DECEMBER: Smithy on Henderson

What do you do when you have 4 hours to kill at the airport? You update your blog. Lol! Seriously though, can you guys believe January is almost over? We are one month into 2020, a new decade! Crazy!

So continuing with my monthly features... my December favorite was Smithy on Henderson! I had heard lots of good things since they opened but never got the chance to go. Then out of the blue, they invited me in! That's the best feeling. My friend and I went on a Tuesday night so it wasn't too crowded. Walking up to the restaurant, I saw that they had a really cool covered patio area. It reminded me of Ebb & Flow which I featured in Nov.

Smithy
2927 N Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 316-1984
https://smithydallas.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

The interior is really cool. I loved the art on the walls, the use of dark wood and iron... it used to be a former ironwork/blacksmith shop! Hence the name Smithy. I like that! It was bigger than I expected! They have a private party area all the way in the back of the restaurant.

We were greeted by the owner who sat down and chatted with us for a while. Did you know this is the sister restaurant to Woolworth in downtown Dallas?

To start, my friend got the Quite Frankly (frankly organic vodka, dolin blanc, strawberry, jalapeno, lemon, ginger) $11~ Served in a mason jug, it's a pretty big cocktail. And it was really good. I don't drink much but I can appreciate that you tasted all the different ingredients in this drink. The addition of heat from the jalapeno is a nice touch.

I got the Frozen Irish Cream. It looked super delicious but alas was not sweet enough for me. I also prefer sweeter drinks than the norm. 

Just FYI... During their Happy Hour (Tue-Fri 11AM-7PM), craft cocktails are $8 and frozen cocktails are $6! And YES, it starts at 11AM and basically goes all day! What a freaking good deal!

Flat Bread (heirloom cherry tomato, champagne grapes, capers, basil, arugula, EVOO, boursin cheese, feta, naan) $12~ Can be prepared vegetarian. 

This was our appetizer. It was delicious!! Using naan as the base was kind of awesome. The texture was great. I don't like it when flatbread is too thin like a cracker. The toppings were so flavorful. I can easily have this as my entree.

Truffle Fries (white truffle oil, shaved pecorino, house ketchup) $9~ Can be prepared gluten free and/or vegetarian. 

We thought this was going to be a much smaller portion but I guess the one we saw coming out of the kitchen was a side dish for a burger or something. Haha. This is definitely big enough for a group! The fries were fried well and I freaking LOVED their house-made ketchup, but the truffle flavor was lacking. Needs more.

Cedar Salmon (verlasso salmon, cedar plank, maple mustard, wood fired Brussels sprouts, bacon sherry cream) $28~ 

My friend got the salmon. Beautifully cooked and presented... sitting on a cedar plank. The Brussels sprouts were also fantastic. I've never had it like this in a cream sauce before. Definitely worth a try!

Luke's Hot Chicken (peri peri spice, local honey, gin pickles, white bbq sauce, cavatappi pasta, pancetta, four cheese sauce: gruyere, pepper jack, monterey, pecorino) $24~ 

I wanted to eat light... but then saw this on the menu. Lol. Oh well. YOLO. Haha. This is one of their crowd favorites and I can see why. Holy Crap! It was a big plate. Perfectly fried chicken stacked high on perfectly cooked pasta. The breading on the chicken was amazing. Crisp, yet light, and not overly greasy. I could not get over how awesome it was. AND, finally, a hot chicken that was actually spicy! Not super spicy but it had a kick. And that's all I want if I'm ordering a "hot" chicken. The pasta is basically like a 4 cheese mac n cheese. But it wasn't swimming in sauce. It was perfect. I loved every bite and had enough leftover for another meal. 100% would get this again.

Hula Pie (chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, espresso ganache, ghiradelli hot fudge, toasted macadamia nuts, whipped cream) $12~ 

Holy moly. We were stuffed but wanted to try dessert. This was enough for 4! The espresso ganache was to die for... my favorite element on this dessert. My friend said it tasted like the name... definitely reminded her of Hawaii.

What a fabulous meal. We also had exceptional treatment and service. I definitely want to go back and try more things. Or maybe I'll just end up getting the hot chicken again. Haha. And they also rolled out a new brunch menu last month!

