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One of the most fun event I went to this year would only be fitting for my last post for 2019! My November pick is the newly opened Ebb & Flow in Deep Ellum. First of all, I loved the decor of this place. The gorgeous front covered patio has flowers all draping down the ceiling. Definite wow factor. The interior is just as pretty!
Ebb & Flow
2561 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75226
(972) 913-2322
ebb-flow-restaurant.business.site
This was a media event. The whole restaurant was closed for this private event. So fancy! I arrived a little late because traffic and parking were horrible, but I got there right when they were serving the appetizers.
My friends had already started with various cocktails. This was one aspect that impressed me a lot. Y'all know I don't drink much at all. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic, so I'm very picky when it comes to alcohol. It's only worth it if it tastes good to me. I freaking loved their drinks. I had 3 different ones (didn't finish them all cuz I'm lightweight, but still!!) Their cocktails are unique, beautiful, and the flavors are very well thought out.
Cocktails:
Velvet Butterfly (Deep Ellum vodka, Velvet Falernum, Butterfly Pea Flower, lemon, bubbles). The purple color is so gorgeous... these pictures definitely don't do it justice. Depending on the lighting they came out bluish but the 2nd picture is closer to the actual color.
Influx (Ford's gin, ginger liqueur, blood orange, lemon, Paychaud's, Aquafaba). It's SO pretty!
Undertow (vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Nobel Coyote cold brew coffee, lavender, Baileys, Almande foam). I think this is the best coffee cocktail I've ever had. Usually it's either too bitter from coffee or too much alcohol. This was perfectly blended, rich and frothy. I can probably drink the whole thing.
ElderFlow (frosecco, pear vodka, elderflower liqueur, lemon; served frozen). One of my favorites of the night. First of all, it's frozen which makes it fun. And so bright and refreshing!
Cocoloma (coconut tequila, cream of coconut, sparkling grapefruit, tajin). This wasn't my thing cuz I don't like tequila or tajin. My friend was obsessed with it though. I have to agree it's a very creative concoction. Lots of complex combinations of flavors.
Appetizers:
I think the appetizers were the best course of the night. All the dishes we had were solid and I'd happily eat any of them again.
Toasted Ravioli (beef ravioli with spicy marinara and parmesan). Each order comes with 4 pieces. The raviolis are fried and seasoned well. The sauce was a great pairing.
Stuffed Jalapenos (jalapenos stuffed with brisket, pimento cheese, wrapped in bacon). Also four to an order. What can go wrong with bacon, jalapeno, and pimento?? Yum!
Cubano Egg Rolls (pork, ham, swiss cheese wrapped in rice paper and fried; spicy mustard, chipotle bbq sauce, pickles). My absolute favorite food of the night. It was perfection. I've had "cuban egg rolls" before and it wasn't good. The flavors were muddled and the wrapper was greasy. This was definitely WAY better than that. Perfect crispy outside, layers of flavors inside. I can taste all the elements of a Cuban sandwich in every bite. Highly recommend!!
Salads:
Sal's Salad (romaine, hard boiled eggs, crispy salami, blue cheese, cucumber, tomato, pickled red onion, avocado, chicken, house ranch). The crispy salami made this dish. A hearty salad. Lots of great ingredients and flavors.
Southwest Salad (beyond meat tossed with jicama, pico, black beans, roasted corn, avocado, salsa). Ebb & Flow serves Beyond Meat, y'all! If you haven't tried beyond meat yet, it's pretty good. Before this, I've had it in burgers and tacos and even noodle bowls. This was a nice topping to the salad. It definitely added more substance to the salad.
Handhelds:
The Burger (two 3oz akaushi beef patties with smoked cheddar, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, brioche bun). I have to be honest and say that the highlights for me were the cocktails, appetizers, and salads. Everything after was just ok... for various reasons. For example, the burger patty was lacking in seasoning. So the burger is fine but not the best. Maybe because we got smaller sample sizes of all the entrees... Hmmm.
Mahi Mahi Wrap (blackened mahi mahi with mango pico, avocado and slaw, garlic tarragon spread). I was told this was really good but since I'm allergic to mango, I did not taste it.
