III Forks - Dallas Restaurant Week 2014

I'm so sorry I haven't been posting lately. But as of tomorrow night, I will be done with school FOREVER!! Yes... after 8 long years of part-time school, I will be graduating! Woohoo! Needless to say, this last quarter has been very stressful.

I'm gonna try and get all caught up. I've got several places I need to write about!

Of course I did Dallas Restaurant Week this year. I posted about Hibiscus earlier and our second location was III Forks. I've been there twice back in 2012. I was sad to hear that my favorite waiter was no longer there. :(

As most of you know. Restaurant Week runs for anywhere from a week to 3 weeks in Dallas, depending on the restaurant. It's either $35 or $45 a person and partial proceeds go to the the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home. III Forks was still $35 a person, and from what I remember, they give quite a bit of food!

III Forks
17776 Dallas Pkwy.
Dallas, TX 75287
(972) 267-1776
http://www.3forks.com/
Price (RW): $$$$

We had a pretty big group of 12 people and an early reservation at 6:15PM. I was surprised that the restaurant was already packed by the time we arrived! And if you've been to III Forks, you know the place is huge! We waited at the bar for a bit for everyone to arrive and for them to prep our table. This time we were sat "outside". It seemed like we were outside but it was covered and there was A/C, thank goodness. haha.

The waiter came by and took our drink orders and I gave him the Central Market 4th Course certificates. We had enough for everyone. Yay! (Some restaurants offer a 4th course which you can get free if you get these certificates. However, you have to spend $25 at Central Market to get one.)
Lobster & Lump Crab Shooters. 

These were interesting, I'm not sure if it's in a good way. I wasn't too impressed with them. No one could really figure out which was the lobster and which was the crab. Even though one of them had a chunk of the meat in the shooter. We think thats the crab...? The one on the right was cold, which caught me off guard. Almost like a cold tomato soup, maybe gazpacho? But no chunks of lobster or crab in that one. The other was warm. I'm not sure which one I liked better. Both were meh. Can't compete with the awesome lobster shooters at Abacus that's for sure. I dipped some bread into the soups and that was better.

First Course
III Forks Salad (green apple slices, Wisconsin blue cheese, toasted pecans and field greens with housemade vinaigrette) Pretty standard salad. Although they kinda went blue cheese happy with it. Great if you like blue cheese a lot. haha.

Heirloom Tomato Salad (UglyRipe beefsteak tomatoes, pickled onions and Bosque blue cheese) I was told this was good. I didn't get to try.

Crawfish Bisque (a rich Southern Louisiana specialty with simmered crawfish, tomatoes, cream and cognac). 

 

I knew I wanted to get this when I first saw the menu a month prior. I loveee bisque and crawfish too! It was a pretty big bowl with quite a bit of crawfish in it. However, by the time it came out, it wasn't that hot anymore, you can see the film over the top. I didn't care for this soup either. The crawfish was too fishy... And the bisque flavor needed something, either another spice or some type of crunch maybe? I didn't finish it... Hmm... maybe this is why the past two times I came here I ordered off the regular menu?

Entrees
Aged Midwestern Beef Filet Mignon (with Colbert butter and Worcestershire demi-glace). This was highly recommended by the waiter. And his recommendation was valid. The steak was cooked well and super tender.

Georges Bank Flounder (pan seared with blood oranges and fennel pollen, with basil-hazelnut pearl couscous). 

I opted for the fish. I've had their seafood before and I know it's good. I liked it over the filet. The portion was huge! The fish was flaky and buttery. I loved the sauce. And pearl couscous is probably my favorite type of couscous. And as always, their creamed corn is pretty awesome. I enjoyed my plate a lot!

USDA Prime Hanging Tender Steak (four pepper crusted, with brandy cream reduction and caramelized cipollini onions). I didn't get to try this one but from the description it sounded tasty. I heard it wasn't as good as the filet though.

I was pretty full by now. I finished my entire entree! The dessert was chef's selection so we didn't really know what we're getting. There were 2 options when we ordered and we didn't get much of a description for each.

I got the chocolate cake. 