Thank you so much for having us, Smithy! Hope you stick around Henderson for a really long time!

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

District Food & Wine

I got to check out District Food & Wine in the Design District last week. I had heard positive things about the restaurant so I was definitely looking forward to it. They're open for lunch M-F, and dinner service is only Th-S, closed on Sundays. I couldn't make it out for dinner so I invited a friend that works downtown for a long lunch. :)

District Food & Wine
921 N Riverfront Blvd. #300
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 792-9729
https://districtfoodwine.com
Price: $$-$$$

The Design District is a cool place but still has a lot of opportunities for expansion/development. It's quite far out for me from home and work so I rarely go to that area. So I'd consider District Food and Wine to be a hidden gem. I think more people need to know more about this area as well.

Walking in, the restaurant was pretty empty... only a couple tables taken. But the place has floor to ceiling windows on 2 sides of the building so it had a bright and open feeling. And perfect for photos! :) The hostess grabbed the owner for us when we arrived. Jeff is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Just the first handshake and I felt like he was so genuinely happy to have us there. We were seated close to the window for optimal lighting. And Jeff proceeded to take care of us for the entire duration of the lunch.

We started with some Bread (rubbed with garlic; served with butter). It looked simple but it was freshly baked...warm and fluffy on the inside, crispy edges, and the garlic rub perfumed our noses.

Jeff gave us the run down on the menu, as well as their daily specials. 

Then he told us that he is already going to send out some of their Risotto Balls and Meatballs (tomato basil sauce). Normally the Risotto Balls are $7~ 

It was nice to get a little sampler so we're not getting too much food. The risotto balls were super cute and delicate. He explained that they are actually gluten free! They were deliciously airy and light for a fried rice ball. Without the breadcrumbs they were really able to lighten it up. Soooo yummy with the tomato sauce. The meatballs were good too but the risotto balls stole the show.

As we were waiting for our entrees, I saw that more and more people were coming in. And Jeff greeted each table himself. That's really great service and hospitality.

I chose the Grilled Salmon (Scottish salmon, grilled vegetables, jalapeno mustard sauce) $17~ 

I wanted to be a little healthier since 1) I've been eating a whole lotta fried foods last week, and 2) I wanted to get the Mac n Cheese. hahaha. He told me that they typically cook their salmon medium rare, which is perfect. And you know what? They were SPOT on with the cook temp. The fish was beautifully pink on the inside and insanely tender. And that sauce... you can see the whole grain mustard in there and it paired perfectly with the fish. It was a pretty plate. Again, everything's so simple, but extremely well executed. It was refreshing to see a place that just does good food instead of trying to be "epic" or "trendy" or whatever.

My friend got the Rigatoni (with tomato basil vodka sauce; added chicken) $10~ 

He added chicken since the original dish does not have a meat. It was really good. I love vodka sauce. I wish the chicken pieces were a tad bigger, it got lost a little bit in the dish. Other than that, no complaints!

Mac & Cheese (with truffle oil) $7~ 

I HAD to get this. I've been seeing so many posts on social media of this one dish. The truffle was so fragrant and smelled so good. It was still bubbling a little when it was brought to the table. It's not stringy cheesy like a lot of other macs (like the long cheese pull) but it definitely was not lacking any cheese! I freaking loved that crust on top. It was legit, and it definitely lived up to all the hype.

It was a great lunch. And we weren't too stuffed. But then we had to get dessert right? hehe. :P

Jeff highly highly recommended the Lemon Cake (mascarpone frosting, white chocolate curls) $7~ 

And that's the main thing I've been seeing on their Yelp page. I'm not really a huge lemon fan but I was really intrigued. I'm soooooo glad we got it. It is seriously THE BEST lemon cake I've ever had in my life. No joke! It was so light and fluffy. The frosting was made with mascarpone so it was really light as well. But was still somehow luscious. The amount of lemon was spot on. It had just the right amount of tartness... a lot of lemon desserts tend to be too sour for me. Or too sweet because they overuse sugar to cut the citrus. Both my friend and I agreed it was the best lemon dessert either of us have ever had. I wonder if I can order a whole cake for a party or something.... :P

Chocolate Cake (chocolate ganache) $7~ 

We only ordered the lemon cake, but Jeff said he was also sending out the chocolate cake. haha. I love chocolate so I wasn't gonna say no! :P The chocolate cake was also fantastic. The filling was light, and the ganache was rich... the cake was surprisingly not overly sweet. And it was super moist. Normally I would opt for chocolate, but in this case, the lemon cake still won out. Needless to say, we finished the lemon cake. haha. And actually made it through more than half of the chocolate as well.