Sides:
Garlic Parmesan Fries. Loved the fries but I think they were over fried, which was great for me cuz I love crispy fries. Haha.
Tater Kegs. Basically giant tater tots. Very tasty.
Mac & Cheese. Was more like pasta with some cheese on top. Was quite dry but pasta was cooked well.
Plates:
Stuffed Chicken Breast (whole chicken breast stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, parmesan, alfredo sauce; broccolini). My favorite element on this dish... the broccolini! So much flavor. The chicken was again, fine, but not spectacular.
Salmon Piccata (8oz pan crusted salmon, angel hair pasta tossed in light lemon vinaigrette with caper cream sauce). This was pretty good. The salmon was cooked well and the cream sauce was tasty. I, personally, am not a huge fan of angel hair pasta.
Dessert:
Trio of Gelato (vanilla, mint chocolate chip, salted caramel). The mint chocolate chip was my favorite. They were nice colors on the side of the carrot cake.
Carrot Cake (homemade). Apparently this is an old family recipe. If you like carrot cake, you'd most likely love this one. I've heard several people say it's amazing. I don't like carrot cake though, so it was fine. :P
Despite the height of the food peaking half way through the meal, I had a blast at this event. The vibe was great, the cocktails were flowing, and to be honest, I was already full after the salads anyways. Lol. And I loved seeing all my blogger peeps! I would definitely go back and I would give them another chance on their entrees. Thanks so much for having me, Ebb & Flow!
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
So... I was actually a little worried on my pick for March. I have had some good food but nothing came to mind on what to feature. But then my friend told me about this coffee shop called La La Land Kind Cafe that was having their soft opening around the end of March. I was like "huh?" I've never heard of this place, but the day after, I saw an article out on it. Turns out this is the new business venture by Francois Reihani, one of the minds behind Pok the Raw Bar, my FAVORITE poke place. He also went on to open Bar Stellar. This guy just has the talent for business ideas. I DEF gotta check this place out!
Soft opening was on March 23rd. As I drove up this neighborhood road behind Lower Greenville, I see this bright white house. Incredibly cute and cheerful. With a white picket fence and everything! When you walk in, OMG, the cutest. The white and bright yellow accents, it just cheers you up. I remember it was kind of an overcast, meh day, but the colors at La La Land will make you smile. :) Oh.. and they have a doggy friendly area on the side of the house. D'awwww!
La La Land Kind Cafe
5626 Bell Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 579-9550
https://lalalandkindcafe.com/
Price: $-$$
As soon as you enter, several people greet you. You order at the counter, they give you a number, and they bring the food and drinks out to you. Guess what, they have an entire menu section for MATCHA! Pok gets the best matcha, so they must have high grade matcha powder here as well. They have some very interesting combinations of flavors too. The other half of the menu are different coffee offerings. They also have a really interesting loose leaf tea section (which I discovered 3 visits later. haha.) Plus they have most of the available Alternative Milks (almond, oat, coconut, soy) +$0.75~
On our first visit, it was so hard to pick what to order. We went with what was prettiest. :P
Campfire Latte (toasted marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker, hot) $5.20~ The melted marshmallow over the edge of the cup is such a cute idea. My friend ordered this and I got to try it. It's really good!
French Toast Latte (cinnamon, maple syrup, hot or iced) $5.20~ This is the cutest!! They've really got the presentation down. Flavor wise, you can definitely taste the cinnamon but I'm not sure if I think french toast when I drink it... still tasty tho!
La La Avocado Toast (mashed avocado, lemon, red pepper flakes, cilantro garnish) $6.20~ I think the price has increased on this btw... but I forgot to snap a pic of the menu last time I was there. The bread they use for the toasts is really great with the avocado. I love the crispy edges, and it's a hearty toast. It's one of the only savory options on the menu right now. I'm hoping they'll add more food options soon!
Banana Brulee Toast (hazelnut spread, caramelized bananas) $5.50~ OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. I mean, just look at the picture. It tastes just as decadent as it looks. So simple... nutella and bruleed bananas, but just perfect.
