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I'm overdue for another post! I've got several actually. Last weekend was crazy busy and exciting! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July. :)
I've been trying to check out Knife for awhile with some foodie friends of mine. We had scheduled it weeks in advance and still had to reschedule another time. Finally it was the day! We were all pretty excited since we've all loved Chef John Tesar's (former Top Chef contestant) Spoon in the past. I think we all had pretty high expectations.
Knife
5680 North Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 443-9339
http://www.knifedallas.com/
Price: $$$$+
It is located in Hotel Palomar on Mockingbird Lane. I've always really liked that hotel, it's really nice and modern inside. Although parking is non-existent. They offer free valet to dining guests though.
Some of us arrived a little early so we went to the bar. The drink menu is displayed on an ipad, which is cool. But I didn't care for most of their cocktail options. Nothing really interesting stood out to me. The cocktails range from $10-14~ ish...
My bf ordered a Oaxacan Mule. I guess it's similar to a Moscow Mule? But it had pear liquor or something so maybe that's the difference. It came in a cool copper cup and adorned with sliced pears. He liked it.
My other friend got an Olive Oil Martini. She said it was super strong and did not taste any of the olive oil flavor.
Once everyone arrived we were seated immediately. The restaurant decor was nice. I especially liked the eclectic yet Western style in the bar area. Although there were 2 chairs by the hostess stand that looked like coffins... not sure where they were going with that. haha. Made for a fun photo op though! :P There was an open kitchen/plating area after you walk in. And I saw Chef John Tesar working! It wasn't as big of a space as I expected. We had 6 people and were seated in a giant booth with a giant table, probably could've fit another 4 people pretty comfortably. haha.
Our waiter came by with more drink orders. Then later explained the menu to us with the different cuts of beef, the aging time, etc. It was a little hard to understand him though for several reasons. 1) The table was so damn big, we all had to lean in to listen. 2) Once the dining room started filling up, the noise level was kinda high. 3) He had an accent, and I'm so bad with accents. XP
We started off with a Complimentary Crudite: Cucumber, Radish, Celery, Endive, Carrots, Jerky; with Green Goddess sauce. Cool presentation. The veggies were nicely chilled in the ice and fresh. I liked the Green Goddess sauce a lot.
Bread Basket: Biscuit, Bread.
We got to choose from 4-5 kinds of bread. The waiter with the basket highly recommended the bread on the right. I think he called it "Lavon??", I can't be sure since I've never heard of it. I actually had to make him repeat it twice. haha. And in the end, I still didn't fully understand... The "lavon" bread was good, could've been warmer though. Fluffy, soft inside, and a harder crust on the outside. The biscuit was quite dense and kinda dry. Would've been better warmer too. And soaked in gravy... I'm just sayin'. hahaha.
It was time to order. Each couple ordered their own thing but we ended up swapping plates around the table.
Couple #1 got Teresa's Watercress, Endive and Walnut Salad (with goat cheese) $16~
They went ahead and split the salad for them (so the picture shows half portion). It came in these gigantic bowls. Cool presentation, but unnecessary? I got to try a little of the salad. I was hesitant since I don't like goat cheese at all, but it was good. The goat cheese was very mild. I loved the watercress, it's not everyday you see that in salads.
45 Day Dry Aged Niman Ranch Bone in Ribeye (32oz. for 2) $80~
This thing was massive. So impressive looking. And this is the first time I've had steak that was already cut for me. The meat was cooked well. And it had so much marbling, which I love. The flavor was great. They offer these sauces you can order on the side, but I think due to the aging process the meat already has a lot of flavor and the sauces are unnecessary. Plus with the fattiness of the meat, some of the richer sauces might be overkill? I really enjoyed this. Plus ribeye is my second favorite cut of steak only to prime rib. Can't say it was the best ribeye I've had, but it was definitely good.
They also got Johnny's Mac & Cheese $12~
There was some green stuff baked into the cheese. I'm guessing green chile? It was yummy. The pasta had good texture and it had a nice crust.
Couple #2 ordered the 45 Day Dry Aged Bone in Niman Ranch Sirloin (24oz.) $60~
This was also impressive looking and pre-cut. However, I didn't like this one as much. You can definitely taste the flavor difference between this and the ribeye. The ribeye was just richer and meatier. The sirloin is definitely a much leaner cut if you are into that.
