Beto & Son

First post of 2017, y'all! I'm really going to try hard and do consistent posts this year. #newyearsresolution :P

I had the pleasure of dining at Beto & Son this past weekend with another food blogger friend of mine. I was invited through @bestfooddallas. :) The restaurant knew we were coming and we were supposed to meet with Chef Julian. Chef Beto and his son Julian opened their new restaurant in Trinity Groves just 2 short months ago. The place was packed when we arrived! They call their concept "next generation Mexican food", everything's from scratch, locally sourced, and had a "chef-to-table experience".

Beto & Son
3011 Gulden Ln #108
Dallas, TX 75212
(469) 249-8590
www.betoandson.com
Price: $$-$$$

We were warmly greeted by the hostess when we walked in. I gave them my name and that I was supposed to meet with Chef Julian. The hostess seated us quickly and sent over our waitress, Bree (sp?). She was super nice, got us our drinks and menus and gave us some info on the restaurant concept while we waited. Chef Julian showed up soon after. He was super friendly as well. We didn't really know what to expect from this visit... I was just thinking we each order and entree or something but he told us he would just send out some stuff so we can get a variety and feel of the food. And if we wanted anything else, we can just ask. He also brought out the dinner menu, which had more items so we can try everything. (We went for lunch.) The only thing we requested was one of their noodle bowls. We've both been perusing the pictures on Yelp and both wanted to try that. He mentioned the dinner menu has a Salmon Noodle Bowl and we were sold!

So we just kinda sat back and waited to see what surprised they were going to bring out! :)

We got started with some Housemade Tortilla Chips (with salsa and bean hummus). 

This is complimentary for every table. Everything is made in-house. The chips were fantastic. They were super thin and light and crispy. Chef Julian says the idea is to keep things light so people don't fill themselves up on just chips. That bean hummus though.... OMG. It was awesome and interesting. The texture reminded me of the black bean dip from Glorias which is amazing. I think I can slather this bean hummus on everything.

Chef Julian brought out 3 appetizers. He personally served every course by the way. It made us feel so special! And he explained every dish, their ideas behind it, what the elements were, and how they were made. I always love the background info on what chefs are thinking when they create something. You can definitely tell he takes pride in all their food.

Mexican Poutine (scratch crafted masa fries, chicken tinga, queso blanco, tomatillo sauce, queso fresco, pico, fried egg) $11.99~ 

Sooooooo good!!!!!!!!!! Definitely one of my favorite dishes of the meal (I had lots of favorites...haha). Totally loved the potato/masa blend of the fries. I think it created a better texture than just pure masa. So many different flavors but all blended so well. That perfectly runny egg was just the cherry on top. Yolk porn, y'all! I can totally order this as my entree.

Gulf of Mexico Ceviche Tower (shrimp, slaw, avocado, pico, mexican cocktail sauce) $14.99~ 

A play on the sushi towers you find at every Japanese restaurant. Any food in stacked form is cool I think. This was very refreshing and the Mexican cocktail sauce added just a hint of heat. The slaw was crunchy, avocado was creamy, and the shrimp was cooked well. It was a nice contrast to the Poutine which was heavier. It went really well with the tortilla chips.

Street Elote (charred shaved corn, garlic aioli, chile de arbol, queso fresco, crema cilantro) $6.99~ 

Yesss!!!! I love me some elotes. This is their take on it. Loved the charred corn with a hint of smoky flavor. The aioli and crema added the creaminess. An explosion of flavor! Another favorite!

We had to fight the urge to keep eating it all. Since we only just got started! We asked them to pack most of the appetizers away so we wouldn't be tempted. haha.

Before the entrees came, our waitress told us another table had ordered the Liquid Nitrogen Mango Margarita. It is made table-side and it's pretty freaking cool! They use liquid nitrogen to make the frozen margarita. So much smoke!! Definitely a fun thing to do when you're out with friends. :)

Time for the entrees!

