Max's Wine Dive

I went back to Max's a while back. Initially I was planning on going to dinner in Bishop Arts District but the traffic was so terrible, it took me over an hour just to get to uptown! I decided on Max's instead since I know it's a good choice!

Max's Wine Dive
3600 McKinney Avenue, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 559-3483
http://www.maxswinedive.com/dallas
Price: $$-$$$

The place was packed, but we were seated immediately.

I was starving!! And I knew exactly what I wanted to order. Pumpkin Risotto (topped with Southern fried egg, currants and pepitas) $18~

I also decided to add Pork Belly $5~ because it was such an ordeal driving over there. I deserved it! haha. The risotto was really good. I wish it was a bit creamier, but the flavors were nice. Not too heavy, and you can taste all the components. I especially loved the pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) on top and the southern fried egg. The pepitas added a nice nuttiness and crunch. The southern fried egg was like a poached egg, breaded and fried. Never had egg done like this before. Awesome! So the waitress had forgotten the pork belly. She had to put in the order after I got my risotto. Then she brought it out. My face dropped when I saw it...

It was on a small bread plate, and there were 3 measly pieces of pork belly. Literally 3 bites... for $5?!?! I was SO disappointed. It was delicious... but seriously? At least give me 5 pieces or something! I won't be adding that to any dish in the future.

My friend ordered MAX's Sliders (trio of Fried Chicken sliders with lettuce, tomatoes, house-made pickles and chipotle honey) $11.50~ I didn't try it, but he said it was pretty good.

He also got the MAX 'n Cheese (cavatappi pasta in truffle cream with fresh mozzarella, white cheddar, Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano) $10~

It was super creamy. And I liked it with the cavatappi pasta (kind of like a hollow corkscrew shape). But it could've been cheesier. It was more creamy than cheesy, if you know what I mean. And the pasta was slightly softer than I prefer. A very heavy dish, it'll definitely fill you up!

So I've noticed that they have kind of gone a bit downhill (or inconsistent) since the opening. The portions seemed to have decreased and service is so-so. Remember when I raved about their desserts the first time I went? The amazing Devil's Food Brownie... I'm still drooling thinking about it. But I saw the table next to us order dessert and the brownie was tiny. It was about a third of the size of what we got that first time. And the Half & Half (half brownie with half bread pudding) was about half the size. Booooo... I doubt the price has gone down but the portions definitely has. That's not cool. And quite disappointing.

I'll still go back because they got some stuff I still want to try. But I'm a little sad that things are not as good as the first time we went. Hopefully my next visit will change my mind again for the better!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~