Sunday, August 28, 2011

Restaurant Week 2011 @ Bolla

My last Restaurant Week destination was at Bolla at The Stoneleigh Hotel yesterday. I've been looking forward to this one the most since I've heard nothing but great things about their food.

Bolla
2927 Maple Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 599-0248

We arrived about 10 minute before our reservation so we just chilled at the Bolla Bar. Walking into the hotel I already liked the decor. I especially liked all the different types of lights and chandeliers they have all over the place. Some of those chandeliers I would love to have in my own home!

We checked in with the hostess when it was time for our reservation and we were immediately seated. We got the big dining table in the back of the restaurant. (It's the one shown in the pictures on their website. It has the giant "THE" on the wall.) We all commented on the decor of the entire place. A lot of interesting pieces and it was quite sophisticated. The large dining table was cool, but a little too big. I felt like we had to talk louder across the table to each other...

Our waiter came by and passed out the menus. He was very friendly and went over the menu a little bit. He also informed us that their wine pairing option for restaurant week was a very good deal. Only additional $10 for a glass of wine with each the appetizer and entree! It was a great deal!

After we made our orders, they came by with the bread basket and we were given both types of bread with whipped butter. The butter was so light and fluffy and yummy!

1st Course --
Braised Pork Belly (Butter bibb wedge salad, Napa Valley blue cheese, heirloom tomatoes).
I knew I was getting this from the first time I looked up their menu online. I can never say no to pork belly!! :P The presentation was very nice. Lots of colors and was very delicate. The pork belly was awesome! It was fork tender and had great flavor. It was just TOO SMALL!! haha. The wedge salad was pretty standard as far as flavor goes but the lettuce was super fresh.

 Roasted Poblano Caesar Salad (crab cocktail, charred avocado, crisp plantains).
My bf ordered everything I didn't so I get to try his. hehe. I loved this salad. The salad dressing had a nice heat to it. It was a great addition to change up a normal caesar salad. The charred avocado and plantains were ok, I felt like they didn't really add to the dish at all. The crab cocktail was also excellent. Giant chunks of crab in a refreshing cocktail sauce and it was spicy! YUM! If I had the caesar salad with the pork belly, that would've been an amazing starter!

Central Market Optional 4th Course --
Lobster Mac "N" Cheese (watercress salad, white cheddar).
I had 2 of these coupons. :) I loved the crispy outside of the mac n cheese. It was made with orzo pasta and plenty of lobster inside. I wished it had some black pepper or a dash of cayenne or something to add a spicy element. But my bf liked it as is. Overall it was tasty!

2nd Course --
Boneless Bandera Quail (thyme gnocchi, white Texas peaches, wilted greens).
This was my entree since my bf opted for the Snapper. I'm glad I got this one cuz it was amazing! The quail was so tender, probably the best quail I've ever had. The flavor was great especially with the sauce. The peaches added a mild sweetness to the dish and the greens provided that necessary veggie element. The only thing I didn't really care for was the gnocchi. It was doughy and dense so texturally it was off. At least the flavor was ok and it wasn't a big part of the plate. I really enjoyed the dish and it was a good portion size in my opinion.

Tortilla Crusted Red Snapper (red onion, anaheim chile rajas, asadero polenta, tequila orange butter).
The portion didn't seem that big but it was very filling. The fish was cooked well but I didn't really care for the tortilla crusted part. First of all, it was corn tortilla and I don't really like the corn flavor (that's the main reason I don't like enchiladas or tacos with corn tortilla...) Just something about that corn flavor I don't like...but that's personal preference. Second, because it's "crusted" I thought it would have a crispy outside and it wasn't. Good thing they had fried onions on top, otherwise the dish was really missing that crunchy element. The fish itself was a little bland but the onion and chile were full of flavor. So you really needed to get all the components on the dish into one bite. Each thing separately were meh, but put all into one bite was good. The polenta was creamy and very filling. My bf was full before he finished the dish! Overall it was a good dish, just not great.

Dessert --
Cheesecake Three Ways (chocolate, raspberry, white chocolate).
Most of us chose the cheesecake and I think it was definitely the right choice. The presentation was very cute and whimsical. I was quite full by then so the small portion of the dessert was actually perfect. All the cheesecakes were good in terms of flavor and texture but the chocolate was my favorite. It had a bitter-sweet/dark chocolate flavor so it wasn't overly sweet. I also loved the dark chocolate sauce on the plate. I scraped all that up with the cookie.

