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I went to Marquee Grill (now named Village Marquee Texas Grill & Bar) this past Tuesday. I met up with a couple friends for happy hour then dinner. I had a giftcard so I wanted to use it. :)
Village Marquee Texas Grill & Bar
33 Highland Park Village
Dallas, TX 75205
(214) 522-6035
http://marqueegrill.com/
Price: $$$-$$$$$
I had been there for brunch before but always wanted to check out their happy hour and dinner options. The restaurant is deceptively huge. The bar is upstairs and has some really nice seating areas. For the HH the specialty cocktails are $2 off. Still quite pricey since they range from $11-14 a pop. I normally don't drink very much and definitely don't on a weekday but we were at HH! Didn't want to leave my friends hanging. haha.
But before I drink... I needed some food! I was starving. Their HH doesn't include food specials though. :( Me sad. But we decided on the Mini BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (citrus slaw, fresh cilantro) $10~ as recommended by the bartender.
You get 3 to an order. They were so cute and looked amazing. SO delicious! The buns were toasted and buttery. The pulled pork was tender and juicy. And the flavors were so bold! I especially loved the crunch from the slaw with the pork. I would totally eat this again!
I ordered a girly fruity cocktail. Don't remember the name of it and it doesn't seem to be on their online menu. But it had Veev Acai in there. It was super pink! $11~
It was quite light which is good for me. I didn't taste the alcohol so much. My friend got the Scarf Dancer, one of their signature drinks. (sorry no pic) It was a beautiful cocktail. Deep pink/purple color from the berries and it was quite good. I liked that better than mine.
We chose to sit outside for dinner since it was such a nice day. Everything looked great on the menu... so hard to choose!
We were given some corn bread and flatbread/crackers after we made our orders. I really like their corn bread. Nice and buttery!
We started with the Salt, Pepper & Chile Calamari (grilled Texas peaches, spicy arugula, chile-lime sauce) $14~
This is different than other calamaris I've had before. The way it was breaded and fried is what sets it apart. The sauce was sweet and spicy and a little tangy. It paired really well with the crispy calamari. The peaches added a refreshing sweetness. It was a nice addition. And I don't know how they fried it but was not greasy at all. A very nice dish. We all enjoyed it a lot.
Both my friends ordered the Jumbo Texas Shrimp & Grits (chipotle jack cheese grits, tequila lime sauce) $22~
This is the reason they wanted to go to Marquee. We were told by someone that they had the best shrimp and grits. I really liked the presentation. Kind of wasted space on half the plate but really unique as well. haha. There were 5 jumbo shrimp and it looked fantastic. The shrimp had a nice char on the outside and were very juicy. I really liked the grits. I think there should be more grits though. There wasn't enough to go with all the shrimp! They really liked it. And even though it didn't look like a big portion, it was quite satisfying.
I went with the Seared Alaskan Halibut (grilled octopus, black forbidden rice, tangelo lobster broth) $35~
It just sounded so interesting! The plate was beautiful. The bright greens and white fish on top of the dark forbidden rice. I loved the crispy sear on the halibut. Nicely done. The fish was recommended to be served medium. It was tender but I felt a hair overcooked for my preference. The flavors of the dish are pretty light and mild but I felt like I could taste every element of it. I got the lobster essence from the broth. The octopus were cooked nicely. The peas and asparagus still had a nice crunch to it. It was a light and healthy dish.
We also got a side of Grilled Asparagus $9~
It was good. I always like more veggies with my meal. But for $9, I was hoping for a bigger portion.
We were stuffed so we didn't get dessert. I have yet to have dessert there, so I guess I'll be back again. And looking in from the outside I didn't see Chef Tre Wilcox. Oh well, until next time. Hopefully I can see him (third times a charm) on my next visit. hehe.
Our waiter was nice enough but not spectacular. We were all catching up with each other so we didn't really pay attention to the service.
