The Eberhard - Now serving lunch on Fridays!

The Eberhard on Henderson... typically known as a cool bar scene. They have chandeliers, leather sofas, high ceilings, and a gigantic wall of bottles. However, did you know they also have good food? I went to check out their brunch sometime last year and was pleasantly surprised by all the options and food quality. And now they've opened up lunch on Fridays only. It used to be only dinners and weekend brunch. I believe lunch runs from 11AM-4PM every Friday now. The crew at @bestfooddallas were invited to go check out the new lunch menu. They said we could go at any time, so I went last Saturday night with my husband.

I've always loved the decor here. Especially the chandeliers. Just makes you feel fancy! :P

The Eberhard
2107 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 821-1100
www.theeberhard.com
Price (for lunch): $-$$$

We had an early dinner at 6PM. The place was still pretty empty. There was only one other table dining and a few people at the bar. We were immediately seated and our waitress, Barbara, came to greet us. She was super nice. Knew what we were in for and we were definitely well taken care of.

We started with some drinks.

My husband got the Knox Your Typical Old Fashion (Crown Royal, blackberry basil) $10~ He's normally super picky on drinks but he really liked this one. He actually finished it!

I normally don't drink. But I remembered a while back one of the @bestfooddallas Community Leaders went and featured a frozen cocktail with a popsicle in it. I asked if that was still available and she said yes. It's normally on the brunch menu, but I'm sure you can request it at other dining times.
Frozen Stoli Crush (Stoli orange, white wine, peach puree, tropical Red Bull, mimosa popsicle) $10~ She told me the popsicle flavor changes, but the frozen cocktail only comes in one mix. It is so cute!! And soooo delicious! I'm so glad I got it. Tasted like a peach slushie. And fresh peaches too... not just peach flavored syrup. The popsicle made it so much fun and kept it cold for a really long time. The mimosa popsicle on its own was great too. For once, I didn't need other people's help on finishing it. haha.

Our appetizers came out soon after our drinks. All of their lunch appetizers and flatbreads are $5 during lunch btw. Such a great deal.

Chef's Fancy Mac & Cheese $5~ I think Barbara said there's 5 different cheeses in here or something? It was really good. And definitely cheesy. We told ourselves not to finish it so we can have room for the other food but we ate it all... ha.

Avocado Toast (Toasted French baguette, avocado spread, roasted corn salsa, shaved asparagus, fresh radish) $5~ 

I always love avocado toast. I liked that this had a DIY element to it. You can top your toast with the corn salsa, asparagus, and/or radish. All the toppings were fresh and refreshing. I also liked that the bread wasn't super hard/crunchy. Most of the time baguettes are just too hard imo. Again... we weren't able to save any of it. haha.

For the entrees I chose the Duck Confit (confit of duck breast, savory bread pudding, butternut squash) $19~ 

My husband wanted this too but let me get it so we can try something else. (He ended up getting the better dish though. haha.) The plate was pretty. I was excited about all the elements. The portion of the duck was a little small but it's also the lunch menu. I was almost full anyways from all the appetizers. haha. The flavors were all very good, but the duck could've been seared a little more. The skin was not crispy at all. And the meat itself was a little dry, but still very tender... I also wished the bread pudding had some crispy parts. It would add a variation in texture. Overall the flavors were great but lacking in texture. I probably wouldn't order it again.

Corned Beef & Cabbage (confit of corned beef, steamed cabbage, potatoes in demi-glace) $14~ 

My husband chose this as his 2nd option. OMG. It was amazing. First of all, huge portion. And you can see the marbling in the corned beef. It was basically like thick slabs of brisket. The dish had so much flavor. I'm not sure what was on those potatoes, but they were yummy. The corned beef is made in-house and it was fork tender. Then I realized I've never actually had corned beef on its own. It's always in a sandwich or hash of some sort... But they just let the meat shine, and it was glorious! I would eat this any day. We ended up taking half of it to go because we were both full. (I made fried rice with it the next day... it was magical.)

We were stuffed! But of course... when you're checking out a new menu, you have to get dessert too. Fudge Brownie (a la mode). 

They were out of our first choice... an Oreo Brownie Bar or something. The dessert was actually the least remarkable of the whole meal. I expected the brownie to be thicker when I hear "fudge" brownie. But I did like the cookie-like crust on the bottom. That added a nice texture. It was ok. I think also we were just way too full. But I would rather get another Frozen Stoli Crush as my dessert next time. hehe.

Now... I know what you may be thinking... $19 is a bit steep for lunch. And it is... but we both ordered from the "entrees" section. They also have a "sandwich" section that has sandwiches, burgers, and wraps... all $10, which is very affordable for the quality.