Fettuccine Bolognese $19~
We also ordered this. They split the plates for all of us (half portion shown here too). I wanted to try their pasta because I know they make it in-house. I read online that the bolognese sometimes was too spicy so I asked beforehand if they can remove or reduce the spice. (I love spicy but my bf can't take much.) The waiter didn't seem to know and was hesitant to accommodate but he said he would write it down. I dunno how they prep the pasta, but I would think they could accommodate to people who can't handle spicy?? Wasn't too happy about that.... But I really liked the pasta dish. The fettuccine was cooked well. I loved the texture. The bolognese was good too. Not spicy enough for me, but still too much for my bf, so I ate his half too. I win! :P And we realized that the table was not so big after all. With all our large slabs of meat and split plates, the entire table was covered! hahaha. It was a feast!
They also got Roasted Okra, Tomato, and Bacon $9~ This was really good. Nice smoky flavor. The okra was cooked well. (sorry, forgot a picture)
Finally, the two of us opted for no steak because there were other dishes I wanted to try more.
Sous Vide Beef Cheek Open Faced Sandwich (morel mushroom gravy) $17~
I love beef cheeks. I've realized that the best part of any meat is the cheek. And fish too! The most juicy and tender. This was amazing. Sous vide is basically sealing the meat in an airtight bag and then cooked in a temperature controlled water bath for a long time. It makes the meat super tender. The meat was fork tender and had so much flavor. The combo of textures from the morel mushrooms and bread contrasted the soft meat. It was our favorite dish of the night.
Crispy Pork Belly (collard greens, pan juices) $18~
It also had pickles and mustard seeds. You know me and my pork belly! Gotta try it. They actually had 2 pork belly dishes and we chose this one. The pork belly was thick cut and had a really nice crust on the outside. The best part? The combination of the pickles, pork and mustard seeds. The slight acidity from the pickles made the dish. The collard greens lightened up the dish next to the fatty meat. Tasty. But not as good as the beef cheeks. :P
And of course we got the Fettuccine Bolognese $19~ as I mentioned earlier.
Vegetarian Collard Greens $7~ I wanted some veggies so we ordered this. Basically same as what was underneath the pork belly. Cooked well, nothing spectacular though. (sorry, forgot a picture, but it's just collard greens)
That was a lot of food. We were given dessert menus but seeing the price and how full we were already, none of us opted to get anything. I wanted to try one of them, but I think it was a good decision I didn't. Because... we were given Complimentary Mini Desserts (from left to right): Moscato Jelly, Shortbread Cookie, Banana Macaron, Brownie (with sea salt).
The macaron was by far the best. And it was so cute! They did this too at Spoon, where you get a complimentary beginning and end. Which I like, and not many nice restaurants in Dallas does this. We also got some parting gifts. Madeleines, which are French butter cakes shaped like shells. I ate mine the next day. It was moist and buttery and you can see the vanilla bean specks in it.
Overall the food was delicious. Everything else just mediocre. The waiter was nice, but not as informative or accommodating as I would've expected. It was a bit loud in there and conversations were kinda hard because the table was so large. And honestly I was comparing it to Spoon, which was phenomenal, so Knife had a tough act to follow...
I probably won't return. But don't mark it off your list if you haven't tried it yet.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
This past Saturday was Restaurant Week at Charlie Palmer in The Joule hotel. I thought their menu choices sounded really tasty and I've never been so it made my list this year. hehe.
Charlie Palmer @ The Joule
1530 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 261-4600
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CharliePalmerAtJoule
Price: $$$$+
Starting with the reservation process I've received nothing but great service. I was a little scared that I wouldn't be able to get my party of 10 in at a good time but they were totally accommodating and even gave us the private room that seats 10! :)
A few of my friends arrived early and they were seated first. I liked that they didn't make them wait for the rest of the party before being seated. We ran a few minutes late because the Valet service at the front was SUPER slow. The traffic was backed up and they couldn't get to all the cars in time. We actually arrived on time, but sat in the valet line for at least another 10 minutes or so... Walking in, the hotel is pretty awesome looking and the restaurant was very impressive with their glass wall wine displays. The hostesses were all smiles and really friendly and we were immediately shown to our room.
The private room was nice. It was brighter and more quiet than the main dining area. It was great to be able to talk to all my friends without distractions.
After making our orders, a waiter came around with a bread tray and we got to choose from 3-4 different types of breads. 