Sour Cream Chicken Tinga Enchiladas (shredded chicken tinga, sour cream sauce, melted cheese, avocado, pickled slaw; served with achiote rice and charro beans) $11.99~ 

They decided to do an open faced enchilada. What a great idea because you get so much more tortilla real estate to put stuff on! They use white wine in their sour cream sauce to add a different flavor and also make it less heavy. The addition of the pickled onions and watermelon radish brightens up the entire dish and adds vibrant colors. I don't like corn tortillas so I never really order enchiladas. I liked the idea of it being stacked and I think if they did it with their bomb flour tortillas, it would be that much better!

Fajita Skillet (caramelized peppers and onions, chimichurri, calabacitas, fried onions, chile de arbol glaze; served with fresh tortillas, achiote rice, and charro beans) Chicken $15.99~ or Fajita Steak $19.99~ 

The skillet came out sizzling and the smell filled the room. Ahhhhhh. We got a combination so we can try both meats. Both the chicken and steak were tender and flavorful. The fried onions are coated with a Mexican seasoning. It is reminiscent of cajun... tons of flavor and complimented the meats well! Their housemade flour tortillas were magnificent. It just about stole the show! So light and soft but doesn't tear, however much you fill with goodies! When our meal was over, Chef Julian said he would give us each some tortillas to go. Yay! If he hadn't offered, we would've asked anyways. hehe.

Tropical Salmon Noodle Bowl (roasted fideo pasta, seared salmon, calabacitas, chipotle cream, pickled onions, avocado) $17.99~ 

Dinner menu only. This was the one thing I really wanted to try... the noodle bowls. I didn't realize they had a salmon version until Chef Julian mentioned the dinner menu. I'm so glad we got this one. The pasta is toasted first then cooked in the same stock they use to make their tortilla soup so it already has a bunch of flavor. The toasting process makes it a little nutty. And that salmon...oh the salmon. I KNEW it was going to be amazing before I even cut into it. It was cooked PERFECTLY. Pink on the inside, fork tender, and so moist it just flaked right off. One of the best pieces of salmon I've eaten to date. Not just recently, but my whole life. And I've had a lot of salmon, y'all. Highly highly recommend this dish!

What an amazing meal. I loved all the variety their menu offers. I never get Mexican food because I find it to be the same thing most of the time. Here... you have a ton of choices. I challenge you to pick just one!

Of course the meal can't end without dessert. I was hoping he would bring out the flan and he did. I love flan!
Luna de Noche Flan (chocolate cake, flan, whipped cream, cajeta) $7.99~ 

The presentation was great. I normally don't care for the half cake half flan thing. Since the flan is always so much more moist than the cake, it makes the cake feel even drier. Not the case here. The cake was just the right thickness, it melded into the flan. And that cajeta (caramel sauce)... oh man. A dessert lover's dream! The flan is a good size too, totally shareable. But if you don't, I won't judge. hahaha.

Thanks to Beto & Son for having us out. It was more than what I expected for sure. Chef Julian showed us a great time. His choices of dishes gave us a really good range of their menu. And that salmon.... ahhhhhhh! Like butter! The place has a fun vibe, but the lighting wasn't great for food photos (hence the rating). But I'll be back for sure. Food trumps lighting! haha. :P And you should definitely check it out!

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Mesero on Henderson

Back in Feb, my coworkers and I went out for lunch to celebrate one of my coworker's 10 year anniversary. My boss was going to be out of the office so put me in charge of making the plans. I gave my coworker a few restaurant suggestions and we decided on Mesero on Henderson. I drive by this place weekly when I go work out and always wanted to check it out. Plus I've heard that their Cinco Leches cake is no joke. :)


Mesero - Henderson
2822 N Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 821-6426
www.meseromiguel.com
Price: $$-$$$

Since the lunch was on the company, we kinda let loose. hehehe.

Chips and Salsas. There were 3 types of salsas. I can't accurately tell you which is which but I liked the middle one most cuz it was chunky. I liked the texture of their chips too.

Micorita (herradura "el jimador", frozen or rocks) $11~ We only got 1 for like 6 people. But shhhh... don't tell the boss! ha! :P

Queso Mesero (queso chihuahua, spinach, artichoke, poblano pepper) $10.95~ Yum! This queso was rich and cheesy. Paired well with the guac.

Aguacates "Guacamole" Tipico (avocado, lime, tomatillo) $10.95~ Loved it. I'll eat avocados any way.

