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Monday, December 27, 2010

Nothing Bundt Cake - NOM NOM NOM!!

Nothing Bundt Cakes
10720 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75230
(214) 691-2253
http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/

Price: $-$$$$+

So I realized I totally forgot to blog about this place! I first heard about it from Groupon, where they had a deal running for Nothing Bundt Cakes. From Groupon, I went to their website and decided to give it a try and buy the groupon. I'm soooo glad I did! A few weeks after I bought it, a friend of mine randomly asked me if I've ever had it before. She gets them delivered to her work occasionally and said they were A-MAZING! That got me super excited.


Finally, I had a chance to use it. We had a Secret Santa with a group of my friends and it was also a potluck. I offered to bring dessert! I went in to Nothing Bundt Cakes a few days before the get together to check the place out. It's a small, cute little store front. There's a display case with cakes and a register. No room for sitting or dining in or anything. The ladies in the shop were super friendly! (They didn't try to rush me through or anything like some other bakeries...) They immediately pointed me towards the samples. SAMPLES!!! Loveeees it! They have a different flavor every day. I think that day it was Pecan Praline. It was DELICIOUS! Soooo freaking moist with just the right amount of cream cheese frosting...and not overly sweet. Cupcakes? What are cupcakes? Cupcakes got NOTHING on Nothing Bundt Cakes...pardon the play on words. Haha. I feel like cupcakes are totally overdone and overrated now...plus Dallas doesn't really have any good ones in my opinion.

This was something different. Their mini cakes, "bundtlets", were sooo cute. At $3.99 a piece, they are a much better value than a $3.50 cupcake. It's much bigger, more moist, and great frosting.

I asked if I could order now and pick it up before my party in a few days. I decided to get several different bundtlets instead of a larger cake just so I can sample all the different flavors. (From bottom left corner - clockwise) I got 1 Pumpkin Spice, 1 White White Chocolate, 1 White Chocolate Raspberry, and 2 Red Velvets. I also saved 1 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip for my bf (so it's not showing in the pictures below...) The two pumpkin flavors were seasonal, so you better go get them before they are gone!

The day finally came to pick up the cakes! Of course I had to get another sample when I'm in the store! hehehe.

After the dinner portion of the potluck was over, we bust out the cakes. OMG! They are so freaking amazing. The Red Velvet cakes actually had chocolate chips inside. My favorite was the Pumpkin Spice! Every one of them was moist, sweet but not too sweet, balanced amount of cake to frosting ratio...and just heaven. :)
I will definitely be going back in the future anytime I'm needing a cake for any event. I'm also hoping they'll have another Groupon out soon! hehe. I tell everyone to go here instead of getting cupcakes. It's more unique and it tastes wayy better! :D I know what I want for my next birthday cake!!

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Cafe Elite - Vegan fare :)

Cafe Elite
1501 Preston Rd
Plano, TX 75093
(469) 828-0607
Price: $

I recently found out about Cafe Elite and have been wanting to check it out. It's totally vegan, meaning no meat or dairy. They also serve some raw and/or organic options.

I'm always looking out for healthier eating places so this was pretty cool. The reviews I read online were also very positive.

Decided to go there for lunch today. The place is small but bright and pretty spacious. It's a pretty casual place. There were only a few tables taken when we got there...and service was fine for this kind of restaurant.

It took me a while to look over the menu and decide what I want. There were quite a bit of selection. Now, I do not like vegan meats...I think they have a weird texture and flavor, so I usually order dishes with only vegetables.

I decided on the Combination CE Rice with Spring Roll (2 spring rolls served with CE rice and salad) $6.95~ I substituted the spring rolls, which were fried, with the summer roll which was a healthier option.
Summer Roll (carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, rice noodles and avocado in rice paper served with an almond hoisin dipping sauce) (if ordered separately $1.50~) The CE rice is basically fried rice with tofu, corn and peas. It was good!! I love vegetarian fried rice and they had Sriracha! Goes great with any kind of fried rice. The rice was cooked well, not mushy. The side salad was really fresh and the dressing was light. And the portion was huge! I couldn't eat it all. The summer roll was also really fresh. The avocado inside added a little bit of fat and creaminess which was nice. The almond hoisin sauce was similar to the normal peanut sauce. A big squirt of Sriracha and super yummy! Under $7 for all of this!?! Niceee!! :)
My friend ordered the Chik'n Wrap (Vegan chik'n strips, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green and red bell peppers and veganaise. Served with soup and corn chips) $8.95~ to share with her little sister. This dish comes with either chips or side salad, and they opted for the chips. I tried a piece of the vegan chicken...hmm...still not a fan. The texture is just not like meat. However, they thought it was good and finished it all. The soup of the day was a Russian cabbage soup. There was lots of cabbage in it and was kind of sweet.
They also got a bowl of the Vegan Chili (beans, vegan ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, served with corn chips) $5~ The bowl was pretty big and came with some corn chips. The chili was pretty good! Nice and chunky with lots of beans and veggies inside. I didn't get the weirdness of vegan meat in this one. I wish it had more of a spice to it though. I did not taste any of the chili peppers in this. Maybe a little bit of tabasco could've made it better...