Chocolate Chip Cookie $4~ And then I fell in love even more. This cookie, y'all. It's the best (and worst*) thing to happen to me in the past month. It is my dream cookie. HUGE, for one. Perfectly crispy on the outside with so many nooks and crannies. I have no idea how they make it that perfect on the outside. Inside is still soft, but NOT under baked. It's my idea of a perfectly textured cookie. And of course chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite. When it comes to you warm... ERMUHGUH! I can't contain my drool right now. *The reason I say it's the worst thing to happen to me is because, within 1 week of their opening... ONE... I had about 5 cookies. XD Bye bye, beach bod! Haha.
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| Thanks for the hat!! :D |
At the end of our first visit, we each got a matcha drink to go.
Matcha Latte (iced) $3.50~ I felt like there wasn't enough matcha. But I have been informed that since the soft opening, they have increased the amount of matcha in the lattes. Gotta give it another try!
Strawberry Fields Matcha (matcha latte, strawberry, beetroot, hot or iced) $5.20~ Pretty! And really delicious. I'm kind of a matcha purist so I don't like to mix things with it, but this was a really good combo.
Here are some other menu items I've tried throughout my many visits. I think in the first 2 weeks I was there almost every other or every 2 days. :P
Flat Green $3.50~ This is matcha with milk, but the ratio is less than a latte so you get a stronger matcha flavor. Loved it.
Mighty Mocha (cold brew, espresso, cacao, iced) $5.20~ I wanted to try this since I love mochas. But WHEW! Too much coffee for me. This is definitely not for weak hearted! There's a lotta coffee and caffeine in there, folks. For those of you that get 3+ shots of espresso in your drinks, this may be for you! They were nice and gave me a regular mocha instead.
Breakfast Empanada (baked egg, bacon, potato) $4~ I liked this. It went well with the salsa they gave me on the side. I just wanted more! It's definitely not enough to fill you up if you want it as a meal. Better order like 4+. haha.
Ice Blended Drink (espresso base, thin mint flavor) $5~ It was a warm day, so I wanted something cold. This was yummy! Wished it was a bit creamier though. Definitely tasted the chocolate mint flavors.
So... do you love it as much as I do yet? If not, this will get ya. La La Land Kind Cafe serves a much bigger purpose than just serving us great drinks and foods. It supports Reihani's nonprofit, We Are One Project, which "provides the right tools for businesses to come together and employ foster youth". "La La Land is a training ground for aging out foster youth. At La La Land they will learn the basic the fundamentals of job skills. Timeliness, cleanliness, customer relations, productivity, and teamwork." (from We Are One Project website). SO. FREAKING. GREAT. This is definitely a mission and business I can stand behind. And as long as they keep making those cookies... just TAKE ALL MY MONIES! :P
This place has been packed every single day since it's opened, so I'm sure a lot of you already know about it. But what great concept, purpose, and quality. The menu is 100% organic, btw. No big. Haha. Plus they're open early, and they close late. Perf.
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Haywire opened at Legacy West in Plano just 2 weeks ago. Being part of the restaurant group that brought us Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, Ida Claire, and more... this place was definitely on my radar. My husband and I happened to be in Plano on the 2nd night of opening so I quickly snagged a reservation.
*Now open for Lunch and Dinner. Brunch will start Christmas weekend!*
Haywire - Legacy West
5901 Winthrop St. Suite 110
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 781-9473
http://haywirerestaurant.com/
Price (dinner): $$$+
Y'all... this place is amazing!! My husband was caught in traffic so I explored the place while waiting for him. THREE floors completely decked out in awesome decor. Definitely a very western/Texas theme, but each floor had its own vibe. Also, a bar on every floor! The rooftop is extra awesome, complete with a cabin-esque nook area to enjoy a game, and a full size Airstream! It's a fancy Airstream too, I would like to dine in there some time.
This place is huge! It's definitely going to be a popular spot when the weather is nice. So I was walking around just looking and taking pictures when I was greeted by the GM and the Director of Operations from Front Burner Restaurants. They just walked up and said hi! How nice! They informed me that they were having a complimentary wine tasting event and asked if I wanted some wine. I don't drink, but they guided me over there for some appetizers and cheese boards. Yay, free food! I sampled the Cornmeal Fried Texas Gulf Oyster and Fried Green Tomato (with Green Goddess dressing).
