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This place has been on my list since they opened. I got the opportunity to go when we had some European coworkers visiting back in March and the team was going out for dinner. Being the resident foodie, my boss told me to pick. When in Texas, you gotta have some BBQ right? Plus some people were taking our guests downtown to the AAC after for some hockey action, so this was on their way.
18th & Vine
4100 Maple Ave.
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 443-8335
www.18thandvinebbq.com
Price: $$$+
This area is quite cute! It looks like house-turned-restaurant but also looked really new. I liked the style, but definitely not the look of a typical BBQ joint.
I was in charge of ordering. Everyone was good with doing it family style because we all wanted to try everything.
Started with Burnt Ends $13~
Of
course!! This is one of my favorites at any BBQ place. Theirs is top
notch! Really tender and flavorful. It was my favorite of the night. The
pickled onions and pickles paired perfectly with the meat.
Fresh Fried Okra $8~ Also pretty awesome. Fried really well and wasn't too much batter. I had to force myself to stop eating it because the entrees haven't even arrived yet!
Wood-Kissed Salmon (green split pea, warm frisee) $25~
This was requested by one of our guests, just to throw a fish in the mix. I liked the dish. The split pea mash was interesting. If you don't like the taste of peas, then this is not for you. Luckily, we all enjoyed it. I wasn't a huge fan of the warm frisee though. It just seemed mushy and limp. A good dish, but was my least fav.
BBQ Braised Beef Cheek (akaushi beef, creamed spinach, parsnip cacio e pepe) $32~ OMGGGGGGG... So freaking tender. Everyone was going "Mmmmmm" as they put a bite in their mouth. Loved it!
Matt's Picks (Sample 2 smoked meats chosen daily, serves 3-4, family style) Mkt price. I wanna say it was around $40ish? It's been a while, I don't really remember. The selection of the day was Brisket (we chose the fatty ones), Ribs, and Chicken. Everything was good, but not the best bbq I've had. I would've rather just ordered 4 more plates of the burnt ends. haha. I really loved their pickles and onions though.
Apple Cider Slaw $6~ I think it was good? I don't really remember, but I know it wasn't bad. Maybe just got overwhelmed with all the other good dishes.
Seasoned Fries $6~ Their fries were amazingggggg! Perfectly fried and the seasoning was great. A must!
Jalapeno Cheese Grits $6~ Love me some grits. These were comforting and cheesy.
Pit Roasted Mushrooms $6~ Lots of flavor, big portion. It was great. I'd get this again.
It was a great meal. And we ate it all! Had no room for dessert. I guess I'll have to go back again. haha. Everyone enjoyed it, so yay for me on the ordering. :P I'd say the prices were a bit high for my preference but you can't think of this place as a BBQ joint. It's a little more elevated, and less casual. I'm glad it was on the company! :D
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Friday night for our 2nd dinner. I had made a
reservation at Takashi at 9:30PM. I normally don't
eat this late, but to fit all these food places
in... I guess that's a sacrifice I have to make.
haha. :P
Takashi
456 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-2929
http://takashinyc.com/
Price: $$$$+
This was recommended by a foodie friend.
Unfortunately he had to work late and ended up
cancelling last minute. We're so glad we still went
though, despite being so full already. haha. I made
a reservation for 6 people, and was able to fill
that last spot before dinner.
It's a small place. We almost walked past it because
the sign outside is so small. But it's cute. Reminds
me of the yakiniku places in Asia. Their menu is
beef... all beef. Sounds pretty awesome to me! The
beef comes from sustainably raised cattle with no
antibiotics or hormones. On their website they list
the farms where the beef comes from.
Everything on the menu looked interesting and tasty.
Unfortunately due to the uni shortage, they didn't
have the one dish I really wanted. :( Oh well...
maybe next time. Each of us ordered 1-2 things.
Stewed Beef Tendon Casserole with White Miso $15~
This was my choice. As an appetizer for the table.
It comes fully cooked. So freaking delicious. It's
just just the chewy tendon parts, it was mostly the
meat next to the tendons. Stewed to perfection, it
was soooooo tender. And tons of flavor.
Squid Ink Rice, Miso-Marinated Sweetbreads (spicy
yuzu saffron aioli, served on a magnolia leaf) $20~
This was interesting. I'll eat sweetbreads but I'm
not a huge fan. Normally they are just kinda mushy.
For those who don't know, sweetbreads are either the
thymus glad or pancreas of young animals like calf
or lamb. I love offal, but I can live without this.
I thought everything in this dish was good though.
Really enjoyed the squid ink rice.
Bakudan (rice bomb with Korean seaweed and pickled
sesame leaf) $8~ This was to supplement the meats.
It was pretty good, but we probably could've done
without it.
Sukiyaki-Style Round Steak (with tartare rice bomb
and egg yolk) $30~
This was probably the coolest
yakiniku dish of the night. It's like a DIY beef
taco thing. You grill the meat, dip it in the egg
yolk, put a ball of the tartare and rice and roll it
up. The beef was super tender. I loved the tartare
rice bomb on it's own too! Fun!!