Mango Chile Creme Brulee (papaya sorbet, coconut cake, pina colada icing).
I'm allergic to mango and I don't particularly like coconut so it was really easy for me to choose my dessert. This one was a lot bigger than the cheesecakes. My friends all liked the creme brulee but my bf said the sorbet was kinda weird?

Other --
Petite Plates: Braised Beef Short Ribs (smoked BBQ, caramelized onions, warm truffle potato salad) $12~
One of my friends also ordered something from the regular menu. Mmmm...braised short ribs...one of my favorite things ever! The portion was sooo small! :( But the presentation was very nice. It was clean and beautiful. The short rib was A-MAZING! Fork tender and sooo delicious. I had no idea it was a potato salad though. First of all the chunks of potato were crunchy so I kept thinking it was something else. Also, it had a slight celery flavor to it... It was interesting, but I thought the crunchy potatoes with the soft short rib was a nice contrast in texture. I'm not sure about paying $12 for one bite of short rib though. hahaha.

I enjoyed the dinner a lot. I think overall the food was pretty great. The service was good, but since Charlie Palmer, nothing can really compare. haha. I'm forever spoiled... The waiter was very friendly and I liked the fact that he introduced all the dishes when they were served. But there were little things here and there I noticed that he didn't do or notice. I might just be picky now since my standards have gone up. haha. But everyone in the restaurant greeted us as we walked by and were very cordial and friendly. It is definitely a great place for a special occasion.


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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Restaurant Week 2011 @ Charlie Palmer

This past Saturday was Restaurant Week at Charlie Palmer in The Joule hotel. I thought their menu choices sounded really tasty and I've never been so it made my list this year. hehe.

Charlie Palmer @ The Joule
1530 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 261-4600
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CharliePalmerAtJoule

Price: $$$$+

Starting with the reservation process I've received nothing but great service. I was a little scared that I wouldn't be able to get my party of 10 in at a good time but they were totally accommodating and even gave us the private room that seats 10! :)

A few of my friends arrived early and they were seated first. I liked that they didn't make them wait for the rest of the party before being seated. We ran a few minutes late because the Valet service at the front was SUPER slow. The traffic was backed up and they couldn't get to all the cars in time. We actually arrived on time, but sat in the valet line for at least another 10 minutes or so... Walking in, the hotel is pretty awesome looking and the restaurant was very impressive with their glass wall wine displays. The hostesses were all smiles and really friendly and we were immediately shown to our room.

The private room was nice. It was brighter and more quiet than the main dining area. It was great to be able to talk to all my friends without distractions.

After making our orders, a waiter came around with a bread tray and we got to choose from 3-4 different types of breads. I liked my wheat bread. It was warm and had great texture.

We were also served an Amuse Bouche before the meal. It was a Wild Mushroom Arancini with Saffron Aioli. It's basically risotto with wild mushrooms formed into a ball and fried. It was fried perfectly. Delish!!

The great thing about dining with a bunch of friends is that I get to try all different kinds of dishes! :P

1st Course --
Cavatelli Duck Bolognese (wild mushrooms, fiore sardo). The waiter told us that the Cavatelli is made mostly with ricotta. I thought the texture was similar to gnocchi. I liked the pasta a lot. The bolognese was ok. I couldn't really tell the meat was duck since it was ground meat and it could've used a bit more spice. I feel like the sauce could've used a bit more punch.

Beef Tartare (capers, hardboiled egg, herb aioli, celery crisps). This was the best appetizer I thought. The beef tartare was fresh and had great texture. The meat was rich and velvety. The herb aioli was pretty awesome with the tartare.

Corn Salad (arugula, Van Sormon cheese, sherry-truffle vinaigrette, celery croutons). I didn't try this but my friend said it was really good. She finished it all.

2nd Course --
Chorizo Crusted Scottish Salmon (ratatouille, white beans, saffron foam, oregano). This was what I ordered. The chorizo was really the selling point for me. haha. It was interesting with the chorizo crust on top but I thought it should've had more of a crisp sear and more flavor. Typically chorizo has a ton of flavor and I didn't get it here. The salmon was cooked well, nice and tender and pink. Overall, it was good, but needed a bit more contrast in flavors.

Miso Glazed Cod (char siu pork cabbage roll, Chinese long beans). This was my other choice but my friend got it so I can sample. hehe. The cod was cooked well but flavor was just ok. The char siu pork on the other hand was pretty awesome. Great flavor and really tender. My friend thought the fish was a bit too salty but I didn't think so at all. We both agreed that it would've been good with a side of rice though! haha.

