Remedy

When friends come to town, it usually means good food! My friend from NYC was here Labor Day weekend so we got a group together to go check out Remedy for dinner. I've been dying to go. I've done there brunch which is pretty good, but mainly I really really wanted one of their epic sundaes. hehe.

I'm really loving all the new places in Lower Greenville! There are so many spots I still wanna try. Just parking is quite lacking... We went on Friday night at 6:30PM. The place was already pretty packed. It's a small restaurant though, so make sure you get reservations! Some of our friends were there early so we were directed to the table as soon as we got there.

Remedy
2010 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(469) 294-4012
www.remedydallas.com
Price: $$-$$$$

Our waiter greeted us quickly. He was super friendly. I think his name was Christopher. Shout out to the great service! He brought us waters and ome people ordered drinks.

Old Tom Pink Lemonaid (gin, grapefruit, juice, lemon juice, sugar, soda) $10~ A pretty drink. My friend said it was pretty good. And the paper straws are super cute, but not really that functional cuz they get kinda soggy after a while.

RX Painkiller (white and dark rums, tropic thunder soda, orange juice, coconut flakes) $10~ Also looked fun. I'm not a fan of shredded coconut, but it was pretty much just decoration. The drink itself was quite tasty. My friend really liked it.

Man.. it was so hard deciding what to order. All of us wanted to try everything... After a longggg time scrutinizing over the menu, we were set.

We started with an appetizer. Jalapeno-Chive Hushpuppies (NC hot sauce butter) $9~ 

 

It had a slight kick to it. I wished it was spicier. Not the best hushpuppies I've had. I thought the outside was over-fried. It felt a little greasy to me. The flavor was ok though.

A couple of my friends brought their baby girl so they got this for her. Grilled Cheese (Cottonwood River cheddar, charred TX tomato on griddled sourdough) $11~ Choice of Hand-Cut Fries. It looked really good. I got to have a fry which was yummy.

He got the Brown Sugar-Cider Glazed Dry Aged Duroc Pork Chop (jalapeno sweet potato hash, mustard greens with roasted peanuts in hot sauce vinaigrette, crispy onion rings) $26~ A super thick, bone-in pork chop. It was cooked really well... juicy and tender. Everyone who tried it, loved it.

She got the Open Faced Beet Cured Salmon (house-cured Scottish salmon, smashed avocado, marinated cucumber, TX tomato, pickled red onion, arugula, on griddled ciabatta) $15~ with Mixed Greens. 

Another friend ordered the same but with Cream of Tomato Soup. 

Such a vibrant dish. The beet color on the salmon was amazing. I normally don't like smoked salmon, but this is nothing like it. It doesn't have that smoked flavor. The fish was very fresh, and it was quite light with the cucumber/tomato/arugula combo. The avocado added a richness to it.

I recommended this to a friend. I had it during brunch. House Filet O'Fish (panko breaded TX redfish filet, American cheese, shredded lettuce, tartar sauce on a griddled challah bun) $15~ Choice of Cream of Tomato Soup. He loved it. The fish was tender and flaky. A solid choice.

Summer Goat Cheese Dumplings (white corn broth, caramelized cipollinis, anise-pickled lemley's peaches, brown butter baby zucchini, crispy squash blossom, cilantro) $18~ This was the only dish I didn't try. The portion size seemed fairly small plus I don't like goat cheese. So it would be wasted on me. My friend enjoyed it though.

I got the Cheeseburger (Kansas City Kobe Beef, American cheese, house dill pickles, sweet onion, shredded lettuce, TX tomato, creamy mustard on a griddled challah bun) $13~ Choice of Mixed Greens. 

 

 

It was between this or the BLT, and the waiter highly recommended this. I'm glad I took his advice. A solid burger. Simple, no exotic ingredients like some gourmet burgers these days, but just good. The meat was super juicy. I especially love their challah bun... soooo soft and buttery but still holds everything together. I would definitely go back and have this again. I didn't feel greasy or heavy after eating this. And I thought I'd have leftovers, but I ate the whole thing. :P So much for saving room for dessert... ha!

We also got some sides to share for the table.

I chose the South of TX Style Creamed Corn (grilled summer corn with red and green chiles, scallions, cream, hot sauce, cotija cheese) $7~ 

Their sides are quite sizable btw... We didn't expect the portion size to be so "healthy". hehe. Loved this. So much flavor. A slight kick from the hot sauce. And not super creamy like it's doused in heavy cream. Yum!

Cheddar Bacon Grits (hickory smoked bacon, aged cheddar topped with marinated baby tomatoes, green onions) $7~ 

I already knew their grits was good from my brunch experience. Also a big portion. It's soooo good. Texture and flavors are all spot on. A big hit with the entire table. A waitress tried to take it away with one bite still left and we all basically jumped on her. hahaha. No waste!!

We were all pretty stuffed, but I was here for the dessert so I had to get some. At first we all said we were gonna share, but with this group, we love food too much and almost everyone got their own. :P

A friend and I shared The Brian Corn Luscher. Specialty Sundae. (summer corn ice cream, port-soaked blackberries, goat's milk cajeta, cornmeal shortbread cookies, whipped cream) $9~ 

I don't like goat's milk, so we asked for the cajeta, which is kinda like a caramel sauce, on the side. The sundae was massive!!!! The summer corn ice cream sounded so interesting. But it was very light. For the first half, I could barely taste the corn because the blackberry sauce and shortbread overwhelmed it. The blackberry sauce was awesome though, so I didn't mind. And the shortbread was good too, added a much needed crunch. After we ate through most of the toppings, then I was able to finally taste the corn ice cream. It's really good. We had help eating this too, but we were beaten. We could not finish... since everyone else got dessert too.

