dalaimama's Profile
Best at the Ballpark?
Great review thanks! The $1 dogs were pretty gross, but my husband and child were happy, so I just went with it.
The Rangers really do need to get with it. The Mets have Shake Shack, the Yankees have Lobel's, and KC has Arthur Bryant's for goodness sakes!
Best at the Ballpark?
The FNSS still looked scary and no one was buying their $12 sandwich.
It ended up being $1 hot dog night and I had some leftover chicken breasts in the fridge so I made sliced chicken and tomato sandwiches as well. I love that you can bring your own food.
I did see a number of people at the bacon wrapped grilled hot dog stand (and their grilled onions smelled yummy). But $1 vs. $9? No contest. I'm not *that* big a hot dog fan!
Best at the Ballpark?
I'd love some food recommendations for the Ballpark at Arlington. We always look for local recommendations when we go to baseball stadiums in other cities (some have really good food, some don't), so it's about time we tried to branch out beyond the basic hot dog here.
I will say that the "Food Network Steak Sandwich" scares me. That is going a bit too far with the branding! But maybe it's really good and I'm missing out?
What's For Dinner? Part LXIII / Part 63
Grilled mahi mahi with pineapple salsa, jasmine rice, and julienned veggies (carrots, pepper, zucchini).
Tonight I'm going to go ultra-gourmet with hamburger patties (at least it's grass-fed beef), roasted potatoes, and green beans.
We have had a zillion parties to go to this year, so I'm keeping things pretty plain at home, so I don't get gout.
Tomorrow night is potato-leek soup from David Lebovitz's blog. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/01/potato-leek-soup/
Using Meat Past Expiration
I'd freeze them because what are you going to do if they don't keep? Thawing premium beef is a lot less painful that having to toss 20 pounds of beef rib roasts because they ended up spoiling. Not to mention having to come up with an alternate meal plan.
Generally, beef is thought to stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge. If it were a week it might be worth the risk, but almost two weeks is not a bet I'd want to make.
Saturday Brunch..Help?
Tillman's has great food and isn't gimicky at all. It kind of depends on where the graduation is and how far you want to drive. Bolsa is also in Oak Cliff and, while they don't have Saturday brunch, they are open for Saturday lunch. That area of Oak Cliff is sort of the hot and happening place, and your son might appreciate that aspect. (But it's not so happening that an older family member would be uncomfortable.)
My only issue with Rise would be that the menu is sort of limited.
The suggestion of La Duni is also a good one.
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Bolsa
614 W Davis St, Dallas, TX
La Duni Cafe
4620 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75205
Lucia Now Open
Thanks for the correction on the sausage spread. Nduja probably sounded like andouille to my ears and I did not inquire in any more depth. I was too busy saying, "yum".
I want to try the ragu. It looked really good. Alas, Picky Picky prefers plain pasta. (She's actually not that picky, she just really prefers pasta with olive oil.)
Lucia Now Open
We went last night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
You start with the house-cured olives - three or four types of green olives in a nice brine.
We started with the salumi and the crispy lamb meatballs. The salumi had two types of salami, coppa, and a crostini spread with andouille. The salumi were excellent, but my daughter and I decided our favorite was the meatballs. They are coated in bread crumbs and sauteed (I assume) and then served on a spicy red pepper sugo. I am not usually a big meatball fan, but these were the best meatballs I've ever had. I plan on going back and getting a plate of those meatballs to eat all by myself.
The quail al mattone was delicious and served with a truly luscious polenta. My husband had the steak with cauliflower and cleaned his plate. They were very kind and accommodated our 8-yr-old's request for "plain pasta" - she had tagliatelle with olive oil.
For dessert we shared a chocolate budino with whipped cream, slivers of candied orange zest and a salted caramel candy. It was divine and we had a bit before our daughter set up defense elbows and declared the rest, "MINE!"
Everything was delicious and paired really well with our bottle of Salice Salentino. Jennifer was always my favorite wine person at Central Market and we trusted her to pick for us. The wine list is very reasonably priced and there are three wines by the glass: one sparkling (I do not remember what it was), a pinot grigio for the white and a red that also escapes my memory. Obviously, I'd make a horrible witness.
