City Hall Bistro - Blog and Brunch Edition

If you haven't noticed that I'm obsessed with City Hall Bistro, then you haven't been paying attention. haha. So when I got invited to the January Blog and Brunch, I responded pretty much instantly, and then counted down the days! So excited!

City Hall Bistro - Brunch
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 651-3686
www.cityhallbistro.com
Price: $$-$$$

Love the space. Duh. :P But a tip for foodies who wanna take photos... request tables in the back, where the windows are. Instant lighting! You're welcome.

We had a big group that day... 20 people or so? Biggest Blog and Brunch I've been to. And you know what that means?! MORE food! :P We had a feast that was to die for. Keep scrolling for all the pics. Also... follow @blogandbrunchdfw on Instagram! :)

Breakfast Bread (muffin, daily bread, croissant, pain au chocolate) $5~ I didn't know where to start first! 

I wanted one of everything! But I had my eye on those chocolate croissants. Probably one of the best chocolate croissants I've ever had. Mainly because it was completely filled with chocolate. Most places have that sad little dab of chocolate in the middle. At City Hall Bistro, they're not stingy. The dark chocolate was awesome, and the croissants themselves were flaky and buttery. 

Another favorite was the carrot (and maybe banana or zucchini?) bread. I normally get turned off by anything carrot, but the way they crisped the edges of each slice... it was bomb. Texture was so good. I won't be mad if I get my vegetables that way. :P

Cheese (fruit jam, honeycomb, raisin pecan toast) $12~ I skipped this one because I'm not one for cheese boards. Need more stomach room for all the other foods!

Papas Bravas (crispy potato, garlic aioli, smoked paprika) $5~ Freaking love these potatoes. They are packed with flavor. Highly recommend!

Greek Yogurt (pomegranate, blueberry, caramelized honey, basil, blueberry meringue crisp) $10~ 

This was surprisingly one of my favorites for the day. I NEVER order yogurt at restaurants because... why? haha. But this was SO good. I actually went back 2 weeks later and got it. By myself. I mean... it's healthy! The yogurt is swirled with vanilla bean. The best thing on there is the blueberry meringue crisp. Adds a light and crispy texture to the creamy yogurt. It's not too tart, not too sweet. Just perfect. Just a note: most of the stuff we got were for sharing so they were bigger portions. Like the yogurt, the actual portion is individual sized... see photo with spoon. It's still quite filling though, just not great for sharing.

Hazelnut Waffle (nutella, banana, pure maple syrup) $12~ Always a good choice. I've already had this before. It's a solid dish if you want sweet for breakfast.

Frittata (roasted mushroom, leek, arugula, cheddar, tomato chutney) $15~ Um. Probably one of the best frittatas I've ever tasted. I don't even know how they packed so many flavors into this little slice of egg.

Mushroom Tartine (tarragon mascarpone, pickled beech mushroom, mustard seed, soft poached egg) $13~ Prettiest dish you ever did see. They were topped with edible flowers, so it's literally a garden on a piece of bread. Check out the perfectly poached egg p0rn. :P

Shakshuka (farm egg, roasted pepper, spicy tomato, ciabatta toast) $16~ I think this is my first shakshuka. It's basically poached eggs in tomato sauce and spices. Not sure if it's "authentic" but it was quite delicious. I really liked the flavor of the spicy tomato sauce.

Creme Brulee Toast (kumquat, vanilla custard, mint) $14~ I was very excited about this dish as I love french toast. However, I think it was one of the weaker dishes. The presentation is clean and pretty, but I like a fluffier french toast. It was more compact and flat...

Cauliflower (golden raisin, smoked paprika aioli) $10~ I love their cauliflower dish. Especially when served on the wood board. The addition of the golden raisins elevates the dish imo. And just a tip... you can get this during their Happy Hour for $5. :)

What a fantastic spread. My favorites still tend to favor the sweet stuff. hehe. Thank you, City Hall Bistro and Blog and Brunch, for having me. I'm ready for their new menu items now. hehe. In case you didn't know.. they change up their menu items from time to time. So most of the dishes I've had the first time I went are already not available. T_T So you better make reservations soon, if you want to try any of these!

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Blog and Brunch at Fearing's

I look forward to Blog and Brunch with my food blogger friends every month. The months where I'm busy or out of town, I'm always so bummed. I'm glad I was available this month though! Because we're having brunch at Fearing's inside the Ritz Carlton, y'all! I have never accepted an invitation so fast in my life! haha. This is definitely going to be a special treat. :D

Fearings - The Ritz Carlton
2121 McKinney Ave.
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 922-4848
http://fearingsrestaurant.com
Price (for brunch): $$$$

If you haven't heard of Chef Dean Fearing, you probably don't go out to eat much or you just moved to Dallas. haha. He's a huge name in the Dallas food scene. You can read up about him here. We were all super psyched to be here!

