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!
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 ~~
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