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I got to check out District Food & Wine in the Design District last week. I had heard positive things about the restaurant so I was definitely looking forward to it. They're open for lunch M-F, and dinner service is only Th-S, closed on Sundays. I couldn't make it out for dinner so I invited a friend that works downtown for a long lunch. :)
District Food & Wine
921 N Riverfront Blvd. #300
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 792-9729
https://districtfoodwine.com
Price: $$-$$$
The Design District is a cool place but still has a lot of opportunities for expansion/development. It's quite far out for me from home and work so I rarely go to that area. So I'd consider District Food and Wine to be a hidden gem. I think more people need to know more about this area as well.
Walking in, the restaurant was pretty empty... only a couple tables taken. But the place has floor to ceiling windows on 2 sides of the building so it had a bright and open feeling. And perfect for photos! :) The hostess grabbed the owner for us when we arrived. Jeff is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Just the first handshake and I felt like he was so genuinely happy to have us there. We were seated close to the window for optimal lighting. And Jeff proceeded to take care of us for the entire duration of the lunch.
We started with some Bread (rubbed with garlic; served with butter). It looked simple but it was freshly baked...warm and fluffy on the inside, crispy edges, and the garlic rub perfumed our noses.
Jeff gave us the run down on the menu, as well as their daily specials.
Then he told us that he is already going to send out some of their Risotto Balls and Meatballs (tomato basil sauce). Normally the Risotto Balls are $7~
It was nice to get a little sampler so we're not getting too much food. The risotto balls were super cute and delicate. He explained that they are actually gluten free! They were deliciously airy and light for a fried rice ball. Without the breadcrumbs they were really able to lighten it up. Soooo yummy with the tomato sauce. The meatballs were good too but the risotto balls stole the show.
As we were waiting for our entrees, I saw that more and more people were coming in. And Jeff greeted each table himself. That's really great service and hospitality.
I chose the Grilled Salmon (Scottish salmon, grilled vegetables, jalapeno mustard sauce) $17~
I wanted to be a little healthier since 1) I've been eating a whole lotta fried foods last week, and 2) I wanted to get the Mac n Cheese. hahaha. He told me that they typically cook their salmon medium rare, which is perfect. And you know what? They were SPOT on with the cook temp. The fish was beautifully pink on the inside and insanely tender. And that sauce... you can see the whole grain mustard in there and it paired perfectly with the fish. It was a pretty plate. Again, everything's so simple, but extremely well executed. It was refreshing to see a place that just does good food instead of trying to be "epic" or "trendy" or whatever.
My friend got the Rigatoni (with tomato basil vodka sauce; added chicken) $10~
He added chicken since the original dish does not have a meat. It was really good. I love vodka sauce. I wish the chicken pieces were a tad bigger, it got lost a little bit in the dish. Other than that, no complaints!
Mac & Cheese (with truffle oil) $7~
I HAD to get this. I've been seeing so many posts on social media of this one dish. The truffle was so fragrant and smelled so good. It was still bubbling a little when it was brought to the table. It's not stringy cheesy like a lot of other macs (like the long cheese pull) but it definitely was not lacking any cheese! I freaking loved that crust on top. It was legit, and it definitely lived up to all the hype.
It was a great lunch. And we weren't too stuffed. But then we had to get dessert right? hehe. :P
Jeff highly highly recommended the Lemon Cake (mascarpone frosting, white chocolate curls) $7~
And that's the main thing I've been seeing on their Yelp page. I'm not really a huge lemon fan but I was really intrigued. I'm soooooo glad we got it. It is seriously THE BEST lemon cake I've ever had in my life. No joke! It was so light and fluffy. The frosting was made with mascarpone so it was really light as well. But was still somehow luscious. The amount of lemon was spot on. It had just the right amount of tartness... a lot of lemon desserts tend to be too sour for me. Or too sweet because they overuse sugar to cut the citrus. Both my friend and I agreed it was the best lemon dessert either of us have ever had. I wonder if I can order a whole cake for a party or something.... :P
Chocolate Cake (chocolate ganache) $7~
We only ordered the lemon cake, but Jeff said he was also sending out the chocolate cake. haha. I love chocolate so I wasn't gonna say no! :P The chocolate cake was also fantastic. The filling was light, and the ganache was rich... the cake was surprisingly not overly sweet. And it was super moist. Normally I would opt for chocolate, but in this case, the lemon cake still won out. Needless to say, we finished the lemon cake. haha. And actually made it through more than half of the chocolate as well.