Coconut Cream Pie (sweet coconut cream, toasted meringue, candied coconut flakes, traditional flaky crust) $8~ Very pretty and tasty too.

Lemon Blueberry Pie (lemon curd swirled with fresh blueberry jam, topped with whipped cream, grape-nuts in brown sugar-oatmeal crust) $8 Plus A la Mode +$2~ Kinda pricey for a slice of pie and ice cream but they're both really good. This pie was yum-o! The lemon wasn't too tart and the pie wasn't too sweet. I especially loved the grape-nuts/oatmeal crust. Never had that before. So awesome.

Nancy's Butterscotch Pie (butterscotch cream, toasted pine nuts, caramel, rosemary-infused traditional flaky crust) $8 Plus A la Mode +$2~ This was a super rich and thick pie. A little too sweet for my friend who ordered it so I took it home for my fiance (who loooooves butterscotch). The pine nuts on top elevated the whole thing, in my opinion. It was a great combo.

It was a great dinner. Great company, delicious food, attentive service. I will surely be back soon. I need to have that cheeseburger again! We also got some complimentary mints with our checks.

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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 ~~

Kate Weiser Chocolate - Trinity Groves

We were saving some stomach space because we wanted to get dessert at Kate Weiser Chocolate. Not only does she make amazing looking chocolate, I found out she also has ice cream in the new store!

Other than Cake Bar, this was the other place I really wanted to check out at Trinity Groves.

Kate Weiser Chocolate
3011 Gulden Ln, Suite 115
Dallas, TX 75212
(469) 619-4929
http://kateweiserchocolate.com/
Price: $-$$$$+

Loved the decor. It was bright and open and lots of colors from the picture on the wall to the chocolates on display. Her chocolates are definitely works of art, All have lots of color, almost too pretty to eat!

We were there for the ice cream though, first and foremost. Each one is $5, which I thought was reasonable. The chocolates were half that price EACH! Dang...

The ice creams were pre-packaged in these little containers. They were VERY frozen so we sat outside and let them thaw out a bit before digging in.

(From left to right)
Ascension Coffee Ice Cream (crushed biscotti, chocolate espresso bean) $5~ This was pretty good. I particularly liked the biscotti to add texture. I've heard Ascension coffee is really good, but since I'm not a coffee drinker, I haven't checked out the cafe yet. Very bold coffee flavors. It's probably the best one of the three.
Chai Tea Ice Cream (black tea, cardamom, ginger streusel) $5~ I chose this one. It was very interesting. Kind of a deconstructed ice cream. The bottom was the black tea ice cream, the top was cardamom ice cream (we think) and when you eat it together, it creates the chai! I loved the ginger streusel.
Pecan Butterscotch Ice Cream (mandarin orange, candied pecans) $5~ We liked this one the least. The top was a mandarin orange sorbet. I guess the bottom ice cream was the pecan butterscotch. I found the combination of orange and butterscotch a little weird. The butterscotch flavor was actually overwhelmed by the orange a bit. The candied pecan pieces were too big. I think they should've crushed it up a little. Meh...

French Macarons (per piece) $2.50~ I forget what the flavor was that my friend got. I think something maple? I'm not a macaron connoisseur at all. I thought it was ok? But I find them generally unsatisfying and seriously overpriced since most of them are semi-hollow. This one was hollow in the cookie part too.

We walked around the area a bit after dessert. Before leaving I went back and bought some chocolates to try later. Since I'm here and all... :P

Bonbons and Truffles (per piece) $2.50~ I got 2 pieces. They had lots of flavors I wanted to try, but they were too expensive... I got the Truffle Honey (milk chocolate, truffle honey) and the Yuzu (dark chocolate with Japanese lime). 

They were so pretty! The lady at the register was super nice. She told me that each of them was packed with the listed flavors. She also recommended that I eat the Yuzu first since the Truffle was heavier in flavor. 

I was super excited about the Yuzu (on the right). It's a Japanese citrus and I love it. However, I took a bite of the chocolate and didn't even get a hint of citrus... What?? She told me it had lots of yuzu flavor... I took another bite, still nothing. Needless to say I was very disappointed. And here's where my dilemma comes in. As a piece of chocolate, it's pretty awesome. The quality and craftsmanship of the dark chocolate is great and I absolutely enjoyed it. But since you tell me it's yuzu, I expect to get the citrus flavor. Which I didn't, AT ALL. That was a big let down. Next, I still had high hopes for the Truffle Honey. 

Now this isn't the chocolate "truffle", it's straight up black truffles infused honey. The lady at the store told me, again, that the truffle flavor packs a punch. I love truffle. I took a bite. The truffle flavor was so slight that if I didn't know what was in the chocolate, I wouldn't have guessed it was truffle. Upon the 2nd bite, I got a little bit more but still not "a punch". Double disappointment. Again, really great craftsmanship on the chocolate and the filling was silky and luscious. But only as a regular piece of chocolate. I have to say I'm disappointed, especially after the reputation I've heard and expected from her chocolates. Has anyone had these flavors and had a different experience? Part of me is hoping that for some reason these batches were just flukes and they forgot to add the flavorings or something. XP

Well, I'm not sure if I'll have these again. Sigh...
At least all the people there, including Kate Weiser herself, were very friendly.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~