nachomamma's Profile
Great restaurants near the Four Seasons Punta Mita?
Granted we were there a year ago, but we thought Bahia at the 4S was pretty tasty. We thought it was good enough to go back a second night. We stayed at the St. Regis and found their food to be overpriced (duh) and a touch better than mediocre. Cafe des Artistes also did not impress. It was just okay, and their prices are high. My advice would be to go to Sayulita. We loved Sayulita enough to rent a house and stay there during our last trip to the area. We especially liked Sayulita Fish Taco. Get the shrimp tacos! The tacos al pastor stand was also quite delicious.
Dallas - Smoked Turkeys
Greenberg turkeys are being sold at Central Market this year, FYI.
Aurora since menu changed-Prices?
We had dinner at Aurora this week for the first time in a couple of years. The prices are still aggressive, but the food was great. I think the least expensive entree option I saw was $38 for the chicken. That being said, it's truffle heaven there right now. I started with a parsnip veloute with foie gras and black truffle which was decadent and so smooth. My husband had the risotto with pecorino and black truffle. Each was around $18.
For entrees, I had the beef tenderloin with black truffle potatoes which was perfectly prepared and around $45. My husband opted for the scallops. The meal was one of the best I've had in Dallas in a long, long time, but in my opinion, it hasn't lost it's special occasion pricing. Oh, and the sommelier was terrific....super informative and helpful.
We were tempted to do the five course tasting with truffles but weren't quite up for that experience.
Alamogordo/El Paso
For El Paso, definitely check roadfood.com for suggestions. Alamogordo...if I were you, I'd fast. Blake's for burgers is edible. My family swears by Margo's for mexican, but they live there...Although, if you find yourself in Ruidoso, check out Le Bistro. We had a good french meal there last summer.
Weekend in Dallas - what to eat?
No Iron Cactus! No Cuba Libre! For breakfast, hit Garden Cafe. Lunch, La Duni or Mi Cocina. Nice dinner, York Street, Hibiscus, or Tei Tei. Javier's for the people watching (but if you're going to eat, just get the smoked chicken nachos).
Cuban food in Dallas?
We tried La Cubanita last week and thought it was just okay. I had the calle ocho mini fritas, and my husband went for the ropo vieja. His was the better choice, but I was still underwhelmed. They have non alcoholic cocktails on the menu which I appreciated. My husband thought his caiprinhia was just okay. We prefer the cubano sandwich at La Duni. Or the cuban at Jimmy's.
Dallas - Screen Door
My husband and I went for dinner last week and had a (shockingly!) good meal. When we showed up for our 8:30 reservation, we were told they were 15 minutes behind and escorted us to the bar to buy our first round of drinks. They have an interesting cocktail menu, and I ordered the blackberry and sage mojito. The sage was so overpowering, I couldn't taste much else. But, it didn't stop me from finishing the drink!
We started with the pate trio plate and vegetable bean soup. The pate plate came highly recommended by the server, and I was skeptical that catfish pate would be palatable. But, it was delicious and simple. We had to ask for more bread though since they only brought 3 crisps for the plate. The soup had nice depth of flavor without being too heavy.
For dinner, my husband had the gumbo special with crab and sausage. I thought it was delicious...the roux was just on the brink of burnt, which I love. I had the lobster pot pie. The flavors were great, veggies fresh and crisp, flaky biscuit crust. My only complaint was that the lobster was a touch rubbery. The portion was too much for me to finish.
The dessert menu looked fabulous, but we were too stuffed to partake. But, we'll definitely be back.
I think if you're a fan of Hattie's, you'll appreciate Screen Door's distinctive take on southern cuisine. It is a very different atmosphere and menu. The only downside is that it's very scene-y.
Gachet Coffee Lounge - Victory Park (DFW)
Hey gavlist - Gachet is run by two sisters. They both make a pretty mean latte, and I've never seen anyone else working there. I'm in there every morning 7 days a week.
Gachet Coffee Lounge - Victory Park (DFW)
I am compelled to write this review because the espresso is just that good. The lattes at Gachet are so good that you may never go anywhere else to get your caffeine fix again. They have a La Marzocco espresso machine, and the results rival any espresso I drank in Italy. It's even better than Jimmy's! The decor of this place is modern but comfortable and inviting. They even have a little book store attached to the coffee shop.
And if you go, grab a cinnamon roll, too. Theirs are extra-cinnamony which adds a bit of bitterness that offsets the cream cheese icing perfectly. TDF! I mean, really...so delicious.
Best cookies in Dallas
Pokey O's tastes like cookies made from a mix to me. My absolute favorite cookie in Dallas is Whole Foods' ginger cookie. I have eaten a lot of cookies in Dallas, but it's the only one that I absolutely crave at all times.
Cafe Toulouse impressions [DFW]
For dining around Knox-Henderson, I will consistently pick La Duni, Taverna, Tei Tei, Fireside, maybe even Hibiscus for their sweet potatoes and tasty barbecue sauce, and Ziziki's. Does Salum count as Knox-Henderson? I had a decent brunch experience at Toulouse but would still rather go to La Duni. I was underwhelmed with my few dinner experiences. Service...eh, food...eh, atmosphere...eh.
Cafe Toulouse impressions [DFW]
In my experience, the food has never been that impressive, and the service left much to be desired. I live about a block away but still not in my dining rotation. I had a decent brunch experience, but it's near the bottom of my list for Knox-Henderson dinner destinations.
Dallas - Painful Luqa Experience
We dined at Luqa on Saturday night, and it was a painful experience. When we arrived for our 8:15 reservation, we were initially ignored, even though there were three employees at the host stand. Once our presence was acknowledged, they stated that we would be seated in just a few minutes. After waiting ten minutes, they told us it would be another 10-15 minutes until our table was ready. We decided to head upstairs to the Petrus Lounge to have a drink while we waited.
Bar service was prompt and friendly. We got a glass of wine and waited. And waited. It was after 9pm when we told a random cocktail waitress that we had been waiting for our table for almost an hour. She immediately found a hostess to take us to our table. The five course tasting menu was pushed hard by our hostess and waiter. Prices were not listed on the menu for the five course or the eight course blind tasting menu. I found their wine list to be devoid of depth, originality, and reasonable pricing.
We ordered the duck spring rolls to start. The orange cranberry-apple chutney that accompanied the dish was tasty, but the duck was dry, and the rolls were room temperature. My dinner companion ordered the monkfish which she deemed as "just ok". I had the filet; it was perfectly cooked, but the dish as a whole was uninspiring. Getting another round of wine was also quite challenging. Our glasses sat empty for ten minutes before we were finally able to flag down a manager. We were served a pre-dessert of fresh strawberries and black pepper. It was an interesting mix of flavors but not one I'm likely to want to eat again. We opted not to wait another 30 minutes for dessert.
Service throughout the evening was painfully slow; two courses took us almost two hours (not including the hour wait). Our waiter never once acknowledged or apologized. The couple next to us apparently got so fed up that they left halfway through their meal. The waitstaff didn't even seem to notice because they served their entrees to an empty table.
As we were paying the tab, the manager came by and was very unpleasant. He said he comped our drinks and our appetizer, and he wanted to make sure we knew it. We were so ready to leave we didn't even notice it. And it was certainly never mentioned by our waiter. The manager never apologized for the poor service; his attitude was defensive and borderline rude. Sorry, I just can't think of any positive aspects of our experience. Although, my friend said she had the bison burger at Petrus Lounge and it was fantastic.