Shrimp Ceviche (tiger shrimp marinated in citrus fruit, serrano pepper, heirloom grape tomato, avocado) $14.95~ 

Totally not what I expected. Upon first glance, it looked like a block of avocados. Not that I'm complaining. But once you scoop into it, you find the large chungs of shrimp. They definitely didn't skimp on the shrimp. it was perfectly plump and fresh. And more avo! We probably had about a dozen avocados during this meal. hahaha. Plus this dish is just beautiful. Full of vibrant colors.

Las Combinaciones (crema queso chicken enchilada, tejano enchilada, arroz rojo; served with choice of black or pinto beans) $11.95~ One of my coworkers ordered this because he loves crema queso chicken enchiladas. He said it was really good.

The rest of us did family style and ordered a bunch of different things to share.

Crispy "Daily Fish" Tacos (fish of the day, lightly battered, roasted corn, tomato, spicy ranch sauce, mesero slaw, arroz blanco) $12.95~ I'm not sure what the fish was but this was one of my favorites. Loved the charred corn in the tacos. The slaw was yummy too!

Pollo Tacos (roasted achiote chicken, iceberg, tomato, avocado, sauteed onion, arroz rojo) $11.95~ Also good, and very large.

Carne Asada Especial (10 oz grilled skirt steak, onion, serrano pepper, arroz rojo, pinto beans) $21.95~ Yum! The steak was cooked well. Quite tender even though it didn't look it.

Brussels Sprouts (serrano mango glazed) $7~ I'm allergic to mango so we got it without the glaze. A little greasy but still yummy. I'm a sucker for roasted brussels sprouts.

OMG. This was a ton of food but we had to have dessert!!!

Pastel Cinco Leches $7~ The one I've heard so much about. It did not disappoint. It was so moist and fluffy and it wasn't even drowning in milk like some other places try to do. I hate it when they drown it in milk and the cake itself is STILL dry. This was perfect. Not too heavy. Everyone loved it.

 

Choco Flan (chocolate cake, caramel flan) $7~ This was cool looking. But honestly, I could've done without one or the other. The flan was great on its own. And the chocolate on its own. Together, it didn't blow me away.

It was a great meal. Everything was yummy and fresh and soooooo much avocados! haha. Our waiter checked on us a lot though out the meal. It was definitely a great team outing. And save room for the Cinco Leches cake!

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Casa Rubia

Having out of town guests means going out to eat! But then again... it also just means it's the weekend. hahaha. What else is new? :P

My fiance's parents were in town last weekend so I had made a reservation at Casa Rubia in Trinity Groves for Saturday night. I talked so highly about it the first time I went, my fiance really wanted to try it. Also, we wanted to show his parents the downtown cityscape. Usually when they come visit, we just end up staying around Rockwall. They've never really seen our downtown! Plus at Trinity Groves, you get the best view of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which is probably one of the coolest structures we have in DFW! :)

Casa Rubia in Trinity Groves
3011 Gulden Ln.
Dallas, TX 75212
(469) 513-6349
www.casarubiadallas.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

We arrived on time for our 7PM reservation and was seated immediately. Our waiter greeted us and was very friendly. He took our drink orders and introduced the restaurant concept to everyone.

He asked if we'd like some Bread (with tomato and garlic spread) $8~ 

I had this last time I was here. It's not on the menu and one of the ladies I was with had to ask for it. This time the waiter suggested it. So that was cool, cuz we wanted to order it again. Although he also didn't tell us how much it was going to be. So for a second I thought maybe they started serving it as complimentary bread for the table. haha. Oh well, it wasn't free, but it sure was delicious! The bottoms were nice and crispy and the bread was warm and fluffy. The tomato/garlic spread had so much flavor.

We knew we were getting the Paella... which you can't order unless you have 4 or more people, btw... so take your friends and/or family with you. So we just got 2 other dishes. It's all tapas style so all the dishes are not super big.

