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It's the last day of 2017!! Hope your year was as sweet as mine. Here's my "Top 10 Sweet Bites" for the year. It was pretty hard to narrow it down. Y'all know I lurrrv my desserts.
These are not ranked btw... I love them all. But I've definitely have some more than others. And SERIOUSLY craving some right now...
- Starbucks Reserve (Legacy West).
This place has made me like coffee. Even if the coffee is topped with a scoop of ice cream. haha. :P The House Affogato from Starbucks Reserve is delicious. And I'm obsessed with this place. I love sitting at the bar so I can watch the baristas demo the siphon coffee. One of these days I'll have to go to one of their workshops! Also fantastic... the Cold Brew Malt... basically a coffee milkshake - Cold Brew, 2 scoops of ice cream, Starbucks' malt powder.
- Bisous Bisous Patisserie (West Village).
I've definitely spent a lot of time in West Village this year. Between Pok and the Summer Sammie pop ups from Bisous Bisous, it's like I lived there. I went almost every weekend they were available. Warm and flaky croissant waffles made to order with seasonal ice cream flavors sandwiched in the middle. So yummy!
- Val's Cheesecakes (Maple Ave, Lower Greenville).
Best cheesecakes ever. I definitely ate A LOT of his cheesecakes this year, include TWO whole ones. They make a great addition to any special occasion and he can do anything you want in his custom creations. My all time favorite... the Classic Blueberry. I still have a few jars in my fridge, better go get those now!
- Everett & Elaine (Legacy Food Hall & Dallas Farmers Market)
I first stumbled upon E&E earlier this year at the Dallas Farmers Market. They makes some of the most delicious looking desserts and pastries. But since they've opened their stall inside the Legacy Food Hall, I've discovered my favorite thing there. The Tiramisu Cotton Cheesecake. It's an Asian style (super fluffy) cheesecake with a decadent tiramisu topping. It's on a whole different level. You cannot compare it with anything else. Every single person that I've recommended it to has loved it.
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| Photo by @_rachelann_ |
- Commissary (Downtown).
Again, one of my favorite places this year. They have a gorgeous dessert display and so far everything I've tried is good. However, the first thing I had there, the Triple Chocolate Eclair, remains one of my favorites. It's like a Ferrero Rocher, which is one of my favorite candies. Plus it's fancy.
- North Italia (Legacy West).
Again, one of my favorite spots this year. Make sure you make room for dessert after all those amazing pastas. Their Tiramisu is probably one of the best I've had to date. Rich espresso flavor and cream, lots of chocolates, and the crunchy chocolate balls totally makes it.
- Tommy Bahama (Legacy West).
I didn't even know TB had restaurants until I went to the Legacy West grand opening. The decor is so festive and the food is quite fantastic. But... their desserts are definitely the star. One of the prettiest desserts I've had this year... and definitely the BEST creme brulee ever, imo. Their Pineapple Creme Brulee is baked inside an actual pineapple!! So bright and fun and fresh.
- District Food & Wine (Design District).
This is definitely a hidden gem. They're only open for lunch during the week so I don't think most people know it's there. But the BEST Lemon Cake of my life! I don't even really like lemon desserts very much and I chose this over the chocolate cake. What?? Not too tart or too sweet, the cake is fluffy and perfect. I still think about it from time to time.
- Emporium Pies (Bishop Arts District, Deep Ellum, Downtown McKinney).
This is my favorite pie place in Dallas so it's really hard to pick a single one that I love. But I found my absolute favorite pie this year... and that's a pretty bold statement coming from me. The Nutty Honey from the Fall Menu... peanut butter and honey. Please bring it back!!
- We the Birds Macarons.
So... these are not limited to 2017, but I've got to give a shout out to my friends at We the Birds for having the most beautiful and delicious macarons ever. I prefer theirs over Ladurée. Yes, you can quote me on that. I gifted several of their custom flavors to friends this year so I think it's relevant. :P Love y'all!
Sweet Dreams everyone! And have the most amazing 2018!
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Did you know that Tommy Bahama has restaurants?? All I've ever known of the Tommy Bahama brand are those really festive, colorful, tropical shirts. Well... they DO have restaurants, and we got one this year at Legacy West in Plano. And you know what? The food is good!!
Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar - Legacy West
7501 Windrose Ave.
Plano, TX 75024
(214) 501-3600
www.tommybahama.com/restaurants/plano
Price: $$$+
I was invited to go check it out. Excited! I went on a Saturday for lunch with a friend. The last time I had seen the space, it was still under construction. Now it's got the retail store, with the restaurant, with a HUGE covered patio next to it. And it was a beautiful day. We opted to sit inside because there were less people. The inside decor was very tropical. It felt like you were at a resort, on vacation, and I liked that very much.
