Dallas Restaurant Week 2013: Steve Fields' Steak & Lobster Lounge

This past Saturday was my 2nd Restaurant Week outing. It was also a celebration for my dad's 60th birthday! I chose Steve Fields' Steakhouse in Plano because it's close to home and has great food.

Steve Fields' Steak & Lobster Lounge
5013 West Park Blvd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 596-7100
http://www.stevefieldsrestaurant.com/
Price (for RW): $$$$

Steve Fields' was one of my first ever RW experiences almost 10 years ago! I can't believe it's been a decade I've been participating in Restaurant Week. Definitely have had some great food over the years! hehe. I remember that Steve Fields' was very good. The portions were big, quality was top notch, and service was great. I hoped that 10 years later, it would still be the same!

We arrived for our reservation at 6:30PM. Most of the restaurant is already packed with people. We were seated in a smaller side room (which happened to be the room I was in 10 years ago!) haha. And it's a pretty big restaurant, so business is going strong! And considering that it's been around for almost half my life. It's definitely an establishment in West Plano.

We were greeted by our waitress who was super nice. She took our drink orders and gave us a rundown on the menu.

I had 3 Central Market 4th Course certificates so I went ahead and gave them to her at the beginning. For those of you new to RW, some restaurants offer a 4th course that you can either pay for or get for free with a Central Market Certificate. To get a certificate, you have to spend $25 at Central Market. But make sure the restaurant you are going to actually offers that before you go spending lots of $$ at Central Market! haha.
Each certificate got us Two U-12 Wild Caught Jumbo Shrimp (topped with spicy cocktail and remoulade sauce). 

The shrimp were indeed jumbo!! Cooked perfectly with 2 different kinds of sauces. Both were good but I tend to prefer remoulad in general. My sister and bf loved the cocktail sauce. It was a nice intro into the meal.

We also got some Bread (rosemary foccacia??, with whipped butter and spicy oil) during our shrimp course. 

Holy crap! They basically gave us an entire loaf of bread! haha. The bread was warm and soft in the middle, nice crust on the outside. The spicy oil had a nice kick to it without being overwhelming. Yummy. But I tried not to eat too much since it's only the beginning!

1st Course
Steve's Caesar Salad (romaine lettuce, croutons, Caesar dressing, anchovies). 

My sister's bf got this. It was fresh and had actual anchovies on it, which makes me think that they made the Caesar dressing from scratch. Traditional Caesar dressing is not the same as the stuff out of a bottle.

Baby Spinach Salad (topped with toasted pecans, tangerines, onions, blue cheese crumbles, hot bacon dressing). 

My mom got this. I liked it a lot. The spinach was fresh and tender. The bacon dressing added a lot of flavor but got a bit greasy towards the bottom. But all the different elements worked together really well.

Blue Crab & Roasted Corn Chowder (velvety stew of sweet crab, roasted corn and cream). 

The rest of the table got this, which came highly recommended. I love chowder! This was definitely velvety and creamy. Very rich and luxurious. The small cup was plenty enough. I wish there was a bit more crab in it, but it was very good overall. Definitely filled me up a little.

Next are the Entrees, which were all served with roasted garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and seasoned grilled asparagus.
"Center Cut" Filet Mignon (6 oz. Filet Mignon seasoned and broiled to perfection). 

2 people ordered this. My mom's turned out to be more rare than med rare which she was a little afraid to eat. But the rest of us thought it was perfect. It was super tender. The crust was nicely seasoned and seared. Very good steak. We all thought she lucked out that it was more rare. hahaha.

Pan Seared Sea Bass (fish filet topped with crab meat and bearnaise sauce). 

I opted for the fish since no one else was getting seafood. The fish had a nice seared crust on it and had good flavor even without the bearnaise sauce. But the sauce and crab on top were a nice touch. It was slightly greasy towards the end though. The mashed potatos and asparagus were pretty standard. The asparagus still held some of its crispness which I liked. It was a good dish, but definitely the weakest choice of the bunch.

