just okay. I was very disappointed that we missed Ajisai.
We also tried Go Fish one afternoon for a late lunch. I had the fish and chips (just stuck with cod) and he had the salmon tacones. Both we thought were just so-so. I felt like my fish and chips could have been fried better (fried food isn't supposed to be greasy if it's cooked right!) and was a little disappointed with how heavy and greasy it was. But the line was crazy-long, and continued to be, so they must be doing something right! ;) Overall it was fine, but nothing to write home about IMHO.
Long's Noodle House was another dinner destination. And bracing myself for cool service, I was delightfully surprised at how warm and welcoming (and helpful) the woman was (was that Ms. Long?!). It was our first experience with XLB, and man, they were GOOD! And very fun to eat. I was just happy I had read the CH thread about how to eat them before we went! Of course I have nothing to compare them to, but I thought the skin was perfect, the broth flavorful, and the pork ball wonderful in texture and flavor. Again, had I had more foresight, I probably would have just made a meal out of these. I think the other dishes we ordered were just an issue of bad ordering on our part (green onion pancake, hot and sour soup, chicken chow mein). We did not love any of these dishes, and in fact, thought that the latter two were not good at all. But again, I think it's more of us not being adventurous with our ordering and not being huge fans of Chinese cuisine at the outset. I should have researched these dishes more carefully, as I believe we would have had a much better experience had we ordered alternate items. But the XLB were incredible!
Well that pretty much covers it! For our other lunches and breakfasts, we kind of just grabbed things as we could and the couple other places we ended up at aren't really worth mentioning (Bellagio cafe one morning for b'fast, Prospect Point Cafe for lunch during a bike trip through Stanley Park, etc...). We spent the majority of our time outside hiking (did the Grouse Grind one day, drove up to Whistler another) and biking/walking around and just had a fantastic time in your city. Such a shame about all of the forest fires, though.
Thanks again to all of you for your feedback and advice! Can't wait to come back... Whenever anyone is in Texas (Dallas or Austin specifically), let me know!
-----
Long's Noodle House
4853 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V3R9, CA
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Glad your experience was markedly different, misterbill! It was obvious our experience was a major fluke, but still...definitely put us off of the place.
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Oh PS: we didn't even try the chocolate cake - the main reason we were excited to go!! It may have been good, but nothing could have kept us in that restaurant a minute longer than necessary... Such a shame.
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Will do a full trip report once we return home tomorrow (using an iPad keyboard now during our stay and I have so much to write!!)...
But: very unfortunately, we had an atrocious experience at Market on Monday night. So bad, in fact, that one of the managers has been trying to call daily asking us to return to "try it again.". It really was the WORST service we have ever received anywhere... Luckily the food was decent, but by the time it arrived (more on that in a moment), we were so livid regarding the waiting time and the utter lack of attention (not even attention - just acknowledgement), that we just wanted to get out of there.
We had 7:45 p .m. reservations and at the outset, even though the restaurant was only 1/4 full (remember that for later), we waited about 5-10 minutes to be seated. Then we were graced by the presence of our waitress, and we should have counted ourselves lucky since it was only one of two or three times we saw her the rest of the night... But she was so UNfriendly we could hardly believe it. Anyway, fast forward. Our apps arrived a decent time later (but still at least 15 minutes or so after the order), and they were good (a watermelon and goat cheese salad for me and a beef carpaccio pizza for my better half). Then..we waited. And waited. For an HOUR, we waited for our entrees to arrive. Only once did our server come over to say, "I just checked on your order and your food should be coming shortly." Huh?!?!
Then...nothing still. For a LONG time. Couldn't even get our server's attention she was that aloof. Finally a bar person stopped by and asked how everything was. I gave a very terse "fine" so that he knew something was up. Then came back 5 minutes later to say that "the kitchen is remaking your food.". Again, huh?!?! I asked about that, and all he said was "they want it to be perfect and decided to remake it son that is uomto our standards.". Again, no other explanation given....
