Barley & Board

Oh Barley & Board... I'm so happy I have found you. Or actually it found me.

I had never heard of this place until I reposted a picture on the MyFab5 @bestfooddallas IG account back in February. It was an epic looking S'mores oatmeal cookie. Little did I know that one little action was going to change my life. They saw the repost and reached out to me. I connected them with the founders of MyFab5 and we (the other 2 community leaders @thediningdino & @phileats_ and I, @chompdallas) were invited out to dine at their restaurant. Cool! The only thing was... it's all the way in Denton! I think I've only been to Denton once in my life. It's far... and now that I'm in Rockwall, it's REALLY far! I think the total drive time is around 70-75 minutes, ONE WAY! Eeeks. But since I was the one that made the connection and they were so excited for us to come out, we all found a Sunday afternoon and headed out there.

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

It's located in downtown Denton and it's quite cute! It reminded me of downtown McKinney, but bigger. I wish it was closer so I could go explore there more often.

It was a grey and rainy afternoon, but turned out to be the best lighting for taking photos. I arrived first, and Narciso, the head of PR for the restaurant, greeted me. He was super nice and told us we could sit anywhere we'd like. The restaurant was super cool. It was a renovated old building. The decor was amazing. Big open windows, high ceilings, and you can see the history in the building. They had re-purposed a lot of old bricks and other materials found around Denton. There was one long table in the middle of the dining room that was one single slab of wood. Things like that... really cool. We found a booth by one of the large windows. The lighting was perfect.

Narciso got us situated, then he told us he would get out of our hair and let us order and photograph as we please. He checked on us from time to time but pretty much left us to our own devices. We had gotten some recommendations from him and our waiter and we started ordering! And just so you know, the 3 of us can eat! Plus we always want to try everything so once we started ordering, you can't stop us. haha.

When we were first seated they brought out some Toasted Barley for the table and took our drink orders. At first I thought it was just decor? But you can eat it. Don't think I've ever had toasted barley like this before. It's very nutty!

Since it was quite chilly that day, I got an Earl Grey Tea $4.50~ Served in a French press. Nice!

We got a round of appetizers.

Blistered Shishito Peppers (sriracha, radish, cilantro, mso salt) $9~ These were the biggest peppers we have ever seen! All the other peppers have been like a third of the size, maybe half. Wow. Nicely blistered. I liked the addition of the radish slices and that aioli was bomb. I dipped everything in that sauce.

 

Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates (chorizo, piquillo sauce) $14~ Highly recommended and I just have to say now... not one single recommendation was bad. Actually no single dish was bad. These dates were huge. The pairing with the chorizo and bacon was fantastic. And that piquillo sauce!!!! I had to cut mine in half in eat 2 bites.

 

 

Wicked Gulf Oysters (grilled with garlic parmesan butter) $12~ I've never been a huge fan of oysters. I mean, I'll eat them, but I would never order them on my own. These had really great flavor. If you love oysters, you'll love these. Again, they were large.

Roasted Bone Marrow (parsley pesto, smoked salt, grilled bread) $12~ I also never really order bone marrow, but I'll eat it. I loved the parsley pesto plus the bit of smoked salt. But I always feel like eating bone marrow is just slathering fat on a piece of bread. haha. If that's your thing, do it!!

Hen of the Woods Flatbread (roasted garlic, ricotta, mushroom, parmesan, truffle) $12~ This was one of my choices. You don't see Hen of the Woods mushrooms in many places so I had to have it. I love all types of mushrooms. It was a good flatbread, just felt like it needed some sriracha or sauce. So I dipped it in the aioli from the shishito peppers and it was amazing. :D

We ordered a bunch of different entrees.
Crisped Mechada (aji panca, organic egg, lime) $18~ This was highly recommended. It was so pretty. All the dishes were so pretty. The vibrant colors, the plating, on point! This was all about the sauce. It was so bold. A little too sour for my preference, but my tolerance for sourness is quite low. It definitely packs a punch!

Brazen Two-Faced Quail (b&b pickles, slaw) $23~ On of my favorites. The quail was so juicy! Which is rare... most place tend to overcook quail. And that batter was my favorite part. It was crispy and spicy. Sooo sooo good. Along with the pickles and the slaw were the perfect combination.

Parisian Gnocchi (market vegetables, broth, soft herbs, parmesan) $15~ Another beautiful plate with all the colors. I loved all the different types of vegetables in there: brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. It was a very filling dish.

