Snug on the Square

Last month, I had a car appointment in McKinney so I took the opportunity to get some lunch in downtown McKinney beforehand. I called up a friend that works in the area and we met up at Snug on the Square. This place used to be just a small cafe, but it's now taken over the space next door and is now also a restaurant. I'm not so sure when the expansion happened but I love it!

Snug on the Square
109 N. Kentucky St.
McKinney, TX 75069
(972) 548-7684
http://snugonthesquare.com
Price: $

The food pictures I saw online were all pretty amazing looking. The restaurant itself was homey and cozy. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table.

I went with the Any Breakfast Sandwich + Coffee $6.95~ (Build Your Own Egg Sandwich: mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, baby spinach, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, and sausage; green salsa on the side) The lady at the register said I could sub with hot tea.

I got this thing loaded! It was quite tall. And super yummy. The bread was fluffy and held everything together. Layers and layers of egg, sausage and veggies. I'd totally get this again. The hot tea took some effort. Their hot water machine was broken apparently, but the lady at the register didn't know when she said I could sub for hot tea. I waited around for awhile, since the drinks were all self-serve, for someone to help me. Finally, one guy had to go next door to the cafe to get me some hot water. Yeeesh.


My friend got the Pick Any Sandwich + 1 Side $7.95~ Club Melt (roasted turkey, honey ham, bacon, melted swiss, honey dijon, lettuce, tomato; served on butter brioche) $6.50~ With Soup of the Day: Broccoli Cheese (I think?). 

She said the soup was really good. And her sandwich was pretty loaded too. We swapped halfsies and I got to try hers. Yum!

It was a fun lunch. I totally enjoyed the food. I'd like to go again soon!

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And since I'm there, I gotta stop by Emporium Pies! :)

Emporium Pies
107 S. Tennessee St.
McKinney, TX 75069
(214) 491-1577
http://emporiumpies.com
Price: $

Got the Buttercream Gang (buttermilk pie) $5~ I love me some buttermilk pie and theirs is great.

It was a good day. (Despite paying $$$$ for a set of new tires.) hehe.

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen - Lunch

I had a car appointment in McKinney early last week. So I took the opportunity to go back to Harvest! This time for their lunch service which only started a little over a week ago. I met up with my ex-boss (who was the one that told me about this place from the beginning), and he hasn't been there yet.

I had made a reservation, but the place was only about 30% full when we arrived at 12:30PM. Might've been the terrible rainy weather that slowed business? But I'm not sure if a lunch reservation on the weekdays is necessary.

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
112 E. Louisiana St.
McKinney, TX 75069
(214) 726-0251
http://harvesttx.com/
Price (for lunch): $$

I still love the decor so much. It was extra smokey inside that day though. The kitchen was in a cloud of smoke... I wonder if something burned?

We started with the Deviled Eggs (Texas pecans, pickled mustard seed, pickled red onions) $5~ I loved it the first time and it's just as good the second. My boss really liked it too. Just hits all the flavors and textures. :)

We both decided on the Fall Duo (choice of two: half sandwich, half salad, cup of soup) $9~

I got the Turkey Sandwich (house smoked turkey breast, jalapeno jelly, avocado, smoked cheddar, whole grain wheat bread). $9~ if you get the full sandwich and it comes potato chips. 

 

I laughed a little when our half sandwiches came. They looks so small! But this was so delicious!! I really wished there was more, but with the soup and the appetizer/dessert we got, I was plenty stuffed. The jalapeno jelly is what sealed the deal for me to order this. The waitress said it was pretty amazing and I took her advice. YUM! The jalapeno jelly was the cherry on top. It was sweet for the most part then I started getting a little bit of that jalapeno kick. It was perfect with the flavors of the smoked cheddar. The avocado added a richness to make the sandwich more substantial. I'd totally get this again. And I need to get my hands on a jar of that jalapeno jelly!

BLT (bacon, watercress, fried green tomatoes, sun-dried tomato aioli, Texas toast). My boss says he loves fried green tomatoes. It looked really good with that thick Texas toast. He said it was really good.

Butternut Squash Soup (cream, pumpkin seeds, paprika). 