We had a great time. Jeff was the most wonderful host. And the food was just simply delicious. I want to send everyone I know there... so GO!!! I really hope they stick around for a really long time. Thank you, District Food & Wine, for having us. I hope I will make it back in the near future. :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
On Tuesday, a friend of mine got a last minute invitation to Cadillac's Road to Table event (presented by Cadillac and Bon Appetit). He had been on the waiting list for several weeks and they contacted him the afternoon of the event. So it wasn't until 2 or 3PM that day when he called me to see if I wanted to go. Initially we were hesitant since it was such late notice and it didn't start til 8:15PM in downtown. (We both live in West Plano...btw. It's a bit of a drive.) But we decided to go. Why not? Do something new. Plus it includes a full dinner featuring some special chef!
I started do some digging into the event since I knew nothing of it. I realized that the featured chef was Matt McCallister of FT33! One of the hottest new restaurants in Dallas and of course it's been on my radar since it opened a year ago!! Now I'm super excited!
I met up with my friend and we carpooled downtown. We arrived at the Cadillac venue, got registered, and they told us we'll have a car waiting for us to test drive to the restaurant. Restaurant?? I assumed we'd just have some food made by the chef at the venue, but we get to actually go to his restaurant?!?! I'm on cloud 9 by this point. haha.
So Cadillac was featuring their new ATS which we got to test drive. It's a pretty sweet car. Lots of leg room, smooth ride, and plenty of gadgets.
And then we arrived at FT33. OMG OMG OMG!!! I still can't believe this is happening! This place has been at the top of my list for a while and I heard it's pretty hard to get a reservation. And now we get to have a 3 course meal AND meet the chef? So excited my heads about to pop! hahaha.
While driving to the restaurant, our Cadillac rep actually gave us a brief background on the name of the restaurant. Apparently FT33 stands for "fire table 33". Table 33 is a table for 6 that is directly in front of the kitchen, and deemed the best seat in the house. Cool! That's a nice little trivia. And I said how awesome would it be if we got to sit there tonight! :P
FT33
1617 Hi Line Drive, Suite 250
Dallas, Texas 75207
(214) 741-2629
http://ft33dallas.com/
Price: $$$$
We were greeted by people from Cadillac. So far I've been very impressed with their friendliness and professionalism. Everything was running very smoothly since we didn't have much event details to go on. We were directed to some waitresses with cocktails and wine. They told us that dinner wasn't starting for another 20 minutes so feel free to have some drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
I started with a Gimlet. Pretty good! But I need some food in me so I don't pass out! haha.
Several waiters walked around with food on wood platters. I loved the presentation!
Chicken Liver Mousse. Very rich mousse and quite livery. Liver is not usually my thing. But you could tell the quality and smoothness of the mousse is good.
Next was a Pork Terrine of some sort. With some kind of gelee on top. It was beautifully presented and my favorite hors d'oeuvres of the night.
Charcuterie Board. Hard to eat in passing but the meats paired well with the pickled vegetables.
Then it was time for dinner. We walked into the restaurant and looked for a table to sit. A lot of the tables were pushed together so we had to sit with other people. Which is cool. We met some good/interesting people at our table. And guess what, when we walked in, there were 2 seats left at table 33! It's like fate. It was left there just for us! :D I couldn't stop taking pictures of the kitchen. haha.
Here's a blurb I got from the FT33 website on the restaurant...
"FT33 is Chef Matt McCallister’s first solo venture, opened on October 13, 2012 in Dallas and serving “season-inspired modern cuisine.” He showcases the highest-quality products and treats them with respect. “I don’t print my menu until I know which ingredients are best that day,” he explains."
It's pretty cool that he doesn't finalize his menu until that day. This ensures the best quality of ingredients. I'm super impressed!
Before dinner, a rep from Cadillac welcomed us all, and then introduced the chef and he talked about his food and restaurant for a bit. They did this in between every course so we got to understand more about the restaurant and also the dishes we were eating. Each course was paired with wine as well. OMG! And the waiters just keep refilling your glasses. haha. I wish I drank wine! XP
For the first course we had Farro Risotto (herbs, wild mushrooms, puffed grains, kale juice).
I love farro (ever since I saw Giada De Laurentiis cook with it. hehe). I love the texture and this dish was fantastic. All the flavors were balanced and there were several layers of textures. The kale juice kept it fresh while the puffed grains added a crunch. And the wild mushrooms were earthy. Loved it! I did hear mixed reviews from other people though. Farro is not a common ingredient so some people didn't know what to make it, especially when they see "risotto" and already had a different expectation. And some didn't like the texture. For me, I'd take chewy and crunchy over soft and mushy any day! I think if you like cous cous, quinoa, wheat berry, or the like... then you'll love this dish.
For the main course it was a Sterling Lamb Duo (salsify, apples, coffee-chocolate crumble, pumpkin).
