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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!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I went to a friend's bday lunch this past Saturday. They chose to try Pepper Smash in the Shops at Legacy. It's been open for awhile now and I still haven't been, so I was looking forward to it. It seems like they're known for their mixology, the drinks all have interesting names and looked fun. I was hoping the food would be good too.
Unfortunately we had another event before lunch so we were going to be about 45 minutes late. Everyone else was meeting there at noon. I told them don't wait up.
Pepper Smash
7200 Bishop Rd.
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 943-0499
http://www.peppersmash.com/
Price (brunch): $$
We arrived around 12:50PM. We had 2 tables close to the patio. It was such a nice day to sit outside. We joined one table and it seemed like they were almost done eating. However, we realized that the other table hadn't even gotten their food yet... eh?
We asked around the table to see what was good... We got responses of what NOT to order... :-/
(Sorry I don't have pictures of other people's food since they either ate them or were at another table... )
Chicken Mmm' Biscuits (real deal buttermilk biscuits, secret recipe fried chicken, habanero honey butter) $10~ Was strongly advised not to get this as it is super dry. I saw him take the last bite and it did look really dry. And coincidentally he coughed when he was answering us... haha. Like swallowing dry crumbs or something. :(
Black & White - BLT (blacken'd white fish, crisp bacon, pepper aioli, shredded romaine, tomato on focaccia) $10~ I was told this was super salty. She only ate half of it. But the fries were good.
They said the flatbreads are good though. One guy ordered one. Either the Mediterranean or Spiced Lamb Sausage.
We finally got around to ordering for ourselves. And this is also when the other table's food started arriving... wow.. that really took a long time.
Spicy Beef Katmandu (ginger, lemongrass, Thai chili, cilantro) $9~ This was really tasty. The beef is flash fried and it's really got a kick in flavor. And it's spicy for those who like spicy. I almost ordered this, but I asked the waitress if it came with anything... rice? bread? naan? and she said no. So I nixed it. I don't know how you can eat a dish like this with out some sort of carb to go with it. Or maybe some lettuce wraps??
Ceviche Tostadas (shrimp, crab, mango, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, lime) $10~ This was a joke. And the guy who ordered it didn't try to cover up his disappointment. It was 4 little triangles of corn chips topped with a tiny bit of ceviche. $2.50 a pop eh?? That's just ridiculous. He ended up ordering a burger cuz he was hungry.
Hummus & Naan $8~ Was told this was good.
Oh... something cool that they did when the group first got there was pour liquid nitrogen on popcorn. It's all smokey and cold and when you eat it, smoke comes out of your mouth. Since we got there late, I asked if they could do it for us. It was a fun experience. :)
Oh-M-P (fat stack of three cakes; choose 2 ingredients; maple syrup, whipped butter) $10~
I chose blackberry and bacon. Sweet and savory baby! Our food took about 35+ minutes to come out. Kind of ridiculous. But I was happy with my selection. The pancakes were crazy big and fluffy. I have no idea how they made them this way. Maybe a special pancake maker or mould or something. It fell apart pretty easily.. the consistency was more like a cake than normal pancakes. But yummy! It wasn't too heavy. There were large chunks of bacon throughout, could've used more blackberries though. I noticed the middle layer was burnt on the bottom, but it didn't affect the flavor much so I didn't mind it. The pairing with the whipped butter and maple syrup was delicious. My bf realized that he didn't like bacon mixed into the batter. But I do! hehe, that means more bacon for me! :P Apparently a girl from the other table ordered this when they first arrived. When it finally came, her pancakes were undercooked in the middle, so she had to send them back. Her new pancakes didn't make it out until we got our food...
Whiskey Chick Stack (grilled chicken marinated in house smoked whiskey white cheddar, caramelized onions, chipotle mayo) $10~
My bf ordered this. Tiniest piece of chicken on a sandwich ever!! But the flavors were good so we kinda overlooked the size. Fries were good, not the greatest, but yummy when dipped in the chipotle mayo.
Triple M's Explosion (pineapple and strawberry infused vodka, frozen with liquid nitrogen) $10~
He also got a drink, since this place seems to be known for their cocktails. It's pretty cool cuz it's made with liquid nitrogen and comes smoking when served. Aside from the cool assembling process, it was ok. It was like a strong strawberry daiquiri, not really worth the money.
So I'd say this place was a bust. They didn't have much business while we were there. We were 2 of maybe 4 tables and the wait for food was just ridiculous. Our waitress was good though. At least we got frequent refills on our water. And it's not her fault that the kitchen was slow or messing up orders... I'm glad I enjoyed my food, but just seeing how everyone waited almost 45 minutes to get the food, and the overall quality was just sad. Needless to say, we won't be returning. That location hasn't lasted long in the past. So they better shape up!!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
This is part 2 of my amazing experience with Holsteins and the chefs.
On Sunday I made sure that we made time to go by Holsteins for a meal. I texted Chef Carlos to let him know that we were planning on stopping by in the afternoon. Unfortunately he was at their other restaurant so he wasn't going to be there. He offered to make us a reservation though. :)
At 3:30 we arrived and were seated in the main dining room. The waiter was really nice. We looked over the menu and quickly decided what we wanted.
We got Tiny Buns (served in orders of 2): Crispy Pork Belly Bun (Asian flavored wrapped in a Chinese steamed bun with Hoisin sauce, cucumber & pea shoots, wasabi mayo) $9~
The plating was simple and cute in the little cast iron skillet. The pork belly was really juicy with a great sear on it. The greens were really fresh and the buns had a great texture. Just like how Chinese restaurants make their steamed buns. And one of my favorite things was the wasabi mayo. It was great in the pork buns, it was great on fries. Soo good!
Big Buns (served with choice of shoestring or steakcut fries): The Steakhouse Burger (beef patty crusted with black pepper, Holsteins creamy steak sauce, marmalade onions, tomato confit, wild mushrooms, Swiss cheese) $16.50~ We chose the shoestring fries.
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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