Origin Kitchen + Bar

My wedding planning has officially commenced, y'all! Last Saturday was my very first bridal show... I went with a friend of mine who is getting married this fall and some of her bridesmaids. Mine isn't until mid 2016 so I've only just begun. And it's only been a week so far... I'm already stressed! Venues are soooo expensive! XP We'll see what happens, I guess. I just know we gotta have some damn good food!! haha.

Anyways, this is about food, not the planning. The bridal show was in the afternoon so we decided to go for Sunday brunch beforehand. My friend told me that she started a cleanse so she can't have any meat and sugar for several days. So I suggested Origin. I've been wanting to go there for awhile and they seem to have healthier options.

Origin Kitchen + Bar
4438 Mckinney Ave. Ste. 150
Dallas, TX 75205
(214) 484-3970
http://originkitchenandbar.com
Price (for brunch): $$

I made a reservation for 6 of us at 11:30AM on Sunday. Good thing I did, cuz the place was pretty packed when we got there and by the time we got our food, the bar was overflowing with people waiting for a table. It's a pretty small space with an open kitchen and bar. I really liked the decor...lots of wood, rustic... that whole farm-to-table feel that became so popular lately. I really like that vibe.

Our waiter was really nice. He gave some suggestions to my friend who was on the strict diet and helped her pick out a dish. Everything sounded so good...we all had a hard time choosing what to order.

I had so many options to choose from but decided on The Diamond Head (blackened salmon, basil pesto, arugula, lemon aioli, toasted ciabatta, choice of side) $15~ For my side I ordered the Brussels Sprouts (normally $5~)

To be honest, having the ability to choose a side to go with my dish helped me make my decision cuz I really wanted the brussels sprouts. haha. And they were delicious. Charred perfectly... I still don't know how restaurants char their brussels sprouts cuz I can never get it to that level. The salmon comes in ciabatta but I saw on Yelp that someone got it in a pita. I asked the waiter and he says they can totally do that. It was so good! The salmon was cooked well, had so much flavor. The pita was warm and soft. The basil pesto and lemon aioli paired so well with everything. I was hoping I could take some to go but I finished everything! It was a good size too cuz I was full but not exploding. When we got the check I did notice there was a $1 extra charge for getting the brussels sprouts. The menu didn't indicate the upcharge and neither did the waiter when we ordered, but he told me later that because the brussels sprouts was a dollar more than the other sides, there's an extra $1 charge. Hmmm.. wish I had known that. But I don't think that would've really changed my order. Still, after tax and tip... I didn't think I'd spend over $20... 

My friend on the cleanse got the Seasonal Hash Bowl (two eggs your way, sweet potato, apple, bacon, toasted sunflower seed, dried currants, golden raisins) $8~ She had them replace the bacon with avocado so she can stay on track. It was a big portion. The sweet potatoes were cooked well. She really enjoyed it.

Man Cakes (Berkshire pork tenderloin, buttermilk pancakes, eggs your way, jalapeno jelly) $15~ This sounded amazing. I think the girl who ordered this was expecting a big portion. I think we all were. I mean... with a name like "Man Cakes" I want it to be a manly portion! It was pretty small. When they brought it to the table we all looked down and kinda laughed. She said it was good though. She finished it all and then ate the rest of her friend's dish. haha.

The King (vanilla French toast, rum spiced caramel, grilled banana, sea salt almond butter mousse, bacon) $15~ This looked awesome. We were all wishing we ordered it when it came. I got to try a bite. Yummmm! I loved the almond butter mousse. The toast was done well too. I'd get this next time I go.

Wake Up Omelette (chorizo, pickled jalapeno, Dallas mozzarella, avocado lime creme, frites) $12~ Looked like a pretty standard omelette... a little small, but my friend said it was tasty. The fries were really good. We couldn't stop eating them.

It was a great meal. I think everyone liked what they ordered. It took a while for the food to come out though, I wonder if that is normal since they were really busy. And most of the dishes came out at the same time except one... But we weren't in a rush so no worries. I'll definitely go back!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~