We both got a cup of the soup. One of my favorite fall vegetable.. or just in general. haha. Doesn't have to be the fall. The soup was silky and luxurious. Creamy soups are my fav! I love the pumpkin seeds in there to add texture. I could've drank a bucket of this.

Grandma's 'Tomato Soup' Spice Cake (pecans, raisins, butter cream icing) $6~ 

We got this to share. It sounded super interesting. The waitress was explaining to us that the chef got this recipe from the 1930's, when dairy wasn't all that available so they used tomato soup as the wet ingredient in baking. Much like the concept of using apple sauce when baking. It was yummy. And a HUGE slice! Filled with dried fruits and nuts and just enough cream cheese frosting. You can't taste the tomato soup at all. We couldn't finish it between the 2 of us. I took 1/3rd of it home!

Delicious meal once again. And our waitress was fantastic. Still love this place! Can't wait to go back again. :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Emporium Pies - McKinney

*EDIT 11-4-14*
I went back to Emporium Pies yesterday. I had an appointment in McKinney, so I met my ex-boss for lunch at Harvest. I was really full, but I happened to park right in front of Emporium Pies so I HAD to go in. I HAD TO! XP It was calling to me. And then I found out they had wifi, so I was able to sit in there and do some work.

I ordered a hot tea first, hoping I could digest some of my lunch and then get a piece of pie. 2 hours later... I was still incredibly full. So I got a slice of pie to go.

Smooth Operator (french silk chocolate filling in a salty pretzel crust) $5~ 

This would be the 5th flavor out of their line-up of 7 flavors that I've tried. I took one bite before I popped it into the fridge at home. It was so rich and decadent. The French silk chocolate was so smooth (hence the name). Definitely needs a cup of milk, a scoop of ice cream or some tea. I liked the pretzel crust a lot. The hint of saltiness helps to balance out the rich chocolate filling. YUM! But I don't know if I can eat the whole slice in one sitting. hehe.

Next time I'm going to try the Nannerz... bananas with vanilla custard! :)

Oh.. I do wish they have a bell or something at the register because at one point I waited a long time before someone came out. I needed their wifi password!

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

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I was so excited when I found out Emporium Pies was opening a second location. But they chose McKinney, which is still so far from me. Oh well, I'll take whatever I can get. They're that good. At least this way whether I'm in the north or south of Dallas, I can get some pie! :P

Emporium Pies - McKinney
107 S. Tennessee St.
McKinney, TX 75069
(214) 491-1577
http://emporiumpies.com/
Price: $

As soon as I reserved our painting class in downtown McKinney, I immediately decided I will get some pies to go and have it during class. I'm excited! It's been almost a year and half since I've been to the original one in Bishop Arts. I've never been a huge pie person, but theirs is legit. All the pies are homemade and has no artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, dyes or corn syrup.

I jetted out of dinner and went to get some pie while my fiance and other friends went to check in at the painting class. There was a line at Emporium Pies. Not surprised, but I was in a hurry so I was really anxious. I could see the ladies behind the counter cutting slices of pies feverishly. It was nonstop and there were stacks of pies and to go containers everywhere. And I loved their packaging for the to go orders. Little wooden baskets tied in string with a wooden spoon. 

So homey and cute, just like their shop decor. The one in Bishop Arts is in a renovated old house. The one in McKinney is just a storefront but it's decorated in the same manner so when you step in, you get the same feeling.

I got a bunch to go, cuz when's the next time I'll be back?? The main one I really wanted to try was the Drop Dead Gourdgeous (gingersnap crust and pumpkin custard filled with cinnamon cloves and spice) $5~ 

I saw a picture of it on instagram last holiday season and I've been dreaming about it ever since. haha. I dug into it first chance I had while in class. It was so good. Probably one of the most flavorful pumpkin pies I've ever had. Whatever their blend of spices are, it packs a punch! The crust was flaky and buttery. I wish I had some tea, this would've been good with it.

