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Happy New Year Everyone!
Initially I wanted to do a "CHOMP! 2017 Top 5 Best Eats" until I started going through all my pictures and realized there's NO way I can narrow it down to just 5! I mean, c'mon! I've had wayyyy too much good food this year! So now I've split up between Sweet vs Savory, and it's going to be CHOMP! “Top 10” Best Eats. Hehe. :P (And letting y'all in on a secret... I chose "10" because that's the max number of photos I can include on a single post on Instagram. hahaha. All for the gram, amiright?)
First up! The Savory! I chose these places, some for really obvious reason likes "I go there, literally, once a week", and others because it was just very memorable. And tbh I often don't remember what I ate 2 days ago because it's almost always something new and different. haha.
I don't really want to rank these because they are all fantastic in my book, so I will list them by how often I visit them.
1. Pōk (West Village).
I mean... are you even surprised?! I basically went 1-2 times a week for a good 6 months straight. I literally have 20+ folders on my computer of photos from every visit. I freaking love this place and I actually crave it. They have the BEST poke bowls imo, plus the best matcha drinks… My favorite being the Matcha x Coco. I always build my own bowl.
Here's my go-to combination:
- Base: Bamboo Rice + Kelp Zucchini Slaw
- Protein: Salmon
- Sauce: Spicy Ponzu
- Toppings: Edamame, Kale (no longer on the menu, so I switched to Napa Cabbage), Pickled Ginger, Crispy Onions
- Premium Toppings (+$1): Avocado and/or Seaweed Salad
I rarely deviate from this. It's just TOO good! And guess what? I just had it for lunch today!
2. Pōk the Raw Bar (West Village).
I only had the chance to sit in front of Chef Jimmy Park twice at the 5 seater raw bar. I'm sad he's not at Pok anymore... it was definitely the best sushi experience I've ever had other than when I was in Japan. The Omakase/"chef tasting" was freaking amazing. I got to try many things I've never had before. I anxiously await what he's working on next.
3 & 4. Commissary (Downtown).
This place only opened back in November but is already one of my favorite spots. I started going there weekly as well and each visit would cost me around $50 because I just wanted to buy everything! XD Also, most of the time I’m there by myself so I get a lot of stares from other people. It's just me... and a whole table of food. haha. This takes spot 3 and 4 because I love their Rigatoni (pork sugo, parmesan) and their Pulled Pork Sandwich (slaw, pickles, chipotle BBQ) is the BEST I've ever had, no joke.
5. Oni Ramen (Deep Ellum).
I've only been to this location, which is his second. This location only opened back in Sept but I've been there at least 5+ times already. Each time I go, I take new people because it's so good I have to tell everyone! BEST ramen in Dallas, hands down. All the different broths are super flavorful without being super salty. And most of the bowls come standard with a ton of toppings, you rarely have to add anything else, so it's more affordable than a lot of other ramen spots. My current favorite? The Rich Tonkotsu, plus a soft boiled egg. Yum! If you want even MORE flavor? Get the Kyushu Tonkotsu (with black garlic oil).
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| That pork belly tho.... |
6. North Italia (Legacy West).
I freaking love the entire Legacy West center. All the eateries there are fantastic. But I have a weakness for pasta and North Italia has got that down! Every single pasta dish I've had there has been on point. One of my favorites being the Short Rib Radiatori (parmesan cream, fresh horseradish, wilted arugula, herbed breadcrumb). The name for the pasta is just like it's shape! Like an old style radiator! haha. But seriously, can't go wrong with ANY of their pastas.
7. Haywire (Legacy West).
I told y'all I loved this area. Haywire is one of the newest additions, only opened at the end of November. The newest member under Front Burner Restaurants who also own winners such as Sixty Vines, Whiskey Cake, The Ranch in Las Colinas, and more! I was immediately impressed walking in. 3 stories high, each floor is decked out in unique Texas decor, and they have a killer patio (and an Airstream) on the 3rd floor. Not to mention the people here are so nice, I felt so welcomed. And the food? Amazing! My favorite dish right now is the TX Whiskey BBQ Baby Back Ribs... it's off the bone tender and comes with the 2 best sides they have... the mac n cheese and the cornbread. OH the cornbread! It's amazing. I will always order one for myself. They're only a buck each! It's absolutely my favorite thing there. In the span of 3 weeks, I went 3 times. Did I mention that it's about an hour drive for me from home to Legacy West? Worth it!