We were seated at a large square table in the back dining room, right by the kitchen and the action! The place was packed and everyone was slightly dressed up. It IS the Ritz... gotta fancy it up a little, ya? hehe.

Get Rattled - Food/Drink Specials & Live Music

Some people started with some sangria. White Peach Sangria $12~ It's so pretty and full of fresh fruits. Waiters came by with either still or sparkling water.

Then we got to meet the Executive Chef. Chef Eric Dreyer was super nice and greeted our table. He's quite young! It was such a treat to be personally welcomed by the chef, especially of such an establishment. He actually came by and checked on us a few times througout the meal. And we got a group photo with him at the end. :)

As we looked over the menu... everything looked amazing. It was really hard making a decision, but we all knew we wanted the Breaking Bread (Pecan Brioche Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon/Cheese/Chive Scones, Banana Bread, Buttermilk Biscuits; mixed berry jam, honey, Vermont butter) $5~ You get 2 of each kind of bread. 

They served us 3 samplers. THREE. That's a lot of carbs. Wonderful, delicious carbs. It was my cheat day obviously so I'm going all out!! My favorite was the buttermilk biscuit. It was perfect with the butter and berry jam. But everything else was good too. I liked that the scone was savory since everything else was sweet. It was a nice variety. We had a ton left over. And guess who got to take it all home?! ME!!!! Yaaassssss!

To give you an idea on how brunch at Fearing's works. You can either do 'The Whole Enchilada' - Choice of Starter, Main Course, Dessert for $42~ Or order everything 'a la Carte' - Starters $12~, Main Course $26~, Dessert $10~ If you are hungry, go for the Whole Enchilada for sure.

STARTERS:
Dean's Tortilla Soup (with South of the Border Flavors). This is Fearing's famous tortilla soup. We got a taster of it. It was poured table side, which I love... always a great presentation. The flavors of this soup is really bold. I liked the thin strips of tortilla and radishes in the soup. The little chunks of avocado was nice too. I'm not really a soup person so my opinion is not the best to judge by... but EVERYONE at the table were Mmmm and Ahhh-ing all over it. It was a HUGE hit. So the hype is real.

Chilled Shrimp Campeche Cocktail (with avocado/jicama salad, and chile lime plantain chips). I really enjoyed this though. The shrimp were plump and tender. The dish was very refreshing. All the elements complimented each other... the creaminess of the avocado and the crispness of the jicama. Yum! And eat it with the plantain chips for that added crunch!

House Smoked Salmon Flatbread (with whipped goat cheese, hand picked dill, crispy capers, pickled onions, heirloom tomatoes). I did not try this as I don't like smoked salmon OR goat cheese. So I let the others enjoy it.

Warm Buttermilk Doughnut Holes (with honeycrisp apple butter, and house made sage sausage). 

It was unanimous at the table that we order this. I really liked the presentation but somehow it just doesn't turn out in photos. This dish is not as expected. I'd have to say I was a little disappointed. Although I liked the sage flavor in the sausage, it was lacking salt. Since there was not much salt, the sausage was almost more sweet than savory. The donuts themselves had good texture but without dipping a lot of the apple butter, it wasn't sweet enough. Overall it was just a little lacking.

HOT PLATES:
Gaby's Migas (chorizo and scrambled eggs in a flour tortilla with salsa verde, queso fundido and charred tomato/avocado salad). 

This was certainly not my idea of migas. I thought usually it's tortilla chips or strips mixed in with eggs and meat and stuff. This was more like a burrito? But no matter... it was so good. I'd say it was my favorite entree of the day. That tortilla texture was fantastic and all the flavors were great. Especially that salsa verde. I even asked for extra salsa verde so I can dip my fried chicken into it. haha.

Granny Fearing's 'Paper Bag Shook' Fried Chicken (with whipped potatoes, all day green beans and tomato gravy). 

This was my choice. It's not very photogenic but that fried chicken was amazing. It's just barely breaded and fried so it's got the crispness without the heavy breading. The chicken was super moist and tender. The whipped potatoes were nice and creamy. The green beans and tomato gravy were kind of a let down. The green beans were pretty basic, kinda soft. The gravy... wasn't sure if they forgot to season it, but it didn't have much flavor. I just got the salsa verde from the migas and slathered my chicken with it though. Delicious! haha.