Cloud 9 (house made caramel on the bottom, creamy butterscotch custard in the middle, toasted brown sugar meringue at the top) $5~ (Sorry, forgot to get a picture!) This is a seasonal flavor that's only available in the fall. I got this for my fiance cuz he loves butterscotch. It was really rich and quite sweet. Definitely needed milk or tea. But it was good. The filling was a little too runny for my preferences but he loved it, which is most important since I got it for him. :)

I also got the Lord of the Pies (apples baked in hand-made caramel and topped with a crispy cinnamon streusel in a buttery, flaky crust) $6~ 

One whole pie contains 10 apples! It is a mega apple pie, hence the extra dollar. It pretty much filled up the whole container! Tons of apples, baked to the right texture. Not too mushy but not too hard and crunchy either. The streusel was great. I wish there was a little more. If you love apple pie, give this one a try.

Buttercream Gang (classic buttermilk pie in a shortbread crust) $5~ 

 

I got this one for me, for later. I had a buttermilk pie the first time at Emporium Pies and it was pretty awesome. I ate this the next day and it was still good. The buttermilk filling is dense but I didn't think it was too sweet. I like sturdier pies, the one's with the super runny, fruity centers is usually not my thing. I liked the filling a lot but thought the crust was a bit dry. Not sure if that's due to being out overnight but it wasn't as good as I remembered. I ate this one with a cup of tea and it was great.

There are still flavors I haven't tried there yet. Definitely looking forward to those. They have one with bananas. If I wasn't taking them to go, I would've tried that one. Best pies in town, go check them out! :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen

I think I have found my favorite new restaurant of this year. Harvest in downtown McKinney just opened in late September 2014. I was first told by my old boss, who is also a big foodie, of this up and coming place. I checked out the website immediately and was excited to try it. McKinney is pretty damn far... but we were headed there for a group event this past weekend so I knew I wanted to stop in for dinner.

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
112 E. Louisiana St.
McKinney, TX 75069
(214) 726-0251
http://harvesttx.com/
Price: $$$

My friends and I were scheduled to do a BYOB painting class at Wild Brush Studios at 7PM last Saturday. So I wanted to go get an early dinner before the class. My boss said he's been trying to go for awhile but they are always booked. Luckily it was an earlier dinner for us so we were able to get 4 people in at 5:30PM.

It's located right in downtown McKinney, which is such a cute place btw. You should take an afternoon and go check it out sometime. The place is super cute, large doors at the entrance were all open which leads into a covered "patio" area with chair swings, etc. Then you walk into another door to the main dining area. I loved the decor. Rustic, homey, but sophisticated. Brick walls, wood planks, wood tables, and wild flowers on the tables. The water glasses are like the recycled wine bottles. They had just opened up one of their new rooms the day we went so we got to sit in there. It was nice because it was smaller and less noisy.

While we were waiting on our friends, the waitress came by, brought us some waters. And introduced their cocktail menu. They offer these infused cocktails with flavors like blueberry and basil infused vodka, or charred peach infused bourbon which sounds interesting.

My fiance ordered the Harvest Cocktail (cinnamon and vanilla bean infused vodka, pineapple, lime juice) $11~ 

I thought the combination of flavors was quite unique. I wouldn't really think of putting pineapple and vanilla together. It was too strong for me and not sweet enough but I'm a super lightweight. He liked it. You can actually taste all the elements though, I thought that was cool.

Since we had a limited time to eat, we decided to order the Catfish & Hush Puppies (bacon, cabbage, brussels sprouts, chow chow tartar sauce) $10~ before our friends arrived. 

 

They were running late. I loved the presentation of this on the wood board. It was fantastic. The catfish was fried perfectly, crunchy on the outside and melt in your mouth tender on the inside. My favorite was the hush puppies though, not sure what the used to season it but it had a lot of flavor. And paired really well with the cabbage/brussels sprouts slaw and tartar sauce. Deeeeelicious!

Bread Basket (multigrain, sweet bread, corn bread madeleines). 

 

The waitress brought us some bread, all baked in house I believe. They were all good but the sweet bread was best. Slightly sweet, took me by surprise since I thought it was just regular white bread at first. They also had a corn bread madeleine. I enjoyed it, but it's not as good as the ones they used to have at Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen... (just thinking about them closing make me wanna cry!) :(

Deviled Eggs (Texas pecans, pickled mustard seed, pickled red onions) $5~ 

Our friends ordered this. The presentation was super cute as well. Using the egg cartons as the vessels for the eggs. Good way to reuse materials! I know it's a big bite, but I recommend eating the whole thing in one bite. It was fantastic. So many different flavors and textures. The candied pecan was such an interesting twist! It added sweetness and a crunch factor. The pickled elements had a slight tartness, the egg was savory and the yolk was creamy. I think it hit every flavor profile. I'd eat this again in a heartbeat!

