Foodie Brunch Crawl

I recently went on my first brunch crawl with the other two Community Leaders of MyFab5 (IG: @bestfooddallas), and another food Instagrammer/blogger from NYC (@moodyfoodyadventures). For those of you that don't know. I'm part of a team of 3 Community Leaders for MyFab5, with the Instagram @bestfooddallas. We bring you food recommendations and delicious food photos 7 days a week. Be sure to follow us!! You should also follow our individual Instagram accounts: @chompdallas @thediningdino @phileats_ and see food all day everyday!! :D

@moodyfoodyadventures was coming to Dallas and reached out to us to meet up for brunch. It's always great to meet other foodies! And since we all love brunch so much, one place is just not enough! :P

We met up on a rainy Saturday. The weather was dreadful but that's not enough to stop our eating!

Our first stop was at Meddlesome Moth. I had only been there for dinner before but their brunch menu looked awesome. Unfortunately, we found out that they don't have brunch on Saturdays, so we were given the lunch menu. Oh well..

Meddlesome Moth
1621 Oak Lawn Ave.
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 628-7900
www.mothinthe.net
Price: $$$+

It wasn't busy at all that day. So we were able to get a seat by the window... for better photo lighting and all. Kinda sucks that it was so overcast outside.

Catalan (Prince Edward Island mussels, Spanish chorizo, charred tomato, fresh garlic) $15~ 

The Moth always has some great mussels. They have several flavor selections. This was yummy, as always. That broth is everything.

The One-Eyed Jack (Webster City bacon, pit-smoked ham, Tillamook cheddar, cheddar jalapeno bread, nested egg; served with fries) $11~ 

 

First time I've had this... always love a runny egg on anything! This made for some delectable pictures. #yolkporn The sandwich itself was pretty good... a tad salty. But I was starving so it was delicious. haha. The fries were good too. I had to remind myself that this was only round 1 so I forced myself to stop eating the fries.

Shrimp & Homestead Grits (jalapeno gravy) $24~ 

We all knew they had great shrimp and grits. One of my favorites in Dallas I think... it's totally the jalapeno gravy. The shrimp was nice and plump. The gravy was a vibrant green. It's truly a beautiful dish. And tasty of course.

It was a great start to the brunch crawl. Didn't overeat and got to make new friends! On to the next!

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Round 2 was at Kessler Park. I had never heard of the place at all. It's really close to Bishop Arts District. Driving up, it looks like a simple diner type place. Walking in... it's totally a diner. Wasn't much to look at as far as decor, so I really didn't know what to expect. There weren't that many customers in there either.

Kessler Park Eating House
1619 N Beckley Ave.
Dallas, TX 75203
(214) 782-9273
www.kesslerparkeatinghouse.com
Price: $$

We started looking at the menu, and they actually have a bunch of stuff that sounded amazing. We wanted to try so many things but had to edit down because we had a third location. hehe.(...but we failed. ordered to much. hahaha)

Chicken and Waffle (Chef Jon's tabasco brined chicken tender, fresh baked Belgian waffle, and peppered gravy) $11.50~ 

 

This was on their specials menu. Who doesn't like chicken and waffles, that was a must. It was a great looking dish. The waffles were soft and fluffy. I wished they were a little crispier on the outside, which is how I like my waffles, but it was still good. The chicken was fried nicely. I liked the fresh slices of jalapenos on top too, added a nice pop of color. It was a yummy dish, we all loved it.

Hunka-Hunka Burning Waffle (fresh baked Belgian waffle with peanut butter fluff, fried bananas, and bacon) $13~ 

It's Elvis' favorite! This was also on their specials menu. It's got waffles, peanut butter AND bacon! So we HAVE to get it! This was my favorite of the day. It's got all my favorite things. Again, nice and fluffy waffles (wish it was crispier). But that peanut butter fluff... not sure how they made it. It's more like a crumble... but it's like crack. I wanted a bucket of this. So. Freaking. Good. The saltiness of the bacon complimented the sweet elements well. Lurrrrrved it!! I'd soooo get this again.

Coconut Cream Waffle (toasted coconut waffle, coconut cream, whipped cream, toasted coconut) $11.50~ 

 

We were only gonna get the 2 other waffle dishes, but at the end of ordering, we threw this one into the mix. THREE waffle dishes. hahaa. But it was a win cuz all their waffles were fantastic. This was really good too. I'm not a fan of shredded coconut, but even I liked it. It was like a coconut cream pie, but in waffle form! The cream was fluffy yet still rich. It was some of the other people's favorite dish.

Chilaquiles (crispy corn tortillas with roasted chicken, smothered in tomatillo sauce with 2 eggs) $13~ 

This seemed like the odd man out. haha. 3 waffles and a chilaquiles. hahaha. It was HUGE! We definitely over-ordered. But everything was good. This dish barely got touched though since the waffles were sooo awesome. These were good, loaded with toppings, but was completely outshined. I ended up taking 3/4ths of this home.

This was an amazing find! Thanks to @moodyfoodyadventures. Otherwise I would've never known about this hidden gem!