Grilled Hanger Steak (wild mushrooms, olive oil mashed potatoes, gremolata). This was agreed to be the best entree of the night. The portion wasn't that big but it tasted great. It had a great seared crust on the edges of the meat and was so tender. I loved the gremolata on top. The raw garlic really added a nice spice to the meat.

Maltagliati (oven dried tomatoes, basil, chicken liver, black pepper and truffle mascarpone). This was quite interesting. It was the biggest entree portion out of everything. Maltagliati is almost like sheets of lasagna that were cut into wide strips, almost like pappardelle the waiter explained. I think I would've preferred actual pappardelle though. The pasta texture wasn't that great. A little softer than I prefer. The fried chicken livers were pretty awesome though. I was surprised that the pieces were that large. The batter on them were so flavorful and crunchy. YUM. The dish also needed a bit more depth of flavor...a spicy element would've helped.

A friend of mine also ordered an additional side of Creamed Spinach $9~ I loved the little bowl it came in. It needed more cream though. I like creamed spinach to be thicker and it was a bit more watery than I prefered. But the flavors were light and fresh.

Dessert --
Ruben's Tarts (daily selection: Passion fruit & blueberry tart, Dark Chocolate Ganache). Their desserts were the best part of the meal in my opinion. Everything was good. The passion fruit and blueberry tart was one of my favorites of the entire night. Bursting with passion fruit flavors with the plump fresh blueberries and buttery crust. YUM-O! The chocolate tart was deep and rich. Also a great dessert.

Milk Chocolate Brulee Cotta (chocolate crystals, dried cherry cocoa nib compote). We didn't really know what to expect with this since the description was kinda hard to picture. It was a pretty small dessert and didn't look super pretty or anything. But it was delicious. Imagine a mixture of creme brulee and panacotta on top of a thin layer of chocolate wafer crisp. The milk chocolate flavor really tasted high quality and the texture of the brulee cotta was creamy and smooth. One of my favorite elements was the wafer on the bottom. It wasn't too crunchy to overpower the brulee cotta on top. It was just the right contrast in texture.

Texas Peach and Blackberry Crisp (brown butter ice cream). This was my pick for dessert. I liked it a lot. The fruits were chunky and fresh. I loved the crisp and ice cream on top, I just wish there was more of it! I devoured the whole thing!

Now I want to take some time and recognize our waiter, Shawn (sp?). He was freaking FANTASTIC!! I would say it was the BEST service I've ever received in my life!! And all my friends agree. First of all, he was super nice and friendly and easy going. None of that arrogance you often associate with fancy restaurants. He was really knowledgeable of every aspect of the restaurant and shared many fun facts and tidbits throughout the course of dinner. I also noticed that he was really aware of everything. A few times he would hear our conversation about things in the restaurant or the food and he would jump in and offer cool information regarding that topic. He also joked and chatted around with us about movies and other subjects. He took care of us with such ease. Changing the silverware after every course, refilling water, etc. without ever disrupting our conversations. I noticed that he had proper etiquette and took the orders from the ladies first. You don't even see that in nice restaurants anymore... He checked on us just enough. He was there when we needed him. There were many other little things here and there he did that were just so thoughtful. These are things where if he didn't do them, we wouldn't even think about it. But the fact that he thought about it just made the dinner THAT much better! He also came at the end of dinner with all the checks split, without us even asking! I heart him!!

I was also impressed with the overall service of the restaurant. We had several other waiters bring the food and fill the water glasses and they were all very friendly and efficient. The hostesses greeted us warmly at the beginning and end. Also, when I went to use the restroom, one waiter was obviously going the other way to do something, he just dropped what he was doing and escorted me to the restroom...instead of most people would just point. My friend said another waiter did the same thing. What great service! It just made us feel so welcome and comfortable. :)

Overall the food was good, could've been better but the entire experience was fantastic. I really have to thank Shawn for giving us a wonderful dinner experience and I hope the restaurant recognizes him for that! I think I'll give the restaurant a call and put in a good word too! This definitely makes it to the top of my list for great Restaurant Week in all my years of participating.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Monday, August 22, 2011

Restaurant Week 2011 - The Place at Perry's

**Just a note for those of you unfamiliar with Dallas Restaurant Week. It happens every year around mid August and a bunch of restaurants around town participate. Some places extend their participation by another week or two. It completely ends by the beginning of September. It is sponsored by KRLD and Central Market. It is $35 at any participating restaurant for a 3 course meal (and some offer a special 4th course that you can get with a Central Market coupon). $7 of that gets donated to the North Texas Food Bank or the Lena Pope Home. You have to make reservations and they go fast! It is definitely MY kind of charity!! :P For more info visit: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/krld-restaurant-week**

Initially I had only planned 2 locations for Restaurant Week this year, but this past Friday we had an impromptu dinner and ended up at The Place at Perry's. We had a few choices but since it was super late notice I was only able to get a table for our party of 5 at 8:45PM. Everywhere else was completely booked. It's ok, I went to The Place at Perry's for RW like 5-6 years ago and I remembered the food was pretty great. I just hoped it was still good!

