Zatar - Now Open for Sunday Brunch!

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 ~~

CHOMP! gets Married! :)

I think I've been on hiatus long enough... The past 6 months have been some serious wedding planning and it pretty much took up all my free time. Doesn't mean I haven't been eating well tho! haha.

My new husband and I got married almost 2 months ago on June 4, 2016. Lots of hard work and planning but it all paid off. Definitely one of the best days of our lives. :) Here are some pictures to showcase the food we had! All the guests loved the food, which was a huge relief for me. I had a lot of pressure going in to the wedding... To have "the best food" is what everyone was expecting. haha. CN Catering really delivered. And our cake table ("my baby") was pretty epic imo. :D

And just so you know how important food is to me. I even had food in the bridal and bridesmaids' bouquets! Kale, bay leaves, and rosemary. It smelled so good! Thanks to The Backyard Bouquet for such beautiful work.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

(the professional photos are by Meggie Taylor Photography - she's the best! The rest are taken by me or friends.)

We had a whole roast pig during cocktail hour. As requested by the groom. It was a hit! There was nothing left but the face and feet. Which we snacked on at 2 in the morning after the reception. :P A big thanks to my friend, Hung, for taking care of everything from ordering, to picking up, to delivery.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Passed Apps during cocktail hour (by CN Catering):
Mac N Cheese Balls. Everything was a big hit.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Chicken and Waffle Bites. They're so adorable. And delicious.

Signature cocktail: "Blushing Brandy" created by my friend Leslie: Brandy, Cassis, Sprite.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Dinner Stations (by CN Catering):
Pasta a la Nostra (Grilled Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, penne pasta, in a basil cream sauce) The pasta was perfectly al dente!

Meggie Taylor Photography

Garlic Dinner Rolls
Salad

Our main protein was a Grilled Tenderloin of Beef carved to order. With a side of Shiitake Mushroom & Sesame-Hoisin Au Jus. 

 

 

Sides:
Russet Mashed Potatoes (with sour cream, smoked cheddar, bacon, chives)

Meggie Taylor Photography

Roasted Cauliflower

Meggie Taylor Photography

And of course our amazing cake table. 4 flavors in all: Tres Leches from Del Norte Bakery, Toasted Almond (with and without raspberry) from Lala's Cakes/Three Twelve Company, and All American Chocolate from Costco (our money saver option... and the cake is delicious!) I made all the cake stands, name signs, pom poms, and decor bottles btw. Blood, sweat, and tears fo sho! Flower decor provided by The Backyard Bouquet. 

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

 

I'm not sure if the cakes were just REALLY good or I was really good at estimating the portions but we had almost no cakes leftover. (I think it was both!) Only like 5 slices of the chocolate. And we had another half sheet of the tres leches in the back too! All gone! Nothing but compliments from all the guests on the cakes AND the food.

Oh yea, I also made mini Sriracha bottles for each table. Cuz you just gotta have some hot sauce, ya? ;-p

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

I'd say as a foodie and super high expectations for my wedding food, everything turned out fantastic! People constantly came up to me throughout the night to compliment all the food. Even my mom liked it all, which rarely happens. And I continued to get compliments days after the wedding was over. Success!! :D Thanks to all that made it happen.



~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~