Red Chile Glazed Crispy Fish Tacos (wrapped in white corn tortillas with firecracker slaw, cilantro/tomatillo rice, and house made escabeche). A pretty dish. Lots of colorful veggies. It looked pretty light. I tried a small bite of the fish, but couldn't really tell anything from that. haha.

Buffalo Chili 'Benedict' (on jalapeno cheddar cheese biscuits with poached farm fresh egg and poblano hollandaise). Those soft poached eggs were unreal! I've never seen soft poached like that before. It's pretty impressive. They almost look like mochi to me. haha. Loved the biscuits on the bottom.

Dr. Pepper Braised Short Ribs (with 'Loaded' whipped potatoes and crispy tobacco onions). This was definitely the crowd pleaser of the day. Not only was it a beautiful dish, but that short rib was fork tender and full of flavor. The crispy onions on top was a great pairing. Everyone who got this cleaned their plates.

Grilled BBQ Glazed Filet (on Brazos Valley jalapeno grits with a tangle of greens, smoked bacon, poached egg, and traditional hollandaise). Also a fantastically soft poached egg. I only tried a bite of the grits which was good. But it looked like a well rounded dish.

We were all really full but we can't have a meal without trying the desserts! They had 3 on the menu so we got all 3 for the table. :P

DESSERT:
Banana Pudding (with homemade vanilla wafers, toasted meringue, bananas foster sauce and warm beignets). A cute presentation, but again, the photos don't do it justice. It was yummy. The best part was the banana ice cream imo.

Double Dark Chocolate Cake (with hazelnut mousse, blood orange sauce, and coffee toffee ice cream). 

This was the show stopper for me. Absolutely gorgeous presentation. That tuile/crisp though... So delicate and intricate and beautiful. Not to mention yummy! The cake was super moist. I love the coffee flavors in there. Helped to accent the chocolate. That hazelnut mousse was oh so luscious. I do have one little nitpick though.. they should've removed the strings from the mandarin slices. haha. I think it took away from the presentation a little.

Fried Blueberry Pies and Blueberry Crisp (with lemon cheesecake ice cream, and graham cracker crunch). 

Such a fun dessert. Cute presentation and ALL THE BLUEBERRIES! My favorite part was the fried pie. I loved the crust. I wish all the ice cream scoops were much larger though. We always run out of ice cream before everything else. :P

It was a great brunch overall. I loved spending time with my fellow bloggers, we always have so much fun. The ambiance was bright and energetic in the dining room by the kitchen. Chef Eric Dreyer took great care of us as well as the wait staff. There were a few misses here and there but there were so much other delicious foods that I was beyond full. I'm still dreaming of that Breaking Bread sampler. I love my carbs! :) And gimme that chocolate cake all day every day!

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

The Cookery Dallas - Interactive Dining Experience!

This past weekend I was a part of something awesome. I finally got to check out The Cookery Dallas! I met Kelly, the owner (and instructor), at The Cookery, back in December. She was talking about her upcoming business concept and I was immediately interested. So when I found out this month's location for @BlogAndBrunchDFW was at The Cookery, I all but invited myself. :P

The Cookery Dallas
1130 Dragon St. #180
Dallas, TX 75207
(469) 400-8514
www.thecookerydallas.com
Price: $95~ per person/class

Along with my fellow food bloggers, we arrived at The Cookery this past Sunday around noon. We had brought our own champagne and orange juice to make mimosas, but usually these classes include a few cocktails. This place is super cute, y'all! Big open space, and there was a nicely set long table at the front. That's where we'll be feasting! And I love all the wall decor. Kitchen goals for sure!

Kelly greeted us as we arrived. We also met Fiona, who is another instructor there. We're all frantically snapping away with our phones and cameras. Everything was very casual. They got the mimosa bar set up and Kelly had prepped some Veggie Crudites (with Green Goddess Dressing). You can also make coffee, tea, or have some orange infused water. That Green Goddess Dressing is no joke... so delicious. I think I overheard Kelly saying it's her secret recipe though.

Once everyone arrived, we got started. We all washed our hands in their very cute sink station and got our aprons on. Then we stood around the main counter and introduced ourselves. Even though we already knew most everyone in the group, it's a good way to get things started. This was their first ever "Best of Brunch" class. There were 3 courses we were making. And this isn't like the type of cooking class where everyone gets a station and does the same thing. It's an open kitchen. Everything is very casual and absolutely no pressure. You can participate as much or as little as you want. Kelly and Fiona would start something for us and pass it off to someone. Then they would move on to another component and pass it off there. So there's constant interaction with the food prep and the people. We had a blast! I'm sure at some point everyone got to get their hands in something. I got to use the blow torch btw. Since I don't drink and the others have all had a few mimosas, they left the fire wielding to me. Muahahahaha. It was awesome. And of course there was just nonstop picture and video taking. It's quite interesting when you get a group of food bloggers together. We make quite a scene. hehe.

