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Haywire opened at Legacy West in Plano just 2 weeks ago. Being part of the restaurant group that brought us Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, Ida Claire, and more... this place was definitely on my radar. My husband and I happened to be in Plano on the 2nd night of opening so I quickly snagged a reservation.
*Now open for Lunch and Dinner. Brunch will start Christmas weekend!*
Haywire - Legacy West
5901 Winthrop St. Suite 110
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 781-9473
http://haywirerestaurant.com/
Price (dinner): $$$+
Y'all... this place is amazing!! My husband was caught in traffic so I explored the place while waiting for him. THREE floors completely decked out in awesome decor. Definitely a very western/Texas theme, but each floor had its own vibe. Also, a bar on every floor! The rooftop is extra awesome, complete with a cabin-esque nook area to enjoy a game, and a full size Airstream! It's a fancy Airstream too, I would like to dine in there some time.
This place is huge! It's definitely going to be a popular spot when the weather is nice. So I was walking around just looking and taking pictures when I was greeted by the GM and the Director of Operations from Front Burner Restaurants. They just walked up and said hi! How nice! They informed me that they were having a complimentary wine tasting event and asked if I wanted some wine. I don't drink, but they guided me over there for some appetizers and cheese boards. Yay, free food! I sampled the Cornmeal Fried Texas Gulf Oyster and Fried Green Tomato (with Green Goddess dressing).
So good. I'm not a huge oyster fan but it was so good! And loved the fried green tomatoes. You must have the dressing! Btw... since I don't drink wine, the GM brought me a glass of water, himself! I felt so special!! :)
I was getting a little worried and feeling bad that we were so late for our reservation, however, they were so laid back and easy going. When my husband arrived, we even went and got him some free wine first before being seated. The main dining area is super cool. Dimly lit, and really nice decor. They have a sitting area with really cool chairs and a fireplace.
Our waiter, Oscar, came over to greet us. He was super nice! We noticed that it was Happy Hour and he helped to recommend some drinks. My husband got the Frozen Texas Tea (4 types of liquor; with sangria swirl) $5~ during HH.
This was a bigger glass than I expected. It was really yummy... did NOT feel like you were drinking that many different kinds of alcohol. But that's deadly right? My husband liked it so much he ordered a 2nd one, and that was one too many! He got quite tipsy towards the end of the meal. haha.
Happy Hour is M-F from 4-7PM. They have $5 apps and drinks. I highly recommend the Frozen Texas Tea. But have a DD! And... half priced wines every Sunday!
Mini Elk Tacos (spicy elk picadillo, caciotta cheese, grilled corn pico, cilantro crema, micro greens) $9.95~
We were also intrigued by the elk tacos from the HH menu, but they hadn't started food specials when we went. We got them anyways. So the meat is a elk and wagyu beef blend so it's not gamey at all. I was a little surprised it was a crispy taco... these days most people do soft corn tortillas (which I don't like). I liked the crispy taco shell. It was filled to the brim with meat. The toppings kept falling out. haha. A good problem to have. It was really good. I would've like some hot sauce but I just like spicy foods. hehe.
I asked Oscar about their cornbreads cuz a friend of mine had gone the day before and raved about them. I asked him because it's not on the menu... But yes, you can order them, and it's super cheap.
Buttery Cornbread. I think they're like $1~ each?
Can I get a dozen to go please! :P These were my favorite things of the night. They were perfection! Warm, fluffy, with slightly crispy edges. It was sweet yet had a slight heat to it. I wonder what kind of spice they used but it was very slight... you just get a hint of heat. Enough to make you wonder. Loved it. I can have this with my meal, or as dessert.
For the entrees, there were so many things we wanted. I ended up with the Mesquite Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop (warm farro and rainbow chard salad, smoked chili honey butter) $24.95~
Mainly because of the farro and chard salad... sounded yummy! Plus this was healthier than getting the mac and cheese. (Next time!) Really thick cut pork chop, perfectly tender. I ordered it medium and it was a little under. Since it's bone-in, it takes a little longer to cook through. I would suggest med-well for next time. Loved the flavors too. The farro salad was amazing and had this peppery-ness to it. I liked the bit of heat.
My husband went with the Double Cut Texas Wild Boar Chops (local oyster and shiitake mushrooms, butternut squash, cipollini onions, pan jus) $31.95~
The most tender boar everrr! We did notice that the veggies underneath did not include any of the mushrooms or onions so we brought it to Oscar's attention. He was able to get us a side dish of that. Ours just had brussels sprouts and butternut squash which also paired really well with the boar. I did wish the chops were bigger though. My husband inhaled his plate quickly.
