My Birthday @ Palomino :D

Last weekend was my birthday! So that means it's time to go somewhere new and cool to eat!! hehe. My first choice restaurant was already booked...booo...so I decided on Palomino on Crescent Court in Dallas. It shares a courtyard area with Capital Grille and the Rosewood Crescent Hotel. the "courtyard" is very pretty with a big fountain in the middle.

Palomino
500 Crescent Ct # 165
Dallas, TX 75215
(214) 999-1222
http://www.palomino.com/
Price: $$-$$$$

I decided on Palomino partly because of some of the reviews I've read online and I also saw on their website that they have all day happy hour, everyday! This was a good option since I didn't have any idea what to do after dinner. So I thought we could all just go to the bar and have some drinks...and chill! Plus I had a party of 20 people, so it was tough finding the best place to have dinner. Palomino was very accomodating to my large party. Upon arrival though, I think it was partly because business wasn't too busy. :/

After we were seated the waiter came to take our drink orders and asked me about how we were going to handle the checks. THANK YOU!!! This is how it should be...if the wait staff sees a big group, they should figure out the best way to handle the check beforehand so people don't have to scramble or be frustrated later.

I love trying new places with large groups...cuz it means I get to sample all sorts of different dishes! hehe.

We were given bread after they took our orders....thank you!!! I was starving!! The bread with the tomato sauce was yummy...maybe because I was so hungry. haha.



To start...I tried the Brick Oven Roasted Mushrooms (roasted shallots, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh rosemary) $6~ It was under the 'small plates' section. Appetizers meant for 1-2 people. I love mushrooms! This was pretty good. The portion for the price was decent and was very flavorful.

Next, the Crisp Potatoes Gorgonzola (bechamel sauce, cracked black pepper) $9~
This was under the 'shared plates' section of the menu...appetizers meant for sharing with a larger group. This looked AMAZING! Everyone went "WOW" when they brought it to the table. It was basically waffle fries with sauce and cheese...but it looked so decadent and yummy! The fries were nice and crispy and the gorgonzola was soo delicious over it. Definitely not a low-calorie dish. haha. I would totally recommend this to share with a group of people. And guess what! This is half price at the bar for their happy hour!! What a steal! (I'll go into more detail on their hh later...)

For the main course I ordered the Grilled Wild Forest Mushrooms (mixed greens, walnuts, gorgonzola, garlic crostini) $13~ I really enjoyed this salad. There was a bit more dressing than I would've liked but the flavor was good and the dressing didn't overpower the salad. The mushrooms had good texture and flavor. The combination of the ingredients and flavors worked well together and the gorgonzola added a little extra something something. :) The crostini was nice and crispy and added a different texture to the salad.

My other choice for entree was the Rigatoni Bolognese (spicy italian sausage, pear tomato, crushed garlic, oregano, roasted red pepper cream) $18~ I LOVE rigatoni and this was fantastic! The pasta was cooked well! :) And I really liked the tomato cream sauce. This was everything I expected it to be. YUM! If you like rigatoni, I totally recommend this!

I got to try a bite of their Paella (all natural prawns, clams, mussels, seasonal fresh fish, chicken, chorizo, Spanish saffron rice) $28~ This dish was pretty huge. It looked really pretty with the saffron rice and all the seafood. The flavor was pretty good, plenty of spices. However, the rice was a little undercooked...which didn't bother me because I like chewier rice but I don't think it was meant to be like that. I would say for the price, this wasn't worth it...

A friend of mine ordered the Seafood Louie (grilled fresh salmon, Dungeness crab, bay shrimp, kalamata olives, deviled egg, champagne vinaigrette) $19~ This was a MASSIVE salad, piled high with seafood. If you love seafood this was a good deal. I only got to sample a bite of the salmon which was cooked well.

My sister ordered the Whole Wheat Pappardelle (chicken, cherry tomatoes, broccolini, garlic bread) $??~ It was one of the specials of the night...so I didn't catch the price...I'm guessing it was around $18 or so. This wasn't that great. She didn't really enjoy it. It looked kind of bland and she said it was really light. The whole wheat pasta just doesn't have the same texture as regular pasta...a little more soft than I prefer.

This is the Brick Oven Long Bone Ribeye (char crusted in 600 degree brick oven with thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Served with panzanella salad. 20 oz bone-in ribeye) $38~ This looked super yummy...didn't get to try. They slightly overcooked it for my friend though.

It was a great dinner, but it's not over yet!! :P We decided to pay the check and have drinks and desserts at the bar. The checks were taken care of in a timely matter and I don't think anyone had complications or anything. SEE! It pays to prepare ahead of time *ahem*Salum&Craft*ahem*!! :P

We sat outside where the fountain was...it's soo pretty and the weather was pretty nice. :) So here's the deal with their happy hour. Apparently it's all day everyday at the bar. How sweet is that?!? :) $4 Drink specials (certain cocktails, some wines, and all draft beers), $5 Pizzas, and half off select appetizers! I wish I lived closer cuz I would be there ALL THE TIME!!

We got a couple of their Signature Brick Oven Pizzas (cracker thin, Roma style) to munch on with our drinks. Only $5!!! And they were pretty tasty!! Definitely big enough to share with several people. We got the Sausage (roasted mushrooms, basil infused extra virgin olive oil) $12~ and Roma Tomato (basil, shaved garlic, extra virgin olive oil, marinara, mozzarella) $10~

We also got dessert. OF COURSE!! :) Can't have a bday celebration without dessert! hehe. We got a couple to sample and share.

Chocolate Torte (Belgian chocolate ganache, espresso anglaise, vanilla bean ice cream, fresh strawberry compote) $8.50~ This was kind of a mix between a flourless chocolate cake and molten chocolate cake. The texture was dense like a flourless cake and had a little bit of molten chocolate in the middle...not enough though. It was good with the espresso anglaise poured on top and the ice cream/strawberry combo. But...Roy's still has the best molten chocolate cake!

Creme Brulee Duo (Grand Marnier and chocolate creme brulees, puff pastry beignet) $7~ There are different kinds of creme brulees and this is the one where it's denser/thicker. I liked it, but a little too dense for my preference. I wish the Grand Marnier had more orange flavor...I thought that was a little lacking. But this was the first time I got to taste a chocolate creme brulee...never had one before! YUM! The 'beignets' are super flaky...but truly puff pastries...haha. Can't be taken seriously as a beignet. :P

Chocolate Tiramisu (espresso, rum, zabaglione, biscotti, mascarpone) $8.50~ This was a DARK chocolate tiramisu! I've never had it like this before. Droool! The biscotti crumbles on top added an extra crunch. I would say this was my favorite out of the desserts. :)

This was a GREAT night! So many friends and delicious food...what more can I ask for?? :D Special THANKS to all my friends that came out to celebrate with me!!

I would recommend Palomino (very accommodating for large parties). Especially the happy hour specials. I might not go back for dinner (except for the Rigatoni) but I hope to go back soon for their happy hour!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~