8. City Hall Bistro (The Adolphus Hotel).
Probably one of the most gorgeous spaces I've seen this year. It's hidden inside the newly renovated, and so beautiful, Adolphus hotel. The food is killer and unique. They change up their menu though so my favorite item is no longer on there... Atayef (savory Lebanese pancake, duck confit, pear, black garlic aioli). But that's ok, because everything else on the menu is also amazing. Pasta game is strong!
9. Mudhen Meat & Greens (Dallas Farmers Market).
I was obsessed with this place for a while. Their food is healthy yet tasty and filling. I don't go as often as I'd like because their weekend brunch gets pretty packed so I have to plan ahead and make reservations. My favorite brunch dish here is the New English Breakfast (two eggs, applewood bacon, chicken sausage, sweet potato mash, roasted heirloom tomato, toast, and dressed arugula). So many colors, flavors, and textures on this plate. And it's pretty healthy too. I never feel heavy or overly full after leaving here.
10. Edith's French Bistro (Mockingbird Station)
This is a hidden gem. I never used to go to Mockingbird Station much because there wasn't a whole lot, but I'm loving this new addition. First of all, one of the CUTEST places, decor wise. And secondly, the food is bomb! I've only been there 3 times but I haven't had anything bad. I especially love their sandwiches. I've gotten a different one on each visit. My favorite being The Pastrami (apple fennel sauerkraut, avocado, white american cheese). I always get the Caesar salad as the side. So freaking good!! Also make sure you save room for dessert. They have a crepe station as well as several cases of cakes and pastries on display.
So many other great restaurants and dishes in 2017... I wish I could include them all. It took me several hours today to finally get it down to 10! And here's to so much more deliciousness in 2018!!!
I'll be posting the Sweets tomorrow! Stay tuned! :)
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Sixty Vines... quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Plano. It's just such a beautiful space, and of course the food is fantastic. I was invited to come check them out for lunch and I was ecstatic! Luckily I had a doctor's appointment in Plano in the morning so I took half a day off work and had a long lunch with a friend.
Sixty Vines
3701 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(469) 620-8463
https://sixtyvines.com
Price (for lunch): $$
Did I mention I love the decor and space? We were initially seated by the kitchen which was an open space so you can see them work. While I love that, it was a little dim. So we moved to their covered patio seating. The weather was cool and kind of overcast, perfect for taking photos!
Our waitress was Kirsten. She had only been working there for a few months but was extremely knowlegeable of the menu and their VERY extensive wine menu. The name IS Sixty Vines... meaning they have 60 wines on tap. Yes. ON TAP. And tons more by the bottle. So naturally they feature a lot of drink specials. :)
Bubble Monday - Half Off all bubbly
Rose All Day Tuesday - Half off all sparkling and still Rose
Wino Wednesday - Half off all premium and super premium wines
They also have an ipad for all the wine options which is really helpful if you want more information on certain wines, which dishes on their menu pairs best with which wine, and flights for those who want to try multiple types. You can probably spend a whole day going through and reading their selections.
Kirsten told us they also have a Frose (frozen rose with a splash of Rosa Regale). I don't really drink, but I do love sweet wines like moscato... and Rosa Regale is one of my favs. So I got the frose to try, plus it's really pretty.
My friend ordered the Rosa Regale per Kirsten's recommendations (and mine. hehe). She loved it. Had a 2nd one! :P
We started with the Garden Vegetables (fresh chilled vegetables, pears, lettuces, green goddess dressing) $11~
The veggies change depending on the season. I knew we were going to order a bunch of carbs for the main dishes so this is my attempt to be a little healthier. ha! It IS super healthy. The bowl was so colorful and pretty. You can just FEEL the freshness by looking at it. Other than the celery, I loved all the different veggie selections. My favorites if I had to choose... the tomatoes and asparagus. But they were all good. And that green goddess dressing was absolutely necessary!