Chocolate Cherry Muffins (with almonds and chocolate chips) Free~ 

So they were having issues with the register and credit card machine. We weren't in a rush so we were just hanging out. They came over and gave us a couple muffins on the house. They were big and packed full of stuff! Oh man, we were already full but I had to try some. We decided to cut one and save the other. This is one fluffy and moist muffin. I loved the combo of the chocolate chips and large chunks of cherries. They made this in-house. I'd say one of the best chocolate muffins I've ever had. And I got to take the other one home! A few seconds in the microwave the next day... ohhhh baby. :P

Loved this place. The service was warm and friendly. Large portions and yummy food. Definitely get something with waffles in it, you won't be disappointed!

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Round 3. Boulevardier. Always a great spot for brunch. I have yet to go for dinner, but it's on the list!

Boulevardier
408 N. Bishop Ave., #108,
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 942-1828
http://dallasboulevardier.com
Price (for brunch): $$-$$$

We were almost all at full capacity so we ordered light.

Legs and Eggs (crisp duck leg confit, sunny-side up farm eggs, homestead stone-ground grit cakes, huckleberry preserves) $16~ 

 

I've had this dish before, it's one of their most popular brunch dishes I think. This time it seemed like the duck was a little drier, but still tasty. The grit cakes totally stole the show. Soooo good, everyone agreed. Just gimme a plate of those next time, thx. hehe.

The others wanted Raw Oysters. I'm not a fan of oysters in general, plus I was super full. So I passed. They said it was good so I'll take their word for it. :P

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Oh man... we were done! ...or were we? Since we're in Bishop Arts, we had to go to Emporium Pies. We HAD to!! So we stood in line... as usual, and slowly made our way to the front. I got 2 pies to go. I thought the others were gonna do the same, but they all got pies to eat there! Beasts! I was done... haha. Luckily a table opened up and we were able to sit down.

It was a great day. Meeting new people, eating great food, and taking lots of food pictures! hahaha. Sounds perfect.

Don't forget to check us out on Instagram!
@chompdallas
@thediningdino
@phileats_
@moodyfoodyadventures
@bestfooddallas


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NYC 2013: Levain Bakery

Sunday was my last day in NYC. My flight was at 2pm so I didn't have time to do much before I had to head to the airport. But there was one more stop I needed to make. I was debating on sleeping in or waking up early and making the trip out... But my friend I was staying with told me I HAD to go!!!

So I woke up early Sunday, got all ready and packed and took my luggage with me to my final stop. Levain Bakery in the Upper West Side. I was staying in Queens, which was pretty close to the airport, so the bakery would be going into the city in the opposite direction.

Levain Bakery - Upper West Side
167 West 74th St
New York, NY, 10023
(212) 874-6080
http://www.levainbakery.com/
Price: $

The commute actually wasn't so bad. Plus I got to meet up with a friend of mine one more time before I left. I got to the bakery and realized it was tiny. I guess living in Dallas makes me think of a bakery like a cafe where you can sit and chill and stuff. This place was smallll. It had a few stools inside but for the most part I saw people sitting on the steps and curbs outside.

We got lucky when we arrived because the rush of people had dispersed. So we actually got to sit inside! The place smelled amazing and it made me drool just seeing their baked goods on display.

 

 

 

My friend had never been there. She got a Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (semi sweet chocolate chips and chunks of walnuts) $4~ (and a cup of milk!) 

 

 

This was their signature cookie. They don't make one without walnuts... I wonder why? But each of their cookies are like 6 ounces. Freaking massive!! And SO INCREDIBLE! One of the best cookies I've ever had in my life. The cookie must've been almost 2 inches thick. The inside was warm and soft with melty chocolate chips. But the outside was the perfect crust. That slight crunch without being too hard or burnt. I really wonder how they get that thickness without either burning the outside or underbaking the inside...

I was getting a bunch of stuff to take back to Dallas with me.

Plus I got the Oatmeal Raisin Scone $3~ to eat there. 

 

My friend that I stayed with said I must try their scones. It was yummy. I love scones. This wasn't like your typical dense scones. It had the nice crunchy outside but fluffy on the inside... almost like a biscuit? It wasn't too sweet and paired great with my hot tea. I totally loved it.

I also got one of each cookie:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (semi sweet chocolate chips and chunks of walnuts) $4~
Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie (dark chocolate cocoa and semi sweet chips) $4~ Super chocolatey. Sooo rich and decadent. I ate 1/5th of it on the plane and it was plenty! Can you imagine eating a whole cookie in one sitting? Heaven! And then sugar coma! haha

 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie $4~ Love love loved this as well. So many plump raisins inside!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies $4~ Amazing! So much pb chips throughout.

Like I said, each cookie is like 6 oz. and massive!! But all of them had the perfect crisp exterior and soft centers. I'd really like to know how they achieve that. And the cookies last for quite a while. Even days after, I'd warm up a piece in the microwave and it would taste like it just came freshly out of the oven. Loves it! I've decided that these are the BEST cookies I've ever had in my life. No joke!! And totally worth every penny.