Slow Roasted Pork Tenderloin (mexican street corn, crispy onions, chipotle honey) $19~ Almost didn't get this but the waiter recommended it so we added it at the end. So glad we did. Again, so pretty. The pork was cooked perfectly, not dry at all. I really liked the corn. The chipotle honey was quite sweet, so you have to be into the sweet and savory combo to enjoy this.

B&B Burger (sweet onion, b&b pickle, house sauce, american cheese) $12~ 

 

 

This burger.... O.M.G. It changed our lives. Seriously. It's the only burger on the menu, and it really is the only burger they'll ever need. It is amazing. By far my favorite thing of the day, and that's saying a lot since everything was good. No idea what they do to this but it seems like a simple burger, no extra ingredients, no frills, but it's so good!!!!!!!! It's like the onions and cheese melts into the beef patty and the whole thing is just super juicy. And their pickles are awesome, so that was the cherry on top. I dream about this burger. I will drive an hour to have this burger. (...and I did...stay tuned to my next post!) One of the best burgers of my life, and definitely in DFW. The shoe string fries were good too, but at this point we had to focus on the more important things. haha.

WE NEED A BIGGER TABLE. STAT! :P

Wow... good thing we didn't order more! But wait, there's always dessert. haha. Can't leave without at least trying the S'mores cookie that had started this whole experience!

I don't know the exact names of these desserts since they don't have a printed dessert menu.

Bread Pudding. Not sure what all is in it. But it reminded us of the whiskey cake at Whiskey Cake. Kind of toffee like. Dense, and that cream sauce underneath is just everything.

Oatmeal S'mores Cookie. This is such a beautiful dessert. Just flawless. But guess what, the Bread Pudding stole the show in terms of taste. I really liked the dark chocolate on top of the marshmallow. But I feel like the marshmallow to cookie ratio was a little skewed. Need more cookie, less marshmallow. But then maybe it won't look as epic? The dilemma! :P Still yummy tho.

This has been such an amazing experience. The food speaks for itself. Quality ingredients, wonderfully prepared, and beautifully presented. They brought "brewpub" style food to a whole new level. The service was amazing. Checked on us frequently and catered to whatever we needed. After, we got a brief tour of the space with one of the managers. The whole history and concept behind the restaurant is just fantastic. I want to hang out there all the time. And I just want to include a note that this was all comped, but we did leave a large tip. Gotta take care of your wait staff! All of us would've gladly paid for the meal.

Like I said, so happy I found this place. Just sad that it's so far away. Please open another location more Southeast in the future please! :P What an amazing experience. It is definitely my new favorite restaurant of the year. I will continue to support them as much as I can!

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Value: *comped*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Savor at Klyde Warren Park

I finally made it to Savor at Klyde Warren Park!! I've wanted to check it out since I saw the drawings of the building before it was even done. All the walls are glass! That's so awesome. And the patio area looked really cool too. Hopefully when the weather gets warmer, I'll get to go back!

We had an event at the Meyerson, so I suggested to our group to go to Savor for dinner. We had a very large party and I'm glad they were able to let me make a reservation. The hostess was very helpful on the phone. :)

Savor Gastropub
2000 Woodall Rodgers Fwy
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 306-5597
savor-relish.com/savor
Price: $$$-$$$$

We were seated in the community table in the bar area. That's the only big table they had. I can see why this place isn't good for large groups. But they were able to accommodate us so I'm really happy. The decor is super modern. I really love the glass walls, it's great for people watching at the park.

We started with some cocktails.

Walk in the Park (Hendrick's Gin, Vermouth, lime, cucumber thyme, rose water) $12~ (left) My bf got this because of the Hendrick's gin. It's one of my favorites. But it wasn't sweet enough for me. Very refreshing though.

I chose the Blackberry Sage Rickey (Ford's Gin, blackberry sage syrup, lime juice, soda) $12~ (right) I asked the waitress if it was sweet and she said yes. It was yummy! Sweet and fruity and was strong enough for me. I really liked it. I would totally order it again. My bf liked this better too. hehe.

Since we had a concert to go to, we did an early dinner. We arrived at 5PM and their dinner service didn't start until 5:30PM. But we were able to order drinks and appetizers first.

Lobster Puffs (Maine lobster and Comte cheese fritter, remoulade) $14~ I wasn't able to taste these cuz they were all the way at the end of the table. But I heard they were good.

Meatballs (pork and beef meatballs, tomato, olive, capers, and sweet basil) $12~ These were ok. The meatballs were moist but I felt it lacked some flavor.