We also tried their Vegan Pumpkin Pie $2.95~ They sold their last piece of vegan cheesecake before we could get it...I guess I'll try it next time. The pumpkin pie was really good...better than some of the regular pumpkin pies I've had in the past!

Overall this was a great lunch. It was light and healthy but also filling! I will definitely be going back in the future to try other stuff.

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Whiskey & Rye - Man vs Food Style! :p

So two of my friends coming in town for the holidays wanted to go check out the rodeo in Ft. Worth. The only show time for the rodeo happens to be on Christmas night. Initially I was excited because there were sooo many restaurants I want to try in Ft. Worth, but since it's on Xmas Day...none of them are open. :'( I wanted to cry...

But it all works out because I would've never found this place if we went somewhere else. After much searching online and calls to multiple restaurants, I found Whiskey & Rye at the Omni Hotel in downtown Ft. Worth. Since it's located in a hotel, they are open on Xmas Day. It's a sports bar which I didn't care too much for, but the menu was what interested me. They have one of those large food challenges like you see on tv like "Man vs Food" or something. A giant sandwich with over 2 lbs of chicken fried steak. It's a pretty long drive from Plano to Ft. Worth so I really wanted to see/eat something new and different. I refuse to go all the way there to have Chinese food! haha (which are normally the only locations open on holidays...).

Whiskey & Rye
1300 Houston Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817) 535-6664
http://www.whiskeyandryefw.com/

Price: $-$$

When we walked in I was impressed with the decor. It didn't look like a normal sports bar. It was more upscale and loungey with big leather chairs...it also felt cozy to me. We asked the waitress if we could put 2 tables together. She was super nice. Said we could do whatever we wanted...just make ourselves comfortable.

After looking through the menu again (even though I was already set on getting the challenge...haha) We were ready to order.

Of course we ordered the Hell's Half Acre Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich (Two pounds of fried Black Angus Prime Rib steak, served on a freshly baked, specialty 10" toasted brioche bun; topped with no less than 1/2 lb of Jack cheeses; a small field of sliced tomatoes; a garden of crisp green lettuce; and red pepper aioli; accompanied by a big basket of fries) $42~ (Take the W&R Challenge... Eat the whole thing on your own in an hour and it's free!) We were splitting it between 6 people...no way any of us could eat all of that ourselves! haha. The waitress was pretty excited when we ordered it. She said she doesn't get to serve this often! hehe.

However, after she put the order in, she came back and informed us that they did not have the bread for the sandwich. Instead, they could just do a more straight forward Chicken Fried Steak with gravy and the veggies on the side. We were totally ok with that...and it's probably good that we didn't have the additional bread and cheese ON TOP of the fried steaks. haha. So we got 2+ lbs. of chicken fried steak with a mini cast iron pot of gravy, a side of lettuce and tomato slices, and a large basket of fries. The presentation was cool. The steaks were served on a wood pizza paddle and the gravy container was really cute. It looked really good!! The chicken fried steaks had a nice crispy crust on the outside and the steaks were pretty tender. I think it could've been seasoned a little bit more, but with the gravy, it was just right. The gravy was the bomb! I'm really glad we got the gravy instead of the bun and cheese! Everyone loved the gravy. The lettuce, tomato and onions on the side paired well with the steaks. The fresh veggies help cut the heaviness of the steaks. But surprisingly the steaks weren't really greasy! The fries were also pretty good! We killed it! Ate every last bit of everything! We also got a lot of glances and comments from other tables around us...people were impressed! hehe. It was pretty awesome. This is definitely something cool to do with a group of friends, plus it was cooked well and tasty!

We also got the BLT Chop Salad (field greens, applewood smoked bacon, plum tomatoes, hard boiled eggs tossed in wild honey dressing) $8~ We thought it would be good to have some more veggies to balance out the meal. The salad was really fresh and the portion was large. There were lots of crumbled bacon on top and the eggs were a good addition. We finished it all as well! :p

My friend also ordered the House Margarita on the Rocks (made with Jose Cuervo Gold) $5~ It was in a giant martini shaped glass. The waitress said they served things "Texas" sized! hehe. For $5 that's an awesome deal! My friend says it was really good.