For the entrees we got several different things to share. And I wanted to get things that I haven't tried before.
Tonnarelli (coconut and cilantro infused noodle, jumbo gulf shrimp, spinach, basil, cracked black pepper, pecorino romano) Full Order $15~ You can also get half order for $8.
I freaking love pasta... I will always choose pasta over pizza. The coconut and cilantro infused noodle sounds so interesting. However, neither of us could taste those flavors. The shrimp, while super plump, overpowered the entire dish imo. I did like the hints of basil throughout. Their pastas are made fresh daily, so our pasta was literally made like 2 hours before we got there. So fresh!
Weekly Pizza: Autumn Flatbread (acorn squash and sage infused white sauce, provolone, halloumi cheese, butternut squash, herb roasted turkey, cranberry, arugula, freshly grated Pecorino Romano)
When Kirsten started describing this to us... we kept nodding our heads cuz we knew we had to get this. I love anything with butternut squash. This is fall in pizza form. The acorn squash and butternut squash made it sweet and savory. The dough had a nice chewy texture. I loved the arugula on top to add a little peppery-ness. Our only complaint was it was a little dry. A drizzle or dipping of sauce of some kind would be perfect.
Short Rib Sourdough Melt (red wine braised short rib, basil pesto aioli, tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic, sourdough, duck fat lemon potatoes) $15~
Y'all. This dish stole the show! Not only did it look and smell amazing. It tasted even better. I'm not even a sourdough fan. But the bread was nice and crispy. The short rib was tender. The aioli and cheese and balsamic added so much flavor. And my friend extra loved it cuz it was saucy. Definitely an extra napkin sandwich if you are going to pick it up. hehe. Huge portion too. We each ate half and it filled us up! The duck fat potatoes were great too.. but we had too much food to pay that much attention. haha. Highly recommend this!!
Deviled Affogato (devil's food cake, salted caramel ice cream, coffee caramel, nitro cold brew coffee shot) $7~
We got a dessert to share. I haven't had their desserts yet and this sounded so good. I recently started loving affogato. I don't really like coffee so it wasn't something I normally order, but since Starbucks Reserve in Legacy West, I've discovered that I LOVE affogatos. Mixing ice cream sure makes the coffee better! haha. This also is on a chocolate cake. It was wonderful. The coffee, caramel and ice cream gets soaked up into the cake. YUM!
It was a fabulous lunch. I got to catch up with my friend, have delicious food, and enjoy the nice fall weather. The food was great, just as I expected. And Kirsten was a fantastic waitress. We were given plenty of attention, she was extremely knowlegeable, and super nice. Also, at some point during the meal, everyone came to greet us, the manager, the chef, etc. We definitely felt very special. So get over there if you haven't yet. And keep in mind that Monday - Wednesday are great for drink specials! Ohhhh... and they told us that they are getting ready to roll out some new lunch menu items too. So keep an eye out for that!
Thank you so much, Sixty Vines, for having us. We will definitely be back soon! :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
In October, I had a lot less media events to attend so I used my free time to connect with friends I haven't seen/talked to in a while. Plus I got to go to some of the places that I've been wanting to go for the first time, or return to cuz the first time was so good. City Hall Bistro blew me away when I went for a media dinner. I dreamed about it all the time so when I planned a brunch with a friend, I suggested it. She also loves this place so it was quickly decided. We just can't stay away!
City Hall Bistro
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 651-3686
www.cityhallbistro.com
Price: $$-$$$
Checking out their brunch this time. They have a pretty small brunch menu, the rest of the options are available on their dinner menu as well. But everything sounded yummy. My friend is gluten free so we couldn't share a whole lot. I love my carbs. :P So naturally we over-ordered. She got 2 dishes and I got 2... and sampled each others.
