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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!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I've never been a fan of Tex-Mex... I always find it a bit repetitive. But... I LOVE Mexican food. There's a big difference!
Two of my friends were in town for the weekend from NYC so of course Mexican food is on their list. I found this place and they had mole!! OMG! I love mole and ever since I had it again in Cancun, I was dreaming about it. So I suggested this place.
Lalo's Fine Mexican Cuisine
18484 Preston Rd. Ste 118
Dallas, TX 75252
(469) 298-3017
www.lalosmexicancuisine.com/
Price: $$
I didn't even know about this place! It had really high Yelp reviews too. Looks promising! We arrived on a Saturday around 6:30PM. The place wasn't completely full but business was pretty good. I thought the decor was nice. Casual yet somewhat elegant.
We got some complimentary chips with salsa and black bean dip. The salsa had a kick to it! :) And the black bean dip was almost as good as the ones at Gloria's... almost... hehe.
Mango Strawberry Frozen Margarita. My friend got one of these. It was really pretty. And she said it was good. I couldn't try it though since I'm allergic to mango. I'll take her word for it though.
Chile Con Queso. Her husband had thought this was "chili" so he was a little surprised. teehee. But this was really good. He totally enjoyed it. It was great with the chips and the salsa.
Pollo Oaxaca (chicken breast simmered in Oaxaqueno Mole served with beans refritos and arroze blanco) $14.99?~
I already knew I was going to get this. Normally I see mole on enchiladas, which I always end up subbing the corn tortilla with flour. But this is perfect because there's no tortilla at all (less heavy)! It was delicious. The mole wasn't as good as the one from Mexico, but it was still really tasty. Lots of complex flavors with that tiny hint of sweet from the addition of chocolate. Just a disclaimer: I am by no means an expert on mole. I just know what tastes good to me. hehe. The chicken was super tender. I didn't even use a knife. I loved the pairing with the sauce and the rice. I asked to sub the beans for veggies. It was the perfect side to the chicken and rice. I also liked the slaw on the side. The whole thing was great. I would totally go back and get this again. And it was a big portion too. I took almost half of it home. And it was still good the next day when I had it for lunch. :)
Carne Asada (grilled steak or grilled chicken breast served with Mexican rice, Sopa de Frijol, guacamole and pico de gallo). My friends shared this since they weren't too hungry. Also a good sized portion. The guac was very good. And the Mexican rice had good flavor. They both liked it.
Tres Leches Cake. I love tres leches so I ordered it before I even finished my dinner. Even though I wasn't that hungry either. haha. It was good, not the best I've had but I would get it again. I wish they had served it on its side with more milk to soak up but it was still surprisingly moist and fluffy.
Sorry I didn't include the prices. I forgot to take a picture of the menu... But both dishes were arond $14-15 which was decent for the portion size. And my friends paid for me... again... Sigh. Everytime they come visit, they always end up grabbing the check. I feel bad. I'll get them one day! haha. And I have such awesome friends. :D
It was a great dinner. Our waiter was also really nice and attentive. The ambiance was nice. I will be back for sure!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
To celebrate my graduation... I booked a trip for me and my fiance at the end of my final quarter. I actually booked the trip before I even registered for my last class. Hahaha. Hey, the way I looked at it... if I finish, yay we celebrate. If for some reason I failed, at least we're in Mexico. It's a win-win! :P
I found a pretty awesome deal at the Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium in Riviera Maya/Akumal. It's about an hour and half car ride south from the Cancun airport. The main reason I chose this place? It's adults only! :) Well, our section of the resort is adults only. It's essentially 5 resorts in 1... pretty huge. You have to take carts/shuttles to go to some of the other resorts.
We arrived in late afternoon, the sun was already starting to set. The lobby of our section of the resort was really nice. And the people at the front desk were sooooo friendly and accommodating. It was off to a great start!
Since this is an all-inclusive resort (which btw... is THE best way to vacation. Food and drinks all included!!) it means LOTS of food pictures! I'm not going to write much more. This is purely a food porn entry... :) Just a quick tip though, never go to the "Asian" restaurant at these resorts. They are almost always pretty crappy. And it was our only really bad meal on this trip.