So the food finally came and it was okay (but the asparagus risotto app we ordered as one of our side items was horrendous). We again waited after we were done (and by the way, nobody ever came to check to see how the food even was once it got to us!) and couldn't even track down a soul for the check. So we got up, went to the bar, and asked to just pay there. It wasn't until we did that that our server came up to us and apologized for the wait and asked if we would come back later in the week so that she could "buy us a drink." We had to try hard not to laugh!
Anyways, bottom line is that it was a terrible experience and we would never go back - not even for a free meal. It was that off-putting.
That said, I can't wait to report back on some of the other, wonderful experiences we've had while here, namely at Lupo, Chambar, and Medina Cafe...
Thanks for bearing with me! More later...
Whistler Recommendations
We were just up for the day today (staying in YVR for 5 nights) and had a great lunch at Araxi. That might be a good splurge dinner for you... Have always heard great things about it as well as Bearfoot Bistro. Hope that helps - and enjoy yourselves!
-----
Araxi Restaurant + Bar
4222 Village Square, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, CA
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Okay, update: we ended up at Kampei Royale. Ugh. I was so sad that our top two places were closed... Anyways, it was decent, but definitely not great. Oh well - there will be other meals! We're headed to Market tonight, so very excited about that. And we did the Grouse Grind today, so we'll get off guilt-free with that chocolate cake tonight!! :). Thanks again everyone!
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Thanks so much, everyone... Would have loved to try Ajisai, but it does seem like they're closed - phone just kept ringing and ringing just now. :( Maybe we can catch them later in the week. Any other last minute suggestions for tonight??? We've only been here a few hours and we've already had so much fun (and have even had our first Japadog!)! Thanks again for your wonderful help...
Sunday night. Sushi. Tell us where to go!!
Maybe I should clarify: tell us which restaurant to go to!
I appreciate all of your help with our trip planning so far, but I need another favor, please... We arrive tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. Now that we've scratched the idea of the night market in Richmond, I'm thinking our first Vancouver dinner should definitely be sushi. We'll be tired from traveling and I'm sure we'll want to stick somewhere relatively nearby...
We're staying downtown near Georgia and Howe and can cab it or hop on the subway. Just point us to the one place we should try if we are only going to make one stop for sushi this week (not likely, but just in case).
Price not really an issue, but def want good value for the $$$ if you're sending us to a super-pricey place. We're not terribly adventurous sushi/sashimi eaters, but we love what we love. And unlike some, we are fans of rolls, etc...
So what's your best bet for us tomorrow night?
Thanks, Vancouver!
Best Shanghai in Richmond?
This is good to read, grayelf - I was just asking whether or not a trip out to Richmond for the night market is "worth it." We probably won't have a car, so the getting there part is daunting! Glad to read your rec - it helps, so thanks! Hate to miss out on such great food, though...
Would love some help fine-tuning our Vancouver dinner picks
Thank you for that... Would you say, all told, that the night market is worth the trip? And if we do that, are we eating primarily at vendors, or should we make separate arrangements for a restaurant meal?
If we don't make it out to Richmond, then Lin's (or is it Long's?!) is on the list for a must-try for Vancouver proper. Thanks again!
Would love some help fine-tuning our Vancouver dinner picks
Wow, LR - thank you for such great travel advice! It seems a bit daunting, though, and perhaps not entirely worth it... I'm completely regretting canceling our car rental reservation now!! :) But really, thank you - I will follow your directions precisely if we make the trek...
Would love some help fine-tuning our Vancouver dinner picks
Thanks for all of your replies. Sounds like Lupo might be the way to go re: our Italian fix... And though we likely will stick with Market for a dinner, the lunch "special" sure is tempting! I can't tell you how excited I am about this chocolate cake (and the hubby even more so). Will consider Rangoli for lunch as well and will likely skip Vij's altogether.
Is it worth it to do a high tea one day if we've never done it before? Currently have resos at the Empress for the afternoon we're in Victoria, but we will cancel those momentarily. But love the idea!
Still trying to figure out where to go for Chinese - seems like quite a toss-up. Same goes for a good sushi meal or two... I guess we'll just end up where the wind takes us!