We had a great time. Jeff was the most wonderful host. And the food was just simply delicious. I want to send everyone I know there... so GO!!! I really hope they stick around for a really long time. Thank you, District Food & Wine, for having us. I hope I will make it back in the near future. :)

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Paul Martin's American Grill

I recently got invited to go check out Paul Martin's American Grill. I see it all the time since I go work out at ZYN22 which is in the same shopping center. But it was never on my radar since it's kind of in the corner of the center. However, when I got invited, I scoped out their menu online and wondered why it was never on my radar. haha. Their menu sounded yummy!

I made it a date night with my husband. We went and saw Spiderman Homecoming first, then headed to dinner. Our reservation was at 6PM... upon arriving, the place was already somewhat busy. At least the parking lot was. Not the best set up for self parking and valet in front of the restaurant. But know that there's plenty of parking behind the restaurant as well.

Paul Martin's American Grill
3848 Oak Lawn Ave. Suite 210
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 521-0116
https://paulmartinsamericangrill.com/locations/dallas-restaurant/
Price: $$$$+

We were seated immediately. The manager came by to greet us... Jorge was very nice and welcoming. Then our waiter, Aaron, came to take our drink menus and tell us the specials for the day. A very soft spoken man, but he took care of us wonderfully. He was also very detailed when he described the specials, which I appreciated.

Then the manager came back with an Amuse Bouche (watermelon, feta, caviar) from the kitchen. 

I love the contrasting colors of the watermelon and caviar. And Aaron brought us some Bread (with whipped butter, sea salt). What a lifesaver! I was starving!! The bread was soft and pillowy in the middle, and the butter spread so easily. Loved the touch of sea salt on it.

We had 2 different menus to look over. One was for their Happy Hour specials. They have it every day from 3-7PM. Every Day! That's pretty awesome. We ordered 2 appetizers from the HH menu.

Signature Deviled Eggs (cold smoked, crispy La Quercia prosciutto) $6~ I don't think I've ever had a bad deviled egg. I love eggs and I'm not picky on how they're prepped. They came 5 to an order.. for 6 bucks?! That's a great deal.

St. Louis Duroc Pork Ribs (hoisin glaze, green onions) $9~ 

I saw that a friend had gone a couple weeks earlier and ordered this...it looked so amazing I had to have it. O.M.G. Freaking delicious. The meat was super tender. My husband barely got his fork in the meat and it slid right off the bone. It was juicy, flavorful, and had just the right amount of fat to meat ratio. I also loved the glaze and sauce that came with it. It definitely did not disappoint. In fact, with my already high expectations, it easily exceeded it. I would totally go back for HH and just order this. It was by far my favorite thing that night.

My husband ordered a cocktail. Elijah Craig Ginger Punch (12 year bourbon, Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur, fresh lemon juice, honey, topped with ginger ale) $9~ 

I don't drink, and he's not a big drinker either, but he always wants to try. I had a sip... it was too strong for me. He seemed to have liked it, but then didn't finish. I think he focused on the food once the entrees came and was too full to finish the drink. haha. We do always tend to stuff ourselves silly at a media dinner.

For the main dishes. I went all out. Why not? :P
Prime Bone in Ribeye (22 oz, grass-fed, certified Black Angus; grilled over a live fire) $56~ Side of Chimichurri Sauce. 

Aside from prime rib, ribeye is my favorite cut of steak. And since they only offer prime rib on Sundays, my choice was easy. It was a huge slab of meat. Yaassss! The color on it was great and it came with a cheesy roasted tomato of some sort. I think all their steaks are a la carte, so you'd have to order the sides separately (which we did). I ordered it medium rare but it looked more medium, and some areas even medium well. It was not very pink in the center. Bummer. I know that it's grilled over a live fire, so I wonder if it overcooks easier? If this happens consistently, I would definitely recommend you order your steaks more on the rare side. However, it was still pretty juicy and had enough flavor to stand on its own. I thought the chimichurri sauce was a little bland, but I liked having the herbs with the steak.