Crispy Shrimp & Calamari (shrimp and calamari, chili glaze, fresh herbs) $14~ This was delicious. The shrimp and calamari were cooked well and the glaze was great. I really liked the sweet and spicy flavor profile. One of the better fried calamari I've had in a while. :)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (dried cranberry, spiced pecans, bacon, aged balsamic) $11~ 

We ordered this. Anytime there's brussels sprouts on the menu, I'd get it. This was awesome. It was a pretty big portion compared to all the other appetizers. The brussels sprouts were baby sized so they were super tender. The combinations of flavors between the cranberry, bacon, and balsamic was great! Sweet, savory and a bit of tanginess. I would order this over and over again.

We also got the Braised Pork Belly (crispy mustard spatzel, dijon) $14~ 

The plate was so pretty. The pork belly was fatty and tender, cooked really well. The spatzel added great texture to the dish and the flavors were delicious. I would also get this again.

Soon it was time to order dinner!

I wanted to save room for dessert (one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Savor), so we shared an entree. House-made Gnocchi (napa cabbage, bacon, mustard jus, poached egg, pecorino pepato) $19~ 

They went ahead and split the dish for us (so this picture is only half portion). I like it when restaurants do that (without charging a split fee!) The gnocchi was soft and fluffy. I liked the bacon and cabbage in the dish. The only complaint was I think the mustard jus, which made the dish a little bit sour. My bf didn't mind that though. All in all, a good dish.

Other people ordered...

Shrimp & Grits (sauteed shrimp, Portuguese chorizo, greens, tomato ham broth, creamy cheddar cheese grits) $23~ Multiple people ordered this and everyone said it was good.

Grilled Grouper (carrot and olive oil puree, crispy cauliflower, radish salsa verde) $28~ I got to try the crispy cauliflower. Don't think I've ever had fried cauliflower, it was yummy!

Braised Short Rib (chile braised, aged cheddar mac, smoked pecan gremolata, crispy onions) $28~ 

Got to try a bite of this. It was our other choice. Next time I'm totally getting this!! The meat was super tender and decadent over the mac and cheese. The mac and cheese looked a bit "saucy"? But the entire dish was great and a very hefty portion.

Finally time for desserts! The first thing I heard about this place is that you can order the entire dessert menu for $24!! I sooo wanted to do that! The combos/prices are as follows:

1 for $3, 3 for $8, 6 for $16, 10 for $24

Since it was just the 2 of us, we opted for the 3 for $8. I had several choices in mind already after looking at their online menu, but I was disappointed to find out that their menu had changed. :( Need to update the websites people!!

From top left, clockwise.

S'more Trifle (graham cake, milk chocolate pudding, toasted marshmallow fluff). 

If I had to rank the 3, this would be my least favorite. (My bf's 2nd fav.) Not saying this is bad at all, just that I liked the other 2 better. I particularly liked the layer of graham crack on the bottom and the toasted marshmallow on top. It was creamy and smooth. I guess I didn't think it tasted that close to a s'more, I wanted a richer chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bite (chocolate cake, pretzel crunch, peanut butter mousse). 

This was both our favorites. Super decadent. It was like a gourmet Snickers bar. It was rich and smooth with bits of crunch from the pretzel and peanuts. Awesome. I think next time we'll just get 3 of these. haha.

Meyer Lemon Tart (meyer lemon curd, pistachios, toasted meringue). I'm not a huge lemon fan but I'm getting more used to it. This was yummy. Refreshing and so cute!

Some other people got desserts too. From bottom left, clockwise.

Salty and Sweet Pudding (salted caramel pudding, whipped cream, pearls)

Fried Pie (blood orange, caramel, creme fraiche ice cream). They said the first bite of this was a bit intense with the blood orange flavor, but the more they ate, the more they loved it. Next time they will just order this. I need to try it!

Half Baked Banana Split (peanut blondie, banana ice cream, peanut butter caramel)

It was a fabulous dinner. The decor was nice, a little busy (but I'll call it energetic, haha). Our waitress was a trooper taking care of 20 people who arrived at different times and wanted separate checks. At the beginning of the night she said she wouldn't be able to do split checks but half way through the dinner she told us she was going to do it for us. I think she realized it was easier that way in the long run. haha. But she got all our orders right and the checks out in a timely manner. I enjoyed it a lot and I think everyone else did too. I will definitely revisit in the future, but next time I won't have 19 other people with me. haha.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Battuto Italian Kitchen

This past Sunday I finally made it to Battuto, owned by Gene and Julie Gates from the Lite FM morning radio show. I've heard them on the radio for many years now and thought it was interesting when I learned that they were opening up a restaurant. I expected it to be in uptown or downtown of course, so I was pretty excited to find out they've chosen North Dallas and it's close to me! :) 

Battuto Italian Kitchen 
18101 Preston Road, Ste. 204C 
Dallas, Texas 75252 
(972) 930-0558 
http://battutodallas.com/ 
Price: $$-$$$ 

They feature rustic Italian cuisine with farm to table ingredients and homemade pastas and pizzas. I've seen the menu before and everything sounded delicious. 