My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves. It was like a little date night. And we both liked our drinks! That's a miracle in itself. haha. Get the Corned Beef. Seriously. Do it. Barbara was great. She answered all my questions, checked on us often without being too aggressive. I think the manager came around a few times too. He was in a blazer so I'm guessing he's the manager. Also super nice and made sure we're having a good time. Throughout our dinner, people started coming in. Most of them went to the side with the sofas though. Only 2 other tables were actually eating there. They have good food, people! Go eat there, but still get a drink. hehe. :)

**This was a comped meal, but all opinions are my own.**

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Sneak Peek: Standard Service opens Monday, 10/10!

One of the most anticipated restaurant openings in Rockwall... My friend first tipped me off that HG Sply Co was going to open something in our neck of the woods months and months ago. For the longest time I thought it was going to be a second location but never really heard anything about it. Last week, I realized it was going to be a different name, Standard Service. I've actually seen the name on Facebook at some point a while back but the name didn't jump out at me. So the opening kinda snuck up on us! Do you have any idea HOW exciting it is to get a new restaurant in Rockwall? There's not many great places to choose from and something with the caliber of HG Sply Co and Remedy is huge! hehe.

Standard Service
760 W. Ralph Hall Pkwy
Rockwall, TX 75032
(469) 651-1100
www.thestandardservice.com
Price: $$$+

Once I found out Standard Service is the new restaurant name, I followed it's opening closely. Unfortunately they pushed back their opening date a few times since I started checking on it. We (a group of us) had been talking about going yesterday, then we found out the opening day got pushed to Monday, 10/10. Booo... Well, me being me, I decided to do a drive by with a friend Friday afternoon just to see maybeeeee they're doing a soft opening?! It's super close to my house anyways. As I drove by, I saw a lot of people inside. So I decided to park and go inside. They were doing training still so all the staff was there. I confirmed with them the opening date. MONDAY! And then they told me I'm welcome to sit at the bar and get a drink. Ooooo. So I casually asked if they are serving food as well. They said food service started at 6PM and it would be on them since they are still doing training. What?!? They're serving food AND it's free?? I immediately texted my husband and said change of evening plans and we're going to Standard Service! haha. I met back at the restaurant with my friend and her hubby at 6:30PM. The hostesses were super nice and said we can totally sit at the bar to eat and drink. Turns out they were having their friends and family night with mock services to practice. We felt so special that we were still allowed in since we're neither friends nor family. Although after the meal we felt like friends. :P

The space is super cool. High ceilings, lots of wood, the bar has a large window that opens up to their big patio. There's a ping pong table in the patio too. Definitely a cool place to hang out now that the weather is cooler.

We were given a smaller menu for their mock service night but the entire drink menu was available. We were so excited we didn't know whether to order food or drinks or just keep looking around the restaurant. Our bartender (who also took our food orders) was Jessica. She was super friendly and gave a lot of suggestions. You can tell she was very excited about the restaurant opening and their offerings. And... they have Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned cocktails on draft! What what!?! That's pretty freaking awesome. And they were good too. We tried both.

*I'm including the prices of all the menu items but the meal was on the house since it was a mock service. Sooo freaking awesome!!! :D

HG Moscow Mule (42 Below Vodka, Lime, Ginger Holy Kombucha, Agave) $10~ Very refreshing and definitely strong (for a lightweight like me) haha.

Right Grain Old Fashioned (Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon, House-Mashed Barley Syrup, bitters) $10~ My friend really likes Old Fashioned and she said this one was really good.

Bison Chili Frito Pie (South Dakota bison, kidney, pinto, black beans, fritos, shredded cheddar, lime crema, guacamole, green onions) $9~ 

 

This was their only appetizer option of the evening so we go it first while still trying to decide what entrees to get. This was a pretty damn big portion imo. And it was definitely the prettiest frito pie I've ever seen. hahaha. Delicious!!! All the ingredients were super fresh and the flavors all complimented each other well. There wasn't too much of one thing or another. And it had the slightest little spicy kick to it. Yum. This could easily be a meal too.

The B-Webb (The Last Word: High Born Gin, Maraschino, Chartreause, Lime) $12~ 

Partial proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Hospital. They told us that they feature 5 different cocktails (the line up changes every so often) and each one has proceeds that go to a different charity. That's really awesome. Drink for charity, amiright? My friend got this. It was a pretty drink. It has a bitterness to it but is very smooth. Another winner.

Chicken Salad Wrap (chopped chicken breast, celery, green grapes in green goddess dressing, marinated tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, green onion, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, crispy brown rice; with side of potato salad) $13.50~ 

My husband chose this as his entree. I really liked the potato salad. You can also choose potato chips as your side. He liked the wrap... I thought it was ok. The flavor was fine but it was too saucy for me.