We were pretty full. But I made sure to stop eating and take the rest of my entree to go because I wanted dessert. My husband regretted getting the 2nd drink because now he's way too full. haha. To our surprise, Oscar asked us if we wanted a slice of cake and it was going to be on the house. Well duh!! Bring it on! :P We chose the Chocolate Cake (with vanilla ice cream). Not sure how much the cake is since it was on the house! :)
It was a big slice of chocolate decadence. That ganache is amazing. We ended up taking more than half of the cake to go, but killed the ice cream. Tip: If you let the cake warm up a bit... it's even better!!
It was a fabulous dinner. Brian, the GM, came by and talked to us for a while. Another manager came by to greet us towards the end of the meal too. And Oscar was just a joy. We absolutely loved our experience and cannot wait to go back. We're already planning to visit again next week.. and bringing LOTS of friends. :D
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Earlier this month I had a chance to check out the new Don't Tell Supper Club. Now... it's a little bit of a secret so I won't give away too much. hehe. Mostly just the food parts. :P
Don't Tell Supper Club
2026 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 432-8282
www.donttellsupperclub.com
Price: $$$$+
Is this place a restaurant? Bar? Or nightclub? Yes. ^_~ They are only open Thursday-Saturday nights. And after 10PM, it becomes a nightclub. What I liked about this place? The decor is eclectic... a little fancy, a little fun, and a little naughty. I especially loved the caged chandeliers at the bar. You also get a show while you dine which is the concept of a supper club.
We arrived on a Saturday night at 7PM. There were 4 of us and we were seated right in front of the stage. I would've preferred to be seated farther back so we can see the stage completely... But out of the 4 seats, I had a pretty good angle to the stage. The waitress came by immediately to take our drink orders. Our waitress was Alexis (I think?), I liked her a lot. :)
(I apologize for some of the photos btw... since it's more of a mood and performance lighting, it was not great for pictures.)
All of their cocktails sounded really interesting. We asked the waitress for some recommendations on the coolest looking ones. So I started with the Most Unusual Tea (Hendrick's Gin, basil, lime juice, a touch of chamomile) $14~
I love anything with dry ice which makes a cool smoking effect. The cocktail was poured tableside on the basil leaf. I really liked this. The flavors were just right... I could taste the gin as well as the basil. Hendrick's Gin is one of my favorites... if you haven't tried it, this is a good drink to get. :)
The waitress also brought by some drinks on the house. I think she said it was like a Dreamsicle.
Trainspotting (Gosling Rum, Cana Brava Rum, lime, orange, pineapple juices with a hint of coconut) $14~ This was definitely a fun drink. I started to see that their presentation is their strong suit. The syringe was "injected" into the drink tableside. I liked that it was interactive.
Contortionist (Tito's, fresh fruit puree, lemon, topped with champagne; served with Pop Rocks) $13~ This was fun too, a pretty drink with contrasting colors of the drink and pop rocks. All topped with a fun twisty straw. However, my friends said the drink flavor wasn't too exciting.
That seemed to have been the general consensus on the cocktails. Pretty and fun, but the flavor lacks a little... whether it wasn't strong enough or the flavors were muddled, or wasn't sweet enough, etc.
While we were waiting for our drinks to come, a magician came by our table and did some tricks. I was impressed! The tricks were fun and the magician guy had a really great attitude. He later did several acts on the stage and I liked him best out of all the performers of the night. He had great energy and was just fun! (I'm not posting any more pics than this! You'll have to go and see the shows for yourself!)
We ordered the food in two rounds. All their dishes are kinda made for sharing. And again... we saw that their presentation game is strong! Every plate came with a cool decoration on the platter, and it just keeps getting more epic.
Jumbo Lump Crab Filled Eggs (tarragon, lemon, paprika panko) $14~ I loved the platter that this dish came on. The steampunk octopus was unexpected and very cool. I've never had lump crab on eggs before. I liked it a lot. The paprika panko was a nice bit of color.
Heirloom Tomato Watermelon Salad (cornbread croutons, balsamic gel, basil) $12~ Plus Grilled Shrimp +$7~ I don't like watermelon, but I ate everything else... and surprisingly this was my favorite dish of the night! The shrimp was so plump and cooked perfectly. But my favorite bite was the cornbread crouton. It had really great flavor and texture. It wasn't super crunchy like normal croutons. I would eat a whole plate with just that.