We had a reservation on Sunday at 6:30PM. When I arrived, the restaurant was pretty empty. I had no idea the place was so big! The decor was simplistic and unpretentious. We all commented that we liked the look of the restaurant. Although it was freeezing in there! It was already pretty cold when I walked in but our table was under a vent or something. Brrrr! The place filled up more after we ordered. The clientele was pretty eclectic. This can be a date place or place for family dinner.

Three of us arrived on time and were waiting on the rest of the group. We were starving though so we got something to share. It would've been nice if we got some bread for the table or something. But oh well... 

Mac and Cheese Pizza (with Nueske's bacon) $9~ 

It just sounds awesome, doesn't it? It looked and tasted amazing. Served on a wooden board, I liked the presentation. The cheese was hot and melty, lots of bacon on there, and the mac was cooked well. Wasn't too overcooked and soft. The crust had great texture too. I'd totally recommend this. My first time having mac and cheese on a pizza! 

While we were waiting for our food, Gene Gates came around and greeted us. We told him we were starving and he personally served the pizza to us. When he walked away, I told my friends, "I think that's Gene Gates from the morning show!" haha. That was pretty cool. 

For the actual dinner, I ordered the Cauliflower Soup (with roasted garlic) $6~ 

One of my friends got the same. The soup was huge! I can probably dunk my face in the bowl, is how big it was. haha. Good value for the money! The soup was yummy. Pureed smooth and velvety. Topped with bits of roasted garlic, you can definitely taste the roasted garlic pureed into the soup as well. The bread on the side was also very good. Nicely charred on the grill but still soft in the middle. Great for dipping into the soup! I had to take half of mine to go... My friend killed hers!! Impressive! 

We also both got Gnocchi Modo Mio "My Way" (an homage to the amazing talent of Chef Rino Brigliadori light-as-a-cloud potato pasta with pesto tomato sauce) $14~ 

I love gnocchi, so it's hard for me to not order it when I see it on the menu. Although there were plenty of other options I wanted to try. The gnocchi were soft and pillowy. The texture was very nice. I also liked the pesto tomato sauce. It had a lot of flavor. I would've liked to have some sort of meat in there and/or something crunchy to give more of a textural contrast... but overall I enjoyed it. Again, the bread went amazingly with the pesto sauce. My favorite gnocchi of all time is still at Michael Chiarello's Bottega in Napa, but this one is also pretty dang good. 

One friend ordered the Bison Pasta (Comanche buffalo and pork ragu with handmade pappardelle noodles) $13~ 

It was one of my options when I looked over the menu. I love pappardelle and you can definitely tell the pasta was made in house. The flavors were very light, not bland, which I liked. The bison wasn't too dry (I think that's because it was mixed with pork). My friend enjoyed it. 

Another friend got the Branzino (whole grilled Mediterranean sea bass with vegetables) $24~ 

It's a whole fish, minus the head. The fish looked very impressive when it was served. The grill marks looked awesome! The fish was super tender, flaky, moist and lemony. It was very good! The sides however did not live up to the main protein. The potatoes were a bit too salty and the fennel and (I think) zucchini? slaw/salad was kind of bland and boring. I think some sort of rice/cous cous/quinoa would've been a better side option? Just a thought. hehe. 

Gene had come back to chat with us a bit later. One of my friends told him we were fans of the radio show. :P He was super nice and we talked for awhile. Chatted about good restaurants around town. I also gave him my card for CHOMP! :D 

We were all super full but I can't try a new restaurant without dessert! Especially when I've been seeing delicious pictures on yelp. hehe. 
I got the Red Wine Chocolate Cake (chocolate ganache and topped with fresh raspberries) $9~ 

We all shared it. It was beautiful. haha. It was clean and sophisticated and the layers were thin and delicate. But it was super rich, moist and full of chocolatey goodness!! I loved the ganache. I'm assuming it's a creme anglaise on the bottom, that was good too. The fresh raspberries paired really well with the rich chocolate. It was a little pricier than I expected (there's no dessert menu), but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got to take part of a piece home and it's even good out of the fridge 2 days later! NOM! 

It was a delicious meal. I had pretty high expectations after reading all the reviews on Battuto and I wasn't disappointed. The service was good, the owner is very welcoming. This location hasn't been very lucky in the past, but I hope Battuto sticks around for a long time! I'll be back for sure! :) 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~