I was nervous about this dish since I don't like lamb at all. There's a stank and gaminess to it that I just cannot stand. But I told my friend I'm going to eat it all! The presentation was fantastic. It looked small but it was quite filling. The piece on the left was lamb shoulder. It was leaner but still super tender and moist. The meat was fork tender. And guess what, I did not mind it being lamb at all! I could still get a hint of the gaminess but the meat was cooked so well that I didn't even care. The piece on the right was the lamb belly. You know how I feel about pork belly and this was pretty close. Again, fork tender. It was amazing. Every element on the plate was fantastic, but it worked together so well to make an even better complete dish. The pumpkin puree was magnificent. Everyone at our table raved about it. Silky smooth and you can really taste the pumpkin. The sweetness paired with the lamb superbly. There was another sauce that was an apple puree. It was so fresh, it help cut the fattiness of the lamb belly. The salsify is a type of root vegetable. You'd think it would be hard but it was tender with just the right amount of crispness. And the coffee chocolate crumble? Genius! It wasn't overly sweet or bitter, but helped elevate the flavor of the lamb. And I liked the extra crunch it gave the dish. Gorgeous dish... and so yummy.
For dessert we had Roasted Sweet Potato Budino (coffee, cocoa nibs).
I was really excited about this. Budino is basically pudding. But his budino had this fantastic texture. My friend and I were wondering how they got the consistency. The budino was rich and smooth and paired nicely with the soft and fluffy mocha cream. The coffee and cocoa nibs added a slight bitterness and depth of flavor to the pudding. And I liked the texture of the crumble and thin brittle/wafer pieces on top. A perfect end to a fantastic meal. I scraped every plate clean!
Such an amazing experience. Flavor and texture explosion! haha. I'm so thankful for my friend for bringing me! :D After the dinner we got to meet the chef. Holla! I told him that I had never eaten more than a bite of lamb in one sitting and I cleaned my plate! I hope he knows that's probably the biggest compliment I can give him. haha. I'm super impressed that the chef is so young too. Only a few years older than me. This Saturday will mark their one year anniversary of FT33!! Yay!!! Best wishes to Chef Matt McCallister and the FT33 team. Actually, if they continue to do what they do, they really don't need any luck! :)
Quality of Food:
Service: 4.5
Ambiance: 4.5
Value: n/a (courtesy of Cadillac & Bon Appetit)
Overall Experience: 5
But wait... the night's not over yet! The Cadillac people have brought over Escalades to drive all the guests back to the venue. Since everyone's been drinking they shuttled us back. Never been in an Escalade before! Sweeet! We got to sit in one of the uber big Escalade ESV's. :)
Back at the venue there were more desserts (from La Duni) as well as gourmet coffee. You can also walk around and look at some of the new cars. We were stuffed, but of course I tried all the different desserts. :P
We also got a gift bag to go! Wow... I'm so happy I got to experience this event. And impressed from beginning to end, with Cadillac and FT33. Professional, welcoming, and enthusiastic. What a night! :) And the cars were really nice! If you are in the market, don't forget to check out Cadillac.
Overall Event:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Since I was out of town on a ski trip
on Valentines Day, we celebrated our
Vday this past Saturday. I had given a
few restaurant options to my bf and he
made a reservation at Oak. I've been
wanting to go there forever!!! I've
heard nothing but rave reviews about
it. I was SUPER excited!
Oak
1628 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 712-9700
http://oakdallas.com/
Price: $$$-$$$$$
Jason Maddy is the Executive Chef at
Oak and I recently read that he is one
of the 2013 James Beard Award
Semifinalists!! Congrats to him! It's a very
prestigious title to receive in the
food industry. It maked me even more
excited to be there.
It's located in the Design District. An
area in Dallas I don't frequent much
but would like to... There's some cool
places there! One thing I really liked
was that they had a pretty big parking
lot. hehe. It's always frustrating to
try and find parking downtown.
Walking around the building... I really
liked the architecture of the building.
They had big open windows and made the
place look very welcoming. Upon
entering, we were warmly greeted by the
host. I was immediately impressed by
the place. The decor was awesome. It
was classy, sophisticated, yet warm and
welcoming. The furniture was eclectic
but yet everything fit together
beautifully. We got a nice big booth
for just the 2 of us. It was very
comfortable and well lit! I don't like
it when it's so dark for "mood
lighting" that you can't even see your
food!!
Our waiter was very nice and took our
drink orders. We each got a cocktail.
Designer's Touch (veev, strawberry,
basil, sesame oil) on the left. The
Antoinette (tito's vodka, prosecco,
cointreau, blackberry puree, lemon) on
the right.
We each tried both of them.
He liked The Antoinette and I liked
Designer's Touch better! Haha! It all
works out. :P If you like blackberries
you would like The Antoinette. But I
particularly liked Designer's Touch
because of how interesting it is. It
has sesame oil in it!! I could smell
and taste the sesame oil which was
super fragrant, but totally works with
the strawberry and basil. Definitely
surprised me a little. It had a hint of
savory, but with the sugar rimmed glass
was still a sweet drink. The flavors
all worked and balanced together. YUM!
