CHOMP! 2107 Best Eats - The Savory Edition

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).

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 ~~

LUCK - Trinity Groves

After my dessert first at Cake Bar... I met a couple of my friends for dinner at LUCK. None of us had been there so it'll be fun to try a new place!

LUCK (Local Urban Craft Kitchen)
3011 Gulden Lane, Suite #112
Dallas, Texas 75212
(469) 250-0679
http://www.luckdallas.com/
Price: $$-$$$

Their concept is pretty cool. They are a craft beer inspired kitchen so they promote items that pair well with beer. They also try to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Unfortunately I don't drink beer, so the pairing is a little wasted on me. But I do enjoy pub fare.

I was a little disappointed to find out that their menu had changed and all the dishes on yelp that I wanted to try were no longer available. Booohoo. :( Their menu is pretty small and I didn't really see anything I really wanted. (Which is rare... I might add...)

None of us were super hungry and we were also saving room for dessert. So we got some stuff to share.

Bierocks "Beer-Rocks" (meat and cheese filled pocket pastries served with beer cheese fondue and au jus) $10~ 

 

I liked the presentation on the wood board with the name of the restaurant carved into it. It was basically a meat bread bun. Very delicious. There was a lot of the meat filling which was good. The top of the bread was a little heavily salted, but overall the flavors were good. Totally loved the beer cheese fondue sauce. We kept that around for other stuff to dip in. hehe.

Blueberry & Raw Butternut Squash Salad (mixed greens, candied pecans, goat cheese, citrus honey vinaigrette) $10~ 

I got this because I didn't want something too heavy and I love butternut squash. It was a big salad. I opted for no goat cheese since I don't like it. The butternut squash turned out to be thin strips chopped and put on top of the salad. I think if it's in the name, it should be more of a star than a topping. It was good though. Quite filling. I always liked candied pecans in a salad...adds sweetness and crunchy texture.

Signature Pastrami ("Texas Brisket Style", house-cured for 3 days and smoked for 15 hours with stone ground mustard, caramelized onions, swiss cheese, on sourdough) $13~ 

My friends shared this. The waitress said it's one of their big sellers. The pastrami wasn't really pastrami but more brisket. It was really good. Soooo much flavor. You can definitely get the smokiness of the meat. It's a very heavy sandwich though. Their housemade chips were also really good. Especially dipped in the beer cheese fondue. :P

The food was pretty good and they've not a nice patio area. The service was ok. Our waitress was nice but I don't think she checked on us enough. I probably won't go back. The food options were not super enticing or exceptional. If you like beer though, definitely check them out since they've got a big selection of craft beers.

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~