Roasted Prime Rib of Beef (hand carved and served with Au jus and creamy horseradish sauce). 

I wanted to get this but since half the party was gonna order it, I changed mine to the fish. The prime rib was delicious. Super tender with just the right amount of fat (in my opinion). It had great flavor on its own. I rarely use the au jus or horseradish on prime rib. It is my favorite cut of steak and my first choice at any steakhouse. Steve Fields' did not disappoint.

It was a lot of food, but pretty much everyone cleaned their plates.

Then it's time for Dessert!
Carrot Cake (topped with candied pecans). 

Half the group got this including my dad. I had told the waitress at the beginning of the meal that it was his birthday and if they could put a candle on his cake for him. They did... and they even gave him a Happy Birthday card! He was surprised and very happy. :)

The carrot cake was a good sized piece. And normally I don't like carrot cakes because I don't like carrots (and sometimes they have shredded coconut, which I don't like either. haha). This one had BOTH, but I didn't mind either of them. The cake was moist and it had just enough cream cheese frosting in the middle and on top. The frosting and candied pecans paired really well with the cake.

Key Lime Pie (with graham cracker crust). 

The rest of us got this, including me. It was SUPER tart. We all made a pucker face as we ate it. haha. Even my mom, who likes sour things said it was a bit too much. I did like the raspberry sauce on the bottom and the graham cracker crust though. The pie consistency was also very good. I guess we just got a batch of super sour limes! XP

Aside from the puckering pie, haha, we had a great meal. My dad really enjoyed his birthday celebration. Everyone loved the food. Our waitress was great, very attentive without being overbearing. The courses were all served at a timely manner. Success!! :D

By the middle of our meal, the entire restaurant had filled up too. And when we left, there were a bunch of people waiting for tables in the lobby. Wow... business sure is good! And I'm happy to see that. I think Steve Fields' will be around for a really long time. :)

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RW 2012: Eddie V's

Restaurant Week is officially over. :( I ended mine with 15 of my friends at Eddie V's on Saturday. I've never been there before. I wanted to go last year but didn't get to, and from the great reviews, I was really kicking myself over it! But yay...they were offering scallops for their Central Market 4th course again. That was supposedly the best course last year AND again this year. I had my coupons ready to go!

Eddie V's
4023 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 890-1500
http://www.eddiev.com/
Price: $$$$

I really liked the decor of the restaurant. Modern and sophisticated yet still comfortable. The lighting was good too... not super dark. It was a fairly big place and it was completely packed! FYI. They offer complimentary valet, which is the best way to go since parking on Oak Lawn isn't the most ideal.

After the orders were taken we were given some bread to start. The bread was really good. Still steaming from the oven. It was crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. Delicious! I would've liked the butter to be softer though. It was a little too hard to spread.

1st Course:
- Steamed Blue Hill Bay Mussels (Thai coconut curry broth).

This was the favorite of the night, most of the people at the table ordered this. And I've heard from previous diners that this was the best appetizer. It was yummy. The curry broth was really flavorful and the mussels were cooked well. It was also a really good portion as an appetizer. We also got more bread so you can sop up that wonderful broth.

- Sweet Corn Chowder (smoked bacon, potatoes, avocado, cilantro, red chile).

The rest of the group got the soup. There was also a salad option but I didn't see anyone get it. I got this as well because I LOVE corn chowder. This was fantastic. I just wished there was more! It was super creamy and chunky...full of potatoes, bacon and avocado. The avocado was an interesting addition and made it even more luxurious. And I loved the chile that gave it a really nice spicy kick. Dipping the bread in there was great as well.