The restaurant itself is very small and cozy, about 30 seats and 4 more at the counter. I'd highly recommend reservations. We went early and I think there were a few walk-ins while we were there but it filled up as the evening went on.
I look forward to returning and trying the pasta dishes and having another order of those meatballs!
Ham Anyone?
Ham I Am !!! I love their hams because they aren't covered in sugar. If you want a little sweet on the ham, get Hogwash to go with it. It's sort of a sauce but it tastes great with the ham.
http://www.hamiam.com/
'Tis the Season! -- What's the WORST "perfect gift for a food-lover" you've ever received?
A plastic jug full of "maple" syrup. The jug had a thick layer of dust on it. Never had the nerve to open it.
Also pretty low on the list was the enormous box of mail-order bagels. In flavors like "blueberry supreme". Tasted like air freshener.
I know we're doing holiday gifts, but I have to bring up the hands down worst gift I ever received which was the Valentine's Day my then-boyfriend gave me a Presto Fry-Baby. Nothing says love like a vat of boiling oil...
Tex-Mex for a reluctant skeptic
I loved Chuy's until I saw a waiter loudly hawk up a loogie and spit it on the table to get up a spot instead of going to get a wet rag. Another waiter was talking to him as he did this and made no comment about that behavior. Beyond disgusting and we haven't been back. We told the manager but he was rather blase about it.
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Chuy's
3408 N Central Expy, Plano, TX 75074
Mince Pies (Dal)
I haven't found a premade in years, so I've taken to making my own. I also found a pretty good shortcut. Crosse & Blackwell (sold at Central Market and other places) makes a fairly good jarred fruit mincemeat sold with or without brandy and rum (the brandy and rum is the best, though). Buy a decent frozen pie shell (I like Quelle Shell, also at CM), prep according to package instructions, plop in your filling and bake.
(DFW) Wanted**Steak Sandwiches*** dead or alive (I mean well-done or rare) THIS IS A REAL MEAT EMERGENCY!
Bistro N at Nordstrom in Northpark Mall used to have a pretty darn good steak sandwich on its menu. Big slab of meat on I believe part of a baguette with blue cheese and onions.
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Bistro N
8687 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75225
BBQ trip report - City Market, Black's, Smitty's
We didn't have time to go to Vencil's, but we stopped at Mueller's on Friday and it was amazing. The rib (a Flinstonian portion) was good but the brisket was heaven - we asked for the fatty end and it was moist and tender and delicious. And their potato salad is very good as well.
We also went to Cooper's in Llano (we had a roundabout trip and couldn't fit in Lockhart or Luling) and it was good as well. Not as good as Mueller's, but the chicken was excellent and the brisket good. Ribs were a bit fatty - needed to be cooked longer to render off some of the fat. Still, a very nice experience.
Your favorite restaurant in Oak Cliff
We love Bolsa. They have a short list of pizzas that are very good - they call them flatbreads which acurately reflects the thin, charred crust. I'm partial to the mozz, tomato and basil one that has a drizzle of basalmic vinegar on top. The specials are always good and reasonably priced - usually $20-$25 (I say reasonably because the specials will be scallops or steak or that kind of thing). You don't get a huge plate of food, but I have never left hungry. Fun wine list and they will let you try selections if you are ordering by the glass. They also have a good selection of house cocktails The bruschetta is a great starter. Salads are good although the spinach salad is almost always over-dressed.
They don't take reservations, so go early or be prepared to have a cocktail and wait for a bit.
[DFW] Zymology - newest addition to Lower Greenville
I think part of the problem was the location. That location has always been a bar and, until I read a review of it, I assumed it was just another bar.
Going to Louie's (Dallas) tonight for the first time...
My husband always jokes about "Mother Miller and the new and improved, smoke-free Louie's". We don't smoke, either. Sometime I miss the grunge but the older I get, the less I miss it!
Going to Louie's (Dallas) tonight for the first time...
