Brunch @ City Hall Bistro

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 ~~

Your Pie - Frisco

There's only one location of Your Pie in DFW right now and it's located in Frisco. It's a really long way from Rockwall but I'm so glad I decided to go to their media dinner a couple weeks ago. The concept is like a Chipotle but for pizza... you basically build your own. They also have Signature pizzas if you don't want to byo. We were there celebrating the first day of summer as well as the limited release of their Peach Prosciutto Pie.

Your Pie - Frisco
5110 Eldorado Pkwy.
Frisco, TX 75033
(469) 664-0768
https://yourpie.com/stores/el-dorado/
Price: $

Your Pie first started in Georgia in 2008. In 2016, they started expanding out of the Southeast. They have over 50+ locations across the US now. Quite impressive! I didn't have much expectations going in, to be honest. We have plenty of build-your-own pizza concepts in Dallas already and they're all pretty decent. But I was in for a very pleasant surprise!

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted. The PR ladies did a fabulous job at this event. They socialized, helped serve when needed, and came by to check on us frequently. :) Since it was a media event, we asked what we were supposed to do. They said just find a seat and they'll be bringing out some of the featured pizza.

Their pizzas are 10 inches... perfectly individual sized. And all $7.99~

Peach Prosciutto Pie (olive oil, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, fresh peaches, prosciutto, chopped basil, honey balsamic glaze) Seasonal. Back for a LIMITED TIME. 

I really didn't know what to expect from this pizza. It's definitely the first time I'm going to try a pizza with peaches on it. Y'all... it rocked my world. First of all, the pizza dough/crust is one of the best I've ever had. Ever. I was told that it's the owner's recipe. Well done, sir, cuz it's fantastic! The crust is just the right thickness and the texture was perfection. It had just the right amount of chewiness and the edges were crisped just enough. They cook all their pizzas in a brick oven, like they do in Italy. Plus the peach and prosciutto combo is kind of a popular pairing now. The peaches were juicy and not overly sweet. But the sweetness paired with the light ricotta cheese and salty prosciutto was just the perfect flavor. It was extremely popular with the media crowd that night. I ate a whole one by myself. And even when cold... it's still good! I never really eat cold pizza. So you better get your butt over there soon since this is limited time!!!

The Nat (basil pesto, mozzarella, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken). 

We wanted to try another pizza so we ordered this... also one of their signature pizzas. It was good, but after the Peach Prosciutto, it wasn't as interesting. haha. I think the main issue is that this pizza didn't have ricotta. The ricotta in the pizza really adds a light creaminess to everything. I think that should be a standard now. haha. But the chicken was super tender. And honestly, it was a great pizza, just overshadowed by the peach prosciutto perfection.

Southern Heat (buffalo sauce, mozzarella, red onions, jalapenos, chicken; served with ranch or blue cheese dressing). 

I got to try a slice of this. It was good that they didn't bring me a whole pie because I would've devoured it and hated myself. haha. This was sooooo good! It really does have some heat to it, so only get it if you can stand spicy. There's actual heaps of chopped jalapenos throughout the top. A friend ordered one and added bacon on top. Genius!!! I highly recommend this one as well.

Well... I pretty much ate TWO whole pizzas by myself that night. Great self control, amiright? :P But serious, that dough... it's just that good. I couldn't stop.

But then... we had to have dessert!! They offer several flavors of gelato. The flavors change often and they also feature seasonal flavors from time to time.

Gelato:
1 scoop $1.99~
2 scoops $2.99~
3 scoops $3.99~

After trying EVERY SINGLE flavor. I settled on the Strawberry Balsamic which is limited edition too. It was so good. You can see there are actual chunks of strawberries throughout. It wasn't overly sweet or heavy, so I didn't feel more guilty about more eating. haha.

What a fantastic dinner. I was beyond impressed with the quality of food. That dough.... OMG. I can still remember the texture of it while chewing. Droolingggggg! I really hope business continues to boom for them. And pretty please open up a few more locations in Dallas (ahem*Rockwall*ahem). That would be great, thanks. :P

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

18th & Vine BBQ

This place has been on my list since they opened. I got the opportunity to go when we had some European coworkers visiting back in March and the team was going out for dinner. Being the resident foodie, my boss told me to pick. When in Texas, you gotta have some BBQ right? Plus some people were taking our guests downtown to the AAC after for some hockey action, so this was on their way.

18th & Vine
4100 Maple Ave.
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 443-8335
www.18thandvinebbq.com
Price: $$$+

This area is quite cute! It looks like house-turned-restaurant but also looked really new. I liked the style, but definitely not the look of a typical BBQ joint.

I was in charge of ordering. Everyone was good with doing it family style because we all wanted to try everything.

Started with Burnt Ends $13~ 
Of course!! This is one of my favorites at any BBQ place. Theirs is top notch! Really tender and flavorful. It was my favorite of the night. The pickled onions and pickles paired perfectly with the meat. 

 

Fresh Fried Okra $8~ Also pretty awesome. Fried really well and wasn't too much batter. I had to force myself to stop eating it because the entrees haven't even arrived yet!