Kalbi (US Kobe Premium Short Rib) $26~ Really
quality meat.
Beef Belly (US Kobe Beef belly) $20~ Also delicious.
Tan-saki, Tan-suji & Tan-moto (the tongue
experience) $25~ The tongue tasting was interesting.
I've had really tender beef tongue before but these
were more chewy. But still good.
Tsurami (beef cheek) $16~ The most bang for your
buck. The slices were really thin though. It was
like beef bacon. Yummers!
It was so much fun! At first we thought we weren't
going to have enough food since it was pretty
expensive and the portions are not very big. But we
were all satisfied at the end. The meats and flavors
were all amazing, I totally recommend this place.
The quality is comparable to the places I've been in
Japan/Korea. Also, they have midnight ramen... yes,
only starts at midnight. And you have to make
reservations. Might be something fun to do next
time.
Oh yea... on the way back to the subway, we stopped
at Big Gay Ice Cream, and several people got
desserts. Wow. haha. I wish I had room! So I just
watched them eat it. :P
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
FRIDAY: Day 2.
I was so excited that we were going to be there for the last weekend of Madison Square Eats! Definitely needed to check it out. We went for an early lunch on Friday.
Madison Square Park
May 1 - May 28, 11AM-9PM Daily
http://urbanspacenyc.com/mad-sq-eats/
Mexicue
Blackened Brussels Sprouts $4~
Arnold Palmero (lemonade/iced tea) $3~
Roberta's
Margherita Pizza (tomato, basil, mozzarella) $9~ Plus
Speck +$2~
The Cannibal
Pig Head Cuban $12~ Oh man... that pig head goooood!!
Sigmund's
Rueben (Corned beef, kraut, gruyer, mustard)
Melt
Crackly Chocolate Cookies + Malted Chocolate Rum Ice
Cream Sandwich $4~ NOMS!
---------------
Eataly was just across the street so I wanted my fiance to check it out. After walking around, it was time for a Coffee Break!
---------------
Spot Dessert Bar
13 St Marks Pl.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-5670
www.spotdessertbar.com
Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake (warm dark chocolate cake
filled with green tea ganache served with green tea ice
cream) $9.15~
Kabocha Cake (warm Japanese pumpkin served with condensed
milk ice cream) $9.15~
The Harvest (layers of berries, soft cheesecake, meringue
kisses, served with raspberry sorbet and black rose milk
tea) $9.15~ Such a fun dessert!
Pick 3 for $23. Essentially Buy 2, get 3rd at half price.
We ordered wayyyyy too much. They said 3 desserts serves 2 -3 people. Unless those people are starving... I think it serves 4-6 people EASILY! We still ate it all... what can I say. We don't waste food! :P
---------------
Levain Bakery
167 West 74th St.
New York, NY, 10023
(212) 874-6080
www.levainbakery.com
I can't come to NYC and not go to Levain. They have, BY FAR, my favorite cookies in the world!! :) We got 6 cookies to go. $4~ each
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie
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Jacob's Pickles
509 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10024
(212) 470-5566
http://jacobspickles.com/
This place came HIGHLY recommended. I can't believe it wasn't even on my radar. Amazing comfort food. In New York! What?!?
Root Beer on Tap: Saranac Root Beer, New York (vanilla
rich, creamy flavor, thick-bodied, caffeine free) $5~
Pickles 4 for $11~ (Big Dill Kosher Cukes, Dilly Green
Beans, Candy Red Beets, Sweet & Spicy Carrots)
Grit Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes (sour green tomato
brine, house picnic sauce) $9~
Biscuits & Gravy (Sausage gravy) $9~ The sausage gravy is DIVINE! Please just gimme a tub of it.
Mushroom Gravy Smothered Chicken (buttermilk fried
chicken, 2 year aged Vermont cheddar; served with Grain
Miller Organic Cheese Grits) $14~
---------------
Takashi
456 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-2929
http://takashinyc.com/
This was recommended by a foodie friend. Unfortunately he had to work late and wasn't able to meet us. We're so glad we still went, despite being so full already. haha. Everything was great.
Stewed Beef Tendon Casserole with White Miso $15~
Squid Ink Rice, Miso-Marinated Sweetbreads (spicy yuzu
saffron aioli, served on a magnolia leaf) $20~
Sukiyaki-Style Round Steak (with tartare rice bomb and
egg yolk) $30~ It's like a DIY beef/rice roll!
Kalbi (US Kobe Premium Short Rib) $26~
Beef Belly (US Kobe Beef belly) $20~
Tan-saki, Tan-suji & Tan-moto (the tongue experience)
$25~
Tsurami (beef cheek) $16~
Bakudan (rice bomb with Korean seaweed and pickled sesame
leaf) $8~
Another freaking amazing food day. Other than the Brussels Sprouts from Mexicue, I highly recommend everything else!!
Oh yea... after Takashi, we stopped at Big Gay Ice Cream, and several people got desserts. Wow. haha.
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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