Don't be scared off by the patio furniture. The food is very good. We like the crab claws, the pizzas are excellent but don't get more than three toppings and be warned that the mushrooms are canned and best avoided - sauteed onions are divine, though! The salads are very good, particularly the Greek salad. Clams casino is good. Italian sausage is excellent. The rest of the menu is supposed to be good as well, but we rarely get past the pizza!
Don't put too much stock in the horror stories of bad service. I think most of the problems arise from people forgetting that Louie's is, first and foremost, a bar with good food as opposed to a restaurant with a good bar.
Service is good but not polished and they don't want to be your best friend. Generally, they will swing by and get your drink and then come by for a food order about the time you want a second round (it's a bar!) so if you are really hungry, let them know and you can probably place your order faster.
Lastly, the only credit card they take is AMEX, they don't serve Coors, and there is no beer on tap.
Durkee's Famous Sauce
I've been using Durkee my whole life. Mostly I use it instead of mustard on sandwiches. It's excellent on a chicken sandwich or turkey. I also mix a bit into things like potato salad or cole slaw or deviled eggs. I can see that it would be good in remoulade although I never make remoulade.
Durkee is a slightly sweet and slightly spicy mustard sauce. It's not very mayonnaise-y. It tastes nothing at all like Dijonnaise and that kind of thing.
Best burger in N. Dallas: Keller's or Jake's
Jake's was started by a relative of Keller's so they are both pretty similar in their menus. I'm pretty much across the street from Jake's, so it's my default because Keller's is further away (OK,. only a mile, but I have to go down Nwest Highway).
rehabilitating a cast iron skillet
Take it outside and spray it with oven cleaner and then put it in a garbage bag over night. Scrub with steel wool. You'll have to re-season it, but that isn't such a big deal. I had to put mine in storage for a bit and it had rusty spots afterward and I ended up sanding them out, running it through the dishwasher, and then re-seasoning. Cast iron can take alot of abuse.
Why don't you RSVP? Honestly.
My mom has a friend who is a wedding consultant. She told us not to bother with RSVP cards and to base numbers on 2/3 of the people invited actually attending. I went through the list and marked the people I knew would attend and then took 2/3 of the rest and we were bang on.
Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives...
He went to Louie's??? OK, I now like Guy whatsit if he went to Louie's. That place is a true hidden gem in Dallas!
DFW - Valentine Group needing suggestions
This lady can eat four courses at Lola! I'll skip lunch.
You might check if The Grape is offering a Valentine's special. They are a bistro on Lower Greenville and they do lots of 3 courses with wine for $40 or something similar on Christmas Eve, Valentine's, etc. As someone else suggested, make a res. now!
Lewisville has a great list and I'd like to add First Chinese BBQ to it. It's BYOB and definitely in your price range. Not terribly romantic, but truly good food.
Another place you might check into is Bolsa in Oak Cliff. They don't take reservations, but they might on Valentine's Day. Excellent moderately priced restaurant with most of the menu locally sourced.
Dallas Morning News Top Ten of 2008
On one hand, I'm glad to see Bolsa included as it is one of our favorite restaurants. But I still want to be able to get a table!
Carrabba's - a non-steak chain with a great steak
I was really disappointed that they closed the one in Lakewood. We used to go there frequently and it was always good. I know the Chowhound ethos is that we should eschew chains, but they don't all suck ;>
Louie's or Campisi's Egyptian?
Louie's. Try the Greek salad as well - YUM!
Campisi's is OK, but I love that cracker-like thin crust at Louie's. It also doesn't hurt that Louie's is a great bar.
What do you make for breakfast on Christmas morning?
That's what we do.
I have to admit to extreme laziness - I bake Grand's Cinnamon Rolls. We always have the inlaws and they are very basic in their tastes and I have a child who likes everything "plain", so I generally just go for easy. I'm not a huge morning person anyway and I have to cook Christmas dinner that afternoon!
inexpensive Sunday brunch?
Capitol Pub on Henderson and The Grape on Greenville is pretty reasonable although no bottomless drinks.
