Dallas Chop House - Menu Tasting

After rescheduling over and over again, we finally made it to Dallas Chop House for a media visit! I would get so excited each time it was happening and then we'd have to reschedule. haha. But finally we were there! I had been there once before, years ago, for Restaurant Week. Loved it. Excited to see what was in store for the night. And just a tip: you can park for free in the Comerica Bank Tower garage, the restaurant validates your parking! Woot!

Dallas Chop House
1717 Main St., Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 736-7300
www.dallaschophouse.com
Price: $$$$+

We arrived on a Saturday at 6PM. The dining room was still pretty empty. It filled by 7PM or so. We were seated in a nice booth, which was great because not only did I have a background for all my photos, I wouldn't be bothering other diners with my flashes and lights.

Our waiter, Michael, who was fantastic the entire night btw, came by to talk about drinks. They have their wines and cocktails on an iPad and you can scroll through and see the descriptions and information on that drink.

My husband got the Hot Headed Colonel (bourbon barrel aged for 30 days, Benadictine floated with Peychaud's bitters, fresh lemon oil and mint) $12~ Such a pretty color. My husband loved it. He was bracing himself for the alcohol bite, but it never came. It was super smooth.

I got the Meadow Mule (Bombay Sapphire, St. Germain, apple juice, fresh cucumber, ginger beer) $12~ He also wanted to try this so I ordered it. It was also very good. Light, refreshing, and you can taste the cucumber and ginger. I didn't get much apple, but I guess it more so sweetened the drink.

We met the chef, Chef Triptow, soon after arrival. He's the brains behind DCH and the Dallas Fish Market menus, which we had a fantastic dinner at earlier this year. We're excited to see what he's got planned for us tonight.

We were also served an Amuse: Tomato, pesto, goat cheese mousse, balsamic reduction. And some bubbly. :P The bite was yummy. I especially loved the pesto.

Then we were brought some Popovers (with honey rosemary butter). I always though popovers are fun. Don't you think so? That honey rosemary butter is amazing.

So Michael informed us that the chef was just going to send out a tasting of what he wanted us to try. Sounds good! I love surprises. :)

Steak Tartare (black truffle, green onion, cornichons, capers, quail egg) $18~ What an amazing starter. 

First of all, it's gorgeous! The contrasting colors between the steak and the bright green onions and quail egg. I like the presentation on the wood board. The tartare was fresh, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the slightly salted housemade chips. One of my favorite dishes of the night.

Lump Crab Cake (oyster mayo, cilantro pesto, fennel-jalapeno marmalade) $18~ 

Also delicious. The crab cake was filled with lump crab. The oyster mayo was interesting, you can definitely taste the brininess of the oyster but wasn't overwhelming. The winning touch was that fennel jalapeno marmalade on top. It MADE the dish. A little spicy, a little sweet, it was perfect with the crab.

New England Clam Chowder (little neck clams, smoked bacon, Yukon potatoes) $11~ 

This was round 2, I hadn't expected this round, I thought we were moving to entrees. Because we ate ALL of the first 2 dishes, I was already getting full! haha. We had a similar, if not same, chowder at the Dallas Fish Market, and this is just as good. I like the consistency... a real chowder. And it was not lacking any substance either. Lots of clams, bacon and potatoes throughout.

DCH Wedge (blue cheese, crumbled bacon, marinated cherry tomato, TX pecans) $12~ 

My husband was just saying he wanted the wedge, so they totally read his mind. Two wedges, one for each of us. Doesn't look like a lot but it was really filling me up! But gotta eat your veggies, right?

Intermezzo: Blueberry Ginger Sorbet (with fruity pebbles). 

We had a little break before entrees. The waiter brought this with no explanations so we were trying to guess what was in it. It was sublime. My husband guessed raspberries because it was a little tart. And I guessed anise was in it... and maybe cayenne, cuz it had a nice bite of heat to it. But alas, we were both wrong. The heat was from ginger, and it was blueberry. The pairing with the crunchy fruity pebbles was quite genius. All the flavors and textures worked so well together.

Seared Southwest Salmon (spanish chorizo, roasted corn, poblano peppers, marble potatoes, jalapeno butter) $28~ They split the salmon for us so we had mini platings for each of us. The salmon was perfectly pink in the middle. And the blend of the chorizo, corn, and peppers together was great. A little too much potatoes imo, but they were cooked well.