I liked my wheat bread. It was warm and had great texture.
We were also served an Amuse Bouche before the meal. It was a Wild Mushroom Arancini with Saffron Aioli. 
It's basically risotto with wild mushrooms formed into a ball and fried. It was fried perfectly. Delish!!
The great thing about dining with a bunch of friends is that I get to try all different kinds of dishes! :P
1st Course --
Cavatelli Duck Bolognese (wild mushrooms, fiore sardo). 
The waiter told us that the Cavatelli is made mostly with ricotta. I thought the texture was similar to gnocchi. I liked the pasta a lot. The bolognese was ok. I couldn't really tell the meat was duck since it was ground meat and it could've used a bit more spice. I feel like the sauce could've used a bit more punch.
Beef Tartare (capers, hardboiled egg, herb aioli, celery crisps). 
This was the best appetizer I thought. The beef tartare was fresh and had great texture. The meat was rich and velvety. The herb aioli was pretty awesome with the tartare.
Corn Salad (arugula, Van Sormon cheese, sherry-truffle vinaigrette, celery croutons). 
I didn't try this but my friend said it was really good. She finished it all.
2nd Course --
Chorizo Crusted Scottish Salmon (ratatouille, white beans, saffron foam, oregano). 
This was what I ordered. The chorizo was really the selling point for me. haha. It was interesting with the chorizo crust on top but I thought it should've had more of a crisp sear and more flavor. Typically chorizo has a ton of flavor and I didn't get it here. The salmon was cooked well, nice and tender and pink. Overall, it was good, but needed a bit more contrast in flavors.
Miso Glazed Cod (char siu pork cabbage roll, Chinese long beans). 
This was my other choice but my friend got it so I can sample. hehe. The cod was cooked well but flavor was just ok. The char siu pork on the other hand was pretty awesome. Great flavor and really tender. My friend thought the fish was a bit too salty but I didn't think so at all. We both agreed that it would've been good with a side of rice though! haha.
Grilled Hanger Steak (wild mushrooms, olive oil mashed potatoes, gremolata). 
This was agreed to be the best entree of the night. The portion wasn't that big but it tasted great. It had a great seared crust on the edges of the meat and was so tender. I loved the gremolata on top. The raw garlic really added a nice spice to the meat.
Maltagliati (oven dried tomatoes, basil, chicken liver, black pepper and truffle mascarpone).
This was quite interesting. It was the biggest entree portion out of everything. Maltagliati is almost like sheets of lasagna that were cut into wide strips, almost like pappardelle the waiter explained. I think I would've preferred actual pappardelle though. The pasta texture wasn't that great. A little softer than I prefer. The fried chicken livers were pretty awesome though. I was surprised that the pieces were that large. The batter on them were so flavorful and crunchy. YUM. The dish also needed a bit more depth of flavor...a spicy element would've helped.
A friend of mine also ordered an additional side of Creamed Spinach $9~ 
I loved the little bowl it came in. It needed more cream though. I like creamed spinach to be thicker and it was a bit more watery than I prefered. But the flavors were light and fresh.
Dessert --
Ruben's Tarts (daily selection: Passion fruit & blueberry tart, Dark Chocolate Ganache). 
Their desserts were the best part of the meal in my opinion. Everything was good. The passion fruit and blueberry tart was one of my favorites of the entire night. Bursting with passion fruit flavors with the plump fresh blueberries and buttery crust. YUM-O! The chocolate tart was deep and rich. Also a great dessert.
Milk Chocolate Brulee Cotta (chocolate crystals, dried cherry cocoa nib compote). 
We didn't really know what to expect with this since the description was kinda hard to picture. It was a pretty small dessert and didn't look super pretty or anything. But it was delicious. Imagine a mixture of creme brulee and panacotta on top of a thin layer of chocolate wafer crisp. The milk chocolate flavor really tasted high quality and the texture of the brulee cotta was creamy and smooth. One of my favorite elements was the wafer on the bottom. It wasn't too crunchy to overpower the brulee cotta on top. It was just the right contrast in texture.
Texas Peach and Blackberry Crisp (brown butter ice cream). 
This was my pick for dessert. I liked it a lot. The fruits were chunky and fresh. I loved the crisp and ice cream on top, I just wish there was more of it! I devoured the whole thing!