We started with her choice, Chia Seed (apple, date, dried fruit, goji berries, cinnamon, labneh) $12~
The chia seeds are soaked in coconut milk (which is good cuz she's dairy free as well). The only dairy was the labneh that they usually dollop on top. So they just put it on the side. What a beautiful dish! Just lightly sweet the texture of the chia seeds were perfect. The fruits on top were strategically placed, I just loved the plating. It was a nice, light start to the meal.
Next was my pick: Hazelnut Waffles (nutella, banana) $11~ Too bad they don't have a gluten free options. These are yummy. I especially loved the hazelnut crumbles on top. It didn't really even need the maple syrup. The waffle texture was good, it didn't feel heavy. Which means I can eat more! :P
Her choice: Black Rice (harissa chicken, kale, sofrito, poached egg) $17~ I wanted this too, so I was glad she chose it. hehe. Also a beautiful dish. Loved everything about it. The flavors were great. I love black rice. The poached egg was so soft it just mixed with everything. And I like the greens in there since we didn't really have any other vegetables in the meal.
Lastly, this is not part of the brunch section but I wanted to try it since the first time I dined here. House-Made Cavatelli (braised short rib, fresh peas, parmesan) $14~
I love all pasta. And when it's mixed with short rib? Sold! Freaking loved it. This was my favorite. The pasta shape is fun... although you can also say they look like bugs. But delicious bugs! :P And the texture is on point! The short rib was SUPER tender. The peas and pea greens added a nice freshness since this is a heavier dish. I'd eat this dish again any day.
It was such a great meal. I loved catching up with my friend and enjoyed the lovely ambiance of City Hall Bistro. Got to try 4 new dishes there too so it's definitely a success. Hopefully I'll get to go back soon. There are more things to try!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I'm sooooo very excited that North Italia at Legacy West Plano is officially opening tomorrow!!! Tuesday 6/27. Have you made your reservation yet?!
I went to the Austin location about 2 years ago and absolutely loved it. From the decor to the food. It was very exciting to have North come to Dallas. :) I got a sneak peek last Thursday with a friend of mine. We were both basically squealing with excitement. hehe.
North Italia - Legacy West
7501 Windrose Ave. Suite D190
Plano, TX 75024
(214) 291-6996
www.northitaliarestaurant.com/nso/plano-tx
Price: $$$$
We arrived at 6:15PM for dinner. The place was already packed with people. We were seated immediately. I love the open space... high ceilings and wood decor. I especially love their large glass lamps. We sat in one of the booths. We were given menus and were warmly welcomed for like the third time and ready to enjoy our evening. Our waitress, Kariel, greeted us and asked for our drink orders. We asked her for some suggestions and she was very helpful. This is the first of their friends and family nights so the staff is still in training.
Neither of us really drank so my friend got the Strawberry Spice Mule (dripping springs vodka, clove spiced gran gala, lime, smashed strawberry) $11~
It was recommended as one of the sweeter options. I just took a sip cuz that's enough for me. haha. The drink is very pretty. I loved the actual muddled strawberry throughout the drink. It's very refreshing too. My friend really enjoyed it.
For our appetizer, we chose the Burrata (heirloom tomato, basil, mint, cucumber, crouton, saba) $12~
We had several items that we wanted to try... so I guess we'll be going back. haha. The burrata was gorgeous! I loved the presentation... rustic and colorful. The burrata was to die for. So incredibly creamy yet light. The tomatoes were fresh and paired beautifully. I also loved the freshness of the mint and basil. The saba (I think it's kind of a balsamic reduction/vinaigrette) was delicious. They didn't overdress it. My friend wanted more saba, but I thought it was just right.