Himalayan Salt Dry Aged Reserve Steak - Ribeye (18 oz, dry aged 21 days) $50~ 

Yes!!! The steak was what I was waiting for! It IS the "Chop House" after all. I was a little surprised they didn't ask us what temp we wanted it cooked. So what we got was more of a med well... I usually prefer med rare. But... I have to say that because it was dry aged so well with the Himalayan salt, it was still very tender. AND I loved the edge crust from the dry aging... slightly crisp. The ribeye was simply seasoned because the meat itself had so much flavor. You can taste the quality of the steak. I think if it had been med rare it would've been that much more delicious.

Crawfish Maque Choux (crawfish, sauteed corn, red bell peppers, roasted poblano, garlic, cream) $12~ This thing packs a punch! Between the spices and poblano and cream, it's got so much flavor, and definitely some heat. I didn't really see it pairing with the steak though. The flavors overwhelmed the steak a little. I think a bowl of rice would've been perfect with this. hehe.

Loaded Twice Baked Potato (TX sharp cheddar, smoked bacon, green onion, crisp potato threads) $10~ Now this was a perfect pairing with the steak. The potato was nice and creamy with the melted cheese on top. The crispy potato threads added a nice crunch.

We were stuffed! We had to take some of the entrees to go. (And you know what... I used the leftover crawfish to make fried rice the next day. Superb!! :P) But we were told there's still dessert. Of course. Luckily it was only one item. haha.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart. 

Beautiful! Loved the flow of the chocolate swipe on the dish. I kept thinking of that song "I whip my hair back and forth", hahahha. Do you see it? :P The chocolate mousse? cream? ganache? filling was my favorite part. Rich, dark, and smooth. I wish the crust was thinner so we'd have more of the filling. Which is crazy cuz the crust is usually my favorite part of a pie or tart. A great end to an amazing meal.

Thank you, Dallas Chop House and Chef Triptow for a wonderful dinner. Also thanks to Michael, our waiter, and Demetrius, the manager (who actually served us too) for the fantastic service. We felt so welcomed to be there. And hopefully we'll be back soon. :) 

I do have to note that we weren't aware we had to pay for our alcohol. Usually at media visits, everything is on the house. I have no problem paying for the alcohol though... it would just be nice to have a heads up that it was going to be a charge up front. Cuz for someone like me, who can barely get through half a cocktail, I wouldn't have ordered it just to try it in this instance. 

They do have Social Hour M-Sat from 3-7PM which is pretty awesome. Who has happy hour on the weekends anymore, right?

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own. Plus, always tip your wait staff even if you get a free meal!*

Quality of Food: 

Service: 

Ambiance: 

Value: (comped; except for cocktails)

Overall Experience: 

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Barley & Board - My Birthday Brunch

Part 2 of my Barley & Board experience. 
I could not stop thinking about the amazing experience we had back in Feb. Especially that burger!! Plus we had gotten there too late to partake in their Sunday brunch menu. So for my birthday this year, my only wish was to go back and have brunch. I had been on a month long diet all of March to prep for the wedding, but for my birthday (4/2), I made an exception and Barley & Board was what I wanted. I also really wanted to take my then fiance to try this place...cuz I can't stop talking about it. haha.

Barley & Board
100 W Oak St.
Denton, TX 76201
(940) 566-3900
http://barleyandboard.com
Price: $$-$$$

I connected with Narciso and he said they were happy to have us come out again. He was there at the restaurant to greet me, and I even got to meet Jason Lee (one of the investors). Yes, the Jason Lee, the actor. He was super nice and chill. Just having brunch with his family in a corner booth. How cool!

We didn't go AS crazy with the ordering this time, but still ordered enough to feed a family of 4. hahaha.

He got the Sarah Brown (vodka, kahlua, maple syrup, half & half) $8~ It was yummy. Like a White Russian, but with maple syrup. It's a great brunch drink. And it matches their plates (which I totally love)! Thought that was fun.

Truffled Portobello Fries (mustard aioli) $10~ This was amazing! Super thick cut portobello fried to perfection. Can you believe this was just ONE portobello cap?!?! Them and their giant produce! haha. We wanted to finish the whole plate but had to remind ourselves that this was the first dish. hahaha.

Kind of Blue Pancake (blueberry, lemon maple, with homemade whipped cream) $12~ 

Narciso highly recommended this. I can't say no to pancakes. I love them. This blew our minds. Both the presentation and the flavor. This was literally a pan "cake". It was over an inch thick, sitting in a lemon maple syrup and topped with a mound of homemade whipped cream. It was so epic we could not stop staring at it. Even tables next to us were staring at it. haha. And it was so good. Nice and fluffy, I felt like I could eat the whole thing. I didn't... but I could've. :P That syrup was bomb. When they boxed up the leftover pancake, we asked them to pack us some extra syrup.