Wood-Kissed Salmon (green split pea, warm frisee) $25~ 

This was requested by one of our guests, just to throw a fish in the mix. I liked the dish. The split pea mash was interesting. If you don't like the taste of peas, then this is not for you. Luckily, we all enjoyed it. I wasn't a huge fan of the warm frisee though. It just seemed mushy and limp. A good dish, but was my least fav.

BBQ Braised Beef Cheek (akaushi beef, creamed spinach, parsnip cacio e pepe) $32~ OMGGGGGGG... So freaking tender. Everyone was going "Mmmmmm" as they put a bite in their mouth. Loved it!

Matt's Picks (Sample 2 smoked meats chosen daily, serves 3-4, family style) Mkt price. I wanna say it was around $40ish? It's been a while, I don't really remember. The selection of the day was Brisket (we chose the fatty ones), Ribs, and Chicken. Everything was good, but not the best bbq I've had. I would've rather just ordered 4 more plates of the burnt ends. haha. I really loved their pickles and onions though.

Apple Cider Slaw $6~ I think it was good? I don't really remember, but I know it wasn't bad. Maybe just got overwhelmed with all the other good dishes.

Seasoned Fries $6~ Their fries were amazingggggg! Perfectly fried and the seasoning was great. A must!

Jalapeno Cheese Grits $6~ Love me some grits. These were comforting and cheesy.

Pit Roasted Mushrooms $6~ Lots of flavor, big portion. It was great. I'd get this again.

It was a great meal. And we ate it all! Had no room for dessert. I guess I'll have to go back again. haha. Everyone enjoyed it, so yay for me on the ordering. :P I'd say the prices were a bit high for my preference but you can't think of this place as a BBQ joint. It's a little more elevated, and less casual. I'm glad it was on the company! :D

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Ten50 BBQ

Had a serious craving for BBQ a few weeks ago so my friends and I decided to go check out Ten50 BBQ in Richardson. It's right by my work so I see it all the time, but none of us have ever been. I've actually heard that it's hit or miss, most people saying it's overpriced and not that great. But it was a good middle point for everyone, so why not check it out!

Ten50 BBQ
1050 N. Central Expressway
Richardson, TX, 75080
(972) 234-1050
www.ten50bbq.com
Price: $$

The place is pretty huge. To get into the building, you have to walk through their patio seating area which is almost a restaurant on its own! Pretty cool too. Mist fans since it was still quite warm, a live band playing and outdoor bars set up. Once we walked in, we were a little confused where to order. Apparently, you have to go outside and around the corner, where you'll see the meat stations.

The lines were not so bad, which is good cuz I was starving! Initially we planned on getting several different types of meat and just sharing family style. But then we realized it's more economical to order the 2 or 3 meat combo platter individually. I think the 2 meat, 2 sides was around $12.99~ I was thinking seriously on which meats to order that I didn't take a picture of the menu. haha. So we all ended up getting the 2 meat platter.

I got the Brisket - USDA Prime (fatty) and the St. Louis Pork Ribs. Among the group, we also got to try the Sausage (mild), Chicken, and Pulled Pork.

First, the brisket... Boy was it fatty! A tad much for me, but also made it super juicy. The meat was really tender and I loved the char. My friends' briskets were slightly less fatty than mine. I trimmed off some of the fat and it was sooo good. Definitely hit the spot.

St. Louis Pork Ribs. I always love ribs and usually prefer the ones with dry rub like this. It was ok. It was tender, but I've definitely had better.

Sausage. They didn't have the jalapeno cheese available. This was good. Pretty standard.

Chicken. Or maybe it was turkey... I have no idea. hahaha. :P It was fine. I don't come to a BBQ joint to eat chicken. haha. 

Pulled Pork. Pretty good. Not dry like pulled pork can be sometimes. I'd say it's my 2nd favorite after the brisket.

With each of our platters we also got to choose 2 sides each.
Coleslaw. I enjoyed this. Not made with mayonnaise and wasn't so rich.

Potato Salad. I always love potato salad. This was pretty dang good. 

4 Cheese Mac n' Cheese. Not too bad. Pretty standard, so it's good. I loved the breadcrumbs on top.

Roll. The rolls are free. I really wish I had gotten more than one because it was awesome. Perfectly warm and fluffy on the inside. Paired so well with everything. I made my own stuffed roll. haha. With a bit of everything in one bite!

They also had some free condiments for you, like butter, onions, jalapenos, and pickles. The pickles also had a kick to them. Nice compliment to the BBQ.

And... we didn't know beforehand, but it was Ten50's 1 year anniversary. Happy Birthday, Ten50!! So they were giving out free Banana Puddings to all the guests. It was really good!!! Lots of banana, light, and yummy. :) Yay to free food.

Totally satisfied my craving. Not the best BBQ I've had in Dallas, but it wasn't bad either. I would go back again if I'm in the area. :) Oh.. and seems like they have a pretty good bar? Craft beers, and their mixed drinks were pretty cheap.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~