Overall, good dinner. My favorite of the night will have to be the pulled pork. haha. It is a bit pricey for dinner but you can tell they use good ingredients. I'd suggest brunch if you want to spend a little less. I heard they recently updated their brunch menu too! And if you are into cocktails, they do have some interesting mixtures. I would recommend checking it out!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
The last night in London we decided to treat ourselves. Plus this place was HIGHLY recommended by others who were also there on the trip with us.
If you don't know who Gordon Ramsay is... then you must not have a TV or access to internet. haha. He's the British chef that is known for screaming at people on Hell's Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares. One of my current favorite shows on TV right now: MasterChef, is also one of his creations. And these are just a few of his TV endeavors. In addition, he's got restaurants all over the world and has 12 Michelin stars under his belt. Pretty impressive empire he's built for himself.
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's
45 Brook Street
London, W1K 4HR, UK
020 7499 0099
http://www.gordonramsay.com/claridges/
The restaurant is in the Claridge's hotel. A really nice hotel... Looked luxurious and fancy. The restaurant is also very high class looking. It made me feel a little out of place and had to be on my best behavior! haha.
All the staff was very polite and professional, from the Maitre D' (head waiter) to the assistant waiters to people who refilled our waters. They were also quite informative on the restaurant, the chef and the food.
They offered a 5-course tasting menu or a 3-course menu for £70 a person.
We started with an Amuse Bouche (Hash browns and Watermelon with Goat Cheese).
Gotta love the free stuff. haha. The bites looked so delicate and the watermelon was so vibrant. The hashbrown was very tasty and nice and crispy on the outside but we didn't know how to appreciate it more than the tots at Sonic or whatever. haha. I'm not a fan of watermelon or goat cheese but I was ok with the combination. The watermelon was slightly sweet and the goat cheese wasn't too pungent.
We also got some bread before the appetizer course. Wheat Roll and Brown Sourdough. I've realized that Europeans like their hard bread. Coming from Paris to London... all the breads were super hard. A little tough on my teeth!
Before appetizers we got a Cold Pea Soup with Ham (compliments of the chef).
It was sooo green! Very pretty. I've never had pea soup and always wanted to try. I'm not usually a fan of cold soups... But I loved it. You can definitely taste the peas but it was silky and rich and luxurious. Slightly sweet from the peas and contrasted with the salty bits of ham on top. It was great to dip the bread in. It was also very filling so I had to force myself not to finish to save room. We haven't even gotten our actual apps yet and I was already getting full! haha.
For the appetizer, I got the Ravioli of Lobster, Shellfish and Salmon (with lemongrass and chervil veloute).
It was highly recommended the Maitre D' explained that since the opening of the restaurant 11 years ago, this item has been on the menu the entire time because it is so popular. It was one massive ravioli. They poured the sauce in tableside which I always like. It was stuffed to the brim with various types of seafood. OMG. I'm not fond of lobster really and thought it was a bit more fishy than I'd like. But I really enjoyed the sauce. And the pasta on the ravioli was cooked well.
My bf ordered the Sauteed Scottish Scallops (with white asparagus, broccoli, caviar and Champagne veloute). It was a beautiful plate. The scallops were cooked well and I really liked the sauce on his dish as well.
For the entree... this is one of the main reasons we came... was the Fillet of Beef Wellington (with prosciutto, Somerset field mushrooms and pommes dauphinoise) (£10.00 supplement for two people).
Pommes Dauphinoise is basically potatoes au gratin. Comes with watercress and roasted garlic. Served with haricot vert (green beans).
It's so popular that they know they can upcharge it and people would still get it. And you have to order for 2 people since it is how it's made. If you just ordered it for one, they explained that you would have to pay a supplement of £35. This is one of his signature dishes. It's also been on the menu since the establishment of the restaurant 11 years ago. And it's always featured in his show, Hell's Kitchen. I've never had beef Wellington before and was always curious to try it. Beef and puff pastry...doesn't sound half bad! :P We understood why it was meant for two when they brought it out. That is the portion size they have to bake the beef and pastry in. It is cut and served table side.
