Bin 303 - Rockwall

This past Saturday my bf's parents were in town so he wanted to take them to Bin 303 in Rockwall for an early Mother's Day dinner. I've been there once before. I really liked the decor... homey, rustic yet still nice. 

Bin 303 
105 Olive Street 
Rockwall, Texas 75087 
(972) 771-5303 
http://www.bin303.com 
Price: $$$-$$$$ 

The first time I went, it was ok. I liked the decor and ambiance a lot but wasn't super impressed with the food (I think also cuz I wasn't very hungry that day..). But there are a lot of other options on the menu that sounded delicious. 

Our waiter was really friendly and welcoming. It's definitely not a pretentious place. :) 

Soup of Butternut Squash (butternut squash, onions, herbs, wine and lemon, topped with 303 pesto) Cup for $5~ My bf ordered this for his parents to try. We've had it before already... They loved it. The color was so vibrant and they enjoyed the pesto on top. 

When our waiter gave us the specials... this sounded amazing. He also told us that there weren't that many pieces left so we really had to lock one down!! haha. 
Special of the Day: Panko Crusted Chilean Seabass (7 oz. sea bass with panko and herb crust with green beans, grilled tomatoes, roasted red pepper cream sauce) $32~ 

I got this. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I think one of the best preparations of fish I've had in a long time! The sea bass was cooked perfectly, so tender and juicy. The herb/panko crust was my favorite. It was full of flavor and crispy from beginning to end. The green beans were still crisp and paired well with the tender fish. And I loved the red pepper cream sauce. They even gave me a little cup with extra sauce!! I want to go back and get the same dish again. NOW!! So freaking delicious!! Of course that was my favorite dish of the night. haha. I have to just go ahead and rate this specific dish:

Grilled Texas Redfish (Palacios, TX redfish blackened, topped with grilled tomatoes and jalapeno relish on a bed of lemon pepper vegetables - zucchini, squash, green beans, red bell pepper, red onion) $23~ 

His mom ordered this. It was a nice big portion. The fish was cooked well, but in all honesty, I don't remember how it tasted after I had a bite of mine. hahaha. Everyone sampled it and enjoyed it though. 

Standard Steak (house seasoned wood-fired steak, grilled, topped with roasted jalapeno butter paired with jalapeno twice baked potato) $34~ 

His dad ordered this. Which was one of the items I was looking at before I heard the special... Jalapeno butter.. that just sounded yummy! The twice baked potato was different. I liked it a lot because it had a nice crust on top. I didn't taste much jalapeno but it was still really good. The steak was pretty good. He ordered it medium, which it was... (I prefer med rare). 

Pepper Crusted Steak (pepper dusted wood-fire steak, grilled, topped with burgundy mushrooms paired with crab mac n cheese and cognac cream sauce) $39~ 

My bf got this, mainly because of the crab mac n cheese... or that was MY reason at least. hahaha. The mac n cheese was good and it was the first to be inhaled. :P The steak was ordered med rare but turned out to be more on the medium sized. And not enough pepper crust on the outside in my opinion. I liked the mushrooms and cream sauce more than the steak. And it seemed like he preferred his dad's steak more and vice versa. haha. Half way through they decided to switch plates. 

The entrees were all good, but after my sea bass, I didn't really want any of the other ones. :P 

Everyone enjoyed the food and were very content. Last time we were too full to get dessert so I made sure I had room this time! 
Salted Caramel Pot de Creme (with whipped cream and crushed pretzels) $8~ 

His parents ordered this. Which was also my choice. So of course I got to sample! I'm normally not a huge fan of salted caramel but this was really good. The pot de creme was rich and creamy and smooth. It had just enough salt and the pretzels added a nice and much needed crunch. I liked this dessert better.

Apple Crisp (slow-cooked oven tart, topped with vanilla bean ice cream) $8~ 

This item takes about 15 minutes to make so if you are more in a rush, make sure you put in the order earlier. We were in no hurry so we ordered it after our entrees. We got this one cuz the bf wanted it. It looked awesome when it was served. Freshly out of the oven, it was steaming! I really liked the crumble topping. And I like anything a la mode! But I wanted more apples and more ice cream!! The ice cream melted way too quickly. haha. Still yummy though. Just gotta eat fast! 

It was a fantastic meal! Much better than the first time I went. And I can't stop thinking of that sea bass!! Good food and good company, I think his parents really enjoyed it. It was a good early Mother's Day. :) 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~