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In October, I had a lot less media events to attend so I used my free time to connect with friends I haven't seen/talked to in a while. Plus I got to go to some of the places that I've been wanting to go for the first time, or return to cuz the first time was so good. City Hall Bistro blew me away when I went for a media dinner. I dreamed about it all the time so when I planned a brunch with a friend, I suggested it. She also loves this place so it was quickly decided. We just can't stay away!
City Hall Bistro
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 651-3686
www.cityhallbistro.com
Price: $$-$$$
Checking out their brunch this time. They have a pretty small brunch menu, the rest of the options are available on their dinner menu as well. But everything sounded yummy. My friend is gluten free so we couldn't share a whole lot. I love my carbs. :P So naturally we over-ordered. She got 2 dishes and I got 2... and sampled each others.
We started with her choice, Chia Seed (apple, date, dried fruit, goji berries, cinnamon, labneh) $12~
The chia seeds are soaked in coconut milk (which is good cuz she's dairy free as well). The only dairy was the labneh that they usually dollop on top. So they just put it on the side. What a beautiful dish! Just lightly sweet the texture of the chia seeds were perfect. The fruits on top were strategically placed, I just loved the plating. It was a nice, light start to the meal.
Next was my pick: Hazelnut Waffles (nutella, banana) $11~ Too bad they don't have a gluten free options. These are yummy. I especially loved the hazelnut crumbles on top. It didn't really even need the maple syrup. The waffle texture was good, it didn't feel heavy. Which means I can eat more! :P
Her choice: Black Rice (harissa chicken, kale, sofrito, poached egg) $17~ I wanted this too, so I was glad she chose it. hehe. Also a beautiful dish. Loved everything about it. The flavors were great. I love black rice. The poached egg was so soft it just mixed with everything. And I like the greens in there since we didn't really have any other vegetables in the meal.
Lastly, this is not part of the brunch section but I wanted to try it since the first time I dined here. House-Made Cavatelli (braised short rib, fresh peas, parmesan) $14~
I love all pasta. And when it's mixed with short rib? Sold! Freaking loved it. This was my favorite. The pasta shape is fun... although you can also say they look like bugs. But delicious bugs! :P And the texture is on point! The short rib was SUPER tender. The peas and pea greens added a nice freshness since this is a heavier dish. I'd eat this dish again any day.
It was such a great meal. I loved catching up with my friend and enjoyed the lovely ambiance of City Hall Bistro. Got to try 4 new dishes there too so it's definitely a success. Hopefully I'll get to go back soon. There are more things to try!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
True Food Kitchen is officially open in Legacy West in Plano and I cannot be more excited! I freaking love this restaurant and now I have 2 locations to dine at! This is literally 5 minutes from my parents' house. I may just go visit them more! haha.
I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek last week for their Friends and Family night. My friend and I arrived on Friday at 6:30PM. The new Legacy West center is huge btw... this was my first time driving through. So excited for everything that's happening there. And the new True Food Kitchen location is beautiful! It's much bigger than the one in Dallas but it has the same overall feel and colors. It's so bright and open, I love it! And lots of patio seating too.
True Food Kitchen - Plano
7601 Windrose Avenue, Suite F100
Plano, Texas 75024
(214) 291-9591
www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations/plano/
Price: $$$
--- I want to specially mention the service that night. Everyone was super friendly and accommodating. I know they are still training and had a few mistakes here and there but they were quickly fixed so I was very impressed. Also, when I arrived, I had a bag with me with perishable food inside. I asked if I could put it in the fridge in the back. Adrian? (I think that was his name) was super helpful. Not only did he put my bag in the fridge he also put a note on it with my name and table number. He also said he would remind my waitress at the end of the night so I won't forget it. Sure enough, I forgot about it, but he personally came and reminded me and grabbed the bag for me. :D Like I said, super accommodating. Keep up the good work, y'all! ---
I was seated quickly and greeted by the waitress. She brought out some waters while I waited for my friend to arrive. I perused the menu... even though I had just been to the Dallas location a little over a week ago. hehe. While waiting, I also asked a few questions about the menu and the waitress was very helpful.
Once my friend arrived, she ordered a Hangover Rx (pineapple, orange, honey, coconut water) $5~ It's so pretty and definitely refreshing. It tasted ike a lighter, healthier version of a pina colada.
We got a couple appetizers to start.
Chioggia Beet Bruschetta (vegan almond ricotta, amaranth, arugula, pomegranate molasses) $9~
This is a vegan dish. One big reason I love True Food Kitchen so much is they make healthier foods taste so good! And they're also great at accommodating dietary restrictions. I cannot believe this is completely vegan. I loved the almond ricotta. I loved this whole dish! I think the hippy nutty bread really completes it. So much texture. The nuttiness of the bread with the creamy ricotta and tender sweet beets... this was one of my favorites of the night.
Kale Guacamole (pink grapefruit, cilantro, roasted poblano, sunflower seeds, pita chips) $10~
This is also a vegan dish. My friend and I were both intrigued by the addition of grapefruit in the guac. I have to say, it's a nice little addition. Although there were segments of pink and yellow grapefruit in it and one of them was really sour. haha. When you get a bite of the sweeter one with the guac, the combination is really fantastic. However, they did not segment the grapefruit well so it was a little difficult to eat. The 'skin' was still on the segments so it took a little effort to cut those off. We weren't sure if this was their version of pita chips, or they just decided to change it for that night... but I really liked it. It's thinner and nuttier than your typical pita chips and went really well with the dip.