First Course:
Grapefruit Brûlée & Cardamom Ricotta (with toasted pistachios). We made everything from scratch, so we got to make ricotta from scratch. It's surprisingly easy. It's basically boiled milk, lemon juice, and then strained. I'm gonna be making ricotta like a mofo once I get some cheesecloth!! :P 

We seasoned the ricotta with cardamom... it's so fragrant! And we also sweetened part of it with powdered sugar. For the grapefruit part, we took these juicy segments, tossed them with turbinado sugar, spread them out on a sheet pan and took the blow torch to them. You can immediately see the grapefruit start to blister and char... essentially bruleeing and caramelize the sugars. 

Then we crushed up some toasted pistachios. Now, I would've never imagined putting these 3 ingredients together. For one, I've never been a fan of grapefruit. But these were super juicy and the sugar sweetened them. But the sweet/tart grapefruit, layered with the creamy ricotta, then topped with the crunch and nuttiness of the pistachio was just the perfect combination of flavors and texture. It was light and refreshing, and just wonderful. I got to try something new and loved it. I ended up eating two cups of it. There was an extra! I wasn't about to let it go to waste! :P Plus I was starving. haha.

While we prepped the first course, we were also prepping for the other courses... scooping out the cantaloupe for the 3rd course, picking the herbs for the compound butter, etc.

Second Course:
Irish Soda Bread (with herb compound butter). I've had Irish Soda Bread before, but this was on a whole other level. It turned out amazing and it was also very easy. The outside was crusty and buttery, while the inside was pillowy and more buttery! 

The compound butter is basically herbs, we used parsley, tarragon, and I think one more herb? and you just put it in a food processor with some butter. Blend it up. Roll it in some plastic wrap and put in the fridge to harden. The two paired beautifully together. This was my favorite. IF I had to choose.

Oven Poached Ham & Sweet Potato Hash Egg Nests. This was the easiest thing ever. You get thin slices of ham and put on the bottom of the muffin pan, to create the "nest". Then you put a scoop of the sweet potato hash, which is basically sauteed onions, bell peppers, and parboiled sweet potatoes. Then top with a raw egg. You bake it in the oven for ~13 minutes until the whites of the egg is firm and, voila, it's done. Topped with chopped chives for some color.

Spicy Lemon Hollandaise. This is hard work, y'all. HollanDAZED for sure! :P haha. Jk. Don't be scared. It just needs a bit of muscle to whisk it all together. But if you don't want to do that, I think you can put into a food processor too. Fiona was a beast! She whisked it all by hand. Added some cayenne and tabasco for that spicy kick!

Apple Fennel Slaw (with citrus gastrique). The citrus gastrique was made using the juice from the grapefruit, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. You cook it till it's all bubbly and then you test the consistency. They shaved fennel and diced apples into thin slices, and tossed it with the gastrique and some fennel fronds. It's kind of licorish-y if you've never had fennel. It was very refreshing and crunchy.

Just look at this spread!!!!

Third Course:
Cantaloupe Granita (mint). We had to start prepping this course from the beginning. We scooped out the flesh of the cantaloupe, sweetened it with a splash of simple syrup and pureed it in a food processor. 

Simple syrup is basically 1 part water mixed with 1 part sugar. Then you pour it onto a flat sheet pan and put it in the freezer. Every 20 minutes or so, you take it out and "fluff" it with a fork to make it light and airy. By the time we were ready to plate it, it looks like this: You can do this with most fruits I think, as long as there's enough liquid. It was super refreshing and light. I was so full after our feasting that I was glad that we didn't have some heavy dessert as the third course. This was perfect. And it's so pretty!

We brought our own booze and juice. But here is what The Cookery's website has listed in the Best of Brunch class. These drinks are included with the class: Champagne Cocktail, and Cucumber Infused Vodka Bloody Marys. Oooooo!

The next "Best of Brunch" classes are on the schedule:

Saturday, March 4, 2017 @ 12PM
Sunday, March 26, 2017 @ 1PM

Book your class today! Or check out some of their other classes. I'm really interested in the "Pasta Perfecto!" class where you get to learn to make your own pastas!!!! One might think the price is a little expensive... but think of it this way. If you go to any fairly nice restaurants in Dallas and get a 3 course meals with cocktails, it'll run you at least $70-100 a person. This means the fun part of the class and cooking is essentially free! :) Plus it's something different, great for your next girls' night out, or date night, or even work team outing!


Quality of Food:

Service:

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Value: (comped)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~