Our main waiter was really good. He gave us time to look over the menus and visit with each other as well. As we looked through the menu he also offered his suggestions. He also gave additional information on the ingredients used in the dishes...such as the snow mushroom in the scallop dish. It's pretty common in Asian cuisine but I've never seen it used in any other cuisines. It was very interesting to see it here. He was great because he paid attention to the group and our conversations. At one point he joined in and gave a recommendation for another restaurant that he thought had the best shrimp and grits in town!

Next was the Central Market 4th Course:
- Togarashi-Seared Georges Bank Sea Scallop (snow mushroom and orange salad, daikon sprouts, citrus ponzu).

This is what I've been waiting for. Everyone has said this was the best course of the night. It was very good, although I think I'd pick the chowder again over this. The scallops had a great sear and cooked perfectly. The togarashi added a good kick. The sesame seeds were nice and nutty. I also liked the accompaniments to the scallops, the orange and sprouts and snow mushroom. Still very shocked to see snow mushrooms in a non- Asian dish. I have to say I didn't care for that as much. I feel like it was slightly overcooked so it wasn't as crunchy as it should be. But kudos to them for using it!

Main Course:
- Sauteed Georges Bank Haddock (in toasted Macadamia crust, Fuji apple, Meyer lemon and brown butter).

The entree choices seemed pretty even spread out between the group. I got to try some of each. I really liked the macadamia crust on the haddock. It was nicely browned and crispy. The fish itself seemed a little underseasoned and the plate overall was a bit greasy. The apples helped cut the grease a little but most of us weren't sure if the combination between the apple and fish really worked that well. Some of my friends moved the apple to the side and ate them separately. It also would've been nice to have some sort of side or vegetable on the plate with the fish.

- Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Chicken Breast (scallion crushed potatoes, pan roasted mushrooms and shallots, natural jus).

The waiter told us this dish is on the regular menu and said it's pretty good. I know that last year Eddie V's only offered seafood entrees. This year they decided to add some meat. Works out because I have some friends that don't like seafood! (Weird...I know...) But the chicken was cooked well. Very tender and juicy for breast meat. I liked the mushrooms on the mashed potatoes as well. A good dish, but nothing super interesting.

- Asian BBQ Atlantic Salmon (wasabi potatoes, baby bok choy, ginger vinaigrette).

This was my choice. The salmon was cooked perfectly. Soooo buttery and tender and I liked the sesame seeds on top. However, I didn't care for the sauce. It was a bit sweet for me. And you know I like sweet and savory... but wasn't a fan of this. The mashed potato had a hint of wasabi. I could taste it, but I wanted more kick. But this was more of a complete dish since it came with potatoes and veggies.

Dessert:
- Caramel Pecan Brownie (vanilla creme fraiche).

This was hands down the best dessert of the night. Even my friend who doesn't like nuts loved it. The pecans were finely chopped and almost had a toffee crunch to them. The brownie was rich and fudgey and just super decadent. The only complaint was the creme fraiche. It wasn't sweetened at all so that was a little strange. Would've been better to have a scoop of ice cream on top of that. But yea, overall, amazing brownie!

- Belgian White Chocolate & Michigan Cherry Bread Pudding.

I chose this. It was a really pretty dish. I really liked it because it was a dense bread pudding but wasn't too sweet at all. Almost more like a pound cake consistency. There were 2 sauces on the plate. Everyone liked the creamy one better. I think the red one was raspberry? It was slightly too tart for me.

- Mango & Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee (homemade cookie).

The size of the creme brulee was big! It was what I got in Paris, but it's rare to see such a big one in Dallas. I didn't try it because I'm allergic to mango. But my friends liked it.

Our main waiter was really great. But I didn't care for some of the assistant waiters. One guy particularly was really rough with everything...serving the dishes, clearing the table, etc. No finess. I also felt like the first half of the meal was a tad rushed. Like the time between the appetizer to fourth course to entree was extremely short. We had a good break between the entree and dessert though. And our waiter split our checks with no problems at all. He really made it easy for us for being such a large party.

Overall I had a good time. The meal was pretty great minus the entrees. I would go back again to try their regular menu. It's a cool spot to go with friends or take a date.