My husband got the Special of the Day: Risotto Frutti di Mare (shrimp and mushroom risotto, 8 oz lobster tail, 2 shrimp, crab and crawfish cake, asparagus) $45~ 

This was a very pretty dish. It was hard to capture all the different elements in a photo. I loved the flavor of the risotto. And the crab and crawfish cake was our favorite seafood element on the plate. The lobster was good but he thought the shrimp was overcooked. He liked his dish better between the two. I'd say flavor-wise, I have to agree with him. But I prefer meat over seafood any day. haha.

For the sides we got..
Mac & Cheese (Tillamook 2 year aged white cheddar, La Quercia prosciutto) $7~ I love nontraditional pastas... they used Sfoglini(?) or Trumpet pasta. I love the curly edges. The texture of the pasta was great. But the flavor was a little odd... it took me a while to figure out what it was. I think they were a little heavy handed with nutmeg? It had a spice/warm flavor that was a tad too strong. I'll still eat it though. I love pasta...

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts (bacon vinaigrette) $6~ I was a little surprised that they were roasted/charred, but then I didn't even pay attention to the menu, haha. I just saw brussels sprouts and ordered. It was a change from the typical charred ones (but I love them so). I liked the flavor though. I think it paired well with my steak.

My husband ate his entire plate... so he was pretty much out for the count. But I wanted to try dessert. I mean... I have to right? :P

So he got a Cafe Latte $4~ He said it was very good. They use Mr. Espresso oak wood roasted coffee. It's certified organic and fair trade.

Banana Cream Pie (layers of vanilla bean pastry cream, chocolate, bananas, fresh whipped cream) $10~ 

I couldn't decide on the desserts but ended up choosing the banana cream pie because it's lighter. I was pretty full too! And Aaron told me that it had a layer of chocolate between the crust and the banana filling so it would be enough to satisfy my chocolate craving. It was a nice big slice. I did love the layer of chocolate in the middle. It was just enough to differentiate this banana cream pie from most others. The whipped cream was airy and there was lots of bananas in there. My only complaint is that the crust was a little dry. But pairing it with the whipped cream helped.

It was a good dinner. Although the high point was the appetizer. I will definitely be back for HH to have those ribs again. Aside from their daily HH specials, they also have some other weekly promotions.

Sunday Prime Rib - Texas field green salad, roasted prime rib, mashed potatoes, house-made shortbread cookies and gourmet ice cream. $33~ 3 course meal for a pretty great deal! And I love me some prime rib.

Monday Wine Dinner for 2 for $60~
Texas field green salads, entrees of choice, one bottle of selected wine. This is also a great deal if you're a wine lover. For $60 this is a steal!

Thanks so much to Paul Martin's for having us. It's always nice when I can bring my husband to one of these media outings. :) And the service was great! Thanks Aaron!

*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

The Eberhard - Now serving lunch on Fridays!

The Eberhard on Henderson... typically known as a cool bar scene. They have chandeliers, leather sofas, high ceilings, and a gigantic wall of bottles. However, did you know they also have good food? I went to check out their brunch sometime last year and was pleasantly surprised by all the options and food quality. And now they've opened up lunch on Fridays only. It used to be only dinners and weekend brunch. I believe lunch runs from 11AM-4PM every Friday now. The crew at @bestfooddallas were invited to go check out the new lunch menu. They said we could go at any time, so I went last Saturday night with my husband.

I've always loved the decor here. Especially the chandeliers. Just makes you feel fancy! :P

The Eberhard
2107 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 821-1100
www.theeberhard.com
Price (for lunch): $-$$$

We had an early dinner at 6PM. The place was still pretty empty. There was only one other table dining and a few people at the bar. We were immediately seated and our waitress, Barbara, came to greet us. She was super nice. Knew what we were in for and we were definitely well taken care of.

We started with some drinks.