Thanks again for all of your help - it makes it so much easier to plan our vacation!
-----
Vij's Restaurant
1480 11th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6H1L1, CA
Would love some help fine-tuning our Vancouver dinner picks
Hi all,
We are TX hounds coming to your beautiful city next week for five days. I've been doing some major lurking on your boards for a couple of months and I *think* I have close to a finalized list that we're happy with. BUT... I really would like your feedback before making reservations or other plans.
We arrive Sunday afternoon and I'm desperately hoping that we might catch the tail-end of the pride parade. Otherwise, we're thinking about heading out to Richmond that evening for the night market (on the subway - is that a decent means of transportation out there?). Obviously dinner will be settled by the vendors, but we may want to plan on dining in a restaurant out there, too.
The next four nights are up in the air, but this is what we're considering:
-Market vs. DB Moderne (I realize they're not similar, but I feel the genre is, so probably just want to choose one. I've heard great things from some of you about DB, but also read something recently about the chocolate cake at Market and admittedly, that is swaying me!)
-Cioppino's (any other Italian favorites that we should consider? Lupo?)
-Vij's - definitely not sold on this (or any Indian cuisine for that matter, just heard so much about it, figure we must try it...)
-some kind of sushi, have no idea where - have read SO many conflicting reports/suggestions, etc... But we really want to have sushi at least one night (and maybe for lunch as well)
-Chinese - will depend on whether we attend the night market Sun. night... debating b/w Chen's, Long's, Lin's, Shanghai River, Suhang (based on what I've read here - how to decide??!)
Okay, that pretty much covers our thoughts about dinners. Any breakfast and lunch ideas would be great, too (Japadog and Cafe Medina are already on the list)!
Also, we just cancelled our car rental after speaking with the hotel concierge, so we will be getting around via subway, tax, bus, and, hopefully mostly by foot. We're staying downtown - Howe and Georgia I believe...
Thanks in advance! We are so very excited for our visit...
ETA: we are open to any other feeback/suggestions as well. Definitely not married to the places on my list. Would like a couple of upscale(ish) dinners as well as casual, informal ones - just amazing, local food is what we're after. Thanks!
-----
Shanghai River Restaurant
7831 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6X1A4, CA
Lunch AND Afternoon Tea in Victoria?!
Thanks everyone! We will look forward to being there, no matter how we do it! Appreciate all of your feedback...
Lunch AND Afternoon Tea in Victoria?!
Cassie - I appreciate your opinion, too! I honestly can't decide... Either way, we will definitely spend time at the Empress - just don't know to what extent yet. I appreciate your feedback though!
Lunch AND Afternoon Tea in Victoria?!
Thank you for your opinion cloudshoveller... That's honestly what my gut was telling me, but we still figured, hey, why not?! We've already heard from another local friend to skip the formal tea and just drop in for a cocktail and snack as you suggested. Will need to make a decision soon... I have been horrible about planning this trip so far, and we've only got about a week and a half left before we arrive! Thanks again.
Delivered Pizza in M-Streets Area
I'm never as happy with delivery as I'd like to be, but a decent bet might be Campisi's (on Mockingbird). I think Farnatchi delivers to a limited area, too, but we've never tried that (done take-out once and it was decent). Fireside Pies makes a really good pie, and even though they don't deliver, they're awfully close by for an easy pick-up. But how I would do anything for Grimaldi's or Olivella's to start delivering... Be sure to let us know if you find a delivery gem.
-----
Fireside Pies
5717 Legacy Dr, Plano, TX 75024
Lunch AND Afternoon Tea in Victoria?!
Thanks, grayelf! I had kind of decided on RFBF by the time I made it back to my own post, so this just solidifies that decision! And, of course, it's good to know that the idea of lunch and tea is not completely insane. I'm already preparing for the sticker shock at the Empress, but I've been to Victoria twice before (once about 15 years ago and not again until about 8 years ago), and I've never done it, so thought I should just once. :) I appreciate your feedback a great deal. I might continue to peruse ideas, but this seems like a no-brainer!