They also shared a Kale Salad (goat cheese, candied pecans, cranberry, oat groats, lemon vinaigrette). The kitchen went ahead and split the plates for them. (Picture shows half size.)

For the entree I got the Farm Egg & Griddled Wheat (fried egg, griddled wheat cake, roasted butternut squash, mushroom) $15~ 

Everything looked good on the menu but the griddled wheat and butternut squash won me over on this. I was curious to see what griddled wheat cake was. The waitress kind of compared it to a polenta cake where it's shaped then cooked on the griddle. But the texture was definitely not like polenta. It was almost a more dense and compact form of savory bread pudding? Cutting into the egg and letting the yolk drip down was awesome. And whatever that gravy/sauce is on the plate with the butternut and mushrooms paired it beautifully. It was bigger than I expected and totally filling. Something I've never had before and I'm glad I got to try something new! Will order again!

Braised Beef Belly (red wine and tomato braise, mashed red skin potatoes, herbs) $25~ 

My fiance ordered this. It was also in my list of options. Anything "braised" or with "belly" is usually a winner in my books. He subbed the mashed potatoes for the Sweet Potato Hash. It was so good. The meat was super tender. A little too fatty for him, but I loved it. The red wine/tomato sauce on top had so much flavor. And I have to say... the sweet potato hash gave the main protein a run for it's money. It was cooked perfectly, had lots of flavor, and there were chunks of beef in there. Really really tasty.

One friend ordered the Flat Iron (broccolini, horseradish and parsnip cream, balsamic) $25~ 

When the dish came, the food was lukewarm. She mentioned it to the waitress and she immediately apologized and brought her a new one. She ordered it medium well which is too overcooked for me, but the meat was still really tender!

The other friend got the Chicken Fried Buffalo (squash gratin, mashed sweet potato, sage sausage gravy) $18~ 

I was curious about this too. I liked the batter/crust on the buffalo. I ate my bite with some of the mashed sweet potato and actually thought it was too sweet! I felt the sweet potato overpowered the other flavors a little. But I can probably eat the sweet potato on its own and love it. However, the squash gratin, which was served separately on the side in a little mini cast iron pot was the winner of the night. It was so velvety and luxurious. I think the waitress said it was a mix of 2 different types of squash... I forget which. I think I'll just take a bowl of this next time. :P

Since our class was at 7... we were already running late. That means no time for dessert. But I had already planned on picking up Emporium Pies to take into the class with us anyways. So it was dine and dash! Next time I will certainly set aside more time to enjoy the food and ambiance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner even though it was rushed. I loved the decor and mood of the place. I also liked that you saw the open kitchen as you walk through the restaurant to the restrooms in the back. The service was fantastic. Smiles and welcomes as soon as we walked in. The food is wonderfully presented and all tasted great. Their concept is creating relationships with the community and environment. The menu is seasonal and feature organic, local and regional ingredients. They listed all the artisans, farmers, ranchers, growers, and fishermen that provided the goods in the back of the menu. I thought that was totally cool. I've heard their style of food being called "modern Texas cuisine"... I'm not sure if this is a fairly new term, but it's new to me. :P

I also wanted to mention The Seed Project. They gave us these little cards with our check. The waitress came by and explained it to us a little bit and told us that if we plant this card, flowers will grow! How cool!

 

The Seed Project is an initiative aimed at highlighting the importance of sustainability. The soon-to-be foundation funds education and agriculture initiatives that support sustainable farming. The project raises funds through the ‘Harvest Collection’ – a series of art celebrating farms, ranches and artisans in the area, the sale of seasonal ‘Harvest’ candles, the sale of our ‘One Heart Texas’ wine and seasonal harvest dinners, the first seasonal dinner will be December 22, 2014.

Harvest dinner dates:

Spring harvest: March 19th
Summer harvest: June 25th
Fall harvest: September 23rd
Winter harvest: December 22nd

I'm definitely going to try and attend some of these dinners! :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~