I loved the presentation. While carving the meat, the Maitre D' explained to us what the components were (beef, a layer of mushrooms, and puff pastry), how it is normally served with roasted garlic and watercress, and after cutting the pieces, he rubbed a little bit of olive oil on the top of the meat and sprinkled just a touch of pepper.
It looked and smelled amazing!!! My favorite part of the dish was the pastry (as I expected). It was buttery and slightly crispy and not too greasy. The beef was cooked well, but I wanted more flavor from the meat and mushrooms. I loved the roasted garlic. I've never had it like that before. The top was caramelized and crunchy while the garlic was soft and creamy. It was a lot of food! I would say I wasn't blown away, but it was definitely quality food.
Before dessert we were served a Palate Cleanser: Passion Fruit Jello with Vanilla Bean Cream and some sort of fruit juice granita.
It's very similar to what we had at Joel Robuchon's restaurant in Paris. This was also really refreshing and yummy. I wonder if passion fruit was in season so it was featured in both restaurants...
For dessert I went with the Elderflower Infused Strawberries with Shortbread, Strawberry Sorbet, White Chocolate Macarons and Cream.
I wanted to get something different and I like the flavor of Elderflower. It was definitely not what I expected when served. It was beautifully presented. I like how the light captures the sugar snowflakes on top. It was basically a deconstructed strawberry shortcake. My favorite part was the macarons. Very very good. The sorbet overpowered the strawberries and shortbread a bit so I could only get hints of the elderflower.
My bf got the Cold Valrhona Chocolate Fondant (with poached cherry flambe).
The waiter described it as kind of like a cold molten chocolate cake. Interesting... We didn't know how it could be cold but still have the gooey chocolate on the inside. It was actually more like a cold chocolate mousse cake. The outside was a little thicker than a mousse but similar texture. And the molten inside was a white chocolate sauce I think. It was soooo good. The chocolate cake was rich and decadent. I definitely liked this better of the two.
Needless to say, we were both stuffed. I was so full I couldn't move! And then... we got more stuff! Homemade Chocolate Truffles and Marshmallows. Somehow we managed to eat them... hahaha.
It was a great experience. One of the more upscale dining places I've been to in my life. Very classy and professional. The food was definitely enjoyable. The best meal of my life? Not really.. But I can say I've been to one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants now, and I've had beef Wellington from the master. hehe. And be prepared to drop some bucks. I think this is the most expensive meal I've had in my life... (so far...haha). Lucky for us it was included in the trip! :)
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
This wasn't what I expected at all. I didn't know it was going to be breaded and coated in a sweet and sour sauce. It actually looked like sweet and sour chicken/pork in a Chinese restaurant. And it tasted like sweet and sour pork. haha. We were all surprised by it. But we all liked it. The flavors were bold and it was nice to eat a vegetarian dish and have it taste like meat! haha.
I like Chicken Masala but this wasn't what we expected. For the price, I would've expected a bit more chicken. But the chicken was quite tender. The sauce however, wasn't like normal Chicken Masala I've had before. It was ok... We didn't care for it too much.
This wasn't what we expected either. Usually when I see "croquettes" I expect some sort of fried cake of some sort. This was neither fried nor in the shape of a patty/cake. It looked like 3 big meatballs. But it was all vegetarian. This was amazingly delicious!! The description also said it was a tomato base sauce but it was so different than the Masala. This was creamy and luxurious and full of spices. The combinations of spices were great and it had a nice heat to it. The "meatballs" (hehe) were awesome. The texture was velvety and soft and you can see the chunks of peas and paneer inside the potato based ball. I just wished there were more than 3! The sauce was good on everything. We sopped it up with the naan and poured it over the rice.
The dishes don't come with naan so we got some on the side. The naan were cooked great. The Garlic & Basil was my favorite out of the two because it had great garlic flavor. It was soooo good dipping in the Kofta sauce. YUM!!!
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