DT Castle Burgers (chipotle mayo, cabbage, cilantro, pepper jack, bacon) $16~ This normally comes with 3 sliders but we asked them to add a 4th since we had 4 people. The sliders were good. The chipotle mayo was bold and smokey. I liked it, but some didn't for that same reason. The texture of the buns were good. And the bacon is TOTALLY necessary! hehe.
Truffle Parmesan Fries. Instead of ordering the Steak and Frites, we just got the fries as a side. As it was served, you can already smell the truffle, which is a good sign. It was good...but got cold quickly. Still... I pretty much like all fries. haha.
Crispy Seared Key West Cobia (pan seared atop kale, shaved brussels sprouts, swiss red chard, soy sesame glaze) $48~ "Serves 2 to 3". I was super excited to order this. I had seen pictures of a giant WHOLE fried fish on Yelp and I thought this was it... since they only had one fish dish on the menu. Plus a giant whole fish would definitely feed 2-3 people and justify the $48 price tag. Yowza! However, when it came... we were confused. I was like "we didn't order this... did we?" It was just 2 normal filets of fish on a long plate.
The waitress confirmed that this was indeed the cobia. So I asked her about the picture I saw, and she said "oh, that's a prop!" And it was being served at another table, that's why we got the pointing hand on our platter. She asked if we wanted the fried fish prop brought over and I said yes. Might as well get some cool pictures, even though I was so disappointed that it wasn't for consumption! The fried fish prop was certainly impressive!
I mean, just look at it!! But the cobia dish itself was a disappointment. First of all, it barely feeds 2 people, unless you've ordered a lot of other dishes. The fish could've been seared more too. I wonder what justifies the price point? It's quite expensive... Is cobia an expensive fish? I don't really know. The flavors in the kale, brussels sprouts mixture was good though. You can definitely taste the soy sesame glaze.
We were getting full but wanted to try a couple more things. So here goes Round 2!
Big Eye Tuna Tartar (scallions, yuzu, togarashi, black radish) $19~ Again... a cool display with the dish. This one was especially fitting to the establishment's name. The fish...while tender, was completely overwhelmed by the spices. The flavor wasn't bad or anything, it just didn't let the fish shine.
Kobe Beef Carpaccio (shallot black pepper vinaigrette, key lime, yellow tomatoes, toast) $20~ This was good. The beef was sliced razor thin and actually fell apart when we tried to scoop it up. Flavors were good, although slightly too salty. Definitely squeeze some of the little key limes onto each bite. It makes a difference!
For dessert, they had 3 cakes available, so we just got one of each.
NY Style Cheesecake (vanilla cheesecake with a hint of lemon and orange on a graham cracker crust) $12~ The other two cakes towered over this one and I felt it got kinda lost. It was ok. I didn't get the hints of citrus very much and the texture was fine. Wasn't too impressed.
Wedding Cake (white chocolate buttermilk cake filled and frosted with Italian buttercream frosting) $12~ Pretty. Loved all the different textures on top. Flavor wise... a little bland. And the cake felt like it was just taken out of the freezer or something... didn't taste fresh and was quite hard.
Chocolate Mega Tron Cake (6 layers of chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting and crushed candies between each layer; covered with vermicelli sprinkles) $12~ This was by far my favorite out of the three. I really liked the crunch candies within the layers and it's incredibly chocolatey. But like the wedding cake, it was hard, like it was just in the freezer. I wonder if they get their cakes from a third party...? I left it alone for a while and let it thaw and it was better. And vermicelli sprinkles? We were soooo intrigued! Vermicelli is a type of really thin rice noodle often used in Vietnamese cuisine. But it was just normal chocolate sprinkles. haha. I think they used the word "vermicelli" to describe the shape.
I had a good time. The food and drinks were a little hit and miss but overall we had fun. Our waitress was great! I really enjoyed watching the magician guy. He was definitely my favorite. I won't give away too much on what he did, but he was on that stage a lot! You gotta go check it out yourself to see what kind of performances they have! This is definitely something different to do in Dallas... since it's our first ever supper club. I would recommend y'all experience it at least once. And for those who like to party it up, the nightclub part starts after 10PM!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Last weekend, I got invited to go check out brunch at Zatar in Deep Ellum. I was invited to a media dinner at the beginning of this year but had to decline due to work conflicts. I was so bummed! I've heard really great things about this place. So I jumped on this invite and accepted immediately. :) Plus... I love brunch!