Cinnamon Brioche $3.50~ The brioche was soft and delicious. I wished they put more cinnamon spread inside tho. The ratio of cinnamon to bread was a little bit lacking.

Blueberry Muffin (with fresh blueberries) $3~ This was chock full of plump blueberries. Yummmmmmm!

I'm so glad my friend INSISTED for me to go to Levain Bakery. It was definitely worth waking up early and commuting across town for!! haha. But I'm also glad that it's not anywhere close to me on a daily basis because I'd just be like 400 lbs! XP

Great way to end my awesome trip to NYC. The best weather I've every experienced there, all the awesome people I got to hang out with, plus all the fantastic food!!!

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The Life House

This is quickly becoming one of our favorite places in Rockwall. Last weekend I went there twice. :)

The Life House
506 N Goliad St.
Rockwall, TX 75087
(469) 264-7962
http://www.thelifehousetx.com/
Price: $

I stopped by on Friday afternoon just to pick up some pastries. They had new items that I didn't see last time I was there so I wanted to try everything...

The Matrix (danish dough topped with mocha and caramel drizzle, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar) $4~ 

The way they described this to me was their version of a donut. They don't fry the dough though. The dough texture was fine but there wasn't enough drizzle to dough ratio. It looked better than it was... If they had filled the pastry with some sort of cream or custard, it would've been a game changer! :P

Strawberry Hibiscus Scone $2.50~ 

Last time I was there, they were out of scones, so I got to get some this time. I love scones. I like the denseness of it (which is also the reason why some people don't like it... including my bf). But it's so good with tea! I really liked this one. It wasn't overly sweet and it wasn't as dense as most scones I've had before. It's actually a little fluffy! The hibiscus gave it a hint of floral flavor which I quite liked. It wasn't enough to make it taste like soap, just enough to make the flavors more interesting. I'd totally get this again.

Caramel Cinnamon Scone $2.50~ I got this for my bf's friends that were visiting from Austin...so I didn't get to try it. I hope they liked it! :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie $2~ There were only 2 of these left, and they were my favorite out of the batch of stuff I got the last time. So I took both of them. Still so awesome!

Fig and Honey Empanada $2~ I didn't like this so much. I tasted goat cheese (so I'm assuming they put goat cheese in all their empanadas??) The goat cheese flavor was much stronger in this one than the Ambrosia one I got last time. Yea... wasn't for me.

So that Sunday, we went back to get some late lunch. I've been wanting to try their sandwiches for a while.

I got the Garden Melt (spinach, onions, mushrooms, garlic chevre, in a pretzel roll) $5~ 

The pretzel roll is what sold me. They bake all their bread in house too so it's a homemade roll. It was yummy! Slightly salty from a bit too much cheese, but there were lots of veggies and I didn't really miss the lack of meat. The pretzel roll was great too. I'd get this again, but I would request less cheese.

I also got a Roasted Almond Tea Latte. I smelled their roasted almond tea blend and it smelled really good. It was nutty and fragrant. The latte was very lightly sweetened. Even though it had milk, it wasn't heavy at all. My bf liked it even more than I did! (He ended up drinking half of it... ) :P hehehe.

He got the Zebra Latte. We didn't see the zebra stripes, but I guess they shook it up before we got it. It was pretty strong coffee!

For lunch he got the Hole in One (egg, cheese, and choice of addition) $5~ He chose chicken sausage as his free add-on and then also added mushrooms +$0.50~ And got it on wheat bread. 

I really wanted to try this. It would've been my choice if I didn't get the Garden Melt. It looked so cool. The egg was so perfectly nestled in the toast and cooked well. The yolk ran out as you cut into it. The extra piece they punched out was slathered with honey. It was delicious! I kinda just want a whole piece of toast like that! It was a really good sandwich. I think next time I'll get that.

One of his friends got the Chocolate Almond Croissant $3~

And also the Claudio (chicken, grapes, walnuts) $5~ This looked pretty fresh.

The other friend got The Captain (almond bread, cheese, choice of addition) $6~ He added chicken sausage and spinach, and mushroom +$0.50 each. He also added an egg to make it a hole in one. 

This wasn't what I expected at all. I thought it was going to look more like the hole in one, but it's actually more of an open faced sandwich. The almond bread was interesting. A little grainy, kind of like a drier version of polenta. Smothered with cheese, you can barely see the egg in the middle. :P It was pretty tasty. A little too salty as well since there was so much cheese.

We also got some pastries to go. They had a basket of discounted items that were $2~ each. Those were items baked the day before.
Chocolate Chip Muffins (usually $3~) We later heated this up. It was good, wasn't too sweet. I liked the dark chocolate chips in there. Was good with tea!

Vegan Brownies (usually $4~) The texture was more like a muffin or cake. It wasn't as dense or fudgey like normal brownies but I didn't mind it. It was a nice light version.

It was a yummy weekend. Everything's fresh and homemade. And I like how in a matter of 2 days, I got to try a bunch of different things. I wonder what goodies they'll have the next time I stop by? Oh yea... My bf went back just 2 days later on his own. :P hahaha.

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