The Standard Stack (herbed smashbrowns with caramelized onion and jalapeno, green goddess dressing, marinated tx tomato and arugula; with choice of protein). Kansas City Kobe Beef Burger $15~ My friend's husband got this. He said it was good.

The Standard Stack (herbed smashbrowns with caramelized onion and jalapeno, green goddess dressing, marinated tx tomato and arugula; with choice of protein). Scottish Salmon $18~ 

I got the stack as well but with salmon. I shared it with my friend since we wanted to try everything. She said this was better than her husbands kobe beef burger stack. I ordered the salmon pink in the middle and it came PERFECTLY cooked. I mean.. just on point. And those smashbrowns... so good. Nice and crispy and flavorful. The whole thing was delicious and very well rounded. It didn't feel heavy at all. And at first the portion looked small to me, but its quite filling. Highly recommend this.

My friend got the Chicken Fried Chicken (sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken gravy) $16~ 

We also shared this one. Jessica (our bartender) recommended this one. They use chicken thighs instead of breast so the meat was extra juicy and tender. The color on the batter looked dark but it wasn't overcooked. I really enjoyed the crunch on the batter. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and the gravy wasn't too heavy. I think the chicken was my favorite thing of the night. Then the salmon and smashbrowns were a close close second.

We were having such a great time and the restaurant had completely filled up. The noise level is a little high but it's energetic not overbearing. We chatted with Jessica a lot throughout the night. It was very cool sitting at the bar watching them make all the drinks too. Since it's still their training, it's like we got a behind the scenes look at the restaurant. For their first night of food service, we thought everything went really well. The service was fast, attentive, and friendly. The food was spot on, no major snafus on anything. I'd say they're ready to open!

Finally we decided to ask if they were serving dessert even though it's not on the limited menu and they said yes. They only have 2 dessert options. One is a coconut blondie, called The Lucy. The other was The Ricky (dark chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate sauces, chopped peanuts, whipped cream) $11~ 

Such cute names! You can guess which one we got. hehe. It was pretty freaking awesome. I was on a no sugar diet, but I cheated and had 2 bites. The brownie was super fudgy and they gave enough ice cream to brownie ratio (this is important!) We killed it pretty quickly.

What a fabulous night! I saw the executive chef, Danyele McPherson, walking around the dining room later in the night but didn't get to meet her. She seems really nice. I saw her when she competed on Top Chef and have kinda been following her movement since. She used the be the chef de cuisine at The Grape then moved to Remedy and HG Sply Co sometime in 2014. I freaking love Remedy... especially their burger. I'm very pleased to see that the burger is going to be on the menu at Standard Service.

If you haven't noticed my excitement for this new opening... I'm telling you now... They open on MONDAY! Lunch & Dinner - 7 days a week! What a great addition to Rockwall. Go check them out. :) And say hi to Jessica for me!

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Cow Tipping Creamery

*EDIT*
They now have donut cones!! Whoa. I've gotta go check it out some time. If you've already tried it, I'd love to hear your feedback! :)

Photo cred: Cow Tipping Creamery

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I've been wanting to go check out Cow Tipping Creamery since they opened. I've seen a million pictures of their epic soft serve stacks on Instagram and people telling me how awesome it was. It just so happens that it was next to our dinner spot one night. (20 Feet Seafood joint was bomb btw!) It might've played a big role on the final decision on the dinner location. haha.

Cow Tipping Creamery
1146 Peavy Rd.
Dallas, TX 75218
(512) 538-4039
www.cowtippingcreamery.com
Price: $

We were going to 2 different dessert locations that night. Cow Tipping Creamery was first. It's inside the same shop as Good 2 Go Taco, so look for that. I can see how some people said the seating is limited since they share a space, but Good 2 Go Taco closes by 3PM so the seating opens up for the afternoon/night customers. I like their chalkboard menu.

They're most known for their Stackers. Which is just soft serve flavor of your choice layered with different toppings and sauces so you get something in every bite. Why other people don't understand this concept of layering is beyond me. I remember once asking a girl at Red Mango to layer my toppings with my froyo and she gave me a confused look. Who wants to only eat toppings and then run out when you hit the actual ice cream/soft serve/froyo?!?!

They feature 3 different flavors each day and it changes, I'm not sure how often. That night the flavors were Triple Vanilla Bean, Milky Chocolate, and Peanut Butter. You can pick one of their suggested Stacker combos or make your own.