We were given their Winter 2013 menu.
If you look at their website, some of
the items have changed on the current
menu. Everything sounded awesome.
After we ordered we were given some
bread. Raisin Bread and French? bread
with cinnamon butter. Both were great
with the cinnamon butter. So far so
good!
I already knew one of the appetizers I
wanted to get. Moroccan Octopus & Pork
Jowls (aji panca, radish, cilantro)
$16~
Anything with crispy pork is good
by me! The plate was beautifully
presented. It was so colorful and clean
and delicate. It was AMAZING!!!! The
pork had just the right amount of fat
and crisped to perfection. The octopus
had great texture, although the pieces
were quite small. There were also small
dices of apple with the cilantro oil
which added a light sweetness. The
entire dish had so many complex flavors
and everything worked together so well.
I wanted 2 more plates of this! Did NOT
disappoint! I'd say it rivals the
octopus and pork belly dish at Spoon.
Although the octopus at Spoon was
better and the pork at Oak was better.
hehe.
Kabocha Squash Ravioli (winter squash,
fennel pollen, sage butter) $15~
I
absolutely love Kabocha squash. It
almost reminds me of pumpkin. When the
plate came we were a little
disappointed in the portion size. There
were only 4 small pieces of ravioli...
Although presented beautifully as well.
Again, very delicate and clean. Soooooo
good! I really wish there was more! The
pasta on the ravioli was cooked
perfectly al dente. You get the
sweetness of the kabocha filling with
the creaminess of the sage butter. All
the additional elements just made each
bite better. It's really just too
small! haha. I need MORE!!
Scottish Salmon (rapini, hedgehog
mushrooms, sauce choron) $29~
For the
entree we shared the salmon. The waiter
offered to have the dish split for us
with no charge. The half size (shown in
the picture) was so cute and small.
haha. Very nicely presented on the
plate. I liked how they offered to
split it and was still beautifully
presented. The salmon had a great
crispy skin on it. It was a tad
overcooked for me since I like my
salmon a bit pink in the middle but it
was still really good. Underneath the
salmon there were actually small dices
of radish (I think) and smoked salmon
along with the rapini. I had to google
this.. Sauce Choron is basically a
variation of Bearnaise with the addition of
tomato paste, hence the orangey color.
It was perfect with the salmon and
mushrooms. The plate was like a work of
art, as was the other dishes we've had
so far. This is one of the reasons why
I started taking pictures of food years
ago. I love seeing food presentation.
It's an artform on it's own. :)
Brussels Sprouts (panko bread crunch,
garlic) $7~
As you know, I'm obsessed
with brussels sprouts... one of my
favorite vegetables in the past few
years. I had to get this. And it was
definitely the right choice. It was
sooo good. I can just get 2 orders of
this alone and have it for my meal! It
was nicely charred and had so much
flavor and texture from the garlic and
panko topping. My bf said it might even
be better than the appetizers we had
earlier!
We cleaned every single one of our
plates. And surprisingly, we were quite
full! Initially seeing the portion
sizes, we were worried there wasn't
enough food, but turned out to be
perfect. But of course, I had to see
the dessert menu. hahaha. I've waited
too long to come here without having a
complete meal experience!!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake (chocolate,
banana, macaron) $8~
We shared this.
Surprisinly the portion of the dessert
was pretty decent! haha. It was so
pretty once again. I've been impressed
with all the presentation during this
meal. The cheesecake was creamy and
peanut buttery. The base of it was
almost like a chocolate brownie. I
loved the crunch of the tuile that
surrounded the cheesecake. The bruleed
banana had a nice crunchy sugar shell.
There was also a banana puree under the
macaron and bruleed banana. The macaron
was chocolate with peanut butter
filling. It was amazing. But we didn't
force ourselves to finish it. We took
half of it to go (which made a nice
late night snack later!!)
This has been an awesome experience. I
had high hopes for this place and it
blew it out of the water. From the
decor to ambiance to food to service,
everything was spot on! Our waiter was
great. He was friendly and attentive
enough without being intrusive. He
joked with us but didn't get too
chummy. Everything was presented in a
timely manner and explained. It's been
one of the best meals I've had in
Dallas in a while. I think the last
time I had a great meal like this was
Chef John Tesar's Spoon. And I prefer
the ambiance at Oak more. But the food
at both places are spectacular. I'm so
glad I got to go. It had been a great
day and couldn't have been a better
ending. I look forward to going back to
Oak in the future. I definitely
recommend it for foodies and special
occasions. I'm still drooling as I'm
writing about all the food!! :D
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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