I think it was the better choice. I loved the thick ganache layer on the top and side. It was super chocolatey and rich. The cake itself was a tad dry though. And this is nothing compared to their regular dessert menu which is amazing.

Summer Bread Pudding (cold bread pudding with berries). 

When I found out this was cold, I knew I didn't want to order it. It was strange. Bread pudding shouldn't be cold. I think if they had called it Berry Trifle or something, we would've accepted it better. haha. Someone commented that it would've been better if it was just the berries and cream. The bread part made it weird.

For the most part, everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. I was disappointed. I know for sure now I will order from the regular menu, especially for dessert. It's like night and day! The waiter(s) were nice but service was slow. We were there for almost 3 hours and some of the food came out warm instead of hot. Oh well, at least I really enjoyed my entree and got to spend time with some great people. So that ends my Dallas RW for this year. Until next time... I hope they add some new places next year!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Artin's Grill - Early Birthday & Father's Day Dinner

This past weekend, my bf's parents came to visit so we decided to celebrate an early Father's Day as well as my bf's birthday (which was this Tuesday). My bf wanted to go to Artin's Grill. I had told him I wanted to take him there for his bday last year, but we ended up doing dim sum. So this year he really wanted to go check it out.

Artin's Grill
5840 Legacy Cir.
Plano, TX 75024
(469) 366-3660
www.artinsgrill.com
Price: $$$$

I reserved a table on Opentable.com with no issues. This place has been on my list for a while considering I live about 5 minutes from the Shops at Legacy, but just never got the time to go.

We arrived about 10 minutes late but didn't have any trouble and was seated immediately. The restaurant was nicer than I expected. Dark wood decor, mood lighting, but still modern. Our waiter was really friendly and immediately asked about the birthday and Father's Day celebration. I had included the info in the notes section when I made the online reservation. I was happy that the restaurant actually paid close attention to it. And our waiter continued throughout the night to make both of them feel special on their special day. :) Bonus points for our waiter!

My bf got the Mango Mojito (Bacardi Mango Fushion Rum, shaken with muddled mint, Mango and simple syrup, floated with soda, mint sprig, berry garnish) $10~ It looked really good and he said it was. I'm allergic to mango so I'll take his word for it. He ordered a second one when the entrees came.

Our waiter told us about their specials and then took our orders.

We got the Spinach Artichoke Dip (with spiced crostini) $10~ to start. 

 

It was bubbling when it was served. Mmmmm! The dip was great! Cheesy, lots of spinach, and I loved the toasted breadcrumbs on top. The spiced crostinis were a bit salty, but still was good overall with the dip.

Time for the entrees.

My bf got the Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna (pan seared, sesame crusted Sashimi grade Ahi tuna, Asian slaw) $31~ 

This is the main reason we are at this particular restaurant. Ahi tuna is pretty much his favorite thing. (And also the reason why I wanted to bring him here last year!) It was a beautiful plate. The deep color of the tuna with the slaw and the duo of sauces on the side. He was impressed with the portion size of the tuna. It was really fresh and paired really well with the wasabi cream sauce. He asked for more sauce too. The slaw was refreshing and a good compliment to the tuna. He loved it. It was exactly what he was looking forward to. Success! I'm always happy when I make a good recommendation. hehe. :)

Scottish Salmon (simply grilled, pecan currant cous cous, lemon beurre blanc) $26~ 

His mom ordered this. The salmon was cooked well, but I thought the star was the cous cous. It was so light yet flavorful. I loved the combo of the pecan and currant. It was pretty tasty.

Redfish Pontchartrain (blackened redfish, crab, shrimp, roasted garlic mashers, cajun cream sauce) $32~ 

His dad chose this dish. It was pretty impressive looking. Layers of different kinds of seafood. The sauce was rich and smoky. Really bold flavors.

I got the Braised Beef Short Ribs (mushroom mac & cheese, cabernet jus, haricot verts) $27~ 

 

The waiter said this was his favorite dish on the menu. And it was delicious. I love braised meat and they did it well. It was tender, juicy and full of flavor. I also loved the mac and cheese and onion strings with it. I love it when restaurants use Cavatappi pasta in mac and cheese. The shape is fun and has good texture. I'm really glad I got this dish, I definitely recommend it.