I needed to pace myself since we have another location to go to. So I just ate off some of my other friends' orders. A few bites here and there.

The birthday boy chose Gimme S'more (soft serve of choice, hand-toasted marshmallows, semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips, molasses graham crumb, dark chocolate sauce) 8oz. $6~

He chose the Milk Chocolate soft serve since he absolutely loves chocolate. Their Stackers definitely are pretty epic looking. It's basically double the height of the cups they're in. They melt pretty quickly too, so eat fast or it'll be all over the table, or you! haha. This was pretty good. He doesn't really like marshmallows so I ate all of them. I felt like most of them weren't really toasted tho. There was a ton of chocolate chips. I feel like that's all we were eating towards the end. Overall it was good, but wasn't anything spectacular.

CTC Banana Split (soft serve of choice, caramelized bananas, macerated strawberries, honey dusted pecans, rummy caramel, brown sugar hot fudge) 8oz. $6~ 

They chose the Triple Vanilla Bean soft serve. A few people ordered this together. They really liked it. I thought it was good, but never got the banana in any of my bites. My favorite part was the honey dusted pecans because it added texture. This one wasn't overly sweet so that was good. I still prefer ice cream over soft serve. I think if all of these were done with ice cream, I'd love it more. haha.

A friend did the Make Your Own - You start with 1 soft serve, 1 sauce, 2 toppings and any additional is extra cost I guess.
Peanut Butter Soft Serve (with nutella sauce, caramelized bananas, toasted almonds, and triple fudge brownie chunks) 8oz. 

I liked his best. I think cuz the peanut butter soft serve was delicious. Although... I would've preferred fresh banana slices over the caramelized ones.. I think it's a texture thing. The peanut butter soft serve was my favorite flavor of the night. It wasn't super sweet and was really nutty. It actually reminded me of peanut butter flavors from Asia, where it just tastes like the actual nut (less sugar taste). His was falling over! Gotta eat fast. haha.

Everyone enjoyed it. I liked it well enough but probably won't go out of my way to get it. I rarely go to this area. I do, however, want to try their Earl Grey soft serve flavor. So whenever they have that next, I'll have to venture out there. And my favorite part about their concept is the layering. All other soft serve/ice cream shops... take note!

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Unrefined Bakery - Rockwall

Rockwall recently got a new cupcake place and I'm super psyched!! They opened a little before Thanksgiving, and I didn't get to go check it out until December. Not only do they make cupcakes, they also make their own breads, fruit bars, muffins, granola, and more. AND... everything is gluten and soy free. They also have items that are corn-free, dairy-free, and egg-free (to name a few). And they have vegan and paleo friendly options. They also use the purest and whole ingredients: organic and non-GMO flours, sugars, fats, dried fruits, nuts, eggs... This makes them healthy right?!?! :P

Unrefined Bakery
557 E I-30
Rockwall, TX 75087
(972) 948-2414
http://unrefinedbakery.com
Price: $

They started off in Dallas, I believe, but now they have a total of 5 locations across DFW. That's amazing! My reviews are only on the Rockwall location.

They offer a Cupcake of the Week "COW", every Friday at noon and sell it for the following week until they run out. I follow them on Instagram and Facebook so I usually find out what flavors are coming soon. Could be a dangerous thing. haha.

The first time I went in was for the new COW which was Peppermint Hot Cocoa. Sounds amazing... Walking in, the store is pretty bare. They have some tables and chair set up and some shelves on the side for the breads and granola. I wonder if they're going to do more with the decor. Looks quite unfinished compared to their other locations. It also smells a little weird, not like how a bakery normally smells. Not sure if that's got to do with the different ingredients?? But the people were super friendly. One person immediately came up to greet me, and gave me a general blurb about what they do and what they offer. I liked that. I think it's important to inform the public about what makes their products unique. I've gone into other gluten free bakeries before where the employees offered no info whatsoever. Why would I spend extra money buying your stuff, when I can get a cupcake elsewhere for a few bucks less? Right??

I proceeded to try a whole bunch of samples. Haha.. I wanted to try them all! But didn't want to be greedy. :P

Peppermint Hot Cocoa (chocolate cake with chocolate mint creme, peppermint unbuttercream, cocoa dust, shaved chocolate) $5~ 

 

I'm so shocked that their cupcakes are gluten free or vegan...it's so moist! I remember having my first gluten free cake years and years ago and it was like eating dry cardboard. The gluten free desserts have certainly improved tremendously! They always have samples in the store too. I tried regular gluten free versions as well as vegan, and honestly, I can't tell the difference. They're all really moist. I mostly got the peppermint for my fiance since he likes mint. I'm usually not a huge fan. But I liked this one, just enough hint of the peppermint without overpowering everything else. I also enjoy their unbuttercream. They don't use butter, hence the name. Always smooth and creamy. I've never minded the texture. In fact, I like it more than most super sugary frostings.