Our waiter was pretty awesome and took great care of us from the beginning. He went over the cocktail menu with us. Neither of us really drink much alcohol so he was giving us recommendations.
I really liked that they had a mocktail section called "Zero Proof" for people like me who want pretty drinks but none of the alcohol. :P I chose Blue My Mind (muddled blueberries, passion fruit, scratch lemonade) $6~
It was very pretty. The yellow of the passion fruit was super bright and fun. It was a bit more tart than I would've liked, but then again, I can't take a whole lot of sour. I wished the blueberries were more muddled like in the description. They were mainly whole. But were very pretty in the drink, and were nice and plump.
My friend got the Handcrafted Pina Colada (bacardi, muddled pineapple, coconut, gosling's black seal float) $10.50~ She wanted something pretty sweet, and pretty. And this fit the bill. It was very good. It made you feel like you were sitting on the beach.
Our waiter also explained the whole menu to us. While he said everything is delicious, he pointed out some of their most popular items.
World Famous Coconut Shrimp (papaya-mango chutney) 4 pieces $11.50~
There's a bigger size to this.. I don't remember if it was 6 or 8 pieces, but that's $16.50~ I did notice that that prices for dishes here are a bit high, at least in my opinion, but they also have the same menu for lunch and dinner so it's gonna seem a bit more steep for lunch. The shrimp was fantastically fried. The fried coconut was very crispy and the shrimp was tender. I would totally eat it again. But the dish was a bit expensive for the amount.
Bread (cinnamon butter). I always love it when restaurants give bread. Their bread was a funny shape. Hehe. Yes, I'm being immature. But it was yummy. Warm and fluffy on the inside, it paired really well with the whipped cinnamon butter.
For our entrees we decided to get a sampling of different things. Land and sea... and sandwich. haha.
Cuban Sandwich (house roasted pork, ham, gruyere, pickles, sriracha mustard, jerk yucca fries) $13.50~
I love Cubans. At first glance, this looked a little sad.. the half on top kind of drooped over the bottom half. However, it is delicious! The bread was also pressed nicely. I think the bread was just a bit thin that's why it draped over the other half. Loved the pickles in there. The meats were tender. The yucca fries were fried nicely. They were dense though, so I couldn't eat too many. Yucca is a very dense and starchy root vegetable. The slaw was good. Not overly dressed and nice and crunchy. But I feel like they use this as a default side to everything. Would've been nice to have had different dishes along with different sides. The slaw was on every dish, including the appetizer...
Kona Longboard Fish & Chips (fresh catch, island tartar, jerk yucca fries) $22~
I love fish and chips. In their case, the chips were actually yucca fries. I wish we had subbed one of the yucca fries for something else. It was definitely too much! The fish was SO fluffy on the inside and the tempura batter was nice and airy and thin. It was a good fried fish. And I love tartar sauce. Gimme a jug and I'm happy. :P
Grilled Baby Back Pork Ribs (sweet & spicy blackberry brandy BBQ, island slaw, cauliflower-potato mash) Half Rack $19.50~
I'm so glad we got this. I was debating between the fish and chips and this. Smart that we got both. haha. The blackberry brandy BBQ sauce was oh so good. The meat on the ribs was super tender. I actually think this was my favorite out of the entrees!
We made sure to save a little room for dessert this time. Since they had the dessert display front and center when I first walked into the dining room. Their desserts were huge!! But our waiter told us that we can actually get half portions for everything, except the pineapple creme brulee. I really appreciate them giving that option!
Malted Chocolate Pie (chocolate cookie crust, mocha mousse, english toffee crumble) Half Portion $6.50~
The whole portion is basically the complete pie. I liked the half portion presentation better actually. It's so cute, being cut into little wedges. And man... 1 little wedge is enough! It was so decadent. Freaking delicious, down to the chocolate sauce they decorated the plate with. I made sure to eat a bit of the sauce with each bite and it made a difference. The crust had a great texture and paired with the smooth mousse perfectly. This will satisfy ANY chocolate lover.