So good. I'm not a huge oyster fan but it was so good! And loved the fried green tomatoes. You must have the dressing! Btw... since I don't drink wine, the GM brought me a glass of water, himself! I felt so special!! :)
I was getting a little worried and feeling bad that we were so late for our reservation, however, they were so laid back and easy going. When my husband arrived, we even went and got him some free wine first before being seated. The main dining area is super cool. Dimly lit, and really nice decor. They have a sitting area with really cool chairs and a fireplace.
Our waiter, Oscar, came over to greet us. He was super nice! We noticed that it was Happy Hour and he helped to recommend some drinks. My husband got the Frozen Texas Tea (4 types of liquor; with sangria swirl) $5~ during HH.
This was a bigger glass than I expected. It was really yummy... did NOT feel like you were drinking that many different kinds of alcohol. But that's deadly right? My husband liked it so much he ordered a 2nd one, and that was one too many! He got quite tipsy towards the end of the meal. haha.
Happy Hour is M-F from 4-7PM. They have $5 apps and drinks. I highly recommend the Frozen Texas Tea. But have a DD! And... half priced wines every Sunday!
Mini Elk Tacos (spicy elk picadillo, caciotta cheese, grilled corn pico, cilantro crema, micro greens) $9.95~
We were also intrigued by the elk tacos from the HH menu, but they hadn't started food specials when we went. We got them anyways. So the meat is a elk and wagyu beef blend so it's not gamey at all. I was a little surprised it was a crispy taco... these days most people do soft corn tortillas (which I don't like). I liked the crispy taco shell. It was filled to the brim with meat. The toppings kept falling out. haha. A good problem to have. It was really good. I would've like some hot sauce but I just like spicy foods. hehe.
I asked Oscar about their cornbreads cuz a friend of mine had gone the day before and raved about them. I asked him because it's not on the menu... But yes, you can order them, and it's super cheap.
Buttery Cornbread. I think they're like $1~ each?
Can I get a dozen to go please! :P These were my favorite things of the night. They were perfection! Warm, fluffy, with slightly crispy edges. It was sweet yet had a slight heat to it. I wonder what kind of spice they used but it was very slight... you just get a hint of heat. Enough to make you wonder. Loved it. I can have this with my meal, or as dessert.
For the entrees, there were so many things we wanted. I ended up with the Mesquite Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop (warm farro and rainbow chard salad, smoked chili honey butter) $24.95~
Mainly because of the farro and chard salad... sounded yummy! Plus this was healthier than getting the mac and cheese. (Next time!) Really thick cut pork chop, perfectly tender. I ordered it medium and it was a little under. Since it's bone-in, it takes a little longer to cook through. I would suggest med-well for next time. Loved the flavors too. The farro salad was amazing and had this peppery-ness to it. I liked the bit of heat.
My husband went with the Double Cut Texas Wild Boar Chops (local oyster and shiitake mushrooms, butternut squash, cipollini onions, pan jus) $31.95~
The most tender boar everrr! We did notice that the veggies underneath did not include any of the mushrooms or onions so we brought it to Oscar's attention. He was able to get us a side dish of that. Ours just had brussels sprouts and butternut squash which also paired really well with the boar. I did wish the chops were bigger though. My husband inhaled his plate quickly.
We were pretty full. But I made sure to stop eating and take the rest of my entree to go because I wanted dessert. My husband regretted getting the 2nd drink because now he's way too full. haha. To our surprise, Oscar asked us if we wanted a slice of cake and it was going to be on the house. Well duh!! Bring it on! :P We chose the Chocolate Cake (with vanilla ice cream). Not sure how much the cake is since it was on the house! :)
It was a big slice of chocolate decadence. That ganache is amazing. We ended up taking more than half of the cake to go, but killed the ice cream. Tip: If you let the cake warm up a bit... it's even better!!
It was a fabulous dinner. Brian, the GM, came by and talked to us for a while. Another manager came by to greet us towards the end of the meal too. And Oscar was just a joy. We absolutely loved our experience and cannot wait to go back. We're already planning to visit again next week.. and bringing LOTS of friends. :D
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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