Mi Masa (masa corncake, chorizo, sunny side up egg) $12~ Another pretty dish. I love it when restaurants stack food. I realized I'm not a fan of masa tho. I've only had it a few times but it reminds me of corn tortilla, which I don't like. But the other parts of the dish was good. And it was some serious #yolkporn!

 

 

I thought their brunch items were reasonably priced. Their menu has a good range of prices. They have a lot of options under $15 each, but also has dishes around $30 a plate or so.

Sweet Pig & Angry Bird (half rack ribs, brazen quail, slaw, b&b pickles) $28~ They had just added this to the menu. I definitely wanted the quail again and this way I get to try the ribs too. The quail was great. It's good that they are consistent with their quality. It was too spicy for my fiance so all for me! :D The ribs were great. Nice and tender. And those pickles!!!!!!!!!!

B&B Burger (sweet onion, b&b pickle, house sauce, american cheese) $12~ Can't come to Barley & Board and not get their burger. It's just like I remembered. My fiance bit into it and said I didn't exaggerate on how good it is. Don't believe me? Go try it for yourself!

Another successful visit. We were stuffed and had a lot of leftovers for the rest of the weekend. Our waiter was awesome and took care of us well. Again, the meal was comped... Happy Birthday to ME! But we gave a nice tip. Sigh, if they were closer I'd make monthly, or even weekly visits. So jealous of Denton right now! XD

I love you, Barley & Board!

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value: *comped*

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Restaurant Week 2011 @ Charlie Palmer

This past Saturday was Restaurant Week at Charlie Palmer in The Joule hotel. I thought their menu choices sounded really tasty and I've never been so it made my list this year. hehe.

Charlie Palmer @ The Joule
1530 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 261-4600
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CharliePalmerAtJoule
Price: $$$$+

Starting with the reservation process I've received nothing but great service. I was a little scared that I wouldn't be able to get my party of 10 in at a good time but they were totally accommodating and even gave us the private room that seats 10! :)

A few of my friends arrived early and they were seated first. I liked that they didn't make them wait for the rest of the party before being seated. We ran a few minutes late because the Valet service at the front was SUPER slow. The traffic was backed up and they couldn't get to all the cars in time. We actually arrived on time, but sat in the valet line for at least another 10 minutes or so... Walking in, the hotel is pretty awesome looking and the restaurant was very impressive with their glass wall wine displays. The hostesses were all smiles and really friendly and we were immediately shown to our room.

The private room was nice. It was brighter and more quiet than the main dining area. It was great to be able to talk to all my friends without distractions.

After making our orders, a waiter came around with a bread tray and we got to choose from 3-4 different types of breads. I liked my wheat bread. It was warm and had great texture.

We were also served an Amuse Bouche before the meal. It was a Wild Mushroom Arancini with Saffron Aioli. It's basically risotto with wild mushrooms formed into a ball and fried. It was fried perfectly. Delish!!

The great thing about dining with a bunch of friends is that I get to try all different kinds of dishes! :P

1st Course --
Cavatelli Duck Bolognese (wild mushrooms, fiore sardo). The waiter told us that the Cavatelli is made mostly with ricotta. I thought the texture was similar to gnocchi. I liked the pasta a lot. The bolognese was ok. I couldn't really tell the meat was duck since it was ground meat and it could've used a bit more spice. I feel like the sauce could've used a bit more punch.

Beef Tartare (capers, hardboiled egg, herb aioli, celery crisps). This was the best appetizer I thought. The beef tartare was fresh and had great texture. The meat was rich and velvety. The herb aioli was pretty awesome with the tartare.

Corn Salad (arugula, Van Sormon cheese, sherry-truffle vinaigrette, celery croutons). I didn't try this but my friend said it was really good. She finished it all.

2nd Course --
Chorizo Crusted Scottish Salmon (ratatouille, white beans, saffron foam, oregano). This was what I ordered. The chorizo was really the selling point for me. haha. It was interesting with the chorizo crust on top but I thought it should've had more of a crisp sear and more flavor. Typically chorizo has a ton of flavor and I didn't get it here. The salmon was cooked well, nice and tender and pink. Overall, it was good, but needed a bit more contrast in flavors.

