Back in November, I attended a Vegan Pop-Up Dinner in Bishop Arts District. I found this even through Instagram from someone I follow. Along with a 3 course vegan dinner, it also features a floral workshop. Sounds like so much fun! I got a friend to go with me, I was super excited.
This whole event was brought together through Instagram. I got to meet some great people and learn new things! Make sure you follow all these wonderful people!
Hosted by: @threetwelveco
Collaborators: @lalascakes, @wheatandsour, @wethebirdsmacarons, @vegannomstx, @clearlykombucha
Floral Workshop by: @thebackyardbouquet
Guest Speakers: @cgar1121, @plantbasedzak
We started with the floral workshop with Lauren from The Backyard Bouquet. It was lots of fun. She brought all these different types of flowers, herbs, berries, and other interesting plants. It was so eclectic. I love the addition of the herbs and berries. There was also wheat! We all got to pick our own plants and just let our creativity flow. Everyone's bouquets turned out so well!
Once the flowers were done, it was time for dinner! I've never had a full vegan meal. But I'm always interested in trying new diets and foods.
We started with the most amazing Butternut Squash Soup. With bread by Wheat and Sour. The soup was rich and warming and quite filling. The bread was fantastic with it. I used it to scrape the entire bowl clean. Soooo good!!
Clearly Kombucha provided the refreshments for the night. They were also the sponsors of the event. :)
Salad: Arugula, pear, radish, fresh lemon. It was light and fresh, really just highlights the ingredients.
Main Course: spaghetti squash, red sauce, roasted fall veggies, vegan provolone.
This was delicious. I loved the red sauce on the squash. The flavors were also light, but still complimented each other. I love that you can taste all the ingredients on their own. And guess what? I never missed the meat in the entire meal!
Dessert: dark chocolate pumpkin butter cups, chai vanilla orange spice macarons, spiced pear soaked vanilla sponge cake with vegan cinnamon buttercream, chocolate chip banana cookies.
A cute assortment of mini desserts. All vegan! That pumpkin butter cup was the best thing ever. I also really liked the chocolate chip cookie.
This was the most wonderful event. :) I enjoyed every minute of it. Learning about new flowers, how using herbs and vegetables makes an arrangement so interesting! And I was completely blown away by the dinner. Great job to all the people that cooked. Not once did I miss meat! After the meal, we had a short presentation by the guest speakers on the values of vegans. I learned it's not just a diet but a lifestyle and moral code. And I totally respect that.
So much fun. I hope they do another event like this again soon. Make sure you follow @threetwelveco for future events and pop ups. :)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Brunching with friends is one of the best things ever!! We decided to go check out Pink Magnolia in Oak Cliff. It's the newest restaurant by Chef Blythe Beck... known for her Southern, fried, and "naughty" cuisine.
Pink Magnolia
642 W. Davis Street
Dallas, TX 75208
(469) 320-9220
http://pinkmagnoliadallas.com
Price (for brunch): $$
We had a reservation but upon arrival, the place wasn't very full. We were seated immediately. The decor is interesting... faux grass, lots of colors. It's kinda like a garden party. I guess I can dig it.
Everything on the menu sounded yummy. But I'm a sucker for southern food, AND brunch. I asked our waitress for recommendations but she wasn't much help. She said all their menu items are the best versions she's ever had. I guess she has to say that right?? But it's of no help to me. haha.
I went with the Hoecake Stack (cornmeal cakes, grilled spicy sausage, bourbon maple syrup) $14~ I liked how the sausages and hoecakes were stacked but I wished the dish came with more... It was good, not great. I did like the sausage a lot.
Oak Cliff Cristo (smoky ham, honey turkey, melted swiss, strawberry port jam; with side of fries) $14~
My fiance got this. It was pretty yummy. The strawberry jam was an interesting addition to the savory sandwich. The fries would've been good if they were hot. It seemed like they were sitting out for awhile before being served.
Ham Benedict (toasted English muffin, sauteed spinach, grilled ham steak, poached eggs, cayenne hollandaise; with side of fries) $12~
A friend got this. She said it was ok. The eggs were kinda watery... like they didn't drain it enough after being poached. Eh.. The hollandaise was tasty though. And same slightly cold fries.
Bacon Cheddar Meatloaf Sandwich (melted cheddar, black pepper aioli, toasted ciabatta; with side of fries) $14~
Another friend ordered this. I was looking at this too, I'm totally regretting I didn't get this. I got to try a bite.
Oh it's sooo delicious. That bacon wrapped around the meatloaf. Om nom nom! By far the best thing we ordered. My fiance was sad that he didn't order this either.
I've heard nothing but great things about Pink Magnolia's desserts. So we had to try some. We were all pretty full so we got one thing to share. Maker's Mark Banana Pudding (vanilla wafers, whipped cream, caramelized banana) $10~
Ooooo wheee! This thing is LOADED with bourbon. Is it ok that we start day drinking?? It was super strong, and yum. That one banana pudding was large enough for the 4 of us to share.
It was an ok meal, aside from the awesome meatloaf. We were all a little disappointed. And the service was lacking despite business being slow. :( I saw Chef Beck in the back several times, but she never came out to greet the diners. Oh well.. I doubt I'd go back any time soon. There are so many more places to check out on my list.
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Sorry all, it's been a while... The last few months have been so hectic. Sick, traveling, holidays, sick again. Ugh. Plus I've just been so busy that I didn't wanna write at all... So the next few posts may be abbreviated but still with lots of yummy pictures! (That's the most important anyways, right??)
I've been wanting to take my fiance to Rise No. 1 forever. So one Friday night, I made him drive all the way out from Rockwall to meet me for dinner. Plus they had some seasonal items on the menu I really wanted to try.
Rise No. 1
5360 W. Lovers Ln.
Dallas, TX 75209
214-366-9900
www.risesouffle.com
Price: $$$-$$$$
We got started with some bread. I love the presentation with the bread cutter.
Rise No1 Salad (baby greens, blue cheese, roasted pecans, Granny Smith apples, pecan vinaigrette) $8~ Always a good choice. Not heavily dressed, the flavors are fresh and light. LOVE the roasted pecans on top.
Truffle Infused Mushroom Souffle $20~ Again, a great choice. I always order this when I go there. The smell is amazing! It's like cream of mushroom soup but fluffy!
Special: Crab Souffle (I think it had Gruyere cheese in it). First time having this. I loved the cheesy crust on top, and there were nice big chunks of crab throughout. I have to say Gruyere and souffles go together hand in hand.
Seasonal Pumpkin Souffle.
This was only available until the end of the year, so I had to try it. You KNOW I love me some pumpkin ANYTHING! It came with a sauce... don't remember what all is in it. But the sauce helped the souffle a lot. The souffle was disappointing. Not enough pumpkin and not very satisfying. I always realize that I like savory souffles over sweet ones when I come to dine here.
But I do still love this place. Great ambiance. Very intimate, great for date night. Service was a little spotty that night but they were also really busy.
And we went to Berrynaked for more dessert after. :P Go check them out... super fresh ingredients. They make everything from scratch. It's dessert, but healthier! Loved their Fall Festival.. sweet potato!! Yum! Aren't these gorgeous?!?
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
