The Keeper - EPIC Media Dinner!

Starting the year out with a BANG! Get ready for some SERIOUS foodporn, y'all! :)

**PSA**
If you follow me on Instagram, you're in luck! From now until Feb 13th, if you show them a pictures I posted from the media dinner, you can get a FREE appetizer up to $15 value! If you don't follow me, you better get on it! :P @chompdallas! I highly suggest the Crab Fried Rice btw... one of my favorite things!
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If y'all haven't heard of The Keeper... you are definitely missing out! It has been on my list to try for a while and I guess it's good that I waited because I was about to have my mind blown! I was approached by them to collaborate and host my very first media/blogger dinner. What an honor! And to plan out the event, they invited me out first to check out the space and menu. SO MUCH AWESOME!! This post will include both my preview meal AND the actual media dinner.

The Keeper - Shops at Legacy
5840 Legacy Cir. Ste D100
Plano, TX 75024
(469) 210-5337
http://thekeeperplano.com/
Price: $$$$+

The Keeper is part of Front Burner Restaurants who oversees heavy hitters such as Sixty Vines, Whiskey Cake, The Ranch, and most recently, Haywire.... and many others. All of their restaurants are fantastic and you'll also notice that their decor/interior design is also spot on. The Keeper is so cute. 

Spacious and decked out, there are interesting decor details everywhere, including a really nice cocktail area to the left of the bar, and a "Captain's Room" which can be used for private events. That's where we dined for the media dinner. It's super cool... lined on the walls are the Captains and they all have really fun stories behind them. The room can be closed off with curtains to keep your party exclusive. There's also audio/visual equipment if needed. AND this was the best part for us bloggers.. the lights can be dimmed or turned up as requested. Since our food photos are everything, the lighting is always very important.

We had a nice big group for the media dinner. 19 people! The Captain's Room was perfect with extra room to spare. Once mostly everyone arrived, they started dinner service. The service was on point, y'all. The flow of course to course was fluid, we never had to ask for our water glasses to be filled. And new/clean silverware just come out of nowhere course after course. They were definitely on their game! Special shout-out to Nicole and Joy for being the best waitresses.

Of course people got some cocktails! Their cocktails are extremely festive and fun. Some are served in different Tiki glasses.

Singapore Sling $12~

I'm not quite sure what this is, but it's fun to look at!

The General Manager, Ryan, checked on the group throughout the night. He also offered a lot of interesting information on the restaurant, their inspirations, missions, etc. The Executive Chef, Ty, introduced every course as it came out. The man behind all the wonderful and tasty dishes. They use a lot of locally sources ingredients as well as the freshest seafood they can get. They have several items on the menu that's based on availability. Like the different types of oysters. I was able to get one during my preview, but it wasn't available for the media dinner. So you can go back frequently and potentially try something new each time.

Ok... I've talked enough. TO THE FOOD!!! They pulled out all the stops for this dinner. I didn't know what the menu was going to be. Holy moly... TEN courses! Plus 3 desserts. WOW! Also, several of the items were not even on the menu yet (I'll label "NEW~"). I believe it is being launched TODAY, Wednesday 1/23. So aside from the restaurant execs themselves, we were the first to try them!!!!!


NEW~ Tuna Tiradito (fresh big-eye tuna, citrus, pickled onion, aji rocoto). Not only was this beautiful with all the pops of color, it was so good. Especially that aji rocoto sauce. The tuna was super fresh and the citrus was bright.

NEW~ Texas Gulf Shrimp & Grits (stone ground grits, wild mushrooms and peppers, creole sauce) This was most people's favorite of the night, me included. Nice, big, plump shrimp rubbed with bold spices. The grits were creamy and amazing. This is a quick trend we noticed that all their dishes are packed with flavor. A MUST order!

Crab Fried Rice (crispy spam, crab, carrots, scallions, egg) $18~ Another MUST order. I know it's under the apps section but you can totally get this as your entree. It is a big portion size, definitely good for sharing. Tons of crab throughout, it's just so good. I hate carrots and I don't even mind it in here. I also love that they incorporate a lot of veggies in their dishes.

Scallops (udon noodles, bok choy, fresnos, carrots, micro ocean mix, hoisin-sesame sauce) $24~ Another favorite... maybe I should just stop trying to pick a favorite, eh? :P hahaha. Buttery scallops over noodles. Again, lots of veggies so it feels rich yet light.

Seafood Campechana (gulf shrimp and lump crab, avocado) $14~ This is a good starter to share, especially if you like ceviche and shrimp cocktail type stuff. Plump shrimp and crab!

Raw Oysters (chili sauce, horseradish and yuzu mignonettes) $3 each~ 

So... I've never been a fan of oysters in general, raw the least of all. I mean, I'll eat them, but I don't crave them or care to use up stomach space for them. HOWEVER, since I've had the oysters in the preview dinner. I've been waiting to get my hands on more! OMG! The freshest I've ever had, and served super cold. I think what made me really love these were the sauces... the yuzu one especially (the one in the middle). I don't like cocktail sauce really. The yuzu is a lovely brightness on the oyster. It's also more fragrant than lemon or lime. Loved it! I had 2! And if you get luckily, you might get to try some different kinds, if they have it in stock.