Pulpo a la Plancha (Spanish octopus, duck fat potatoes, pickled onions, smoked tomato-jerez vinaigrette) $16~ 

My favorite from last time, so we had to order it again. Again, it was super tender. I don't know how they cook it to be sooooo tender. The sauce was a little tangy and paired well with the duck fat potatoes. A great dish once again. My fiance's dad even liked it. He's more of a meat and potatoes guy. Yay. Win! :)

Costillas Cortas de Cerdo (heritage pork short ribs, coriander-tomato jam, charred onion, rainbow chard, porcini emulsion) $17~ 

We also wanted a meat dish. This was soooo good. The meat was seriously falling off the bone tender. No need for a knife! My fiance liked this better than the octopus. I can't choose... I love them both!

We had a little time to chat and digest and then the finale arrived. Paella del Dia (squid ink, chicken, clams, mussels, shrimp, kale, peas) $50~ 

This takes 35-40 minutes to make, so make sure you order it early. And the price is market price, just FYI. When the waiter described it to us, he said it was black rice. I was thinking forbidden rice... but it's actually rice colored by squid ink. Score! 

Both my fiance and I love squid ink. I've even had squid ink ice cream once. :P It was soooo yummy. The rice was cooked perfectly. I was a little disappointed that we didn't have as much chicken this time as last. The chicken was one of my favorite parts of the dish. The squid ink added a savory, sea-like quality... umami. Yummm! And I love the aioli the include on the side. Adds a tanginess and creaminess to the dish. We each got a pretty big plate full... and we still took half of the pan to go. Yea, this is why you need to take more people with you. But for us, we got leftovers for the next 2 days! Woohoo!

For once, we didn't over stuff ourselves! So we MUST get dessert! :P

Pan Calatrava (vanilla bean flan, Texas blueberry-almond bread pudding, ginger ice cream, sea salt caramel) $8.50~ 

I had this last time too. It was so good, I couldn't get myself to order a different dessert. Still just as good. That crust on the bread pudding is fantastic. So much complexity in texture between the creamy, silky flan and the bread pudding. And that caramel sauce just pushes it over the top. Deeeelish!

It was a fantastic dinner once again. His parents were so impressed, and we got to take a stroll by the bridge after. :) Service was great as well. I will definitely be back again.

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Casa Rubia

This past Friday, I was invited by a friend to a gathering of foodies at Casa Rubia in Trinity Groves. She told me it was going to be a group of foodies, friends, and friends of friends, and I could bring some people. So I asked 3 of my friends to join me, who I'd thought would enjoy the food. :) They specialize in Spanish cuisine. I have always wanted to go to Casa Rubia. Out of all the places in Trinity Groves, that was the main one I wanted to try. So, yay!

Casa Rubia
3011 Gulden Ln.
Dallas, TX 75212
(469) 513-6349
www.casarubiadallas.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

The reservation was at 8pm. My friends and I arrived about 15 minutes early so we just hung out at the bar. They all ordered drinks. Sangria, some sort of Blueberry fizz drink, Sparkling Sangria. None of them were my thing, but they all enjoyed them.

The restaurant is fairly small. But they have a big patio dining area. I saw that 2 long tables in front of the kitchen were empty. I figured one of those was for our group. A few people were running late so we just hung out at the bar a little longer. We later realized that half the other group was already there. So we made our introductions. The restaurant never once pressured us to get everyone there to seat us, so I thought that was pretty cool. Finally, we sat around 8:30pm. We had a total of 11 people. Everyone seemed to be getting along just peachy, considering it was 3 different groups of friends. :) Food always brings friends together.

We decided to do family style for the entire table, which is what they recommend anyways since it's tapas style. The guy that made the reservation took charge and ordered for everyone.

Quesos:
Manchego, Mahon, Cana de Cabra, San Simon, Idiazabal, Valdeon
Tasting Queso Plate $24~

Embutidos:
Fermin Jamon Iberico de Bellota, Lomo Embuchado, Chorizo Picante, Lardo Iberico de Bellota, Jamon Serrano, Mousse de Higado con Macetilla Vinaigre, Fermin Salchichon de Bellota
Tasting Embutido Plate $33~

We got the tasting plate for both the cheese and meat. It came on this hefty wood board, looked super impressive. It also came with some bread. I sat in the middle of the long table so I got a good look at everything! :P Everyone just dug in! There were so many different things and none of us knew what was what. haha. I got to try several different types of cheeses and meats. Honestly, I can't tell you what anything is. But my favorite was this pepper wrapped in some sort of fatty meat... I'd guess it was the Jamon Serrano.