After devouring all the food, can you believe we still had room for dessert? hehe...of course we did!!! :P

The dessert choices all sounded pretty good. We settled on the Burnt Banana Pudding (with homemade vanilla wafers) $6~ This came in the same giant glass as the margarita. For $6 that's pretty cheap! And it was so pretty! The caramelized bananas were awesome with the crunchy burnt sugar. The texture of the pudding was almost as fluffy as the whipped cream. I don't think I've had banana pudding with that texture before. It was pretty awesome...I would say maybe one of the best banana puddings I've had... The pudding was thick, but it wasn't too sweet or heavy. YUMMY!

We also got the Cast Iron Bread Pudding (with raw Whiskey sauce) $6~ We ordered vanilla Bean Ice Cream $4~ to go with it. Now the ice cream was not worth $4...but I think it definitely made the bread pudding even better! The cold ice cream and the warm bread pudding was a great combination. The bread pudding flavor and texture were both good. The sauce on the side was freaking amazing! We poured every last drop on the bread pudding. Mmmmm Mmmm good!

This place totally exceeded all our expectations. From the ambiance to service to the food. Yay! I'm glad things turned out so well even though our original plans fell through. I definitely recommend you check out Whiskey & Rye if you are in the Ft. Worth area. And if you happen to stay at the Omni...then lucky you! hehe.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Friday, December 24, 2010

Cafe Tampopo - Twice in 3 days :P

Cafe Tampopo
101 W Spring Creek Pkwy
Plano, TX 75023
(469) 229-0103
Price: $

I've been here twice in the past 3 days. haha. Told a few friends about it and they wanted to check it out. 2 days later we're back again! :P

This time I got the House Salad (mixed greens with Tampopo homemade ginger dressing) $3~ I think the portion size for the salad is good. The greens are very fresh and I love their dressing. The little crispies on top also adds a nice contrast in texture. It's a good way to add some extra veggies to the meal.

I also tried their Seaweed Salad (assorted seaweed and fresh salad in light sesame dressing) $4~ This was also good. Very refreshing and lots of flavor.

Now this is the reason we went this time. The Pork Rib Ramen (ramen with 2 pork ribs and veggies) $6.95~ The ramen is new! It's off the menu...only written on the specials board. There are not that many places in Dallas that have ramen...so when I see it I gotta try it! It comes with 2 large pork ribs. Looked sooo good! :) The ramen was cooked perfectly...great texture. The flavor was good too. I really liked the veggies in the noodle soup. I've never had ramen like this before. 1. with the ribs and 2. with the mixed veggies. Plus it's so cheap for a pretty big bowl. I totally recommend it!

A friend of mine ordered the Okinawa Soba (thick noodles in broth with pork) $7.50~ Apparently there are different types of soba. I had no idea! The normal buckwheat soba noodles are the thin brown ones that are more available in Japanese restaurants. I googled Okinawa soba and actually found out that even though it's called "soba", the noodles don't use soba flour. It's actually made from wheat flour and looks more like udon noodles. And usually cooked in a pork broth. Interesting! Learning something new everyday. hehe. The texture of the noodles were great. The broth was light but still lots of flavor. I only tried a little bite so I think I'll get that one for myself next time.

So far everything I've had here is pretty good. Great value for Japanese food. Also a good place to hang out with friends since it's BYOB. Definitely go check it out sometime!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Seasons 52

Seasons 52
7300 Lone Star Drive
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 312-8852
http://www.seasons52.com/

Price: $$ (Lunch)

I've been wanting to try Seasons 52 since they opened and I found out that everything on the menu is under 475 calories. REALLY?!?! That's freaking amazing if the food is good!

I heard from several people that it's pretty good but always packed. You definitely need to make a reservation at least a week or two in advance. For dinner, maybe even earlier...

So I thought this would be a great place to try for lunch with some of my close friends that are back in town for the holidays. I called them 5 days in advance for a reservation for 5 people at 1PM. The girl on the phone was really nice.

When I walked in the place was packed! 1PM on a weekday! Wow... The place is pretty big and most of the tables were occupied and people continue to stream in.

We were seated in a room in the back, which was good cuz it was more quiet. Our waiter was really friendly and gave us a run down of the menu and what makes Seasons 52 special. They don't use butter or fry any of their foods, that's how they keep it healthier. Also they use seasonal ingredients and change their menu on a weekly basis! So if you go every week you can have something totally different!