During the course of our meal, we were greeted by several people. Bianka from Giant Noise PR came over to say Hi. So did Meredith, the general manager, and England, the manager. They were all SUPER nice and we got to chat with each of them for a while. They really took the time to make sure we were enjoying ourselves throughout the night and made us feel welcomed. :)
For the entrees, they mixed up my order and served me the Red Wine Glazed Short Rib (heirloom carrot, swiss chard, creamy mascarpone polenta) $26~
I had ordered the short rib pasta. So they quickly fixed the issue and gave us the Short Rib entree as well! Well, yes please! I never say no to extra food! :P The short rib doesn't really photograph well but I assure you it smelled divine! That mascarpone polenta was so luscious. I can eat that by itself. The short rib was tender and had great flavor. I also like that there were actual green veggies (swiss chard) in the dish. I always prefer to have some sort of green vegetables at every meal.
Short Rib Radiatori (parmesan cream, fresh horseradish, wilted arugula, herbed breadcrumb) $20~
My actual order. Amazing. It was my favorite entree of the night. I love interesting pasta shapes. The Radiatori was perfect in collecting all the cream sauce in all its nooks and crannies. And the texture on the pasta was perfect. The short rib in the pasta was even more tender than the entree I think. The addition of the horseradish was a nice touch. It brightened up the cream sauce so it wasn't too heavy. Totally recommend this!
My friend chose the Filet of Beef (crispy potato, roasted mushroom, cipollini onion, marsala) $38~
She got it medium well... booo. I think all steaks should be med rare. hehe. But you know what... even at med well, the steak was really tender and the flavor of the meat really shined. The marsala sauce paired beautifully with the beef, mushrooms, and onions. And those crispy smashed potatoes? They almost out shined the steak. Another great choice.
Diver Scallops (sweet corn risotto, asparagus, crispy shallot, pancetta gremolata) $25~
We also really wanted to try the scallops so we talked them into giving us another entree. :P (Although I have to say, we ordered this 3rd dish before we got the short rib... too much food you think? Nahhh. ha.) Beautiful vibrant colors on this dish. And you get FOUR plump scallops instead of the typical 3. We both liked it. The scallops were cooked wonderfully. But I have 2 complaints on this dish. 1) It needed a bit more acid... a squeeze of lemon maybe? or some lemon juice inside the sweet corn sauce. And 2) more sear on the scallops so the tops are crispier. Other than that, it was still a yummy dish.
We each got a box for our leftovers, because we need to save room for dessert! Duh!
Dirty Almond Chai (two shots espresso, almond milk, chai tea; shaken and served cold) $5~ This drink sounded really interesting. I don't really drink coffee but I wanted to give it a try. My friend can't handle the caffeine that late in the day so she just got a "clean" Almond Chai (without the 2 shots of espresso). Hers was delicious. Mine... wasn't sweet enough for me since I'm not a coffee drinker. But I do love that it's served cold. It almost tastes like a cold brew (according to my friend anyways).
We couldn't decide so we got 2 desserts. Cuz why not? :D
Hazelnut Torta (nutella cream, hazelnut toffee, salted caramel gelato) $8~
I can't say I've seen tortas served in this shape... it made me think of a molten chocolate cake. But it wasn't molten inside of course. Torta basically means a dense and chocolatey rich cake made with a few simple ingredients. The torta wasn't super dense which I would've been fine with either way. The salted caramel gelato was great on top. The toffee added a nice crunch. This'll definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart (lemon crema, basil, almond crust) $7~
This could not be more different than the torta. This was light and fresh. The tart itself reminded me of a shortbread and wasn't overly sweet. The mascarpone added the richness but wasn't heavy. And the basil was the most genius touch. We both agreed that without the pop of basil, this dessert would be kind of generic. The brightness of the basil definitely elevated the dish. Yum!
If you can't tell... we loved it. We both had pretty high expectations going in and they definitely didn't disappoint. The food was fantastic, but I really enjoyed meeting all the people in the restaurant. We lingered a little after dinner and chatted with England and Kariel. They're both so great! I hope they'll remember us the next time we go back. :)
They officially open to the public TOMORROW!! Tuesday 6/27!!
Thanks so much to North Italia for having us. Even though I live 50 minutes away, I hope to be back really soon. :)
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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