Miso Glazed Cod (char siu pork cabbage roll, Chinese long beans). This was my other choice but my friend got it so I can sample. hehe. The cod was cooked well but flavor was just ok. The char siu pork on the other hand was pretty awesome. Great flavor and really tender. My friend thought the fish was a bit too salty but I didn't think so at all. We both agreed that it would've been good with a side of rice though! haha.

Grilled Hanger Steak (wild mushrooms, olive oil mashed potatoes, gremolata). This was agreed to be the best entree of the night. The portion wasn't that big but it tasted great. It had a great seared crust on the edges of the meat and was so tender. I loved the gremolata on top. The raw garlic really added a nice spice to the meat.

Maltagliati (oven dried tomatoes, basil, chicken liver, black pepper and truffle mascarpone). This was quite interesting. It was the biggest entree portion out of everything. Maltagliati is almost like sheets of lasagna that were cut into wide strips, almost like pappardelle the waiter explained. I think I would've preferred actual pappardelle though. The pasta texture wasn't that great. A little softer than I prefer. The fried chicken livers were pretty awesome though. I was surprised that the pieces were that large. The batter on them were so flavorful and crunchy. YUM. The dish also needed a bit more depth of flavor...a spicy element would've helped.

A friend of mine also ordered an additional side of Creamed Spinach $9~ I loved the little bowl it came in. It needed more cream though. I like creamed spinach to be thicker and it was a bit more watery than I prefered. But the flavors were light and fresh.

Dessert --
Ruben's Tarts (daily selection: Passion fruit & blueberry tart, Dark Chocolate Ganache). Their desserts were the best part of the meal in my opinion. Everything was good. The passion fruit and blueberry tart was one of my favorites of the entire night. Bursting with passion fruit flavors with the plump fresh blueberries and buttery crust. YUM-O! The chocolate tart was deep and rich. Also a great dessert.

Milk Chocolate Brulee Cotta (chocolate crystals, dried cherry cocoa nib compote). We didn't really know what to expect with this since the description was kinda hard to picture. It was a pretty small dessert and didn't look super pretty or anything. But it was delicious. Imagine a mixture of creme brulee and panacotta on top of a thin layer of chocolate wafer crisp. The milk chocolate flavor really tasted high quality and the texture of the brulee cotta was creamy and smooth. One of my favorite elements was the wafer on the bottom. It wasn't too crunchy to overpower the brulee cotta on top. It was just the right contrast in texture.

Texas Peach and Blackberry Crisp (brown butter ice cream). This was my pick for dessert. I liked it a lot. The fruits were chunky and fresh. I loved the crisp and ice cream on top, I just wish there was more of it! I devoured the whole thing!

Now I want to take some time and recognize our waiter, Shawn (sp?). He was freaking FANTASTIC!! I would say it was the BEST service I've ever received in my life!! And all my friends agree. First of all, he was super nice and friendly and easy going. None of that arrogance you often associate with fancy restaurants. He was really knowledgeable of every aspect of the restaurant and shared many fun facts and tidbits throughout the course of dinner. I also noticed that he was really aware of everything. A few times he would hear our conversation about things in the restaurant or the food and he would jump in and offer cool information regarding that topic. He also joked and chatted around with us about movies and other subjects. He took care of us with such ease. Changing the silverware after every course, refilling water, etc. without ever disrupting our conversations. I noticed that he had proper etiquette and took the orders from the ladies first. You don't even see that in nice restaurants anymore... He checked on us just enough. He was there when we needed him. There were many other little things here and there he did that were just so thoughtful. These are things where if he didn't do them, we wouldn't even think about it. But the fact that he thought about it just made the dinner THAT much better! He also came at the end of dinner with all the checks split, without us even asking! I heart him!!

I was also impressed with the overall service of the restaurant. We had several other waiters bring the food and fill the water glasses and they were all very friendly and efficient. The hostesses greeted us warmly at the beginning and end. Also, when I went to use the restroom, one waiter was obviously going the other way to do something, he just dropped what he was doing and escorted me to the restroom...instead of most people would just point. My friend said another waiter did the same thing. What great service! It just made us feel so welcome and comfortable. :)

Overall the food was good, could've been better but the entire experience was fantastic. I really have to thank Shawn for giving us a wonderful dinner experience and I hope the restaurant recognizes him for that! I think I'll give the restaurant a call and put in a good word too! This definitely makes it to the top of my list for great Restaurant Week in all my years of participating.

Quality of Food:

Service (I would give 10 if I could!):

Cleanliness:

Value (for RW):

Overall Experience:


~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~