We started with an appetizer of Rosemary & Parmesan Cheese Crispbread $3.80~
The presentation was really cute. I liked the man with the wine glass holding the bread. hehe. It was like a super thin flatbread. But not too thin where it was dry like a cracker. The cheese wasn't overpowering but still had plenty of flavor. I think I could've kept eating it... haha.
There were soo many good choices I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to eat...

One of my friends ordered the Farmer's Market Vegetable Soup (Cup) $4.80~ to start. He really liked the soup. I tried a bit...not bad. I'm not a fan of light soups so I won't comment on it. haha.

He also got the Oak-Fired Western Buffalo Burger (with guacamole, spicy chili sour cream and roasted pepper salsa; accompanied by organic mixed greens salad) $9.95~ I didn't get to try the burger, but he said it was good. Although he wasn't sure if it was really buffalo or beef since he doesn't really know the difference. haha. The meat seemed nice and tender. The chili sour cream was too spicy for him though. I thought it was yummy! :P

I ordered the Grilled Portobello Turkey Burger (under melted mozzarella cheese with sliced tomatoes on a whole wheat bun; accompanied by organic mixed greens salad) $9.50~ The presentation was great. Very refreshing with the stand for the burger...added dimension to the dish visually. The burger was a good size and came with mustard on the side. I'm not a fan of mustard, but I used my friend's chili sour cream sauce on it and it was pretty awesome. The burger was not greasy at all, but very hearty. Just needed some sauce. I think if I get this again I'll ask for the chili sour cream instead of mustard. The side salad was fresh, not too much dressing which I like. I actually took some of the lettuce and put it inside my burger. :)

I also got the Roasted Squash Trio (with spiced honey-mint glaze) $3.95~ It was one of the specials for the day. I love squash and it's so good for you! hehe. As a side dish it was quite big...definitely plenty to share with others. The colors in the plate were just beautiful. Some parts of the squash were a little undercooked in my opinion. I like it to be a little softer. The circular piece was my favorite. I don't know the difference or names of the squash(es?) but overall I liked it a lot. The sauce on the bottom was sweet from the honey and also had a bit of lemony citrus flavor. I normally don't like the flavor of honey, but I was ok with it in this dish.

Another friend ordered the Black Mussels (steamed in a zesty marinara sauce served with grilled garlic toast) $9~ It was a huge bowl of mussels...and for lunch too! And it was cheap!!! The flavors were good, very fresh.

One friend got the Spicy Tandoori Chicken Skewers (with fresh mango chutney and cucumber herb raita and organic mixed greens salad) $9~ The flavor of the chicken was good but not really truly tandoori or spicy to me. haha. But it was all white meat chicken and was tender. The portion didn't look too big so if you are hungry, maybe go for something else...

The final entree is the Caramelized Sea Scallops (grilled and served with sun-dried tomato pearl pasta and roasted asparagus) $19.65~ Initially my friend ordered the Buffalo Steak, but they were out so the waiter suggested this. I'm glad he got this. The portion was pretty large for a scallop dish or even lunch in my opinion. Usually restaurants are stingy with the scallops. The scallops were cooked perfectly...lots of flavor...and paired with the sides really well. I really liked the pearl pasta. I'd say this was the winner of the day!

Of course we had to have dessert! All of their desserts are ready made. They bring around a rack of all the choices and you basically just take whatever you want right then and there. Mini Indulgences (individual servings of classic desserts) $2.50~ each. We got the following flavors...ranking from least favorite to best (although the last 3 tied for first place):


Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse. I didn't like this at all... even though my friends did. I thought the pecan pie part tasted kinda store bought... not freshly made..

Key Lime Pie. I'm normally not a fan of actual key lime pie. This was a little bland...not enough lime, no contrast in flavors...

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake. Tasted just like a mini carrot cake. Nothing too special...

Mocha Macchiato.
This was good. Rich chocolatey flavor with hints of coffee. Needed more cakey texture though.

Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road. This was SUPER chocolatey and rich. Just a little cup of chocolate goodness. YUM!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse. Rich peanut butter and chocolate mousse...totally delicious! This was voted as the best out of the bunch!

Pumpkin Pie. This is their seasonal flavor, only available for limited time. I loved it! The pumpkin mousse was nice and smooth. It was like a pumpkin pie but even better!!

I really enjoyed our visit to Seasons 52. The food was great for the most part, everything was fresh and not greasy. I can definitely see how they can keep it all under 475 calories. The service was great, and our waiter offered some good suggestions. I will definitely be going back in the future to try their new dishes! Start making your reservations now!! :P

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