My husband got the Knox Your Typical Old Fashion (Crown Royal, blackberry basil) $10~ He's normally super picky on drinks but he really liked this one. He actually finished it!

I normally don't drink. But I remembered a while back one of the @bestfooddallas Community Leaders went and featured a frozen cocktail with a popsicle in it. I asked if that was still available and she said yes. It's normally on the brunch menu, but I'm sure you can request it at other dining times.
Frozen Stoli Crush (Stoli orange, white wine, peach puree, tropical Red Bull, mimosa popsicle) $10~ She told me the popsicle flavor changes, but the frozen cocktail only comes in one mix. It is so cute!! And soooo delicious! I'm so glad I got it. Tasted like a peach slushie. And fresh peaches too... not just peach flavored syrup. The popsicle made it so much fun and kept it cold for a really long time. The mimosa popsicle on its own was great too. For once, I didn't need other people's help on finishing it. haha.

Our appetizers came out soon after our drinks. All of their lunch appetizers and flatbreads are $5 during lunch btw. Such a great deal.

Chef's Fancy Mac & Cheese $5~ I think Barbara said there's 5 different cheeses in here or something? It was really good. And definitely cheesy. We told ourselves not to finish it so we can have room for the other food but we ate it all... ha.

Avocado Toast (Toasted French baguette, avocado spread, roasted corn salsa, shaved asparagus, fresh radish) $5~ 

I always love avocado toast. I liked that this had a DIY element to it. You can top your toast with the corn salsa, asparagus, and/or radish. All the toppings were fresh and refreshing. I also liked that the bread wasn't super hard/crunchy. Most of the time baguettes are just too hard imo. Again... we weren't able to save any of it. haha.

For the entrees I chose the Duck Confit (confit of duck breast, savory bread pudding, butternut squash) $19~ 

My husband wanted this too but let me get it so we can try something else. (He ended up getting the better dish though. haha.) The plate was pretty. I was excited about all the elements. The portion of the duck was a little small but it's also the lunch menu. I was almost full anyways from all the appetizers. haha. The flavors were all very good, but the duck could've been seared a little more. The skin was not crispy at all. And the meat itself was a little dry, but still very tender... I also wished the bread pudding had some crispy parts. It would add a variation in texture. Overall the flavors were great but lacking in texture. I probably wouldn't order it again.

Corned Beef & Cabbage (confit of corned beef, steamed cabbage, potatoes in demi-glace) $14~ 

My husband chose this as his 2nd option. OMG. It was amazing. First of all, huge portion. And you can see the marbling in the corned beef. It was basically like thick slabs of brisket. The dish had so much flavor. I'm not sure what was on those potatoes, but they were yummy. The corned beef is made in-house and it was fork tender. Then I realized I've never actually had corned beef on its own. It's always in a sandwich or hash of some sort... But they just let the meat shine, and it was glorious! I would eat this any day. We ended up taking half of it to go because we were both full. (I made fried rice with it the next day... it was magical.)

We were stuffed! But of course... when you're checking out a new menu, you have to get dessert too. Fudge Brownie (a la mode). 

They were out of our first choice... an Oreo Brownie Bar or something. The dessert was actually the least remarkable of the whole meal. I expected the brownie to be thicker when I hear "fudge" brownie. But I did like the cookie-like crust on the bottom. That added a nice texture. It was ok. I think also we were just way too full. But I would rather get another Frozen Stoli Crush as my dessert next time. hehe.

Now... I know what you may be thinking... $19 is a bit steep for lunch. And it is... but we both ordered from the "entrees" section. They also have a "sandwich" section that has sandwiches, burgers, and wraps... all $10, which is very affordable for the quality.

My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves. It was like a little date night. And we both liked our drinks! That's a miracle in itself. haha. Get the Corned Beef. Seriously. Do it. Barbara was great. She answered all my questions, checked on us often without being too aggressive. I think the manager came around a few times too. He was in a blazer so I'm guessing he's the manager. Also super nice and made sure we're having a good time. Throughout our dinner, people started coming in. Most of them went to the side with the sofas though. Only 2 other tables were actually eating there. They have good food, people! Go eat there, but still get a drink. hehe. :)

**This was a comped meal, but all opinions are my own.**

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Service:

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Value: (comped)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~