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The Green Goddess

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the French Quarter. Then we hit up Green Goddess for an early dinner (since our real dinner reservation wasn't until 9PM).

Green Goddess

307 Exchange Place

New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 301-3347

http://www.greengoddessnola.com/

Price: $$

This was recommended by a friend on fb. I looked it up online and was immediately intrigued by their menu selection. They had a lot of interesting menu items. It's a tiny little place...only about 4 tables inside and some outdoor seating. And they don't take reservations. We got there at 5:45PM about 15 minutes before the kitchen opened for dinner service. Thank goodness we did because as soon as we walked in, a bunch of people started walking in after us. We got a table immediately. :)

This was definitely a hole in the wall...which are places I want to try the most when I go somewhere new. They have a really extensive wine list and also make some creative cocktails.

We just got a couple things to share since we were still pretty full and were having dinner later.

Absinthe-Roasted Oyster & Fennel Chowder (Louisiana oysters roasted in absinthe and fennel pollen; ladled over a creamy chowder of fennel, potato & celery root, finished with intense Chilean olive oil) $10~ I was a little turned off by the oil floating on top of the soup. I think they could've poured less of that on top. But overall it was really good. The flavors were nice and the oysters were perfectly cooked. The oysters were cooked in a different manner than I've ever had before ..super tender. I liked the chunks of potato and celery root in the soup as well. I wish the soup was a little thicker though (since I prefer creamier soups in general). I enjoyed it!

Louisiana "Bangers & Mash" (Marciante's duck sausage and mashed sweet potatoes with hints of orange and roasted garlic, finished by Steen's cane syrup) $13~ This was recommended by the waitress. It was a really good dish. The duck sausage was really tasty with a hint of spiciness. The sweet potato mash was silky smooth and sweet. The salty/spicy sausage paired really well with the sweet potatoes. Different textures and contrasting flavors are what makes a dish good! I thought it could've done without so much of the cane syrup though since the sweet potatoes were already pretty sweet. I tried to eat the parts not completely soaked in syrup.

Chocolate Biscuit Heaven (Paul's sweet potato biscuit and our Deep South twist on Italy's gianduja, made with chocolate and pecans for a velvety, dark sauce, and the biscuit slathered with pecan butter) $8~ The chocolate sauce was amazing! Rich and luscious...I can just drink it all up! The dessert was quite small...I didn't think it was worth the price. The biscuit was good and flaky but I didn't really get the essence of sweet potato. Also the chocolate sauce overpowered the biscuit and the pecan butter inside. But since the sauce was amazing, I guess I can't really complain. haha.

Their "Notorious" Bacon Sundae (Pecan praline ice cream with a creamy bacon caramel sauce carrying a bit of both Pink Himalayan & Black Lava Salts & micro-planed Nueske's Applewood Bacon, layered with whipped cream) $8~ This was raved about on other reviews so I had to get it. Plus bacon is really good on ANYTHING! This was AWESOME. I think one of the highlights of the trip. The pecan ice cream was super creamy. The bacon added just the right amount of saltiness and texture along with the caramel sauce. OMG! AMAZING. They also layered the bacon and ice cream so you still got some bacon towards the bottom of the glass. You know sometimes people only put the toppings on the top so after you eat the top it's gone? I hate that... So it was bonus points that they layered theirs. I also took some of the chocolate sauce from the Biscuit and ate it with the ice cream. EVEN BETTER!!! hahaha. :P If you are into the whole sweet and savory combos then you've GOTTA try this!!

This was a pretty cool place. Service was really slow though. Which was surprising since I would think they would want the turnover rate to be much faster due to the limited capacity.

I'm so glad we were able to check this place out and not wait to get seats. Thanks for the recommendation!! :) If you want to try new and interesting things in New Orleans, go check out Green Goddess. Just make sure you either go super early or much later so you don't end up waiting forever.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~