Driftwood

I've been dying to go to Driftwood forever!! Ever since I knew it was opening, I've heard great reviews. Plus my boss went and said it was one of the best meals he's ever had. Now I really have to go! I got lucky and was able to get a reservation on Saturday at 7:30PM. Initially the host told me only 5PM or 9:15!! Geez! 

Driftwood 
642 W. Davis Street 
Dallas, TX 75208 
(214) 942-2530 
http://www.driftwood-dallas.com/ 
Price: $$$ 

It's located in Oakcliff just outside of the Bishop Arts District. It's a tiny little place. Nice decor, classy yet rustic. The color scheme is mostly this aqua color which I really liked and then they hung pieces of wood on the walls for the rustic feel. It was just really loud since the space is pretty small. It was hard to hear the person directly in front of you!! 

We were immediated seated. I was told by my boss to get cocktails there because they are delish. So it's the boss's orders.. I got the Hibiscus Guava Sling (Cana Brava, orange liqueur, hibiscus, lime) $10~ 

Really pretty. But I'm not the expert on drinks. I only know I like super sweet stuff. haha. This was a bit tart for me but still tolerable. And ohhh... super strong for me. One is more than enough! 

Our waiter was really nice and informative and gave us a run down of the specials and popular menu items. 

I opted for the Crispy Seared Wild Halibut Cheeks (turnips, fennel confit, little neck clams, smoked marble potatoes, Nueskes bacon) $24~ 

It was a really pretty dish. I was surprised that I got 3 pieces of fish! The sauce and veggies on the bottom reminded me of clam chowder. Creamy and warm... yum! The halibut was crispy, I'm glad they didn't pour the sauce over it. I enjoyed it a lot. 

My friend got the Chargrilled Octopus (marble potato confit, Manzanilla olives, watercress, pickled onions, smoked tomato vinaigrette) $25~ 

This was one of their most popular items. Basically put them on the map, so I was eager to try. The portion was pretty small, but presentation was nice. However, I wasn't impressed. The octopus was quite chewy. The flavor was ok. The tomato vinaigrette reminded us of BBQ sauce... I guess it's the smokiness. But the texture of the main protein was just not cooked properly. The octopus at Spoon and Carnevino were just SOOO much better... :( 

We also got a side of the Crispy Brussels Sprouts (pork belly, fish sauce) $8~ 

THIS was the reason I was here. My boss would not stop raving about it. And you know I love brussels sprouts! With fish sauce?? How interesting! And I loved it. The brussels sprouts were cooked well, good texture. You can definitely taste the fish sauce which added a complexity to the dish and it was also a bit spicy. YUMMMMM!!!! I think I'll just get 2 orders of that as my entree next time! :P 

The meal was enjoyable but I was a little disappointed overall. For the price, I'd much rather go to Spoon! :) Since we had dessert before dinner. We were too full to order more. And business was really good, there were already people waiting at the door so we didn't linger! 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~