Pineapple Creme Brulee (tahitian vanilla bean, caramelized pineapple) $9.50~
As soon as we saw this, we knew we were getting it. Even though it was the full size and we were getting full. It was just so pretty! And I typically don't choose creme brulee if there's a cake or something as another option, but I'm so glad we did. Not only is is beautiful, it is THE BEST creme brulee I've ever had in my life. Hands down! Nothing comes to mind from any previous experiences that can beat this. I mean, I love pineapple, but I always prefer more chocolate in desserts. This was light, you can see and taste the vanilla bean, and it has small chunks of pineapple under the custard. Lots of texture, with the fruit chunks and sugar crust. The pineapple was incredibly fresh too. And the base of that pineapple "bowl" is actually a whole slice of pineapple. I used my spoon and dug into that as well. LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEED IT! I will go back just to get this.
We had a great time. The food was good, but the price point was a little high for me to go back frequently. But the desserts? Another story. Seriously, TAKE ALL MY MONEY when it comes to the desserts. I cannot wait to go back for the creme brulee and try something else. Their drinks are also on point, presentation especially. If you want to feel like it's still summer or pretend you are at the beach, this is the place to be.
Thank you so much, Tommy Bahama, for having us. And introducing me to the dessert that CHANGED MY LIFE! :P You know you'll see me again.
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own. Plus, always tip your wait staff even if you get a free meal!*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
True Food Kitchen is officially open in Legacy West in Plano and I cannot be more excited! I freaking love this restaurant and now I have 2 locations to dine at! This is literally 5 minutes from my parents' house. I may just go visit them more! haha.
I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek last week for their Friends and Family night. My friend and I arrived on Friday at 6:30PM. The new Legacy West center is huge btw... this was my first time driving through. So excited for everything that's happening there. And the new True Food Kitchen location is beautiful! It's much bigger than the one in Dallas but it has the same overall feel and colors. It's so bright and open, I love it! And lots of patio seating too.
True Food Kitchen - Plano
7601 Windrose Avenue, Suite F100
Plano, Texas 75024
(214) 291-9591
www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations/plano/
Price: $$$
--- I want to specially mention the service that night. Everyone was super friendly and accommodating. I know they are still training and had a few mistakes here and there but they were quickly fixed so I was very impressed. Also, when I arrived, I had a bag with me with perishable food inside. I asked if I could put it in the fridge in the back. Adrian? (I think that was his name) was super helpful. Not only did he put my bag in the fridge he also put a note on it with my name and table number. He also said he would remind my waitress at the end of the night so I won't forget it. Sure enough, I forgot about it, but he personally came and reminded me and grabbed the bag for me. :D Like I said, super accommodating. Keep up the good work, y'all! ---
I was seated quickly and greeted by the waitress. She brought out some waters while I waited for my friend to arrive. I perused the menu... even though I had just been to the Dallas location a little over a week ago. hehe. While waiting, I also asked a few questions about the menu and the waitress was very helpful.
Once my friend arrived, she ordered a Hangover Rx (pineapple, orange, honey, coconut water) $5~ It's so pretty and definitely refreshing. It tasted ike a lighter, healthier version of a pina colada.
We got a couple appetizers to start.
Chioggia Beet Bruschetta (vegan almond ricotta, amaranth, arugula, pomegranate molasses) $9~
This is a vegan dish. One big reason I love True Food Kitchen so much is they make healthier foods taste so good! And they're also great at accommodating dietary restrictions. I cannot believe this is completely vegan. I loved the almond ricotta. I loved this whole dish! I think the hippy nutty bread really completes it. So much texture. The nuttiness of the bread with the creamy ricotta and tender sweet beets... this was one of my favorites of the night.
Kale Guacamole (pink grapefruit, cilantro, roasted poblano, sunflower seeds, pita chips) $10~
This is also a vegan dish. My friend and I were both intrigued by the addition of grapefruit in the guac. I have to say, it's a nice little addition. Although there were segments of pink and yellow grapefruit in it and one of them was really sour. haha. When you get a bite of the sweeter one with the guac, the combination is really fantastic. However, they did not segment the grapefruit well so it was a little difficult to eat. The 'skin' was still on the segments so it took a little effort to cut those off. We weren't sure if this was their version of pita chips, or they just decided to change it for that night... but I really liked it. It's thinner and nuttier than your typical pita chips and went really well with the dip.
Daily Market Soup - Sweet Potato and Poblano $7~
I love sweet potato so the soup sounded really good. I expected it to kind of be like a butternut squash soup. However, it was surprisingly sour... not sure what component of the dish make it that sour but I didn't care for it. The texture of the soup itself was good but I wanted it to be creamier. I think this is the first thing I've ever ordered here that I didn't really like.