Zatar - Lebanese Tapas & Bar
2825 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75226
(972) 863-7100
https://zatardallas.com
Price (for brunch): $$
It was different going to Deep Ellum on a Sunday morning. No need to fight traffic or circle for parking spots! Woot! We arrived at 11:30AM. The place was pretty quiet, only 2 other tables so far. But brunch doesn't start until 11:30 anyways and it goes til 3PM! That's pretty awesome since a lot of places end brunch at 2... They just started brunch about a month ago, btw. It's super new, and so far no need for a reservation, so go sooner than later, I say! :)
I really liked the decor. High ceilings... they also have a huge outdoor (but covered) seating area. Lots of cool art on the walls and chandeliers. I love chandeliers. We were seated close to the window, yes, for light. hehe. Turned out it was the owner himself that seated us. Marc was super nice and he actually remembered inviting me back in Jan! Wow, great memory! Well, I'm so glad to have finally made it in.
It was pretty early in the day so my husband and I started with the Arabic Teapot (black tea with fresh mint) $4~
Neither of us really drink much alcohol anyways... but just so you know... they have Frose. I really enjoyed the tea, the mint was fragrant, but wasn't overpowering. It was great to just sip on it throughout the meal. The teapot was bigger than I thought too, the one pot lasted the both of us for the entire meal.
We were greeted by the PR rep that invited me. She was also incredibly nice. She gave us some history tidbits of the restaurant. Their oven was brought over brick by brick from Lebanon so as to ensure the most authentic baking of their breads. Oh my! I immediately added the hummus to our order so we can have some pita bread. hehe.
Hummus (chickpeas dip, with tahini, lemon, olive oil) $6~
It's gluten free and vegetarian. (The hummus, not the pita bread. haha.) It was a big portion, definitely shareable with multiple people. The pita bread was puffy and warm... right out of that amazing oven. OMG. This is the BEST hummus I've ever had. Seriously. And I've had quite a bit of hummus. It's one of my favorite things in mediterranean cuisine. Normally they're all fine... but this was spectacular. It had soooo much flavor! With a slight spicy kick to it. The texture was great, not gritty like it can sometimes get. Freaking amazing. And it's only $6 so you have to get it every time you go.
I got the Shish Taouk & Waffles (anise infused waffles topped with fried shish taouk chicken, drizzled with carob molasses) $13~
Added a fried egg on top. Chicken and waffles are like Brussels Sprouts and Pork Belly. If I see it on the menu, I'm very likely to order it. hehe. This was their twist on the popular dish. The waffles were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The carob molasses was quite interesting. Definitely not your typical maple syrup. The carob added a slight chocolate flavor and the molasses was dark, but not overpowering. The chicken was nice and juicy... I wished it was a little crispier but I don't know if that's the way they intended it. Just personally, I always prefer crispier chicken. And I wish the chicken pieces were a little bigger. I actually ended up removing the egg and eating it separately. The dish really didn't need that addition. It was definitely interesting! And we quite enjoyed it.
My husband got the Mother of All Pies (minced meat pie with cheese stuffed crust, topped with 2 sunny side up eggs) $14~
It was highly recommend by Marc. And he was right to suggest it. I loved the plating on the plank. It was actually completely different than what I was imagining. For some reason I was thinking more towards like the British style meat pies, but this was more like a Lebanese pizza. The dough/crust had great texture. It was nicely browned in their oven. The meat was flavorful and everything worked so well with the eggs on top. You can see some colorful pickled veggies they garnished the pie with... the red strips were radishes I think, and the green ones are actually cucumbers. I thought they were celery. So yummy. I liked this better than my waffles and my husband cleaned his plate!
We asked the waiter to box up some of the leftovers and I asked him about this chocolate cake they had that I've heard so much about. I didn't see it on the menu and wondered if they have it available. The waiter winked and said he'll see what they can do for me. hehe. And... they had it. Yessss! :)
Halawa Chocolate Cake.
The waiter said halawa is some sort of fudge or candy made from sesame seeds. I did a Google search and it seems like the word is synonymous with Halva, which I've definitely heard before. It looked so rich and decadent! And the flavor totally matched the look. Ganache is like my favorite thing! And they definitely did it right. The halawa (sesame paste) is mixed with buttercream as the filling. It had a nice texture... and if you really tried to taste for it, you can taste the sesame a little. It was as good as I've heard. And it went so well with the tea.
What a great brunch! Part of me wished we had tried more things (the piggy side of me. ha!) but we had just the right amount. I wasn't dying for nap like I normally am after brunch. haha. Everyone was super nice and we definitely enjoyed the food. And now I'll definitely have to go back for dinner one night. Just FYI, other than Sunday brunch, they are only open for dinners. And closed on Mondays. Thanks, Zatar, for having us, we loved it! :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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