 

Bread with Tomato and Garlic. 

This wasn't on the menu but was requested by one of the ladies in the group. She was Colombian and was speaking Spanish with the waiter. He said they can totally do this. There was a name for it... starts with "M"? But I can't remember for the life of me. This was sooooo good. The bread was soft but had a really nice crunchy crust. The tomatoes and garlic spread had so much flavor. I'm gonna have to keep this picture to show the restaurant when I go back next time!

We got 2 of each of the hot dishes since we had so many people. The portions of each is not super big but was just the perfect amount for everyone to share.

Alcachofas (crispy artichokes, meyer lemon, fresno chile, mojama, saffron aioli) $12~

Baby artichokes are so cute! Each one is bite sized. So yummy. Not at all tough like artichokes can sometimes be. Great flavors from the chile and aioli as well.

Pulpo a la Plancha (Spanish octopus, duck fat potatoes, pickled onions, smoked tomato-Jerez vinaigrette) $16~ 

This was the one thing I really wanted to try. Not only did it not disappoint, it totally exceeded expectations. The octopus was cooked perfectly... sooo tender. And the dish was just exploding with flavors between the char on the octopus, the duck fat potatos, and the sauce. Best dish of the night, but only by a little since everything else was also delicious. Definitely a must order!

Rossejat (toasted fideos, chistorra, gulf shrimp, crispy calamari, charred citrus aioli) $15~ 

I also wanted to try this one. I saw a preparation for fideos on the Travel Channel once and have wanted to try it since then. It's like short pieces of pasta that's been sauteed and crisped up in the dish. Very interesting. The shrimp and calamari on top paired well with the fideos and sauce. Another winner.

Paella del Dia (market price) 

 

Only available for 4 guests or more. We knew we wanted to get this. It comes in this gigantic pan. The waiter told us it takes 35-40 minutes to make this. So it was going to be our last dish. Initially we were contemplating getting 2, but my friend who's been there said it's A LOT and quite heavy. I'm so glad we only got one. They plated it out for us since our group was so big. That entire pot made 12 plates! And each portion was actually quite big. 

It was soooo awesome looking! It was topped with a bunch of (I think) kale, peas, mussels, clams, shrimp and an entire chicken. I haven't had much paella in my life but this was great. I had heard some no so great reviews on it, but for us, it was delicious. The rice was perfectly cooked. I've had previous ones where the rice was too mushy or undercooked. This had good texture. The chicken was the star for me. Super tender and lots of flavor. If you have a group of 4 or more, don't skip this. Plus, it certainly makes for an impressive photo! :P It capped the night off just perfectly. Everyone was content, and I was surprisingly not exploding like I normally am. hehe.

We decided to go to the Cake Bar to get dessert, but one guy wanted to get something here. Pan Calatrava (vanilla bean flan, texas blueberry, almond bread pudding, ginger ice cream, sea salt caramel) $8.50~ 

 

Everyone got to take a few bites... some more than others.. *ahem*me*ahem* haha. It was another winner. The portion was bigger than I expected. And it was excellent. The bread pudding had the most amazing crust and caramelization on top. The flan was creamy and contrasted the bread pudding texture well. The waiter poured the caramel on top. I always like tableside presentation. Loved it! I'm glad he spoke up and got a dessert when no one else did. hehe.

It was a fantastic meal. And we made some new friends. :) Thanks to the guy that ordered for the group, it was just the perfect amount and guess what... it came out to be $32 a person. What?!?! Yea... and that's including all the booze too. Wow. Ah-MAH-Zing!!! I will definitely be back. In fact, I already have a reservation for next weekend. hehe.

Quality of Food: 4.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Value: 4.5
Overall Experience: 4

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Oh yea... here's some of the cakes we got at Cake Bar. All super moist and delicious. You can get a slice a la mode (vanilla or chocolate ice cream). The Chocolate cake was the best. 

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake 

Key Lime Cake (a la mode)

Chocolate Cake (a la mode)

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~