Now I want to take some time and recognize our waiter, Shawn (sp?). He was freaking FANTASTIC!! I would say it was the BEST service I've ever received in my life!! And all my friends agree. First of all, he was super nice and friendly and easy going. None of that arrogance you often associate with fancy restaurants. He was really knowledgeable of every aspect of the restaurant and shared many fun facts and tidbits throughout the course of dinner. I also noticed that he was really aware of everything. A few times he would hear our conversation about things in the restaurant or the food and he would jump in and offer cool information regarding that topic. He also joked and chatted around with us about movies and other subjects. He took care of us with such ease. Changing the silverware after every course, refilling water, etc. without ever disrupting our conversations. I noticed that he had proper etiquette and took the orders from the ladies first. You don't even see that in nice restaurants anymore... He checked on us just enough. He was there when we needed him. There were many other little things here and there he did that were just so thoughtful. These are things where if he didn't do them, we wouldn't even think about it. But the fact that he thought about it just made the dinner THAT much better! He also came at the end of dinner with all the checks split, without us even asking! I heart him!!
I was also impressed with the overall service of the restaurant. We had several other waiters bring the food and fill the water glasses and they were all very friendly and efficient. The hostesses greeted us warmly at the beginning and end. Also, when I went to use the restroom, one waiter was obviously going the other way to do something, he just dropped what he was doing and escorted me to the restroom...instead of most people would just point. My friend said another waiter did the same thing. What great service! It just made us feel so welcome and comfortable. :)
Overall the food was good, could've been better but the entire experience was fantastic. I really have to thank Shawn for giving us a wonderful dinner experience and I hope the restaurant recognizes him for that! I think I'll give the restaurant a call and put in a good word too! This definitely makes it to the top of my list for great Restaurant Week in all my years of participating.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Last weekend was my birthday! So that means it's time to go somewhere new and cool to eat!! hehe. My first choice restaurant was already booked...booo...so I decided on Palomino on Crescent Court in Dallas. It shares a courtyard area with Capital Grille and the Rosewood Crescent Hotel. the "courtyard" is very pretty with a big fountain in the middle.
Palomino
500 Crescent Ct # 165
Dallas, TX 75215
(214) 999-1222
http://www.palomino.com/Price: $$-$$$$
I decided on Palomino partly because of some of the reviews I've read online and I also saw on their website that they have all day happy hour, everyday! This was a good option since I didn't have any idea what to do after dinner. So I thought we could all just go to the bar and have some drinks...and chill! Plus I had a party of 20 people, so it was tough finding the best place to have dinner. Palomino was very accomodating to my large party. Upon arrival though, I think it was partly because business wasn't too busy. :/
After we were seated the waiter came to take our drink orders and asked me about how we were going to handle the checks. THANK YOU!!! This is how it should be...if the wait staff sees a big group, they should figure out the best way to handle the check beforehand so people don't have to scramble or be frustrated later.
I love trying new places with large groups...cuz it means I get to sample all sorts of different dishes! hehe.
We were given bread after they took our orders....thank you!!! I was starving!! The bread with the tomato sauce was yummy...maybe because I was so hungry. haha.
To start...I tried the Brick Oven Roasted Mushrooms (roasted shallots, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh rosemary) $6~ It was under the 'small plates' section. Appetizers meant for 1-2 people. I love mushrooms! This was pretty good. The portion for the price was decent and was very flavorful.
Next, the Crisp Potatoes Gorgonzola (bechamel sauce, cracked black pepper) $9~
This was under the 'shared plates' section of the menu...appetizers meant for sharing with a larger group. This looked AMAZING! Everyone went "WOW" when they brought it to the table. It was basically waffle fries with sauce and cheese...but it looked so decadent and yummy! The fries were nice and crispy and the gorgonzola was soo delicious over it. Definitely not a low-calorie dish. haha. I would totally recommend this to share with a group of people. And guess what! This is half price at the bar for their happy hour!! What a steal! (I'll go into more detail on their hh later...)
For the main course I ordered the Grilled Wild Forest Mushrooms (mixed greens, walnuts, gorgonzola, garlic crostini) $13~ 
I really enjoyed this salad. There was a bit more dressing than I would've liked but the flavor was good and the dressing didn't overpower the salad. The mushrooms had good texture and flavor. The combination of the ingredients and flavors worked well together and the gorgonzola added a little extra something something. :) The crostini was nice and crispy and added a different texture to the salad.