Loaded Monkey (peanut butter, banana, nuts) $5~ Can't go wrong with this combination of flavors. Really enjoyed this one.

Brownie. They told me this is like crack, cuz it's so good. I can't say it's THAT good, but I did like it. Popped it into the microwave for a few and devoured it. Couldn't tell that this was gluten free.

All their COWs are $5, as well as the Loaded Monkey which is a Specialty cupcake. A little pricey, but I understand the ingredients they use, and the dietary restrictions are more expensive.

I've gone back a few times after that. Usually the COW is what brings me to the shop. I like to try new and limited time items.

Black Forest (chocolate cake, dark cherry chocolate ganache filling, dark cherry unbuttercream) $5~ 

Super moist, as always. I actually wished there were more chunks of cherries. I think they chopped them too small. But other than that, yum.

Salted Caramel Pistachio (pistachio cake, salted pistachio cream filling, vanilla unbuttercream, caramel, salted pistachios) $5~ 

This was the previous week's COW. They only had a few left. I really liked this one. Normally not much of a caramel fan, but the texture and saltiness from the pistachio was great. My fiance didn't like it much so it was all mine!! For some reason he has an issue with the unbuttercream texture. I have no problems with it.

They also gave me a couple cookies for free! The cookies were super hard. But were pretty good once I warmed them up in the microwave. Nothing spectacular though. I'll stick to their cupcakes.

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NYC: Shake Shack

Every time I go to NYC, I have to have Shake Shack. It's a MUST. It is absolutely amazing and you totally have to go. And now there's one in Austin, TX and we're getting one in Dallas next year!! I'M SO PSYCHED!!! 

Their burgers are so freaking good. It's not gourmet with all the added frills and thrills but it's a solid, legit burger. The quality of the ingredients, the flavor, the way the buns hold up to all the inside components. Mmmmmmm!!! I'm drooling as I'm writing this. I miss it. I want one right now! 

I planned to hit up Shake Shack our first day there. He's never had it before. So if he likes it, then we'll have time to get it at least once more before leaving. And why wouldn't he love it?? Everyone does. He was skeptical of the hype, just like I was before I tried it. But after the first bite, he loved it just as much as I do! :P 

We went to 2 locations. 
First is at: 
Shake Shack
154 E 86th St. 
New York, NY 10028
(646) 237-5036 
www.shakeshack.com
Price: $ 

2nd one was inside Grand Central Terminal in the downstairs food court (which you should check out anyways cuz there's lots of good stuff there.) 

Here's how it works... You (usually stand in line), then order at the counter, then find a table. They give you a buzzer to pick up your order when it's ready. There's always a line, but it usually moves quickly. One word of caution... their bathrooms are not the nicest, and bathrooms in NYC are pretty limited. XP 

First time: 

He got the Shack Burger (cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce) Single $5.19~ 

Loved it! Just a simple, yet amazing, burger. All the ratios are properly done from amount of meat to bun to sauce. Every bite is awesome. 

I got the 'Shroom Burger (crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato and Shack sauce) $6.99~ 

 

This is vegetarian. My personal favorite. I never get the other ones because this one is just so great. Cheese, stuffed inside a portabello and then fried?? As I bite into it, the cheese oozes out. YUMMERS~ 

Crinkle Cut Fries $2.95~ 

Their fries are so good! A wonderful pairing to any of the burgers. And everything is made to order so they are all as fresh and hot as can be. 

Black & White Concrete (vanilla and chocolate ice cream with brownie bites and cookie dough) $3.50~ 

I got a concrete last visit to Shake Shack, but I guess I forgot which one we got... cuz this wasn't it. It was still good though. The concrete is pretty rich. And I ended up eating most of this because he didn't care for the chocolate side. FULL!! 

Second time: 
Grand Central Terminal 
All 3 of us got a Shack Burger (cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce) Single $5.19~ I figured I had the 'Shroom already so I should get the regular burger. Sooooo tasty. But the 'Shroom is still my fav. 

 

He also got a Root Beer Float. The first time we went my friend said her go to combo is always Shack Burger, fries, and a root beer float. And my fiance loved that combo, so decided to get one for himself this time. It DOES pair wonderfully. 

We had been eating non-stop for 3 days now, so we didn't get any fries. Although, after I finished my burger, I actually contemplated getting another. They are THAT good. Oh man... I miss it so. I really hope the one in Dallas will be just as good. I CANNOT WAIT! :D 

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