Wild Mushroom Medley $8~ We got this side dish. It was good but I felt it was a bit excessive since the entrees were all pretty big. The potatoes were a bit underdone in my opinion but everything else was great.

Our waiter was great through the entire meal. He was fun to talk to, very attentive and made an effort to make my bf and his dad feel special. :) They all commented that the service was top notch.

As the meal came to an end, our waiter came out with a Warm Chocolate Brownie Sundae (vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds, caramel sauce, berries) $7.50~ 

He also put a candle on it for my bf's birthday. I was almost as surprised as my bf was! I never even asked them to do this so it was extremely thoughtful of the restaurant to bring him a complimentary birthday treat. The brownie was gooey on the inside and had a nice crust on the outside. It was a very good ending to a fantastic meal.

I don't know why it took me this long to make it to Artin's Grill, but I'm so glad I got to go for 2 special occasions. I couldn't have asked for a better evening. Spot on service, delicious food, and great company. :) I will definitely be back. And I recommend this place for any occasion!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Medina Oven & Bar

I went to go see my first ever hockey game Saturday night! It was the last game for the Dallas Stars and they were playing against the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center. I'm not a big hockey fan (obviously.. haha) but I really just wanted to see a fight! And this would've been a good game for that. So we lost... 3 to 0, but I got to see one fight AND got to try a new restaurant after for dinner! All in all a successful outing! hehehe. :P 

We decided to check out Medina Oven & Bar, which features Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. It's just a short walk from the AAC and across Victory Park. It's a little hidden... You need to walk past Neo Pizza and it's in the next corner. 

Medina Oven & Bar 
2304 Victory Park Ln. 
Dallas, TX 75219 
(214) 979-0003 
http://www.medinadallas.com 
Price: $$$ 

It's a cute little place. The inside seating is about as big as the patio seating out front. The decor is Moroccan and intimate with low lighting and cool lamps. You can see into the front of the kitchen and the oven. I thought that was pretty cool. 

We were seated immediately, it wasn't very full at all. It took a while for us to get waters and menus but after that the service was great. The menu looked interesting and delicious, there were a ton of options I chose from. At the bottom of the menu we all saw "Sexy Drinks"...haha. They all sounded pretty good. We decided to get some and drink our hockey loss away. :P 

Sexy Drinks: 
Caramel-Fig Martini (Grey Goose, fresh lemon, roasted fig, caramel swirl) $9~ This was a pretty drink. They actually swirled caramel on the inside of the glass. There's also a roasted piece of fig at the bottom. My bf enjoyed it a lot. 

Moroccan Mojito (Bacardi Rum, brown cane sugar, fresh lime, fresh mint) $9~ I got this and asked them to make it a little sweeter for me. I like really sweet cocktails... being a lightweight and all. haha. I enjoyed it. The added sweetness made it much better for me. :) 

The Arabesque (apricot brandy, peach schnapps, fresh OJ, white cranberry) $9~ Our friend ordered this. (No pic...sorry) This turned out to be my favorite. It was the sweetest out of the 3 cocktails and it tasted like peach juice! I'd go back and order that again. hehe. 

On to the food! Can't go to a Mediterranean place without ordering some sort of dip or spread! 

We started with the Smoked Egg Plant Spread (garlic-saffron tomato confit, cilantro, white vinegar; served with oven baked pita bread) $5.50~ 

I don't like eggplant...but the Greek/Mediterranean preparation of it is the only way I'll really eat it. And I love it! The spread was chunky and light. The pita bread was nice and warm, just out of the oven. The cold spread with the warm pita bread paired very well together. 

Poached Calamari (in Ras El Hanout and drenched in shermoula tomato puree, seafood spices, garlic, cilantro, fresh lemon juice, served on mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette) $10.50~ 

I got this appetizer as my main course. It was more than enough too. Pretty big size and tons of calamari! I asked the waiter to explain Ras El Hanout and he says it's a mixture of 23 or so different spices. I can taste many different spices but overall it was very mild, in a good way. The spices did not overpower anything else. The calamari was cooked perfectly, great texture. And I got to have my salad/veggies underneath. I enjoyed it a lot. I actually took half of it to go and had it the next day as a cold dish. Being cold, it was even better in my opinion! 