NEW~ Blackened Red Fish (rainbow chard, sweet peppers, decadent crab sauce). That crab sauce tho.... Drooling. Whoever says fish is bland needs to try this. The blackened rub on this was a punch in the face. Loved that they paired it with veggies on the bottom to offset the rich crab sauce.

Whole Red Snapper (fried, roasted brussels sprout, scallions, baby bells, micro herbs) $38~ Usually comes grilled, but you can request fried. What a show stopper. People could not stop taking pictures and videos when these came out. A whole fried fish definitely makes for interesting conversation! And their Brussels Sprouts are amazing. I can eat a whole bowl of those on their own.

King Crab Legs (steamed with drawn butter or spicy chili glaze, local corn, grilled potato salad) $48~ Everyone was stuffed at this point but all still holding out for the crab legs. All I can say is wow.... I took a leg and held it up, it's long! And packed full of tender crab meat. I normally don't care for crab, but this is some of the most tender I've had... especially dipped in that melted butter. The meat literally just slid out of the shell when you scooped it with the fork. O.M.G.

NEW~ Pork Chops (apple fennel slaw, bbq vinaigrette). They're a seafood place but they can do land too! The pork chops are a great addition to the menu. Bone in, cooked to perfection, served with slaw to balance the meat. I took most of it home and had it for lunch the next day. Still so good!

I don't know how any of us were still eating at this point. Some people had to leave and tapped out early. The rest of us got to stuff our faces some more with their yummy desserts!

Oh Chocolate, My Chocolate (chocolate ganache truffle, chocolate crumble, chocolate pamplemousse sauce, strawberries) $8~ Chocolate lovers, this is for you. The truffle itself is luscious and rich and dark. Drizzle that chocolate sauce all over everything!! A little goes a long way, it's a very satisfying dessert.

The "Key"per (angel food cake, key lime mousse, raspberries, pistachios) $7~ Surpringly this was my favorite. For one, it's so pretty! I normally don't favor lemon/lime desserts but this is so light, not too tart. And I especially love the textures from the fluffy angel food cake to the mousse, to the crunchy pistachios. If you are full from dinner, this is a good choice to get.

Bubble Waffle Sundae (sweethouse ice cream, marshmallow fluff, butter rum sauce, caramelized pineapple) $8~ What a fun dessert. The waffle is served warm. It pairs extremely well with the ice cream and marshmallow fluff. Definitely one for sharing!

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Here are the other dishes from my preview dinner that we didn't see at the media dinner. Lots of winners here as well.

Singapore Sling $12~
Painkiller $14~

Don't remember what this one is either... but it had mango in it.

Hamachi Crudo (apple, avocado, chilies, toasted garlic, yuzu sauce, micro greens) $14~ One of my favorites from The Keeper still. It was such beautiful plating. The hamachi (yellowtail) were so tender it melted in your mouth. I want this whole plate to myself!

Belon Oysters $MKT~ (limited availability) We were lucky enough to get 2 of these that night. (The 2 in front... see how they're bigger than the regular oysters?) These are wild caught and they are very limited. It is the "oyster lover's" oyster. Extra minerality, extra oyster flavor. My husband LOVED it.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip (parmesan, swiss, jack, tortilla chips) $11~ A good choice to share for people who don't want seafood everything. But guess what, you can get crab added to it for an upcharge. :P

Seafood Linguine (jumbo gulf shrimp, mussels, tomatoes, herbs, white wine parmesan butter) $16~ Really good pasta. The sauce was rich but the pasta wasn't drowning in them. Tons of seafood on top. Just look at that shrimp!

Icelandic Cod (chowder, crisp bacon, carrots) $28~ I've had Icelandic cod when we were in Iceland last year, so freaking good. So I was excited to see it on the menu. Of course, the fish was super tender and flaky. And it's served over their Clam Chowder, one of their big sellers. So you technically get to try 2 different dishes in one. The chowder is really good.

Akaushi Burger (white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, special sauce, grilled potato salad) $17~ Subbed side for Lobster Mac n Cheese. One of my friends wasn't that into seafood so he opted for the burger. Tbh, with so much fabulous seafood dishes around, the burger kind of got lost.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (spicy lime glaze) $5~ This also came with my whole fried red snapper, but it was THAT good.

Roasted Root Vegetables (baby carrots, turnips, rutabaga, citrus glaze) $5~ My husband ordered this... he loved it. I don't like carrots so I just kinda left this up to him. haha.

Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese (buttery old bay bread crumbs) $11~ One of the richest mac n cheeses I've ever had. So good, but eat sparingly. haha.

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I want to give a HUGE THANKS to The Keeper for hosting us. It was SPECTACULAR!! From the service to the ambiance and of course the amazing food, we were thoroughly blown away. Let's not keep this place a secret! I want to tell everyone about it. The food is legit and I love that they locally source as much as possible. And the seafood are sustainable. You can tell all the people that worked there were proud and passionate of the restaurant, from the wait staff to management. One of the most wonderful media experience to date, I hope all of you will go check them out and love it as much as we did.

And again... don't forget! Show them a post from my Instagram from this event and get a FREE appetizer! ($15 value, one table only.)

Quality of Food: 

Service: 

Ambiance: 

Value: (comped)

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

True Food Kitchen - Legacy West

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 ~~