The Place at Perry's
2911 Routh Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 871-9991
http://www.theplaceatperrys.com/

Price: $$$-$$$$+

Not to be confused with the more recently opened Perry's Steakhouse, The Place at Perry's is family owned and not a chain.

We arrived on time but waited for a few minutes before we were seated. The hostesses were very nice. The restaurant looked more casual than I remembered from the first visit. But I did like that it was brighter in the dining room than before.

We were given the regular menu as well as the Restaurant Week menu. I rarely do this, but I opted to order a la carte this time.. Gasp! haha. It was just a super late dinner and I knew I couldn't eat a full 3 course meal. Plus the item I wanted was cheaper on its own in the regular menu! haha.

We got some bread before the meal.
I think they were baked fresh in house. It was yum! The outside had a good crust and inside was pillowy and warm. Plus the butter was whipped!! :)

Here are the Restaurant Week menu items ordered by my friends:

1st Course --
Arugula and Fennel Salad (extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice) My bf ordered this and ended up not liking it because arugula tends to be quite bitter. So he traded with me. I liked the salad though. It wasn't too bitter for me and I really liked the contrast of the fennel with it. The fennel was crisp and was able to cut the bitterness of the arugula. Everything was fresh and the dressing was light. It was a very healthy salad.

Famous Blue Cheese Iceberg Wedge (sliced grape tomatoes, blue cheese dressing, crumbled bacon) I didn't get to try this but the presentation was very cute.

2nd Course --
Coffee Crusted Filet of Beef Tenderloin (5 oz. filet with a roasted blueberry chipotle sauce and green beans) My bf ordered this. The green beans were pretty normal so I'm just going to move on to the star of the plate, the steak! It was a tiny little piece but OMG it was delicious. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The coffee crust on the outside was seared nicely and the meat inside was sooo ridiculously tender it was like almost like eating ahi tuna! I liked the blueberry chipotel sauce as well. Who would've thought coffee and beef and blueberries? And it wasn't too sweet...it was a great flavor combination.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin (with sauteed lentils, quinoa, garlic spinach and carrots) Some other friends ordered this. The pork was fantastic. Cooked perfectly... tender, juicy, flavorful. The lentils underneath were ok. The flavors were nice but I thought they were a little grainy?

3rd Course --
Chocolate Fudge Cake. This was a pretty large piece of cake. It was super rich and chocolately. YUM! I wished it had a scoop of ice cream on the side though. haha. I shared with my bf so we killed it. other friends weren't able to finish because it was quite rich. But all said it was really good.

Crispy Banana Rolls (fried banana, sea salt caramel, vanilla ice cream). This was pretty typical fried bananas. It was good, but nothing uber special.

Now to what I ordered...
Caesar Salad (baby romaine, Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan and homemade croutons) $9~ This was really fresh and I told them to go easy on the dressing so it was perfectly dressed in my opinion. My bf ended up eating most of it though, since we switched. hehe.

BBQ Shrimp with Homestead Gristmill Corn Grits (Gulf shrimp sauteed in homemade Creole BBQ butter) $16~ This was amazing. For an appetizer this was a pretty huge portion! There were 5 large prawns on top of the grits. The shrimp were plump and cooked perfectly and had super bold flavors. It had a nice kick of heat and paired with the creamy grits it was awesome. The grits were good as well. I liked the chunks of corn kernels in there too. I'd say this is probably one of the best shrimp and grits I've had ever!

So the food was fantastic, just like the first time I was there. The entree portions were quite a bit smaller than the first time though. The service? That's another story... Our waiter started out ok. Things were a little slow. He wasn't super attentive and it kinda went downhill after the entrees. Basically after he cleared the entree plates we never saw him again... Another waiter served the desserts. We were never asked if we wanted coffee or tea with dessert. I actually wanted some hot tea but kinda gave up since I didn't see him around. He wasn't rude by any means but just didn't seem like we were that important. Too bad, otherwise this would've been an exceptional dinner.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~