My bf got the Chicken Apricot Tagine (braised marinated chicken breast in saffron cinnamon, honey, poached apricots and toasted poppyseeds; served with warm pita bread) $19~ 

Tagine is basically the dish with the lid that it came in. I liked the presentation. This was a really sweet dish... since it had honey, cinnamon, and apricots but I like sweet and savory so I enjoyed it. It's definitely not for those who don't like sweet in their food. There were some potatoes at the bottom of the dish. I don't know how they cooked them but I thought it was the best part! It was soft and creamy and gooey almost and amazing! haha. 

Our friend got the Imperial Fez Seafood Couscous (scallops and shrimp, spice mix and herbs on warm couscous with cinnamon apricots, asparagus, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins) $23~ 

I got to try a bite of the scallops which was cooked perfectly. It was also a slightly sweet dish, with the apricots and raisins. The seafood was cooked really well. But he said there was a bit too much couscous, which he left some on the dish after he ate all the seafood. haha. But it was definitely yummy. 

It was a great dinner. I haven't had many Moroccan cuisines and really enjoyed it. The ambiance was nice, our waiter was super nice and helpful. The owner or manager came by and checked on us a few times. He was super friendly as well. Plus they have cocktails I like! I will definitely go back in the future. :) 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

The Mercury

Last week my awesome boss took our team to our holiday lunch. He chose The Mercury (used to be known as Mercury Grill)... which is a fantastic place. I've been once before for dinner. So I was super psyched! 

The Mercury 
11909 Preston Road 
Dallas, TX 75230 
(972) 960-7774 
http://www.themercurydallas.com/ 
Price (for lunch): $$-$$$ 

The Mercury has been in Dallas for a long time and has consistently done well. For lunch, business was booming and most of the customers were well dressed. I knew the food here was good so the hard part is just picking what I want! 

After asking our waiter like a million questions about different menu items I settled on the Pearl Couscous Carbonara (with soft poached egg and black truffle sauce) $13~ 

It was an appetizer but just sounded awesome. And it was! Really pretty presentation. All the different colors in the white couscous contrasted by the black truffle sauce around the edges. The taste was fantastic. The creaminess you want from a carbonara and then topped of with a beautifully poached egg. There was a slight tang from the black truffle sauce which helped contrast the richness of the couscous. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was rich enough as a lunch portion. 

I also got a side of Butter Braised Brussels Sprouts $7~ 

You know me... love them brussels sprouts. haha. So cute in the little cast iron pot. They were cooked nicely. Still had great texture. And soaked in butter?? YES please! 

My boss got the New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp (with soft cheese grits) $17~ Delicious. The sauce on the shrimp and grits was the highlight. Very bold and complex. The grits had good texture. He really liked it. And it quite a big portion for lunch! 

My co-worker got the Pecan Crusted Idaho Trout (with asparagus and pepper salad) $18~ It was large piece of fish. I liked the sauce on it and the crust was nice. I felt like it should've came with some sort of side though. 

We all shared a Bread Pudding (with cherry sauce, pecans and cinnamon ice cream) $8~

 Different than what I expected. It was a large slice of super moist bread instead of your typical chunks of bread. It was yummy. I especially loved the pairing with the cinnamon ice cream. The cherries were a bit too sour for me, but my boss and co-worker loved it. It was just enough to round out the meal because I was so full already. 

It was a delicious lunch. Which is expected since my boss is also a huge foodie. :) Kind of a pricey lunch, but with the caliber of food, it's pretty standard. The one complaint is that our waiter wasn't the friendliest and didn't really give us the time of day. No real greeting when we were given the menus or anything. I know they were super busy, but I felt like he had no time for us. But the food was fantastic so I'm willing to overlook that a bit. haha. 

And just a side note... I have the best boss ever! :) 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~