Daily Market Soup - Sweet Potato and Poblano $7~
I love sweet potato so the soup sounded really good. I expected it to kind of be like a butternut squash soup. However, it was surprisingly sour... not sure what component of the dish make it that sour but I didn't care for it. The texture of the soup itself was good but I wanted it to be creamier. I think this is the first thing I've ever ordered here that I didn't really like.
Scottish Steelhead (smoked onion farro, arugula, roasted beet, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto) $23~ My friend ordered this as her entree. Everything on this dish sounds fantastic. And it was! The fish was cooked well and everything tasted fresh and flavorful.
Sustainable Seabass (broccolini, sugar snap pea, roasted mushroom, ancient grains, umami sauce) $26~
I ordered this. But I subbed the snap peas with snow peas and the roasted mushroom for roasted beets. I love both of those ingredients but I recently I found out I'm allergic to them along with several other "healthy" foods. Sigh. I asked the waitress if they are ok with substitutions and she said "of course!" The dish came with mushrooms... but they quickly remedied it and were very apologetic. It was a beautiful dish and the subbed veggies paired well with everything. And that umami sauce... it sure was umami! I wanted more!
We were getting pretty full but they asked if we wanted desserts... Well, if you insist. :P
Key Lime Pie (coconut chantilly) $7~
This is vegan and gluten free. We did not see a dessert menu so we didn't really know that it was vegan and gluten free. You can tell from the custard that it's more translucent instead of creamy. The pie on its own is a little too tart for me. But when paired with the coconut chantilly it was perfect. I loved the coconut chantilly. It was just slightly sweet enough to round out the lime in the pie. The crust is made from almond flour and has a lighter texture than normal. It did not feel like it was loaded with butter. We enjoyed it.
Coconut & Chia Seed Flan (caramel, mixed berries) $7~
This is also vegan and gluten free. Neither of us thought this should be called a flan... it's not the same texture, not eggy or bouncy enough. (Maybe closer to a Pot de Creme?) But it was goooood. I liked this better than the pie. The coconut flavor was perfect and light. I thought the caramel was a little too sweet but I've been cutting back on my sugar intake so my tolerance for sweets has gone down. Whatever they may call it... order it. It's delicious!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
We went to the new Lyfe Kitchen in Plano earlier this month for a light lunch. We had just gotten back from our all-inclusive Cancun trip so we didn't want to eat too much. Need to get back in shape!
Lyfe Kitchen
1900 Preston Rd. #111
Plano, TX, 75093
(972) 867-5933
http://restaurant.lyfekitchen.com/
Price: $$
I had been here once before. I thought it was pretty good but slightly expensive. However, they have this awesome brussels sprouts side dish for just $4! And you get quite a bit! I had my eyes set on that one again.
It's a cute place, bright lighting and colors, and an herb garden/shelf thing as soon as you walk into the door. It helps to reiterate their concept of healthy and sustainable foods. They support local farms, promote sustainability, and is overall environmentally friendly. Nothing is fried, and they offer gluten free, vegan, etc. options. I totally love the concept. And I understand their need to price things a bit higher. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.
It was my fiance's first time here. I knew he liked flavored water and juices and stuff so I pointed those out to him. They have some interesting waters, juices, and smoothies.
Orange Ginger Chia (fresh-squeezed orange juice, filtered water, lime, raw ginger syrup, lemon verbena, mint and chia seeds) $2.49~
This was quite good! I was surprised I liked it since I'm not a huge ginger fan. It was very refreshing, not too sweet, and the chia added some texture. If you haven't been following the food health news, chia is a recent trend. Supposed to be super good for you.
Roasted Salmon, Tomato & Fennel (sustainably raised salmon served with pan-steamed fennel, red onion, broccoli, zesty tomato sauce) $14.99~
He wanted something with protein so opted for the salmon. The fish was cooked well, but the flavors were quite light. Almost seemed bland at first, but the more he ate, the spicier it got. He can't really handle spicy so it was borderline too much for him. I got the spiciness, but to me it was very slight. It was an ok dish. Definitely light and healthy though.
Quinoa Crunch Wrap (whole wheat tortilla stuffed with quinoa tabbouleh, fresh crunchy vegetables avocado, edamame hummus, fireman’s hot sauce on the side) $7.99~
This was mine. It was very pretty! I loved it. Lots of veggies inside with all sorts of flavors and texture. I liked the combo of the quinoa with the avocado. The edamame hummus was great too! I'd get this again.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash (with dried cranberries, dijon vinaigrette) $3.99~
This is what I came for. Two of my favorite veggies in one plate for only $4!! Delicious! I think I can just order 2 of these as my main meal next time. hahaha.
This time was better than the first. I enjoyed my food a lot more. Guess you just have to order the right thing here... If you are into healthy food and/or have a special diet, this is definitely worth checking out. I'm totally digging this new trend of more local foods, healthy, sustainability. I really hope it continues down this path. :)
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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