First night dinner: El Jardin, restaurant just next to our lobby.
It's a buffet AND a la carte restaurant. Ooooof... wayy too much food.
It includes lobster. Yes. LOBSTER!
One of the most tender preparations of octopus I have ever had in my life! Amazing!
First breakfast: Room service! Which is 24/7 and again... ALL INCLUDED! :)
Orange Juice, Banana Shake
Assorted Pastries
Florentine Style Eggs (bechamel, spinach, eggs)
Mexican Style Eggs (scrambled eggs with jalapeno, tomato, cheese, onions; with sausage and chorizo)
Salmon Bagel
2nd Night Dinner: Sumptuori - Japanese/Hibachi/Fusion
Cocktail: Cassis & Orange Juice. Pretty!
Appetizer: Eggrolls and Tempura Shrimp
Assorted Sushi. Pretty blech.
Soups
Soba Juma Fillet (beef fillet with Japanese peas, soya and rice)
Shake Shiitake (gilled marinated salmon with fried sweet potato, carrots, and shiitake vinaigrette)
Fried Banana
Rice Pudding
We left without really touching the dessert... Other than the well cooked steak for the entree, everything else was pretty bad. We hit up the buffet for more dessert. haha.
3rd Night Dinner: Back to El Jardin (since it doesn't require reservations)
House Margarita Welcome drink.
Tricolor Salad (lettuce, beets, avocado, tomato, egg, onion, french dressing)
Duck Salad (lettuce, endive, mango, kiwi, raspberry vinaigrette and raspberry)
Tlalpeno Soup (chicken, carrot, chayote, potato, celery, leek, onion, garlic, and chipotle chili peppers)
Ribeye Steak. Soooo freaking delicious. They knew how to cook beef! And again.... ALL INCLUSIVE baby!
New York Strip. Also fantastic.
Tres Leches
Napoleon
Chocolate Cake
4th Night Dinner: La Adelita. The Mexican restaurant. Best meal of the trip. Fantastic!
Complimentary Starter: Nachos
"Mexican Coffee" (coffee, kahlua, tequila, spices). We need to figure out how to make this because it was so good. Couldn't taste any of the alcohol, didn't need additional cream or sugar. Awesome.
Soup of the Day: Creamed Corn
Beef Broth "La Adelita" (beef, chicken, pork, epazote, pumpkin, corn)
Beef Alambres Sinaloa Style (with beans, mushrooms, poblano, cheese, onion)
Chef's Special of the Day: Chicken Enchiladas in Mole. This was amazing! I love mole, and this was sooooo good!!!!
Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Tres Leches Cake
5th Night Dinner: El Jardin. We initially went to a beach bbq. They had an outdoor buffet all set up with stations that grilled different types of meat. But the food wasn't that great and I was getting attacked by mosquitoes. Plus there was a really annoying drunk guy in the table next to us. It just didn't feel like how we wanted our last night to be. So we went where we KNEW we'd get a good meal. :)
"Stephanie" Salad (lettuce, cucumber, prawns, coriander sauce and beet vinaigrette)
"Sunrise" Salad (spinach, lettuce, surimi, carrots, tomato, lemon vinaigrette)
Chinese Noodle Soup (chicken consomme, pork, noodles, cauliflower, carrots)
Ribeye Steak.
Rigatoni with Alfredo Sauce (spanish ham, onion, garlic, and cream)
Chocolate Mousse and Mango Ice Cream
Apple Tart and Vanilla Ice Cream
Last Day Breakfast: Room Service. Since it was our last day here, we went all out! :P
Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice
Assorted Pastries
Toast with Butter
Florentine Style Eggs
Motulenos Style Eggs (corn tortilla, beans, cheese, tomato, chili, pork sausage)
Side of Bacon
Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Chocolate Sauce
Last drinks while waiting for our shuttle to the airport: Bananamama and Kahlua & Milk
As if that wasn't enough for us. I got some $8 ice cream cone from Haagen Dazs. haha.
It was a great vacation. Very relaxing. Other than eating and drinking... we pretty much did nothing. haha. I did get a lot of reading done! :P I'd recommend this resort, but only the adult only section "Royal Suites Yucatan". You'll be glad you did that. I wanna go back................
Cheers!
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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