My other choice for entree was the Rigatoni Bolognese (spicy italian sausage, pear tomato, crushed garlic, oregano, roasted red pepper cream) $18~ 
I LOVE rigatoni and this was fantastic! The pasta was cooked well! :) And I really liked the tomato cream sauce. This was everything I expected it to be. YUM! If you like rigatoni, I totally recommend this!
I got to try a bite of their Paella (all natural prawns, clams, mussels, seasonal fresh fish, chicken, chorizo, Spanish saffron rice) $28~ 
This dish was pretty huge. It looked really pretty with the saffron rice and all the seafood. The flavor was pretty good, plenty of spices. However, the rice was a little undercooked...which didn't bother me because I like chewier rice but I don't think it was meant to be like that. I would say for the price, this wasn't worth it...
A friend of mine ordered the Seafood Louie (grilled fresh salmon, Dungeness crab, bay shrimp, kalamata olives, deviled egg, champagne vinaigrette) $19~ This was a MASSIVE salad, piled high with seafood. If you love seafood this was a good deal. I only got to sample a bite of the salmon which was cooked well.
My sister ordered the Whole Wheat Pappardelle (chicken, cherry tomatoes, broccolini, garlic bread) $??~ It was one of the specials of the night...so I didn't catch the price...I'm guessing it was around $18 or so. This wasn't that great. She didn't really enjoy it. It looked kind of bland and she said it was really light. The whole wheat pasta just doesn't have the same texture as regular pasta...a little more soft than I prefer.
This is the Brick Oven Long Bone Ribeye (char crusted in 600 degree brick oven with thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Served with panzanella salad. 20 oz bone-in ribeye) $38~ 
This looked super yummy...didn't get to try. They slightly overcooked it for my friend though.
It was a great dinner, but it's not over yet!! :P We decided to pay the check and have drinks and desserts at the bar. The checks were taken care of in a timely matter and I don't think anyone had complications or anything. SEE! It pays to prepare ahead of time *ahem*Salum&Craft*ahem*!! :P
We sat outside where the fountain was...it's soo pretty and the weather was pretty nice. :) So here's the deal with their happy hour. Apparently it's all day everyday at the bar. How sweet is that?!? :) $4 Drink specials (certain cocktails, some wines, and all draft beers), $5 Pizzas, and half off select appetizers! I wish I lived closer cuz I would be there ALL THE TIME!!
We got a couple of their Signature Brick Oven Pizzas (cracker thin, Roma style) to munch on with our drinks. Only $5!!! And they were pretty tasty!! Definitely big enough to share with several people. We got the Sausage (roasted mushrooms, basil infused extra virgin olive oil) $12~ 
and Roma Tomato (basil, shaved garlic, extra virgin olive oil, marinara, mozzarella) $10~
We also got dessert. OF COURSE!! :) Can't have a bday celebration without dessert! hehe. We got a couple to sample and share.
Chocolate Torte (Belgian chocolate ganache, espresso anglaise, vanilla bean ice cream, fresh strawberry compote) $8.50~ 
This was kind of a mix between a flourless chocolate cake and molten chocolate cake. The texture was dense like a flourless cake and had a little bit of molten chocolate in the middle...not enough though. It was good with the espresso anglaise poured on top and the ice cream/strawberry combo. But...Roy's still has the best molten chocolate cake!
Creme Brulee Duo (Grand Marnier and chocolate creme brulees, puff pastry beignet) $7~ 
There are different kinds of creme brulees and this is the one where it's denser/thicker. I liked it, but a little too dense for my preference. I wish the Grand Marnier had more orange flavor...I thought that was a little lacking. But this was the first time I got to taste a chocolate creme brulee...never had one before! YUM! The 'beignets' are super flaky...but truly puff pastries...haha. Can't be taken seriously as a beignet. :P
Chocolate Tiramisu (espresso, rum, zabaglione, biscotti, mascarpone) $8.50~ 
This was a DARK chocolate tiramisu! I've never had it like this before. Droool! The biscotti crumbles on top added an extra crunch. I would say this was my favorite out of the desserts. :)
This was a GREAT night! So many friends and delicious food...what more can I ask for?? :D Special THANKS to all my friends that came out to celebrate with me!!
I would recommend Palomino (very accommodating for large parties). Especially the happy hour specials. I might not go back for dinner (except for the Rigatoni) but I hope to go back soon for their happy hour!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Cleanliness:
Value (including hh):
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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