Scottish Steelhead (smoked onion farro, arugula, roasted beet, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto) $23~ My friend ordered this as her entree. Everything on this dish sounds fantastic. And it was! The fish was cooked well and everything tasted fresh and flavorful.
Sustainable Seabass (broccolini, sugar snap pea, roasted mushroom, ancient grains, umami sauce) $26~
I ordered this. But I subbed the snap peas with snow peas and the roasted mushroom for roasted beets. I love both of those ingredients but I recently I found out I'm allergic to them along with several other "healthy" foods. Sigh. I asked the waitress if they are ok with substitutions and she said "of course!" The dish came with mushrooms... but they quickly remedied it and were very apologetic. It was a beautiful dish and the subbed veggies paired well with everything. And that umami sauce... it sure was umami! I wanted more!
We were getting pretty full but they asked if we wanted desserts... Well, if you insist. :P
Key Lime Pie (coconut chantilly) $7~
This is vegan and gluten free. We did not see a dessert menu so we didn't really know that it was vegan and gluten free. You can tell from the custard that it's more translucent instead of creamy. The pie on its own is a little too tart for me. But when paired with the coconut chantilly it was perfect. I loved the coconut chantilly. It was just slightly sweet enough to round out the lime in the pie. The crust is made from almond flour and has a lighter texture than normal. It did not feel like it was loaded with butter. We enjoyed it.
Coconut & Chia Seed Flan (caramel, mixed berries) $7~
This is also vegan and gluten free. Neither of us thought this should be called a flan... it's not the same texture, not eggy or bouncy enough. (Maybe closer to a Pot de Creme?) But it was goooood. I liked this better than the pie. The coconut flavor was perfect and light. I thought the caramel was a little too sweet but I've been cutting back on my sugar intake so my tolerance for sweets has gone down. Whatever they may call it... order it. It's delicious!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value: (comped)
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I'm so behind on my posts... I almost don't want to do them anymore. Too many other things that take priority lately... mostly wedding planning. It's coming up in 3.5 months! Eeeeks!! So much to do still.
I thought I'd post about the really important places that happened in the last few months. :)
We start with the wonderful pies from Kessler Pie Co. They make all their pies and desserts from scratch. It's never frozen. They're currently offering pick up and delivery only. But they've recently announced that they are opening a store front soon!! Congrats to them. :) It'll be in Oak Cliff. Follow their Facebook page to get updates. And check their website for pricing and delivery options.
Kessler Pie Co.
Oak Cliff
(469) 877-6800
www.kesslerpieco.com
I got my lovely delivery in December. They were so sweet to drive all the way out to Rockwall and hand deliver these. I felt so special! I got an assortment of mini pies in jars and one in a standard sized jar. They were super cute!
All the pies were great. I especially loved that flaky salty sweet pie crust on some of the flavors. Some I did close ups...
The Mellow Yellow (hand spun vanilla custard, banana, vanilla whipped topping, salty-sweet crust). Loved the crust, wished there was more banana. But this was a sample size jar so I assume the normal size will have much more fruit.
Apple Cranberry (granny smith apples, cranberries, house herb mix, salty-sweet nutmeg and cinnamon infused crust). Warmed it up in the microwave for a few seconds and it was oozing over!! Yaasss! Sweet and tangy. If you like tart, this is for you.
Banana Nut Bread. Nice and moist. Pretty standard banana bread. But that little jar was loaded with nuts!
BP214 (cubes of bread and raisins soaked in coquito cream). I always love bread pudding, but I think I also like the crispy edges when you bake them in a pan better. This was good, and the raisins were super plump, but no crispy texture.
Cherry Cream Cheese (graham cracker crust, sweet cream cheese filling, country red cherries). My fiance loves cherries and absolutely loved this one. I let him have most of it cuz I'm nice. haha. :P
The Coco Loco (hand spun vanilla custard, coconut shavings). I'm not a fan of shredded coconut so this wasn't one of my favorites. But again... awesome crust.
Blue Magic (graham cracker crust, fluffy cream cheese, blueberries) #1 Seller. This was in the regular jar size. I can see why this is their number one. It was my favorite as well. The mixture of the blueberries and cream cheese was fantastic. The cream cheese was super fluffy... like a really light cheese cake. Yum!! Not to mention the gorgeous color.
What a nice treat to kick us off into the holiday season. Thanks to Kessler Pie Co. for sharing some of their creations with me. And I'm loving this new dessert in jars trend. Much easier (and cleaner) to eat than a cupcake. hehe.
*Note: I received the pies for free. But these are my honest opinions.
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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